by Matt Gross
The sun had not risen and the sky was still dark. Khayin was a little apprehensive about sleeping in the same room as her, but something in his gut told him she wouldn't do anything. He was hopeful that he was right. Before they turned in for the night Khayin had given her a bow and a large Bowie knife.
Khayin left the room quietly and went outside. He stretched and called for Millennium, who appeared in the dark sky and flew to his arm. He looked at the bird of prey and smiled. The falcon nodded. Khayin remembered back to the Native American hermit in the northern Michigan woods who had gifted him with the magic that bonded man and bird. Sometimes Khayin would take side jobs. His tracking skills were useful for other things than bounties and Khayin would sometimes take unconventional payments--not everyone had need of chips.
“Looks like we've got a partner, old pal, at least for the short term. I just hope it isn't a ticking time bomb.” He jerked his arm ever so slightly and Millennium flew off.
Khayin jogged until the light of dawn decorated the once dark sky. When he arrived back to the village he found the padre cooking breakfast and Kira sitting cross legged on the ground off to the side of the church building in a state of meditation. Despite the coolness of morning Khayin was damp with sweat. He walked past the padre and nodded, then entered the church. He went to the room where he had slept the night before and dried himself. He put on the rest of his clothes and packed the rest of his things.
“You staying for breakfast at least?” the padre asked as he saw Khayin emerge from the building.
“Of course, but then we need to leave. I really appreciate your hospitality, padre.” Khayin walked past the man and threw his bags onto Chewie.
Kira had finished her morning meditations and saw Khayin packing his horse. She walked straight for him. The look on her face unnerved Khayin slightly and he had to suppress an urge to reach for one of his many weapons. She stopped only a few feet away from him. Catching a hint of rosemary and sage that scented her hair, he breathed in deeply through the nose.
“We leaving?” she asked pointedly.
“After we eat,” he gestured toward the padre. “Then you pack while I make a call.” She cocked her head slightly with a raised eyebrow. Khayin's eyes and smile went big while he held up his hands, palms forward, and he wiggled his fingers. “Magic.” She snarled and brushed past him.
The three of them ate in silence. The smell of the bacon and the budding of dawn was serene. Khayin and Kira finished then prepared for their journey. Khayin fished out the pre-Cataclysm flip-phone that Codex had given him, flipping it open and pressing the send button like Codex had shown him.
“Snuggly Bear!!!” A girl’s voice screeched over the communicator. “OMG. You aren't going to believe this. Some guys came by from Chicago and they were asking all sorts of questions about a hunter named Juan Rodriguez. Do you know him? Anyway, I told them he rarely checks in and that I haven't seen or heard from him in a long time. They didn't want to believe me, but I put my foot down and said 'you better believe me' and they were like 'If you are lying to us we will make your life a living hell.' Can you believe that they had the nerve to threaten me in my domain? Ha! I laughed right in their face.” The words came so fast that she was nearly impossible to understand. She paused for what seemed like a long time compared to the pace of her monologue. “So, how can I help you, Snuggly Bear?” she asked in a calm regular clip.
Khayin felt like he had to catch his breath. He spoke to her regularly and he thought that he would be used to it, but every time he ended up breathing hard. “Hey, Baby Doll. I have some questions for you, but I think we need to talk face to face.”
“Sure, Snuggly Bear. Believe it or not I have some time right now,” she continued in an easily understandable rate.
“I'm just outside Mexico City. There's no way I can get to you today.” Khayin said.
“Silly goose. Just hit the 26339 keys on the number pad, then hit send. It'll take you straight to me,” she giggled.
“I have a couple of horses and a passenger,” Khayin rationalized.
“You have a bounty? I've no record of you taking a job.” She sounded confused.
“No. No bounty just...” He wasn't sure how or what he wanted to say, but before he could even finish, a sharp gasp interrupted his thought.
“Do you have a girl with you? I always said you needed a girl. You are such a handsome man, but you live a dangerous life. You need a woman in your life to settle you down. I'd find you someone but I'm always so busy. You travel so much and I find it hard to believe that you would ever settle down, but maybe you should settle down. It might do you some good. You know my mommy used to say that a man needs a good woman to keep him grounded. You need to be grounded.” She snorted a laugh then continued her rapid staccato. “I don't really mean grounded, like sent to your room or nothin'. Just grounded like morally and stuff so you don't do anythin’ stupid, you know...”
“Codex!” Khayin nearly shouted. “You know I can't do that,” he said more calmly.
“Can't or won't.” She had a bit of a snip in her tone. “It's better to love and lose it, than never to love at all. Isn't that what they use to say?”
“I'm not going to have this conversation again.”
“Screw that curse, Khayin. Have you even tried to break it? Cause you never have asked me.” He could hear a little pout in her voice.
“Codex, please. Not now.”
“Hmpf, fine, Snuggly Bear.” She was back to a normal pace again. “The teleport will take you and one other person and some of your gear or all of your gear, depends on how much you have. Just be sure to be touching the other person. Appropriately.”
“I'm not going to be popping in there cupping some woman's breasts, Codex,” he said with a roll of the eyes.
She laughed loud and genuine. “You always make me laugh. See you in a few minutes then?”
“See you in a few minutes,” he confirmed. She giggled and the line went dead.
Khayin turned to see Kira standing behind him. Her face wore a scowl and her arms were crossed across her chest. A couple of long dreads fell in her face and she didn't bother to brush them aside. She wore the same clothes that she had after her bath. The same clothes she slept in. He wasn't sure how much of the conversation she actually heard or even if she were able to hear Codex.
“It was a joke. I wasn't even thinking about touching your breasts.” He stopped a moment and rethought what he just said. “OK, so, I have thought about touching your breasts, but I would never touch you without your permission.” The scowl remained. “So, you finished packing? Cause we have to leave, like now.” He said with a desperate attempt to change the subject.
Kira turned and walked toward the horses. If there was a bright side, she wasn't storming off, and her walk was casual. Khayin followed and despite the awkward moment they had shared a moment ago he couldn't help but watch her walk away.
The padre adjusted the saddles and bags on the horses when they returned to the church. Nearby, the children of the village were playing soccer, probably waiting for their breakfasts, their mothers having shooed them out the door so they could cook without them underfoot. Khayin paused to watch the children, reminding himself why he never stayed long in the village. He never wanted to take a chance that it would be marked as a safe haven for him, therefore making it a target if anyone ever were to come after him seeking revenge.
“We're not taking the horses, padre,” Khayin said as he approached him. “Keep them. Consider them payment for services rendered.” Kira shot him a questioning glance. “The teleport is only meant for two.” He looked at Kira. “Take whatever you can fit in the saddle bags.”
Khayin reached for his bags and flung them over his shoulder. “You can keep anything we leave behind. I won't ask for them back. You're a good friend, Padre.” Khayin reached out for a hand shake and got a hug instead.
“Thank you and may the good Lord bless you,” the padre said and broke off the embrace wi
th a couple of back slaps.
“I think I could use a blessing or two from any god out there right about now. I have a bad feeling about this.” Khayin looked at his old friend. “Codex mumbled something about men from Chicago looking for Juan. That can't be good.”
“I can't say I know this Codex or your line of work well, but I do know that it is a risky business. Take care, my friend. And keep that one safe.” He motioned toward Kira. “I've a feeling the two of you are going to need each other. The good Lord put the two of you together for a reason.” Khayin just nodded.
Kira approached the holy man. Her head was down and she fidgeted, wringing her hands. “Thank you,” she said with effort.
“For what, child?” The padre clasped her hand in his.
“For the sage and rosemary.” She met his eyes.
“You’re welcome, but do me a favor.” She remained silent. “Keep an eye on our mutual friend. I fear your journey won't be easy and he is going to need you more than he cares to admit.”
She gave the padre a nod. Kira stood with her saddle bags over her shoulder and waited for Khayin. Khayin walked over to Kira and he smiled. He didn't want her to see any anxiety he might have about their situation. Truth be told, he was starting to reconsider leaving her. What's going on? Is Chi-Town looking for Kira? What've I gotten myself into? More questions and still no answers. He looked at the witch. She stood confident, despite her situation. She looked a little annoyed, but Khayin figured that was for lack of understanding and memory. She obviously didn't trust him, but he was starting to think that it wasn't necessarily him she distrusted, but men in general.
“Well, for this teleport to work we need to...” Before he could finish she grabbed his free hand. She was gentle, but firm. She just looked at him, no expression.
“We have to be touching,” she said.
He couldn't sense any coldness in her tone, or warmth for that matter, but at least she wasn't pissed. He flipped open the communicator, punched in 26339 and hit send.
Chapter 6 The Strip
The first thing she noticed was a little pain shooting up through her arm from the hand that held Khayin's. Kira looked up at Khayin and noticed a look of unease wash over his face. She couldn't help but smile. Next, she studied the area around her. Tall structures lined the side of the road, some lit with lights so bright that they could still be easily seen in the light of day. Some lights spelled out words in a language she had yet to learn. She could speak several languages, but never bothered to learn to read them. There was always a spell or artifact for that.
The road was paved. There were people everywhere--women dressed in barely-there clothing, men with carts selling food and other wares. There were also men and women dressed in matching outfits carrying batons. Some carried crossbows, others compound bows like hers. She saw a few with guns. Khayin had given her a quick lesson on different types of weaponry and she recognized the firearms right away. She was so enraptured of her surroundings that she didn't realize that she was still holding Khayin's hand. She snatched it away quickly.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“Sin City. The City of Lights. The Entertainment Capital of the World.” He threw his hands up in the air and spun around. “The Strip is where we stand. At least that's what it was called before the Cataclysm. Now, well, now it's a shadow of its old self, but still one of the largest cities in North America and probably the city with the most working lights, so I guess 'The City of Lights' is still an accurate name.” He looked around before settling his gaze on her. Kira barely noticed as she just absorbed it all.
“Cataclysm. When magic returned to your world?” She asked the question, though she wasn't really all that interested in the answer. There was too much to see.
“Yeah, we'll have to talk about that sometime. I'd like to hear your version of it,” he said still looking at her. She only nodded.
“Why are we here?”
“Answers to some of our questions, hopefully.” He sounded unsure of himself.
“You don't sound very convincing.” She shot him a skeptical eye.
“Yeah sorry, princess. I'm not confidant we're going to get many answers here. That poster wasn't official, which means it was a private contract. If it was private, not too many people will know about it. On the bright side we should be able to get that collar off ya.” He started to walk down the street.
“How's any of that going to get me home? And don't call me princess,” she said with a little disgust.
“Right. Home. Well, I doubt anyone here would have a clue. You are a myth. Your people...”
“Sisters,” she said cutting him off.
“Your sisters,” he said with air quotes, “and you only exist in stories. And stories get embellished over time. No one here would have reliable information. I'll have to make contact with another friend of mine. He should have a better idea, especially with you walking in next to me.”
He led them across the street. She noticed more than a few of the underdressed women making eyes, both at her and Khayin. A couple of them even tried touching her, but she was quick and managed to dodge most of the gropes except one. When Kira felt someone slap her ass, she turned to retaliate. She was surprised, though, to see only a young girl staring up at her and smiling. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a large man emerging from a nearby alley and walking slowly toward them, his eye not leaving her. It was only then that she noticed her hand raised, ready to strike the girl. Khayin must have noticed too because he grabbed Kira's hand and moved down the street a little more quickly. She didn't protest.
They briskly walked further down the strip, but Khayin slowed when they noticed a couple of big men tossing another man out of an alley. He looked badly beaten. Blood ran from his nose or mouth. It was hard to tell which, so covered was his face with it. When the man stumbled to an upright position, he held a mangled hand against his chest and limped slowly away. The two giant men, their bodies covered in hair and unnaturally muscled, looked casually at Kira and Khayin before disappearing back down the alley.
When Khayin continued walking, Kira was shocked to see him turning down the same alley the men had. She tensed, her hands in fists, but followed him with curiosity. He seemed to know where he was going. The alley was long and well-lit, and about wide enough for four people to walk side by side. It was clean and mostly empty. She could see the two men ahead of them, and they continued to follow at a distance until they reached a simple black door in the side of the building.
Khayin kept walking, Kira following behind, until they were at the door beside the giants. Khayin reached out to open the door, unconcerned by their presence. One of the big guys put his arm out to stop the bounty hunter, but Khayin just looked at him. The other large man nodded his head and they both stepped back, allowing their entrance.
“Ogres,” Khayin said. “They're not too bright, but they make excellent guards.”
The door opened into a long hall. Kira could see no light source, but the hall was brightly lit. There were no doors on either side, and the hall seemed to go on forever. After a few minutes of walking she finally spotted a door on the far end. The door opened as soon as they approached, and they stepped through.
The room was empty but for a desk that sat at its center and the well-dressed man who sat behind it. He appeared to be wearing a black tuxedo, and the room smelled of fresh flowers. It was lit in the same peculiar way as the hall they had just left. Kira turned to look back the way they came and found herself staring at a blank wall; the door was no longer there. Kira turned back around as a sudden panic washed over her. A quick scan of the room revealed that there were no doors at all.
Kira grabbed Khayin's sleeve and tugged at it. “Where are the doors? How do we get out of here?” Her movements were jerky and she was on high alert. Khayin smiled and patted her arm, trying to reassure her that everything was okay. She moved away so that he ended up patting empty air.
The man behind the desk pra
ctically glowed as he greeted Khayin. “There's my handsome man.”
“Hey, Stephen. It's been awhile. How's Rocco?” Khayin asked.
“Oh, he's fabulous, but you know I'd drop him like an ugly fedora for you. Just say the word and you and I can travel the world together.” He spoke with a child-like voice, as if he had never hit puberty.
“As tempting as that sounds we have two problems: Rocco wouldn't rest till he tracked us down and kicked my ass, which I have no doubt he could and would do. And Codex--well, no one wants to see her bad side and you would probably see more of it than I would,” he reasoned.
Stephen's face grew brighter. “Ain't that right.” He gave Kira an analyzing look. “And who is this lovely creature? Are you cheating on me?”
“This is Kira. She’s why I'm here. And I'm not sure how much I should say right now.”
“Hmpf,” Stephen grunted, obviously not happy with that answer. He made a little shooing type wave at a door that Kira knew hadn’t been there a minute ago. “Go right in; she's waiting for you.”
First thing Kira noticed upon entering the office was the overwhelming presence of magic. It was nearly palpable. Beyond that, the room was hopelessly cluttered. Kira wasn't familiar with the tools of cultures outside her own, but the room in which she stood was packed with all sorts of interesting things. She saw strange silver boxes with glass on one side. Devices much like the one Khayin had used to call Codex were scattered about. More of those light signs she saw outside on the buildings sat on the floor and other flat surfaces, but these were much smaller. She didn't know what any of it was or how they worked, and while she was curious, she was far more interested in the person before her.
