The Wastelander

by Tipsy Wanderer

  “The main halls have to be full of enemies by now. We can’t go this way, we have to think of something else.”

  Cloudhawk’s invisibility cloud slowly regained substance.

  Surprising as Cloudhawk’s latest toy was, the Queen didn’t have time to question him. They had to find a way out!

  1. Coal and coke are the main means by which people start fires in China, and is arguably the main reason for their pollution issues. Coke is very light, looks like burnt wood, and is the fuel of choice for outdoor barbeques and water boilers.

  62 Hydra's Scheme

  At least three hundred sweepers had flooded into the outpost’s dungeons, along with countless guards. Although the sewers were large, interconnected, and filled with unexplored areas, they had enough people to sweep the whole thing and search every corner. There was nowhere to run.

  Luckily, Cloudhawk had the foresight to release the slaves. The dungeon was in chaos and the lights had been broken, plunging it into darkness. Huge sections of it were blanketed in impenetrable shadow. Shots could be heard coming from every direction, mingling with shouts and other sounds of combat. The chaos wasn’t going to last long, but it gave Cloudhawk and the Queen a sliver of hope for escape.

  Bang!

  Cloudhawk fired at a guard a dozen meters away, ending his life.

  Other guards who’d been with him spun around, just in time to see a demonic visage lunge at them from the darkness. The Bloodsoaked Queen flitted among them with a dagger she’d pilfered, spinning gracefully like a dancer, or a butterfly riding the breeze through a forest. She swept through the pack of guards so quickly they couldn’t even see her blade moving. Wherever she passed, fountains of blood splattered droplets against the walls.

  The two of them continued on, eventually coming upon an intersection. Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps emerged, about twelve pairs from what they could tell. Cloudhawk pulled the Queen into a corner, covered them both with the cloak and poured his psychic energy into it. They vanished.

  Moments later, a group of guards and another group of sweepers met in the center of the junction. They quickly spied the four dead guards and knew their prey had to be close. They shouted commands for those nearby to be vigilant and then quickly split up to search the halls.

  Cloudhawk allowed the power of the cloak to dissipate. “My focus is fading. The more I use the cloak, the more tiring it becomes, so we have to find a way out of here soon. If we don’t, we’re gonna die. The problem now is which direction do we choose?”

  The dungeon was a complicated place. How where they supposed to know where to go? They didn’t have any sort of map.

  “We’re just going to have to take our chances.”

  The Bloodsoaked Queen picked a route at random and strode forward. What was Cloudhawk going to do? Did he have a better suggestion? Whether or not this way was the way out wasn’t as important as staying on the move. If they were caught, they would be finished, so they entrusted their lives were to lady luck!

  The hallway was narrow, more like a large pipe. It was only large enough for two people to walk through side by side.

  Cloudhawk frowned, for he knew that if a group of enemies came this way, it was too tight for them to hide beneath the cloak. As though his thoughts had summoned them, the sound of footsteps echoed their way, five or six this time. The pack of guards rounded a corner and the two groups came face to face.

  “Here they are!”

  “Kill ‘em!”

  Cloudhawk answered by blowing a hole in one of them with his gun.

  Two of the guards crouched and lifted their weapons, while three more from behind shot from a standing position. The two groups stood about twenty meters apart, too far for the Queen to cover no matter how fast she was, and the pipe was too narrow for them to dodge five gunners.

  Bang-bang-bang! The guards fired a salvo at them.

  These makeshift guns weren’t the best quality, but at only twenty meters away, they were lethal. Wielding a pair of daggers, the Queen whipped her blades through the air, summoning a host of sparks. By virtue of her incredible speed and accuracy, she cut the bullets right out of the air. So she had this ability as well?!

  Their faces fell as the guards hurried to load another volley. However, the gourd hanging from the Queen’s waist suddenly emitted rays of light and spouted flame. The fire gathered into the image of a phoenix, which crashed into the group of five guards, setting their clothes ablaze.

  The smell of burnt flesh and hair filled the pipe. The five guards rolled and whined as the fires consumed them.

  Cloudhawk pumped a few final shots into them before following the Queen down the route. Eventually, the pipe opened out into a cavernous room, which made things more complicated. There was no longer even a single beam of light, and the darkness was so complete he could stretch out his arm and be able to see his hand in front of his face. But it also meant they were out of the dungeon.

  Groping through the darkness was better than waiting for death in the dungeon.

  The two waited at the edge of the abyss for two seconds, and just as they prepared to step ahead, an earth-shaking roar assailed them!

  Cloudhawk felt an oppressive, savage intent wash over him. He turned and saw a bearded man of fifty to sixty years leveling a huge weapon their way. He was charging them like a crazed rhinoceros.

  Leonine! That asshole!

  Cloudhawk fired his gun without even thinking, but Leonine had decades of experience. The moment Cloudhawk lifted his weapon, the old slaver changed direction and the bullet buried itself harmlessly in a wall. Cursing, the young wastelander flung the broken down rifle to the ground and drew the handgun from his waist. By the time he brought it up to fire, Leonine had arrived in front of him, his saber glinting as it traced an arc through the darkness.

  Clang!

  Two small blades blocked the slaver’s dagger. The three weapons collided, eliciting a deafening screech.

  The Queen’s daggers shattered under the strain – Leonine was as strong as he was cunning. There was enough momentum behind the strike to keep it cutting through and the Bloodsoaked Queen stumbled back half a step to avoid him. She shook, and a trail of blood crept from the corner of her mouth. The shock of their collision must have caused some internal injuries.

  With a feral roar, Leonine launched another attack, bringing his two-handed war machete down over his head with enough strength to split her in two.

  “This old mutt is asking for death!”

  Cloudhawk fired his handgun several times in quick succession.

  Leonine stopped dead in his tracks and used his sword to block the shots aimed at his head. The rest found their mark in his chest. Thud, thud, thud! He staggered back a few steps, except the bullets didn’t kill him. The crafty slaver wore a thick coat and hardened leather underneath, which prevented the bullets from doing much damage.

  Leonine prepared a counterattack when, from the darkness of the cavern, a figure stepped forth.

  The stranger was tall and burly, clad head to toe in full armor with a sword at his waist. His ugly face was twisted in a sneer that warped scars around the patch covering his right eye. He was covered in a menacing aura like that of a viper, and slowly emerged from the darkness to stand before the fugitives.

  When Leonine saw who it was, he blurted out. “Hydra, these are the demon hunters!”

  “Demon hunters?” Hydra reached for his weapon and slowly drew it. He glared at the two with his one good eye and chuckled darkly. “Since when were demon hunters such trash? And still you can’t put ‘em down… you’re a real disappointment, old man.”

  Leonine glowered at the newcomer, while Cloudhawk’s face was frozen in shock.

  Leonine was no less powerful than the late Mad Dog, and the one-eyed man spoke to him like he was worth nothing. It could only mean he was stronger than the slaver. With the Queen injured, was she strong enough to handle this character?

  Whether she could or not, her
eyes were filled with anger and defiance. Being a demon hunter was a source of pride and this heathen dared to insult her illustrious order.

  She reached up and yanked the cross from around her neck. Right away, the one-eyed man saw her fighting spirit and leveled his shimmering blue blade her way. His weapon was long, thin, and masterfully fashioned. “There’s nowhere for you to go. You aren’t escaping. But, if you defeat me, I will help you.”

  What the hell was this guy saying?

  “However,” he went on, “if you can’t even beat me, you’ll die right here!”

  He said nothing further, charging at them in blind fury. His wrist flashed and in the blink of an eye, he peppered them with eight or nine thrusts.

  Cloudhawk had never seen someone wield a sword so fast!

  The Queen was just as quick, dodging his attacks as they came. All but the last, when suddenly her wounds began to take their toll. They slowed her just enough that the man’s sword reached her and pierced her shoulder. A trickle of fresh blood stained her clothes.

  Hydra’s cackles rang off the walls. He attacked again, like nine steel vipers hungry for blood.

  This series of attacks was more dangerous than the last. The Queen seemed to have been engulfed by his onslaught. Yet she appeared calm like a placid lake surface, her heart and body as one. All of a sudden, a bouquet of white light erupted from her hand, forming into a blazing cross of holy light.

  “This is…”

  The pupil of Hydra’s one good eye contracted and he lashed out reflexively. His treasured sword met the holy cross mid swing, and broke into a thousand pieces. Hydra felt like he’d been struck by a raging bull and was flung a good five to six meters away.

  The Bloodsoaked Queen held her mighty weapon aloft, painting the area in dazzling holy light. All the energy of her sword crackled as it coalesced. If she unleashed it against her enemy, Hydra would be cleaved in half.

  He called out to her, tripping over his own tongue. “Y-y-you win! I’ll get you out of here!”

  Cloudhawk called out from the side. “Queen, don’t trust him!”

  Hydra tried to explain himself. “We have the same goal. I can help you.”

  Hydra hadn’t planned on killing the two of them, due to the simple fact that they were worth more alive. They were demon hunters and killing demons was their duty. The one Hydra wanted to see brought down wasn’t two children, but the wicked demon itself and his lackeys.

  It was the only way Hydra could become the true ruler of the Greenland Outpost, and now that he’d witnessed the true power of a demon hunter, he thought he had a chance. If he succeeded, Hydra would have all he desired. If they failed, the blame would lie at the demon hunters’ feet.

  Bit by bit, the light of the Queen’s holy sword faded. Though she did not show it, it was not her intention to let it go. She was too weak and too wounded to behead him.

  Hydra pointed down one of the pathways. “This is the only way out of the dungeon.”

  “Hydra, what are you doing?”

  Leonine couldn’t comprehend what the outpost leader was doing.

  Hydra slowly turned, fixing the slaver with a deathly glare. “I’m doing whatever the fuck I want to do, and I can’t afford to have someone behind me waiting to put a knife in my back! Time to die!”

  His voice was cold and cruel. All color drained from Leonine’s face.

  63 Escaping the Dungeon

  Cloudhawk couldn’t be bothered to guess at Hydra’s motives. After using the sword of holy light, the Bloodsoaked Queen had no more energy to spare for fighting. They couldn’t exactly rely on Cloudhawk alone to cut a path back to where they had just fled, right? There were no better options. They had to take this risk. Cloudhawk helped the Queen along as the two of them disappeared into the darkness of the ruined sewers.

  Hydra paid them no mind. His attention was fixed on Leonine.

  The slaver turned and sprinted down another pipe.

  He hadn’t been in the Greenland Outpost long, so he didn’t know much about Hydra. However, he had to assume that since the one-eyed man led the outpost, fighting him in combat would be problematic. Wastelanders only respected strength. He wouldn’t be ruling this place if he wasn’t the strongest and most skilled.

  Hydra had shown what he was capable of in his bout against the demon hunter. Leonine was definitely no match for him!

  Flee! Find the demon’s lieutenants! They could definitely handle Hydra!

  Hydra flashed a dark, sadistic grin, like a cat watching a mouse struggle moments before its death.

  Leonine tore down the narrow pipe, but footsteps rang off the metal hall like a hurricane from behind. Hydra caught up faster than Leonine could have believed. Despair filled him.

  In a matter of moments, Hydra had gone from stationary to fifty to sixty kilometers an hour. Even in these twisting narrow quarters, he wasn’t slowed down at all. He charged like a raging bull right at the despairing slaver.

  Turn! Leonine suddenly flung himself through an opening on his left. Hydra was going so fast that maybe he wouldn’t be able to turn in time.

  But as Leonine pushed himself to run as fast as he could, Hydra’s silhouette appeared in the opening. His steel boots clanged against the ancient pipes as he ran along the wall at a ninety-degree angle to the floor for four or five steps. Each pounding step left fissures and fractures in its wake.

  He launched himself through the air, drawing his sword. The telltale sound of steel on leather filled the air as Hydra’s blade reached for Leonine.

  The slaver lifted his hefty saber to block the blow and sparks flashed in the darkness. He didn’t stick around to keep fighting, instead changing directions again after deflecting Hydra’s deadly attack. He was now running blindly through a pathway completely devoid of light.

  His enemy was strong, but if he couldn’t see his target, he couldn’t use that strength.

  “Heh heh heh… you’re a sly one. Good reaction speed.” Hydra reached up and pulled off the patch covering his right eye. The orb was mutated, not useless – the pupil was a slit like that of a snake or lizard and glowed with red light. “But it’s nothing more than someone struggling on his deathbed.”

  His eye wasn’t just mutated; he’d also cultivated its abilities. The eye was sensitive to light and couldn’t be relied on during the day, so he hid it behind the patch. In the darkness, however, the eye perceived heat. Even in darkness, Leonine was too weak and too slow.

  How could he get away?

  A smear of fresh red blood splattered down the hall.

  Leonine yelled and fell to the ground, clutching a deep wound. Hydra’s slice cut through two layers of protective clothing and left a nasty gash behind. The snake-eyed hunter didn’t stop and lashed out again like lightning. His lithe blade was like a cobra’s poisoned fang.

  Leonine’s mind went blank as death loomed over him. Only one thought echoed in his mind – what happens to them if I die?

  “W-wait! Don’t kill me!”

  Leonine knelt on the ground in defeat. Was this rugged and majestic veteran groveling on his knees? Hydra hadn’t taken Leonine for the sort!

  When Leonine didn’t feel the kiss of Hydra’s blade, he spoke again. “I got no interest in fightin’ ya. My daughter’s sick… real sick. I had to do this! If you promise to look after my girl, then my life is yours. I’ll be your dog, anything you ask. Killin’ me ain’t gonna earn you nothin’!”

  Leonine’s daughter?

  The slaver’s plea touched him, albeit only a little. Leonine was new to the outpost but he was clearly useful, a man of skill. Hydra was acquainted with the slaver’s story. Reputedly, it was for his family that he’d come to Greenland Outpost in the first place. Hydra had been skeptical of the story, for who cared about kin in this day and age?

  Leonine, as strong and dignified as he looked, prostrated himself before Hydra and pressed his head to the ground. “I’ll do whatever you ask, just save my girl! I’m beggin’ ya, I can’t die
now!”

  How interesting… Hydra slowly returned his sword to its scabbard.

  His Greenland Outpost was strong, stronger than the Blackflag Outpost had been. Yet though it was much stronger as whole, Greenland Outpost only had roughly ten people with skills comparable to Leonine’s. Blackflag Outpost, small as it was, had five or so. Wastelanders who lived long enough to become this skilled were prideful and difficult to control. Leonine was not only particularly able, but also had a clear vulnerability. He was precisely the kind of person Hydra could use.

  “Very well, I accept your life.” His right eye shimmered with a dangerous red light, like the eye of a demon. He sized up the slaver kneeling before him. “If you betray me in any way, I’ll make you regret having ever been born. You know who I am and here in the outpost, no one can protect you from me.”

  Leonine didn’t have to imagine how much influence Hydra had.

  Although Hydra feared the demon’s henchmen, here in the outpost, if there were someone Hydra wanted dead, there would be no stopping him. Leonine put his and his family’s fate in Hydra’s hands – it was no different from selling his soul. It was the only way for him to stay breathing.

  Cloudhawk helped the Bloodsoaked Queen along as they followed the path laid out by Hydra.

  It was so dark that they couldn’t see past an inch in front of their noses. Using what little energy she had left, the Queen summoned a miniscule phoenix that followed them. The fiery bird’s luminescence lit their path and allowed them to examine their situation.

  The Queen’s condition had been improving but the battle for their life weakened her once again. Her willpower was like steel – were she anyone else, the tribulations she’d suffered would have put her in the ground. However, she was still finding it difficult to push on. Fighting was out of the question.

  Suddenly, the sound of screams echoed through the pitch-black cavern.