Chapter 75


    The next morning at dawn, all the troops departed from the packhouse and left for Crimson Fortress.


    The Fortress was about 800 miles far from the packhouse, which would take them roughly 2 days on


    the road.


    As they headed towards the north, the weather started to get colder, and the daylight


    shortened. The wind that gushed through the woods turned from soothing to icy and bitter. Tresses in


    the northern region were more sparse and stunted. One time when J looked up to the sky, she was


    astonished to find that there was frosting on the tree branches.


    The terrible weather was not the only thing they had to face along the way. They also


    encountered many refugees from the North.


    Many of these refugees were once residents of the Crimson Fortress. But the took their houses and


    chased them out. Now they had nowhere else to go.


    rogues


    “It was brutal,” said one refugee to Daran. “They ravaged our city, set our houses on fire, and killed


    many people. Some of us tried to fight back but the rogues captured them, peeled their clothes off, and


    let them freeze to death. They said that they wanted to make more of these ‘human popsicles‘…We are


    just lucky enough to get out of that living hell.”


    There was a look of grief and anger on everyone’s face when they heard it.


    And Daran asked, “The Crimson Fortress is guarded by arge group of soldiers. Why didn’t they


    protect you?”


    The refugee let out a bitterugh, “The rogues mingled with residents like us and got passed by the


    guards easily. Then they started an attack at midnight from within the city. Who would have thought?


    They looked just like us. There was no way to identify a rogue from the citizens.”


    J’s face grew dark.


    Angelina was right. These rogues were cunning as hell. They might not be as trained as they were, but


    they were definitely good at pulling dirty schemes.


    Daran went to talk to his captains. He was thinking about having a group of soldiers from the main


    force escorting these refugees back to the packhouse. He also needed to contact the elders and ask


    them to help these people get back on their feet.


    The day was getting dark. So they decided to camp out in the woods for tonight while


    Daran took care of those refugees.


    After talking to some of the refugees, J returned to their camp with a heavy heart.


    On her way back, she found Kass leaning against a tree outside of a tent. He seemed to be waiting for


    her.


    “I heard what those people said about the rogues. About how brutal they were,” Kass spoke up first, his


    voice light.


    J stayed in silence.


    This was the first time they spoke to one another after that big fight.


    “What happened to them used to be my daily life.”


    There was a deep grief in Kass’s brown eyes.


    “So are you still questioning my loyalty?” he asked.


    J sighed and tried to walk past Kass. But he grabbed her hand and stopped her forcefully.


    “So are you going to keep ignoring me like this?” Kass hissed, “I told you my secret because I trusted


    you! If I want, I can still keep you in the dark as I have done in the past! Would you have preferred


    that?!”


    J shook him off and red back, “What you should do is tell me the truth the minute you joined our


    army! Not wait till you be the captain and I defend you in front of all other Gammas!”


    “If I told you in the beginning, would you still trust me the same? I know you wouldn’t! We all see how


    discriminated you are when ites to the rogues-”


    “Discriminated? Don’t you think there is a reason for that? You see how ruthless and evil those


    savages are!”


    “But I am not like-”


    Their quarrels were interrupted abruptly by a voice from the back, “Hey are you guys fighting over


    something?”


    J and Kass jerked around at the same time. They found Glen standing a few steps away from them


    while looking at them suspiciously.


    “I heard arguments,” Glen narrowed his eyes. “Did something happen?”


    Kass’s face was stiff. J answered on his behalf, “Nothing. We were just talking about the n for


    tomorrow. Kass had some questions.”


    A flicker of doubt appeared in Glen’s eyes. But eventually, he chose to say nothing. “Other Gammas


    and I are cooking dinner,” Glen smiled. “You want to join us?”


    J nodded, “Sure. You head out first. I’lle over in just a second.”


    Glen waved his hands and disappeared behind the tent.


    “Listen,” J turned back to Kass and whispered, “I can’t keep this thing any longer. Tomorrow, I will


    tell Daran. He will decide what happens to you.”


    Kass widened his eyes in shock, “He will rip my throat apart within a blink of an eye! And you are OK


    with that?!”


    “I won’t let him kill you. But as the leader, he deserves to know!” J snapped. “No. Please don’t do


    this to me-


    But J didn’t let him finish and walked away hastily. She knew if she stayed any longer, she would


    turn soft again.


    J found the other 4 Gammas sitting around a campfire. They were having some cookies and


    canned beans in silence.


    “God, these cookies are so dry. I think it is hurting my tongue!” Jeffined gloomily as J sat


    down by Maxie’s side.


    “You have never had a field ration before?” Glen asked.


    “Of course I have. But our food packet had sausages, dried fruits, and instant coffee in it. These are


    Glen shrugged and took another bite at his cookie, “I don’t mind it. Silver w is always short on food


    supplies. Our field ration is way worse than this.”


    J took a sip from her can. Jeff was right. It tasted like overnight water with dirty rags soaked in it.


    But like Glen, she didn’t mind it either. When she was living under the Diaz’s roof, she had to feed on


    leftovers and those tasted just as bad.


    “So J,” Steven spoke up abruptly. “Glen told us that you were arguing with that soldier of yours,


    Kass. Did something happen?”


    J looked up. Steven was staring at her across the campfire, his eyes narrowed into slits.


    “Nothing,” J replied briefly.


    “You sure?” Steven asked coldly, “You know that we are not supposed to give them more information


    than they need to know, right? Especially since Kass is our number one suspect right now.”


    J set the can on the ground, “I don’t need you to lecture me on how tomunicate with my


    soldiers.”


    Steven’s face turned cold. They red at each other across the campfire. The atmosphere gradually


    tensed up.


    “Hey,” Maxie tugged at J’s sleeve. “You want to take the food back to our tents?”


    J sighed and rubbed her temples.


    The bad weather had a bad impact on their spirit. And the suspicion that was spreading made it worse.


    “Yeah, sure. Go have some rest. Everything will be fine soon,” Maxie patted her shoulder.


    J went back into her tent andy down in the darkness. She was worn out so the sleep found her


    quickly.


    Yet she didn’t sleep too soundly. Bad dreams came at her one after another.


    She vaguely heard some strange noises in her sleep. And that made her to snap her


    eyes open.


    It was still pitch ck in her tent.


    And there was a dark shadow standing by her bedside.


    Without a second thought, J grabbed the shlight she kept on the table and turned it on.


    The strong light lit up the tent, along with the person standing in front of her. It was Kass.


    There was a horror–struck look on his face.


    And a knife in his hand.