The Wastelander

by Tipsy Wanderer

  A relic’s power depended on two things. First was the inherent quality of the relic itself. Second was the skill of the demon hunter who wielded it. Judging by Raith’s display in breaking down the gate, he could use a relic as effectively as Cloudhawk.

  The citizens of Lighthouse Point didn’t expect their small and poverty-stricken home to be attacked. More shocking was that these invaders weren’t from the wastelands. They weren’t beasts or some raider gang. With glimmering suits of armor and magnificent weapons, they couldn’t be.

  Every soldier bore spotless equipment. Each piece was like a work of art.

  Striding over the remains of the barricade, Raith surveyed the outpost with a cold grin. “Claudia, gather up all these filthy barbarians.”

  The fifty soldiers they brought with them began to search the outpost, grabbing everyone they could find and herding them together like livestock. Before long, over a thousand hapless denizens were assembled in the center of the outpost.

  Fifty Skycloud soldiers drew bowstrings. Glimmering arrows shimmered with a faint light.

  Meanwhile, the wastelanders were completely ignorant of what was happening. There were certainly more of them than there were invaders, but none of them were soldiers. With no fighting experience, they had been completely overwhelmed by the ferocity and speed of this attack. They could do nothing but huddle together pitifully.

  “Wait, wait!” Coppertooth huddled out from the throng. He threw himself to the ground before the two who were dressed as demon hunters. “I was a captain of the Skycloud army, second division, and I offer my respects to the visiting demon hunters. I beg you to see that although these people live in the wastelands, they live in the light of our gods. They are not blasphemers!”

  Coppertooth’s reaction surprised them.

  Asha huddled near the back of the crowd, her eyes red and swollen. These men in their fancy armors were holy warriors? She and the others did not know what was happening. Their piety had to have moved the Elysians to come and deliver them. Otherwise, why would these good and noble warriors come to this wretched place? What other purpose could they have in their inconsequential outpost?

  “We welcome you, lords of the holy city.”

  “Welcome, warriors of god!”

  One by one, everyone dropped to their knees in submissive deference. An old man whose hair had all gone white openly wept. “The merciful gods have not forgotten us!”

  Raith’s eyes turned a bitter cold. With a wave, five glowing bows released their arrows. Every one of them hit the old man, striking him so hard that he was flung up into the air and nailed to a distant wall.

  The old man’s mouth trembled as blood leaked into his snow-white beard. He struggled for a few seconds before going limp, all the while confused and unsure of what was going on.

  Why? Why did they do that? Why would holy warriors slay the faithful in cold blood?

  Coppertooth’s face went ashen grey. Asha stared in disbelief. Everyone’s faces changed when they realized what had happened.

  “They killed him! The soldiers from the holy city just… killed him!”

  A handful rose to try and flee, but they couldn’t outrun arrows. The lethal and perfectly accurate arrows cut them down. In a blink, dozens more were dead.

  “Lowly worms, your rotten faith only sullies our mighty gods!” Raith took up an exorcist rod and, devoid of expression, approached their holy tablet. With a single swing, he reduced it to dust. That which represented the faith and hope of the town was destroyed. Cold, heartless, he spoke again, “Who gave you heathens permission to pray in their names?”

  The crowd huddled in shocked silence as though struck by lightning. Already in awe of the demon hunter’s frightening power, his cruelty made them speechless. Everything they thought they knew of their faith was a lie. They couldn’t believe their eyes.

  Raith placed his bow aside and addressed the frightened masses with savage tones, “I already know you are harboring a traitor to my people. Where is he? Speak quickly!”

  “Impossible! There’s no way!” Coppertooth sputtered, trying to force the words out as quickly as possible. “How could we have a traitor here?”

  Raith dismissed him with a wave. “Kill them.”

  The soldiers drew their bows. Another round of screams rang through the outpost.

  A dozen more bodies littered the ground, pouring blood into the dirt.

  Like the worms they were said to be, everyone lay prone on the ground. They shivered uncontrollably for the Skycloud soldiers seemed to kill at random. Anyone could be the next victim.

  Asha’s wide eyes stared at the nearly one hundred fellow residents who now lay dead. Unarmed men, women, the old, the young. Before this moment, they had admired these soldiers, had yearned to become a part of their world. But now? This domineering young tyrant had destroyed the emblem of their faith, as small and pathetic as it had been. A demon hunter, who they had worshipped as an agent of the gods, treated them with only cruelty and contempt.

  Asha wept bitter tears. Wastelanders were born into sin, but was there no path to redemption for them? Why were these noble men and women refusing to even give them a chance? Why would the representatives of the holy lands slaughter innocents?

  Raith did not look at them as humans. They were like beasts that needed to be exterminated. However many he killed would not be enough, and no matter how cruelly he acted, he would not feel guilty. In fact, it filled him with pride, for to him, he was cleansing the world of their filth. “I will count down from five. If no one answers, I will kill more of you until I get what I want. Five. Four. Three. Two!”

  “I know!”

  It was to be expected that someone would break when the threat of death was so clear.

  Coppertooth’s face was crestfallen. He didn’t know whether there really was a turncoat, but he knew how zealous the people of the Elysian lands were. They couldn’t admit it. They couldn’t! If they did, they would all be killed. If this traitor was never found, perhaps a few of them could be spared.

  If, on the other hand, this traitor was found or if they admitted to hiding them – intentionally or not – they and everything they’d built would be destroyed.

  But, it was too late for him to stop it.

  “Someone came from the wastelands today. He might be who you’re looking for. Coppertooth greeted him himself, and I saw Asha lead him away into the camp. He’s in the lodge! That’s all I know. I beg you not to kill me.”

  Raith’s lips twisted into the model image of a sneer.

  Claudia took several soldiers with her to search the lodge. Several minutes later, she returned empty-handed.

  “It’s him, but he’s already gone.”

  “Escaped?”

  Raith’s grim scowl made the man with loose lips turn pale. He staggered back a few feet before throwing himself to the ground.

  “T-this has nothing to do with me! I told you everything you asked!”

  “Yes! Indeed you did… but I never said I would spare you.”

  An arrow struck the citizen in the center of his head and pinned him to the dirt. A pool of blood quickly pooled around him.

  None of the slaughter registered on the female demon hunter’s face, for she could see nothing wrong with her compatriot’s methods. She was focused on spreading her senses wide, her hearing as accurate as sonar within several hundred feet. She was instantly familiarized with every nook and cranny of the space around them.

  The traitor knew they were there, but none of the ambush teams had raised the alarm. He had to still be hiding somewhere nearby. Good news for the demon hunters since Claudia’s perception was exceptional. She would find him before long.

  Raith, however, had never been a patient man.

  He wanted this mission completed as soon as possible. Rather than slowly making his prey uncomfortable, he would do something drastic to force him out of hiding. Rage was always the best tactic.

  The traitor would have to show his fa
ce. Raith would make sure of it.

  136 Fighting Back

  Cloudhawk had hoped he could leave the outpost before his enemies caught up with him. He didn’t want to get the outpost caught up in his troubles. Unfortunately, the danger had arrived with the night. He could feel it gathering to strike. Although he couldn’t be sure, his premonition told him foes were lying in wait for him to show himself.

  It was all so strange. These were not typical wastelanders.

  He was at a loss, and before he could puzzle out what all of this meant, Cloudhawk heard the sound of a door opening from behind. A group of people surged in from the outpost, but what really caught his attention was the telltale sound that came with them.

  A relic? Demon hunters! But, why would demon hunters appear here? Were they here to kill him? He didn’t dare underestimate them. The only demon hunter he’d met was the Bloodsoaked Queen, so he didn’t know how capable the others of her order might be. If they were as strong as the Queen – no, if they were half as strong as the Queen, Cloudhawk would be in serious trouble!

  With the situation unclear, he couldn’t just break past them. Nimble as a monkey, he pulled himself up onto the roof and found a hidden spot to watch from. No sooner had he hid himself than he witnessed the demon hunter and a dozen soldiers begin rounding people up. The Lighthouse Point’s citizens were herded towards the center of the town, too far for him to see what was happening. However, he could hear the screams. It’d started.

  Cloudhawk covered himself in his cloak and vanished, reappearing several dozen feet away. He was as silent as a ghost, slipping through the night with the dexterity of a cat. He slipped an armor-piercing round into the chamber of his gun and peered through the sights until he found the two demon hunters.

  These soldiers were outfitted in superior equipment, far better than anything a wastelander could manage. Along with the demon hunters, it wasn’t hard to guess where they’d come from. Cloudhawk couldn’t remember offending any Elysians, though.

  Perhaps something had happened to the Bloodsoaked Queen? Unlikely. She had a background of strength and experience. Nothing would happen to her.

  Whatever motivated these Elysians, Cloudhawk didn’t know, but he could see over a hundred dead civilians through the scope of his gun. It didn’t matter what their aim was, the wanton murder of innocents wasn’t something Cloudhawk was willing to accept. He was still trying to decide what to do when they singled Coppertooth out from the crowd.

  “We’ve done nothing to sully the name of the gods here!” Panic had set in when Coppertooth saw who’d come for them. Their lives were forfeit the moment the demon hunters arrived, but he tried one last gambit. “We’ve lived our lives in reverence of the holy lands and its people. We have never dared disrespect your righteous doctrines. Never! I was once a soldier in the Skycloud army. I made a mistake and was exiled, but I have always remained loyal. Always!”

  “A soldier of Skycloud?” Raith approached Coppertooth and trampled on his left leg. The sound of snapping bone and Coppertooth’s screams echoed in the heavy air. Raith’s face was a hideous mask of ruthless loathing. “You filthy worm. You dare call yourself a Skycloud soldier?”

  He pulled Coppertooth up from the ground and slammed his fist into the crippled veteran’s face.

  Coppertooth hit the ground hard. Half of his face had caved in from the blow, and several teeth tumbled from his mouth. He sputtered through a mouthful of blood, and his limbs twitched erratically. Raith’s punch had broken his neck. He would never stand again.

  “No. No!”

  Asha scrambled out from the huddled crowd. Tears cut streaks through the dirt on her face as she ran towards Coppertooth. He saw her and gurgled through his ruined mouth, “Go back. Stop!”

  Two soldiers grabbed Asha before she could get far. One slapped her hard across the face. What frail child could withstand a strike from a trained soldier? She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

  The sound that came from Coppertooth was something between a roar and a wail.

  Raith pinned Coppertooth’s head to the ground with a foot while fifty wastelanders were chosen from the crowd. They were shoved into a line – old men, women, children – trembling as grim soldiers towered behind. Calloused hands gripped their glaives tightly and brought them high, waiting for the order.

  “Coward! I know you’re hiding somewhere!” Raith dragged his eyes around the camp. “If you have any shred of honor, then show your face!”

  He didn’t hesitate. Raith waved his hand, and in an instant, fifty innocent lives were snuffed out.

  Claudia didn’t even bat an eye at Raith’s murderous rampage. Her eyes were closed as she searched for any sign of the traitor they’d come to kill. Her companion’s actions were bait to lure out their prey, to anger him so that he would act rashly. The moment he did, she would know where he was hiding.

  “Are you watching? These innocents die because of you! Coward! How long will you let this go on?”

  Raith raised his hand again and snapped his fingers.

  Cloudhawk struggled to quell the rage burning inside of him.

  The Bloodsoaked Queen was one of the harshest people Cloudhawk had ever known, but compared with what he was witnessing, she had been a saint. To her, the lives of wastelanders were a trifle, but she at least loathed killing indiscriminately. These monsters killed for the sake of killing.

  They do this to get to me, eh? He knew their ploy, but Cloudhawk couldn’t sit by and watch. He wasn’t from the Elysian lands. He didn’t believe in their bullshit code of honor or feign respect. He only felt the wrath and indignation that came from a wastelander’s heart, from hearing people like him scream and die.

  Fifty more people were lined up and forced to their knees. They swayed, cried, and begged forgiveness.

  Raith turned a blind eye to their tears and blood. He would kill them one batch after another. Their lives held no value. If their pitiful deaths drew out his prey, then he was killing two birds with one stone.

  “Kill them.” Fifty soldiers raised their weapons.

  Cloudhawk could hesitate no longer. He glared through the cross-shaped aiming reticle at the female demon hunter. Disgusting as her male companion was, she was more dangerous. All this time, the relic she’d been channeling resonated threateningly.

  It was probably some sort of probing relic, something that enhanced her perception, Cloudhawk guessed. In other words, she was the eyes and ears. If she got a lock on him, escape would be almost impossible. He was in an inferior position, both in terms of numbers and in terms of strength. In a position like this, he had to make the first shot count.

  His gun was special. Blackwater Base had had only one, and it was picked out for him by Hellflower. In addition to firing conventional ammo, it was also capable of accommodating special rounds. The armor-piercing bullet nestled in the chamber could punch through a sheet of iron several inches thick. No fleshy human body stood a chance. Even Roste’s freakish skin wouldn’t have been able to withstand a shot!

  Raith raised his hand to give the order, and then Cloudhawk pulled the trigger.

  The moment his finger moved, the female demon hunter’s eyes popped open. She slid to the right. Bang! The bullet exploded from Cloudhawk’s gun and half a breath later, it struck one of the Skycloud soldiers. His jade-like armor shattered into a thousand pieces, and he hit the ground screaming. The bullet kept going, piercing through a second man before ultimately lodging itself in a third.

  Fuck! Missed!

  Even the Bloodsoaked Queen would have found it hard to dodge this attack if she wasn’t looking out for it. The woman’s demon hunter skills alone didn’t account for her ability to dodge the shot. She had to have a high level of perception to do that.

  Her abilities were similar to Cloudhawk’s. The sense of danger leveled her way had tipped her off and gave her enough time to get out of the way. Killing her at a distance would be a challenge.

  Claudia’s azure blue eyes fixed o
n the shadow in the distance. “Raith, to the north!”

  Raith lifted his bow and stretched back the string. An arrow appeared out of thin air when he released, which soared towards the shadow almost a thousand feet away. Running along the hotel roof, Cloudhawk could feel the power closing in. He threw himself to the side, suddenly changing directions. The place where his foot had just left exploded into splinters.

  “Where are you running?!”

  Raith’s face showed a vicious scowl. Without another word, he leapt onto the roof of a nearby six-foot-tall building.

  His talent was agility. He jumped across the rooftops so quickly that he covered half the distance between himself and his prey almost instantly. As he soared through the air, Raith drew his bow again and released an arrow no less deadly than Cloudhawk’s gun. If it hit, the consequences would be unbearable to contemplate.

  Thud!

  The arrow was stopped by a shield of sand, but the impact also blew the shield apart.

  The air became choked with yellow dust that impeded the demon hunter’s vision. Raith waved his hands in front of his face to try and dispel the cloud. When it was gone, so too was his target.

  Escape was going to be difficult. Cloudhawk knew the soldiers were waiting to ambush him nearby. Although they couldn’t compare to demon hunters, Skycloud soldiers were nonetheless capable fighters. Their weapons were as deadly as sniper rifles.

  When the soldiers saw him, they burst into action, but before they got far, Cloudhawk threw a round object into their midst. The explosion that followed shook the whole area. The blast wasn’t lethal, but the sound and light incapacitated his attackers – it was another toy Cloudhawk had brought from Blackwater Base.

  Claudia and Raith gave chase, followed by a contingent of soldiers. However, by the time they reached the blast site, Cloudhawk had disappeared without a trace. Neither demon hunter had anticipated he’d be this cunning. He’d slipped past both Raith and the soldiers left in ambush.