Wastelands

by Jack Porter

  I almost made it to the cave. I did. But before I could cross the distance, the wall of sand walkers before me gave way to admit the spellcaster himself, Vesh D’Agon.

  46

  He didn’t waste time demanding surrender or making threats. He just approached us like the epitome of every evil wizard in every fantasy story ever, and said, “You have fought well, but it has all been in vain. Your power is now mine!”

  At the same time, he brandished his staff, and inky black magic flowed from it toward me and my companions. I had no idea what this magic might do. Whether it would kill at a touch, drain our life energy away, or simply render us unconscious.

  But it didn’t matter what he intended. The most important thing was that this wraith, this spellcasting creature wished us ill, and all that stood between him and doing so was me.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  “Go now!” I bellowed to my companions and could only hope they would listen. I stood my ground, hoping just to give them enough time to escape.

  But standing wasn’t anywhere near enough. With the dark magic flowing toward me, I had to act.

  So I did the only thing I could think of. I raised my oversized sword and used it as a shield to block the malignant cloud of black magic as it drifted toward me. And, to my immense surprise, it actually worked.

  The spellcaster’s magic hit the side of my sword with the force of a hammer, and it was all I could do to lean my weight into the press. Even so, my feet slid on the sandy earth, and I had to dig in my toes.

  I realized that Lady Gamma was still behind me.

  “Go on!” I shouted at her.

  “I can seal the entrance!” she replied. “When you can, follow me!”

  She could seal the entrance?

  Suddenly, I stopped thinking of this as my final stand. All at once, I could see a way to survive. If I could just stand against the wraith’s magic for long enough, maybe I would get to live one more day.

  I grunted some form of acknowledgement and leaned all the weight I had against the flat of my blade, aware that it was starting to heat up as the wraith’s dark magic was spent against it.

  And still, the spellcaster kept up the pressure. I was being forced back step by step so that now, I stood in the cave entrance. I gritted my teeth and thought about how I lightened my feet, and did the reverse, weighing them down like anchors, making myself as heavy as possible.

  It worked. The force of the spellcaster’s magic continued to press against the flat of my blade but didn’t force me back anymore.

  We were at a standstill. I had to keep blocking his magic but couldn’t force him back, and nor could he force me deeper into the cave.

  I wondered just how long he could keep up his efforts, wondered if his strength would outlast my own. Wondered if, despite Gamma’s words, this would be my final stand.

  Then I started to grin. I was fighting the spellcaster’s magic using nothing but the strength of my body. But that wasn’t the only weapon I had. I also had a chi gift.

  So thinking, I closed my eyes for one moment, just long enough to tap into my power.

  Using my overheated blade as both a shield and a conduit for my power, I unleashed another bolt of energy.

  I couldn’t see my target, but I knew where he was. I aimed my bolt of lightning right at him.

  And it must have worked. Vesh let out a strangled cry, and suddenly, the pressure on my sword faded to nothing.

  If I hadn’t been expecting it, I might have fallen. As it was, I didn’t even wait to see what had happened. I simply accepted the sudden lack of dark magic pressing against me as a boon, and sprinted through the narrow passage into the bowels of the hills, to burst out into a wider chamber.

  I didn’t question that it was light enough for me to see, and simply accepted that Gamma and the others were already there.

  “Whatever you’re going to do, do it now!” I yelled.

  Gamma accepted my word, stepped around me, and flung another of her flasks into the passage, muttering under her breath as she did.

  The flask hit the floor perhaps halfway along and exploded in a spectacular fashion.

  Within moments, the liquid in the flask expanded to the point where the whole passage was blocked. It was like a science experiment, but it didn’t stop there. The blockage seemed to grow, filling the passage more and more, and for a moment, I was unsure if it would stop.

  But it did.

  Then, and only then, did I reach out and touch it.

  It was solid as the rock around it.

  For good or for ill, we were sealed in the cave.

  47

  Breathing heavily, I turned to look at our party. We stood in a larger chamber, lit by Gamma’s glow-paste, which Camille had spread on her knives. Beside her, Zera fluttered up and down, looking flustered but uninjured.

  Then my gaze went to Lady Gamma, who had saved us.

  And to someone else standing beside her. A tall, muscular woman with an hourglass figure, dressed in armor and carrying a large club that looked strangely familiar. Her skin was greenish gray, but not in an ugly way, more like jade that had been dimmed with dirt and grime. She had claws and a top-knot, and small fangs that just barely jutted out over her top lip. Her eyes were familiar, too, and as I stood there trying to figure out who this new person was, Lady Gamma cleared her throat to get my attention.

  “Rogan Ward,” she said. “Are you going to stand there all day and gape at Ash, or are you going to do something more productive like scouting out the cave ahead?”

  My gaze returned to the large hybrid woman standing next to Gamma, and if anything, my jaw dropped open even further. “Ash?” I choked out.

  I powered up the AC lens and scanned her.

  Dominant DNA: Human (93%)

  Additional DNA: Rhinoceros, crocodile, + assorted others (7%)

  Height: 7’2”

  Weight: 301 pounds

  Age: 27 (approx.)

  Gender: Female

  Mutation: Chi power (enhanced strength)

  * * *

  Her DNA stats were exactly the same as our troll-ish companion, as were her age, gender, and mutation. But this woman looked nothing like the person I had fought beside for so many days.

  Ash shifted on her feet, and I recognized the movement as what she did when she was unsure of something. Realizing how rude I was being, I nodded to her. “Glad to see you’re okay.”

  “And you as well, Rogan,” Ash said.

  “How?” I asked. “I mean…” Not wanting to offend her more than I probably already had, I didn’t finish my sentence.

  Ash, ever the easy-going friend, spared me from making any more missteps. “Lady Gamma is able to help me grow bigger when the need is great. And traveling through the Wastes necessitated a strong, intimidating presence by her side. But now,” Ash said, gesturing to the cave walls, “it is better that I am in my more usual form.”

  I looked at Gamma. Was there anything she couldn’t do with her potions and magic? Except maybe smile. That seemed to be a feat she had yet to manage around me.

  Ash grinned uncertainly, and I grinned back at her. Gamma, however, made another irritated noise in her throat, and I remembered that she was still pissed at me for bonking Camille and Zera in the supply wagon.

  I’d been joking when I’d suggested it, but maybe there was something to the jealousy idea, after all. She didn’t seem to like the way I had looked at Ash when I first saw the hybrid woman in the cave. Because I had to admit, the club-wielding warrior had suddenly become much more appealing.

  Then, the compulsion urged me forward to assess our situation, and I began to look at the chamber we were standing in. “Where are the wagons and the cow-beasts?” I asked as I used my AC lens to check all the nooks and crannies for any hidden dangers.

  Ash held up a small flask with a cork stopper. “Here,” she said.

  “What, in there?” I asked incredulously. I shook my head. Even after all I’d witnessed, it se
emed too much that they could shrink the wagons and animals small enough to put inside a flask.

  But when no one else seemed concerned by this, I had to accept it as possible.

  “So,” I said. “The caves, then. It wasn’t the hills we were aiming for, but these caves?”

  Ash nodded while Camille and Zera began looking around. At the back of the chamber, a dark entrance opened into what I assumed was the next part of our journey.

  “Let’s get on with it, then,” Gamma said, and gestured for me to lead the way.

  With a sigh, I met Camille near the entrance and saw a narrow tunnel that led far into the darkness. It was damp in there, and warmer than I would have imagined. And while the humidity was a welcome change to the dry heat outside, it wasn’t a nice, pleasant atmosphere.

  A chill crept up my spine, and I realized more than ever before that the Wastes had only been the beginning of our quest. That the darkness held terrors I had yet to imagine. The wastelands had been like a low-level practice area within a game, where I had the chance to gain some quick XP.

  But this next level instinctively felt more challenging.

  I looked at Camille. “Think this is all worth it?” I asked. “Is the temple really going to be the answer to all your questions?”

  Camille tilted her head to the side. “It holds something there for me, I believe. But it also has something for you.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not a pilgrim, Camille. Just the hired help.”

  The lizard woman smiled. “Not every pilgrim has to be painted, Rogan Ward.”

  And then, the words that had been haunting me ever since I’d died came back to my mind. “You can save them. You can save all of them.”

  Whatever they meant, I would never find out by standing around. So, with a firm grip on my sword and my AC lens powered on and set to night vision, I took a step into the darkness.

  * * *

  ~End Book 1: Wastelands~

  Thanks for reading!

  I hope you enjoyed Rogan’s journey through the Wastes. The next part of the quest will be even more spectacular!

  I know I ask at the end of every book, but it really is important. Would you take a moment and leave a quick (spoiler-free) review about Rogan’s Monsters: Wastelands on Amazon? Each one is important and helps get the word out about my books.

  Beyond that, if you need to get in touch with me (if you found an error or just want to say hi), feel free to send me an email at jackporterwrites@gmail.com.

  Until next time,

  Jack

  PS. Don’t forget to sign up for updates at my website http://jackporterwrites.com so you don’t miss any new releases!

  Also by Jack Porter

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