Raiya sat against the wall with the bolt gun, “They don’t, typically… but this isn’t a typical situation. Besides… there are things out here that are just as dangerous as dragons, make no mistake about that.”
Andy looked at her oddly, “What are you talking about?”
“This isn’t like city life, Andy. Out here, you eat, you find things to barter with, you take refuge somewhere out of sight, or you die. I know that life all too well. If the dragons don’t get you, then raiding parties that are looking for food or provisions might… and if they don’t…”
Raiya’s face froze. She looked down at the scar on her wrist and then out into the distance. Her eyes scanned the horizon a few times before she returned her attention to the guns.
“What is it?” Andy asked.
“If they don’t... The canbans will.”
“Canbans? I’ve heard of them, aren’t they a feral group of humans?”
“Feral? Yeah, I guess that’s one way of looking at them… They’re not like wild animals or anything… not really…”
“Then what are they?”
Raiya sighed, “Just trust me… they’re bad news.”
“All right… if you say so…”
The clicking sound of two rocks being smashed together echoed off the building and a small fire sprung up from the pit. It illuminated the wall and the surrounding area for about a hundred feet.
“Just in time.” Raiya said. “The sun is almost gone.”
Eric and Jagger settled down on their beds. Miranda leaned against the jeep while Andy stayed up and worked on her bandages, “Do you think there are any canbans nearby?”
“Hard to say.” Raiya replied. “They’re nomadic, but unlike the others, there is no real sense to the way they move. They basically just spread out in hunting parties looking for food.”
Andy finished retying the bandages as the sounds of light snoring came from the campfire. Miranda stepped away from Andy and rested on her own bed.
Andy also laid down nearby, “You aren’t sleeping?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Someone needs to stand guard.”
“You’re really that worried?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
Andy laid back and stared up at the stars. Raiya looked out into the darkness. The light from the fire polluted her view, making it hard to see anything. She rested her head in her hands and slowly sat back.
The sound of light footsteps made her jump. She quickly grabbed the rifle and stood up. Her ears scanned the nearby surroundings.
Andy looked up at her oddly, “What is it?”
The sound grew louder. Raiya’s ears picked up at least three sets of feet moving, maybe more. They were coming from all directions, making it impossible to get an exact count.
Raiya eyed the darkness, “Andy… get back in the jeep…”
“What?”
“Get back in the jeep, now… take Miranda and go.”
“What about you guys?”
“I’ll get them up… you need to go, now!”
Andy got up and slowly nestled Miranda in his arms, “What’s going on?”
“We’re being stalked…”
That was all Andy needed to hear. He immediately ran back to the jeep and slid into the driver’s seat.
Raiya reached down to wake Eric and Jagger, “Guys, get up now!”
Andy reached down to start up the truck when he felt something sharp against his hand. He looked down to see that the ignition was being blocked by a blade. He looked back up to see a hideous bald man smiling at him.
The man’s teeth were brown and green, he looked like he hadn’t bathed in months, and his clothes looked like they had been crudely cut from animal skin, “Raiya…”
“I said go, Andy!”
“Raiya… I can’t…”
“Why not?”
Raiya was about to turn around when three large knives appeared at her throat, “Shit… Jagger, Eric, run!”
A fourth dagger appeared on her neck, this one pressed against her skin, telling her to shut up. Three torches appeared from the other side of the stone wall, revealing a crowd of thirty men.
Raiya clenched her jaw when she noticed that Jagger and Eric had both been captured. They lay on the ground with their eyes closed, but she could see that they were still breathing. Her yellow eyes burned into the group of filthy, imp-like, men that stood in front of her, “We’re no threat to you. Let us go.”
“Well now I don’t think so.” The bald man in the jeep replied. “What’s say you boys? Looks like meat be back on our menu.”
The men cheered as Miranda was picked up, and Andy was guided over to Raiya’s side. He looked at her in terror, “Are these…?”
“Yeah.” Raiya replied. “These… are the canbans. They’re cannibals…”
Before she could say anything else, a blunt shock entered the back of her head. Pain spread across her skull, causing her sight to vanish. She quickly lost consciousness and fell forward.
My arms… Raiya woke up to find that her arms were restrained over her head, as were those of her companions. She tried to reach the ropes with her fingernails, but her wrists had been tied low enough that she was unable to.
Jagger was hanging next to her, still unconscious. She tried to move her legs only to find that she’d been tied at the ankles too. Using her right hip, she thrust to the side and tapped him.
“Jagger…” She whispered. “Jagger, wake up.”
“Huh… what’s going on…?”
“We’ve been captured by canbans.”
“Ugh… what?”
“My arms are tied. I can’t reach the ropes. Can you get free?”
“No… where is everyone?”
“Look around.”
Raiya beckoned to her left. Andy and Eric were tied on that side. Miranda was lying in front of them strapped to a wooden table. The entire group was standing in a circle in a hut that looked as though it had been constructed of animal skins. Though Raiya didn’t even want to think about which animal.
“What are they going to do to us?” Jagger asked.
“What do you think?”
“Oh God…”
Raiya struggled against her restraints as she desperately tried to free herself, “Eric, Andy, wake up!”
The two of them slowly began to stir as the bald canban appeared from outside and jumped in front of them, “Well now, who would have that this would be our luck day, praise be to God.”
Raiya clenched her teeth as he looked at her, “What do you want?”
“I’m here to give you a final prayer before you meet God.”
“Final prayer?” Raiya asked.
“Sure, even an ungodly abomination like you deserves to be cleansed of its sins before it dies.”
‘Abomination.’ Raiya knew that word all too well. She’d grown used to it and didn’t let it get to her. Jagger however, had only been around her for a little while and clearly took exception to it, “You think God would approve of what you’re doing? First capturing us, then taunting her, and then you’re going to kill us?”
The bald man frowned, “Young man, I speak for the almighty God as his ordained minister.”
“Ordained minister?” Raiya scoffed.
“Yes ma’am, Reverend Archibald Duwalt, at your service. You can call me Reverend.” The bald man replied with a bow. “My charge was a small congregation of faithful before the satanic beasts attacked. After they did, I realized that the dragons were little more than God allowing the devil to test our resolve. Only those willing to do anything it took in order to survive were deemed worthy. So here we are today.”
“In other words, only people willing to give up their humanity were worthy?” Andy demanded.
“We’re still as flesh and blood human as any one of you.” The reverend replied with a hurt look. “We’ve simply found a new way.”
Raiya growled as the reverend pulled out a small c
ross and spoke a short prayer. “Oh lord, we thank you for the bounty that you have bestowed upon us. We ask you that you take these poor souls away from their mortal coils that they may feel no pain in their passing. If, however you feel that these sinners may deserve their fate, we will bow to your wisdom. We ask always for your love and forgiveness in your name. Amen.”
“Pray all you want!” Raiya hissed. “No one up there is waiting for you. I’d be more worried about another direction!”
“Sorry you feel that way, little miss. In any case, what’s done is done. Now it’s time for the celebration.”
“Celebration?” Raiya asked.
“Oh yes indeed. Whenever the good lord grants us such bounty, it merits jubilation. You are to be the guests of honor.”
“Somehow I don’t feel very honored.” Jagger said softly.
“Well you should. In any case…”
Seven men entered the hut. Each one was as disgusting as the man that had come before him. They were all filthy, their teeth were either missing or so rotted that they were green. Andy grimaced and turned away in a futile effort to avoid the smell.
The ropes that bound their hands were tied to hooks hanging from the ceiling. The canbans went to work unhooking them and dragging them forward by their wrists.
“Are we putting her with the womenfolk?” One of them asked.
The reverend looked at Raiya for a moment, “Well now she does seem young enough to be re-educated to our ways, but look at her. She has the eyes of the satanic beasts that have been plaguing our land. No brother, I believe that God had us find her for the sole purpose of cleansing her corrupted body. She’ll join the others on the stakes.”
The man shrugged and tugged at Raiya’s rope, “As you say, Reverend.”
Raiya could feel the ropes twist around her wrists, causing irritation and a severe burning sensation. She could only wonder how bad it was for her friends with their soft skin. Despite the pain, it took everything the canbans had to force her forward. Her legs locked in place, refusing to move until the rope squeezed her wrists so tight that it was cutting off blood circulation. If they were going to turn her into a meal, they were going to have to work for it.
She lurched forward as her feet compensated for the canban tugging. A second canban pushed her from behind, making it harder for her to resist. She clenched her teeth as she was led outside.
It was still dark out, clearly only a few hours had passed since they had been captured. The scene outside was the stuff nightmares were made of. The men dragging her were ugly enough, but the women and children were equally as horrific. Many ran around with little to no clothing. They danced around Raiya and her friends. Some pulled at their clothes, others pinched their skin as though they were inspecting it. Raiya tugged away as they were continuously pulled forward.
On either side of the large crowd were massive tents that looked more like huts. These were obviously not ones that could be disassembled quickly. Raiya closed her eyes when she realized what they were dealing with. These were not nomadic canbans. This was a canban settlement.
Stories of these people had made their way around nomadic groups. While most canbans were small groups that mostly kept to themselves except when they needed food, these ones were much worse. Not only did they not just take what they needed, they practically bathed in the blood of their victims in a ritualistic manner. These ones didn’t see the dragons as a threat and didn’t care if they didn’t survive. They relished their lifestyles for however long they would last.
Raiya eyed the makeshift racks that sat next to many of these tents. They held everything from old swords to large meat cleavers. A few of the larger ones even had rifles. Impish-looking children could be seen running around with clubs. Pools of blood and stacks of bones littered the ground all around them.
If Raiya somehow managed to get out of this alive, the scene would haunt her memories for years to come. She closed her eyes and tried to drown it out, but her other senses betrayed her. The smell around her made her throat seize. She tensed her muscles, struggling to keep from throwing up.
“Keep moving!” Raiya’s captor shouted.
Raiya lurched forward and tripped over a small pile of wood. She was led up another stack of wood to a post with another hook. Several other stacks stood nearby.
Raiya eyed the post that she was being attached to. It was almost completely black except for several scratch marks a few inches under the hook. Clearly this hook had been used before.
Raiya could almost see the scenes of others being burned right in front of her by just looking at the post. Her mind echoed with the sounds of screaming.
Miranda was carried out behind them and placed on a nearby table. Her arms were tied next to her and her legs were bound together. She didn’t appear to be conscious, something Raiya was grateful for, “What are you going to do to her?”
“Don’t worry, she’ll be well cared for.” The reverend replied. “We’re going to raise her like one of our own, starting with her sampling a piece of you.”
Raiya lurched forward, “You sick fuck!”
Her teeth were clenched as she pulled against her bonds. It was no use. No matter how hard she pulled, they were too strong. She couldn’t break free.
The reverend ignored her and turned to the crowd. He raised his arms like a priest delivering a blessing. The crowd quieted down as Raiya and her friends were fastened to their posts. It was almost surreal how quickly the wild crowd fell into order.
The look on the reverend’s face was one of pure euphoria, “Brothers, sisters, on this blessed night, let us bow our heads and give thanks to our almighty creator. For it was he, with his guiding hand that brought us these bountiful sacrifices. It was he who gave us the foresight to find and receive them… and it is he who continues to protect us from the dragons.”
The crowd cheered, “Amen! Amen!”
The reverend nodded. He was clearly enjoying the scene. No doubt he’d given this speech before, but he seemed to relish it. He took his time and lavished every cheer and every round of applause. “With this feast, we will survive the dragon onslaught for yet another day. We will persevere and we shall survive as we always have! Let the godless fools of the Westcon and the U.S. Remnant fight themselves into oblivion. Let us give thanks, my friends!”
Raiya spat at the back of his head, “When I get out of here, I’m going to kill all of you… filthy degenerates!”
The reverend wiped the spit away and turned to her. He pulled a knife from his jacket and quickly slashed part of her shirt, making the neckline larger. It wasn’t clear if he was aiming for the shirt or skin. He then reached inside her shirt with his right hand and cupped Raiya’s left breast for a moment, “It does seem somewhat of a shame to toast something so fine… even if it is an abomination!”
The crowd laughed as Raiya struggled against her restraints. A quick flash of teeth forced the bald man to withdraw his hand and back away. At that moment, Raiya’s eyes were filled with rage. Anyone who didn’t know her would likely have assumed that she was as wild as the canbans.
Jagger jolted forward, struggling against his restraints, “Hey try that on me, you son of a bitch! Come on!”
The reverend turned back to his people, “Unfortunately such things are not for us to decide. Our benefactor has long stated that ours is to exterminate any and all sins against nature! This is as glaring an example as any. What we…”
Grrroooaarr…
A loud roar from behind the crowd interrupted the bald man’s speech, “What I mean is…”
Rrrrrrr…
Jagger narrowed his eyes and looked out into the darkness, “An adult?”
“I don’t think so.” Raiya replied. “Sounds bigger!”
Finally, the reverend put it together, “Men, to arms! The beasts of Hell are upon us!”
There was a massive flapping sound as another growl emanated from nearby.
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
Andy’s eyes darte
d to the side. The growling was immediately followed by a bright trail of flame. Half of the canbans standing in the group were either immediately killed, or quickly became human fireballs.
One of the victims fell onto the stack of wood, igniting it. Raiya could feel the flame quickly spread. She’d never seen fire spread that quickly, not even from a dragon’s breath. It must have been coated in some kind of flammable liquid.
Raiya knew that it wouldn’t hurt her, but her friends must have already been feeling its effect. Jagger was struggling more fiercely against his restraints, as was Eric. Miranda remained unconscious on the table nearby.
Raiya waited for the flame to get close enough before rolling back her tongue and spraying liquid from under her tongue the same way she had against her father.
It worked. The saliva immediately caught fire, allowing her to direct the flame as she pleased. She quickly threw her head back and burned away the rope that was holding her hands in place.
The moment she was free, the flames ceased and she went to work on her friends. Jagger was already sweating from the flames as Raiya dug in with her nails, “Take it easy, partner. I’ll have you free in a moment.”
“You’re timing is spot on.” Jagger replied.
Snap!
Jagger’s arms fell to his side as the rope hit the ground, “All right, get Andy, I’ll take care of Eric.”
Raiya nodded and quickly ran over to Andy. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving. It appeared as though he had passed out, “Andy?”
The young doctor opened his eyes and looked at her, “Raiya, you escaped?”
“Yeah… you okay?”
“Yeah… I was just trying to block out the pain. It’s one of the techniques we’re taught during training.”
“Did it work?”
“Not really…”
Raiya cut his hands free, allowing him to escape. As Andy jumped away from the flame, Raiya immediately jumped off the pile of wood. She ran to Miranda’s side and went to work on her restraints, “Come on sweetie, it’s time to wake up!”
Miranda didn’t respond. She was breathing, so she was still alive, but she wasn’t moving. “Miranda, we’ve got to, come on!”
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Page 22
