by Clayton Wood
“Sure Crispy,” she agreed. He started up the stairs, then stopped, realizing that Sukri wouldn’t be able to get up the stairs in her wheelchair.
“Need help?” he asked.
“Give me your arm,” she replied. He did so, and she got out of the wheelchair, leaning on him. “Go slowly,” she instructed. They did so, Sukri leaning on Hunter as they went up the stairs, one step at a time. Eventually they reached the top, and Hunter unlocked his door, stepping through. He closed the door behind them. “Bring me to the bed,” she requested.
Hunter hesitated, then complied, walking her to the bed. She sat down, clearly glad to be off her feet.
“So what’s up?” she asked.
Hunter hesitated, feeling his cheeks flush. He shoved his hands in his pockets grimacing at her.
“This is kinda embarrassing for me,” he admitted. Sukri arched one eyebrow, unable to help herself from smiling.
“Ooo,” she replied, rubbing her hands together. “Sounds juicy!”
“I have a problem,” he confessed. “And I don’t think I can solve it on my own.”
“What do you need?”
“You remember that girl Trixie, right?” he asked. Sukri’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Who?”
“The…whore,” Hunter clarified, grimacing again. Sukri nodded.
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Well, she came to visit last night,” Hunter explained. Sukri grinned at him, standing up on one leg and punching him in the shoulder, then sitting back down.
“You got lucky, huh?” she asked. “Nice Crispy!”
“Not really,” Hunter countered glumly. “Thing is, I don’t really want to be with her. But every time she comes…”
“You end up screwing her brains out?” Sukri guessed. Hunter sighed, nodding.
“And hating myself afterward,” he finished.
“That is a problem,” Sukri admitted.
“Tell me about it.”
“So you need to get rid of this bitch,” she stated. “All right, we’ll get rid of her. You said she’s coming tonight?”
“I’d bet on it.”
“Not with you she’s not,” Sukri retorted with a sly grin. “Tell you what: I’ll stay with you here until she comes, then tell her off.”
“Thanks,” he replied, feeling suddenly relieved. He smiled at her. “Thanks a lot Sukri. I appreciate it.”
“Hey, what are friends for?” she replied. “Come on,” she added, patting the spot on the bed beside her. He hesitated.
“Um,” he began, staring at the bed. “That might not be such a good idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember what happened last time we were on this bed?” he asked. She paused, then shrugged.
“It’s okay,” she replied. “I’m supposed to be working on resisting emotional influences anyway,” she added. “Master Thorius says I’m way too susceptible to emotions.”
“Yeah,” Hunter agreed. “Vi said the same thing about me.”
“Well then we both have to work on it,” Sukri stated, patting the bed next to her. “Come on, we’ll practice together.” Hunter hesitated.
“I don’t know…”
“Just sit,” Sukri insisted. “What’s the worst that could happen?” Hunter raised one eyebrow at her.
“You know damn well what the worst that could happen is,” he retorted. Sukri winked at him.
“Trust me,” she replied. “It wouldn’t be bad at all.”
That got a smile out of him, and he sighed, giving in and sitting down on the bed next to her. She threw an arm around him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“This should be interesting,” she said. Hunter nodded, then had a sudden, terrible thought.
“Uh oh,” he blurted out. Sukri frowned.
“What?”
“We’re both drunk,” he replied.
“Tipsy,” Sukri corrected.
“And Trixie’s coming over,” he continued. “She like, radiates sex.”
“So?”
“What if we…um…both get influenced by her?” he pressed. Sukri smirked.
“Well then,” she replied. “She’d better be good.”
Chapter 28
Hunter yawned, rolling over onto his side in bed and staring at the door to his tiny apartment. He froze, then twisted around, half-expecting Trixie to be in bed beside him. But he was alone, thank god. He relaxed, laying on his back and looking up at the ceiling. Sukri had stayed with him as promised, and they’d both had an awful time resisting the temptation his bed had exuded. Sukri had caved first, probably due to the two starfuckers she’d downed at the bar. He’d somehow managed to redirect her, and they’d sat on the bed for god-knows how long until it was his turn to crack. Sukri had been all-to-eager to oblige his advances, and they’d ended up making out at the edge of the bed. Sukri had just thrown Hunter down onto his back when there’d been a knock on the door, and Trixie had come in.
Hunter broke out into a grin, chuckling to himself.
Sukri, being terribly cruel, just smiled at Trixie, told her “he’s mine bitch,” and went to town making out with him. Trixie hadn’t even said a word, leaving the apartment. They’d both dissolved into laughter, forgetting for the moment what they’d been doing. It’d been just long enough to break the spell of lust the bed had provided, and they quickly got off it. Sukri had offered to stay, and it’d taken everything Hunter had to turn her down. He didn’t want to take advantage of a friend…especially a drunk and artificially aroused friend.
And that had been that.
He sighed, shaking his head. He did feel bad for Trixie. After all, her feelings were almost certainly genuine, and she was just as much of a pawn as he was. It’d been a bit cruel, what he’d done to her…but his guilt paled in comparison to the relief of knowing that she wasn’t going to come back. That he was finally free of that terrible cycle. Strange that he enjoyed his relationship with Sukri – and with Vi – far more than his relationship with Trixie, even though he’d never have sex with them. At least not with Vi, anyway.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
He stiffened, then rolled onto his side, staring at the door.
It better not be Trixie, he thought darkly.
The was another knock, and Hunter sighed, getting up and walking to the door, already fully dressed. He’d fallen asleep in his clothes after Sukri had left. He wished there was a spyglass for him to look through, but no such luck. He hesitated, then opened the door.
“Hey kiddo,” Vi greeted.
“Vi!” he exclaimed, backing up and gesturing for her to come in. She did so, glancing around the room.
“Wow,” she muttered. “They gave you a shithole.”
“Yeah, well at least I get to sleep on a bed,” he retorted. She smirked at him, then strode forward, walking up to the bed. Her eyebrows rose.
“Damn kid,” she exclaimed. “Your bed reeks of hooker!”
“I took care of it,” he protested. “She’s gone for good.”
“Like hell she is,” Vi retorted, backing away from the bed and wrinkling her nose. “She’s gonna be in your mattress for years.” She shook her head. “They went all out for you,” she mused. She glanced at him, smirking as usual. “You’re not going to be able to fold your sheets in a few months.”
“You’re gross,” he retorted, feeling his cheeks flush. She grinned at him.
“Good news is,” she stated, “…any girl you bring back here is definitely going to put out.”
“Yeah, that’s called rape,” Hunter grumbled.
“See,” Vi replied, tousling his hair. “That’s why I like you…you’re halfway decent.”
“Something completely foreign to you,” he retorted. But he smiled back. “It’s good to see you,” he added. “I kinda missed you.”
“You won’t after our next sparring session,” she countered. “Let’s go,” she added, walking to the door. “We’ve got a job to do.”
“What job?” he inquired, following her down the stairs and out onto the docks.
“I’ll tell you in a bit,” Vi promised.
“Oh,” Hunter blurted out. “My friend Sukri wanted to meet you before we left.” But Vi shook her head.
“No time,” she replied. “My client wants this done as soon as possible.”
“But…”
“If we do this job,” Vi interrupted, grinning at him, “…we’re gonna be filthy rich.”
Hunter hesitated, then nodded.
“Lead the way.”
They left the Outskirts, traveling through Lowtown until they reached the long road leading to the inner gate. There was a carriage in the middle of the street, and a man standing beside it. He waved at them as they approached.
“Morning,” the man greeted.
“Morning,” Vi replied. The man opened the carriage door, and Vi stepped up and went inside. Hunter hesitated, then followed suit, entering the cabin. It was quite luxurious, with plush leather seats and rich golden wood. He sat down next to Vi; the man shut both doors, then hopped up to the driver’s seat, snapping the reins. The carriage moved forward toward the inner gate, which opened slowly, allowing them into the tunnel beyond.
“Getting the five-star treatment, huh?” Hunter inquired. Vi stared at him blankly.
“What?”
“I’m just glad we’re not going on foot this time,” he clarified. “Much as I enjoyed your death march through the Deadlands.”
They stopped at the outer gate, waiting for it to open. At length it did, and the carriage moved forward again, exiting the tunnel. The Deadlands spread out before them, the King’s Road rising above it in the distance.
“So what’s this mission?” he inquired.
“We’re going to take the King’s Road past the Fringe,” Vi answered. “Then we’ll jump the King’s Road and make our way through the forest on foot.”
“Why?” Hunter pressed. “What’s our destination?”
“Apparently the Seekers found the main Ironclad base,” Vi replied. “My client wants me to go there and kill an Ironclad.”
The carriage reached the King’s Road, rolling onto the smooth stone slabs. Hunter raised an eyebrow.
“Just one?” he asked.
“Yep,” she confirmed. “A new kind of Ironclad, apparently. One with a glowing blue mane made of gel or something…like the one we saw back at the lake.”
“What’s so special about it?” Hunter asked.
“I don’t know,” Vi admitted. “With the reward my client offered, I don’t care. All I need to do is bring back its head.”
“Oh,” he replied. He stared out of the window at the passing terrain. From here, he could barely see a dark line on the horizon…a suggestion of the Fringe miles away.
“So is it a different species or something?” Hunter pressed. “Did it mutate?”
“Animals and plants in the forest are always changing,” Vi replied. “Think about it…they’re constantly being exposed to the wills of other species. It’s only a matter of time before new variations appear.”
“That’s why Tykus built the wall?” Hunter guessed.
“Pretty much,” Vi agreed. “It was mostly to keep out immigrants.”
“Why do they hate immigrants so much?”
“They don’t,” Vi replied. “They just want to keep their identity. That’s why they didn’t want me…I was different. I threatened their way of life. They wanted me out…they didn’t give a shit if I lived somewhere else. They just didn’t want me in the city.”
“Because they’re racist jerks,” Hunter muttered.
“Call them what you want,” Vi stated. “If we didn’t separate ourselves, we’d all end up diluting each other’s traits and customs, until we were all the same.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“You hate Tykus because they’re all the same there,” Vi countered. “Imagine a whole world like that.” She shook her head. “There’s something to be said for variety.”
“Maybe.”
“You wanna be like everyone else?” she inquired.
“Hell no.”
“Neither do I,” she agreed. “I like who I am. I like being different.” She eyed him critically. “You have a people, back home I mean?”
“Kinda,” he admitted. “I’m half black, half white, so I have two.”
“So they each have a unique identity, black people and white people?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“What would happen if they were asked to give up that identity?” she pressed. “What if black people had to give up their customs, their culture, their identity…and so did white people? What if they all had to become the same?”
“Then we’d all be one people,” Hunter answered. “We wouldn’t have a reason to hate each other anymore.”
“Think that’ll ever happen?” Vi pressed.
Hunter considered this, then shook his head.
“Right,” Vi agreed. “Glad to hear human nature sucks everywhere.”
“So you agree with Tykus,” Hunter stated. Vi gave him a look.
“God no,” she retorted. “Just because I understand where they’re coming from doesn’t mean I have to agree with them.”
The carriage reached a fork in the road, and the carriage turned left, continuing forward. The forest was clearly visible now in the distance.
“So we kill one of these new Ironclad and take it back home?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“Why do they hate people so much?” he pressed. Vi shrugged.
“They’re from the forest,” she replied. “Anything near the Fringe hates humans.”
“Are there any other monsters out there?”
“Plenty,” Vi answered. “The Ironclad are the most dangerous ones near the Fringe. There are many others, but they live in the forest near the Deep.”
“The what?”
“The Deep,” Vi repeated. “It’s in the deep forest…far past the Fringe. Nobody knows much about it, because nobody sane ever goes there.”
“Why not?”
“The Deep makes the Fringe look like your world,” Vi answered. “The rules of the world are different there, much more powerful. Anything that goes in doesn’t come out the same.” She shook her head. “The few people that have come back from it…well, let’s just say they weren’t exactly human anymore.”
“Have you ever been there?” Hunter pressed.
“Hell no,” she replied. “Closest I’ve been is the Kingdom of the Deep,” she added. “They’re the closest to the Deep…and still kilometers away. Not even they are stupid enough to venture into the Deep, as much as they worship it.”
She yawned then, stretching her arms over her head.
“Anyway,” she continued, “…we’re just going into the regular forest. We’ll meet up with a few guides that know where the Ironclad base is.”
“Then we just find a glowing Ironclad and decapitate it?”
“Well, there’s something else I could do while we’re there,” Vi admitted. “Something my client would pay dearly for.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Vi answered. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
* * *
Sukri wheeled herself into the meeting room of the Guild of Seekers, Gammon walking at her side. They joined Yala and Udeln, who were waiting for Master Thorius’s arrival. The two nodded at Sukri and Gammon, but no one said anything. For today, they knew, was their third and final Trial…the last hurdle before formally being accepted as an apprentice of the Guild of Seekers.
Sukri sat there, waiting quietly with the others. The silence grew, more uncomfortable with each passing minute. She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach, knowing that whatever their Trial entailed, failure would almost certainly be fatal. No initiate who’d been disqualified had lived…except for Hunter, of course.
Master Thorius appeared, striding thr
ough the hallway and stopping before them. He eyed each initiate silently.
“Today,” he declared, “…is a very special day for you all.”
Two more Seekers walked into the room, stopping behind Thorius.
“Today,” Thorius continued, “…is the day of your third and final Trial. For those of you who succeed, we offer a guarantee of membership in the Guild of Seekers. You will become apprentices, and the skills, knowledge, and secrets of the guild will be yours.”
His expression grew grim.
“I believe you are all aware of the consequences of failure now.”
Sukri glanced at Gammon, who put a hand on her shoulder. She felt a little better, her fear abating, but not completely. She brushed his hand off; her fear was bad enough, but knowing that Gammon was afraid – if only a little – was far worse.
“Come with me,” Thorius ordered. He walked back into the hallway, everyone joining behind him, including the two other Seekers. They went back to the lobby, then forward through another hallway, turning this way and that until at last they reached a medium-sized room. It was unlike any Sukri had seen before, with a shallow copper basin on the floor, perhaps ten feet square. Master Thorius turned to them.
“Your third and final Trial begins now,” he declared.
The two Seekers strode forward suddenly, circling around them to stand behind Udeln and Yala. They grabbed the two initiates, locking their arms behind their backs.
“Wait, what’re you doing?” Udeln demanded, struggling against his Seeker. The Seeker pulled his arms backward hard, and he cried out, freezing in place.
“For your third Trial,” Thorius stated, reaching into his pockets and pulling out a dagger, “…you will demonstrate your loyalty to the Guild of Seekers.” He handed the dagger to Gammon. Sukri frowned.
“By doing what?” she asked.
“By helping us disqualify your fellow initiates,” Thorius answered, gesturing at Udeln and Yala. Sukri glanced at them, then stared at Thorius.
“What…”
“You will slit their throats,” Thorius interjected calmly. “And watch them die.”
Sukri felt the blood drain from her face, and she turned back to Yala and Udeln. Both of their eyes widened.
