The Charred Lands: City of Ash

by Josh A. Murphy

  It was almost as though the creature was trying to prove a point. We were in one of man kind’s greatest achievements, using science we were able to fly, but this creature was showing us that nothing mankind could ever create would rival nature’s power. It was showing us that the skies well and truly belonged to the dragons.

  Turnip's machine gun clicked empty – he quickly reloaded it and continued to uselessly fire at the creature; for all the good it would do.

  “It's getting ready to attack!” Keith screamed as the creature opened its mouth. I knew exactly what was about to happen, but I was defenceless. Down there, in the streets, I at least had the chance to run for cover and hide, but not up here. All I could do was pray that Julian could avoid the beasts attack. A ferocious cloud of glowing orange and red fire erupted from the creature’s magnificent mouth.

  Julian veered hard to the right, desperate to cut a building and dodge the fire – but he veered a little too hard. I could only watch as Turnip jolted forward, his left foot slipping completely over the edge. Keith did his best to cling onto his clothing, but it did him no good. In the blink of an eye, Turnip slid from the helicopter and broke free of Keith's grip, leaving only a torn piece of his shirt still grasped in his hand, before falling straight out of the vehicle.

  “Man down!” Keith screamed to our pilot who still veered the helicopter to the right, narrowly avoiding the cloud of flames. By the time I looked down, Turnip had disappeared into the concrete city below, lost forever. He was dead, of that I was sure.

  “I guess it's my turn.” Keith sighed. He took a brief moment to compose himself, before unbuckling his seatbelt.

  “Wait.” Julian said, stopping Keith in his tracks before he had a chance to stand. “Holy sweet mother fucking Jesus.” He almost screamed, showing me something in his voice that I had never heard before. It was strange to hear such emotion in his voice, even after everything I had seen Julian endure, or after everything he had witnessed, he hardly ever let his cool, calm and collected exterior break, that was, until now.

  Once again I turned around, dreading what I would see. Of course, my stomach sank when I laid eyes on what he had spotted; another dragon, only, this one was different. Unbelievably, I didn’t recognise it at first. But as I stared at the creature, with my jaw wide open, I spotted it. A human rode atop of the beast. Instantly, I knew who it was. This had to be Mogbane.

  “Well, we're officially fucked now.” Penny whispered down her mouthpiece, as though talking to herself. She almost sunk back into her seat, but I remained more hopeful, “I wouldn't be too sure of that.” I couldn't help myself from replying.

  Penny stared at me, with a look of confusion warping her face. I didn’t have the time to explain my thinking, but I saw one of two possibilities playing out. Either Mogbane and his dragon were on route to protect their skies and bring us down in a ball of flames in a dragon sandwich, or Mogbane was coming to our rescue. I prayed it was the latter.

  It was the latter – Julian veered to the left once again, cutting off of the main street that we had been flying over, and taking off above several residential houses on the outskirts of Manchester. To our amazement, neither dragon followed. We all almost snapped our necks as we spun around in a desperate attempt to track the two dragons.

  They charged straight for each other, acting as though we hadn’t ever been there. I knew dragons were extremely territorial, but I never expected this. Our pursuer acted as though it had completely forgotten about us as it sped through the air, aiming straight for Mogbane and his dragon.

  “Get us to the foot of the mountain!” I screamed down my mouth piece, as the two monsters collided behind us.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  We soon left the city behind us and found ourselves flying above dark fields and rivers, until Julian finally reached the foot of the mountain. Very carefully, he brought the helicopter down and landed us on an open field covered in tall, knee high grass that swayed in the blowing winds.

  The second the helicopter touched down, Keith and Penny jumped from the helicopter and gave the area a brief scout. It appeared safe, but with the sun now completely set, and only the light from the helicopter, and our own personal torches for guidance, it was hard to tell.

  As we had left the fighting dragons behind, we tried to keep an eye on the battle, but as the sun set down on Manchester, it was impossible to see. Even down on the ground, we tried our best to survey the skies above Manchester for any possible signs of a victor, but the heavens above were as dead as the city itself.

  “I don’t even have the words to describe our luck.” Julian smirked as he joined me in leaning against the helicopter, scanning the city.

  “I don’t believe in fate, but if it’s real, then what just happened was an excellent showcase for it.” I laughed.

  “Why so?”

  “I believe that the man riding that dragon was Mogbane. That’s exactly who I’ve travelled all this way to see.” I explained.

  Julian let out a slight laugh to himself before taking off, “Now that is a good argument.” He called back.

  With that, he met up with Keith and Penny as they returned from their scouting mission, and reported that the immediate area appeared to be all clear. We all quickly settled down for the night, building a small campfire a few feet away from the helicopter and huddling around it. Though it was rapidly getting late, nobody seemed particularly tired.

  “I can’t believe Turnip, man. We were constantly at each other’s throats, but he was a good man. I can’t help but feel like I could have done more.” Keith sighed, staring into the flickering flames of our camp fire.

  “There was nothing you could have done. We all know how risky the helicopter is, Turnip will just be thankful that we made it out alive.” Penny sympathised. I had to agree with her. All along I had had lingering thoughts as to why anybody in the right mind would dare use a helicopter in this world, but it made sense, if you had balls at least. Julian had explained it best; the way he saw it, you could either spend twenty minutes in the skies and cover the entire city, potentially facing the wrath of a dragon, or spend three days trekking through the city on foot, facing countless other volcano creatures and marauders.

  “I would like to commemorate those we lost on our mission.” Julian said with a military, authoritative tone to his voice.

  Both Penny and Keith raised their bottled water to the air, so I followed in their lead. A silence fell over our small four man camp as we reflected on the dead. I hadn’t been particularly close to any of their fallen comrades, but I certainly respected them. Turnip, Kelvin, Mark, and the others had all died fighting for their cause. Despite everything, they were all decent men. I had come across some truly horrible people in the Charred Lands, but I was thankful to have spent time with these people. I was all the better for it.

  “If only we had some beer.” Keith sighed, finally lowering his water.

  “Well… I don’t have beer, but I found a bottle of this back at the tower.” Julian said, with a smirk. He quickly rustled inside his backpack before withdrawing a large glass bottle of some dark drink. I had no idea what it was.

  “Holy fucking shit. I haven’t seen that years!” Keith almost squealed like an excited young boy.

  “The finest liquor in all the Charred Lands. You have no idea how hard it was to conceal this thing, I wanted to dance and sing on the roof top!” He laughed, before taking a large swig straight from the bottle. He grimaced a little as he wiped his lips, before passing along the bottle to Penny.

  “Make sure you sober up before flying tomorrow, the last thing you need is a F.U.I.” She said, also taking a large gulp of the near black drink. The comment sparked a laugh from both Keith and Julian, but I had absolutely no idea what she meant by it. Still, I had no idea what this drink was, but from the reactions on their faces after a drink, it didn’t look too good.

  “What the hell is this thing?” I asked as Penny offered me the bottle. I sat there, staring
at it as though it was some kind of alien.

  “Just try it.” Penny urged, shaking the bottle at me.

  Reluctantly, I accepted. I stared for a moment, reading the faded label on the bottle. Jack Daniel’s whiskey. It meant absolutely nothing to me, but I did vaguely recognise it. If I recalled correctly, I remember my Grandpa had a much smaller bottle of it a few years ago which he had apparently been saving for a rainy day.

  I sniffed the rim of the bottle as I tried to suss it out. The smell seemed to burn my nostrils. It smelt horrific, I had no idea what it would taste like, or why on earth anybody would drink it; but as I spotted the rest of the group all staring at me, anticipating my reaction, I almost felt obliged.

  I shrugged off my fears and took a great big gulp from the bottle, just as Julian had. I instantly wanted to throw up as what felt like fire ran down my throat. It was absolutely hideous, but I wanted more.

  As the night progressed, it grew easier and easier to drink. Before long, the bottle ran empty after a few laps of the circle. It gave me a warm, strange feeling that I had never experienced before. I didn’t know why, but as we chatted away, all of my worries seemed to disappear into the back of my mind as I enjoyed my last night with the group.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  I awoke with the worst headache I had ever experienced, but as I thought back to the night before, I didn’t regret it. We spent what felt like hours talking about absolute rubbish and pondering all kinds of things, holding great debates and telling fun stories. It was a strange way to end such a horrific day. I couldn’t even remember falling asleep, and as I awoke to a surprisingly bright Charred Lands day, I felt as though I hadn’t slept a wink.

  I shrugged off my headache and struggled to my feet in search of Julian. I found him giving the helicopter yet another check over.

  “How’re you feeling?” He asked, with a grin on his face.

  “Terrible.” I said, even moving had made me feel a little nauseous.

  “Don’t worry, I remember my first drink.” He teased.

  “I’m not even sure I do. Everything’s so blurry and vague.”

  “Are you sure you can't just forget about your mission, and stick with us?” Julian asked, suddenly changing the mood a little.

  “I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I can’t. I need to complete this mission, I’m afraid.” I sighed, leaning against the helicopter.

  “I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand.” He said, before taking off.

  I remained there for a little while, considering my options. Joining Julian didn’t actually seem like a terrible idea. From what I had heard of their home, it sounded nice. They were able to grow vegetables after all. A certain degree of comfort and security is needed for that. I was pinning all of my hopes on a place I didn’t even know existed anymore. I had no idea what the Legion of Light might actually be like, or if they’d even let me in. For all I knew, I was rejecting my only true chance of safety with the Saviour of Man in favour of a pipe dream. It was tough, but I knew I couldn’t accept Julian’s offer. I was grateful for everything he and his men had done for me, but I was on a quest, and I damn sure was going to complete it. I had come too far to simply turn away now.

  “Have you got a map?” I called out as I took off in a jog after Julian.

  “What?” He asked, turning to me.

  “A map to your place, just in case the Legion of Light isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.” I explained. He stood there for a few seconds, twiddling his chin hair.

  “I don’t, but if you ever need to find us, simply head back to the tower and give them this.” He said, reaching inside a pocket in his jacket. He fiddled around a second before withdrawing a piece of paper. “They should be able to escort you to our main base of operations on their next supply run.” He informed.

  I accepted the piece of paper and unfolded it. It was a tired, creased letter that looked as though it had been written quite some time ago. It was a small poem which read;

  ‘The sky above was glum, and the men marched to the war drum. They bravely fought the sky beast, but ended up its daily feast. The war was lost, the men were dead, and that was when humanity bled. Dark days soon did follow, man’s soul left bare and hollow. But these dark days must come to an end, and our spirit shall never bend, for we are the Saviour of Man, and it’s here where the fightback began. – Julian Bullandré’

  I stared at the paper for a few moments, a little confused.

  “Yeah, I kinda write poems on the side. Not many know about it. Anyway, if you hand that into the tower and say I sent you, then you won’t have any trouble.” He explained.

  “We ready, boss?” Keith called from by the helicopter, destroying our moment.

  Julian let out a slight sigh, before holding his hand out for me, “It’s been great working with you Zach. I truly hope to see you again one day soon.” He said, before I shook his hand.

  I followed him over to the helicopter and said goodbye to Keith and Penny as he started up the machine.

  It was tough to see them rise up into the sky, leaving me all alone at the foot of the mountain. I suddenly felt so alone, and a feeling of fear began to creep in. They had somewhat been my safety net, but now it was gone. The cord was cut once again.

  I waved them off as the helicopter began to buzz into the distance, though I doubted they could still see me. I remained rooted to the spot, watching the great machine disappear into the distance.

  Now, they were gone. Simply adding to the ever growing list of people that have come and gone during my mission to find the ultimate safety. I owed a lot to Julian, he taught me a lot and allowed me to see myself in a new light. He was a great man that left a lasting impact on me. As I stood there, planning my next move, I couldn’t help but think back to what he had told me during our conversation back at the gas station.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  It felt strange to be alone again. I hadn’t really spent a prolonged period of time without company since stumbling across Azaria and Wayne, back on the motorway leading into Manchester; but now, it was as though I didn’t know a single soul in all the world. I knew that, despite everything Julian had said, I would probably never see any of them again. The offer was there, but I couldn’t imagine myself taking it up. I prayed that I would never need to either.

  Despite my unrelenting hangover, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of optimism about the Church of Fire. I didn’t know what I would find at this place, but part of me felt as though my luck was actually in, for once. There was no doubt in my mind that the man riding the dragon had been the famous Mogbane; the man from my Grandpa's stories. Already he had saved my life, so I struggled to imagine these people being particularly bad. I didn't know if it was sheer dumb luck that he had come and saved us, or if the people at the Church of Fire had seen our perilous struggles and come to help, but either way, help they did.

  These thoughts ran through my mind over and over again as I made my way up the mountain – I didn't know exactly where they were located, but the map that Lynette Kerslake had given me all the way back in Warrington had been fairly accurate thus far, so I hoped finding them wouldn't take too long.

  It was a treacherous path, long grass hid countless rocks from view. I had to take my time with each passing step, carefully scanning ahead before my next move. The atmosphere here was a strange one, I did my best to focus on the sounds around me for any signs of potential friend or foe; but I heard nothing. Even for the Charred Lands, this mountain was quiet. It was hard to imagine a community of people living up here.

  I came to a stop and glanced over my shoulder, it seemed as though the entirety of Manchester was in sight from my view on the mountain. It was a magnificent sight. I stepped aside from the lightly trodden path and perched myself on a rock to catch my breath and take a drink. All morning my mouth had felt as dry as a Charred Land’s summer day. The view of Manchester was a sight to behold. Once again, I found myself thinking of i
t as an ancient civilization. It looked a million years old to me. The destroyed buildings, rusted cars, overgrown weeds and other general wreckage made me shiver. Even from up here I could see the tower, and the humongous spinning wheel back in Piccadilly Gardens. It was hard to imagine that I had just travelled through a great deal of it. Of course, the helicopter made easy work of the second half of the city, but the point remains. I, a simple boy from a small area named Haven had just made it across a dead city that most feared far too much to even get close to.

  Yet somehow, I found myself strangely transfixed by the beauty of it. It almost looked crafted from a mad man’s nightmare, a barren wasteland of a society that many had used to call home. And strangely, the sun seemed to shine down. It was a rare day whenever the sun broke the ever looming thick skies above. At Haven, we had always considered this to be a good sign, as though the sun brought with it a ray of good fortune.

  Beyond the city, I could see what looked like endless miles upon miles of woodlands and fields, most of it bore the mark of the Charred Lands, burnt out trees and barren patches where the dragon’s had unleashed their wake. Yet the parts which remained untouched by the lands destructive ways were a thing of beauty. I couldn’t help but take in a deep breath as I watched the distant trees sway in the wind. I suddenly began to feel myself relax. I finally felt like I had achieved a level of safety. Looking around at the seemingly deserted rocky mountain, it was hard to imagine any dangers being imminent up here. I almost felt like God, safe from my vantage point above the world below.

  With a sigh, I rose to my feet once again. I gave the map another quick look over, but no specific location for the Church of Fire had been given. I quickly folded up the worn piece of paper and slipped it back inside my backpack, before withdrawing a bottle of water. I took a big gulp from it, holding the water in my mouth a little in an attempt to moisten my dry gums, before swallowing. It wasn’t particularly cold, but it sure was refreshing.