Wind Runner: The Complete Collection

by Edmund Hughes

  “What do you think is going to happen?” she finally asked.

  “Honestly, I don’t have the slightest idea,” said Malcolm. “But whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll find a way to handle it.”

  He pushed his hand against the inside of the bubble, trying to stretch it out far enough to make contact with the one Rose was in. It tipped to the side, surprising him, and Malcolm fell to the ground in an uncoordinated crumple.

  “What did you just do?” asked Rose.

  “Nothing, shut up,” he said.

  The two of them spent the next few minutes in silence. Malcolm took out his phone and tried to make a call, figuring that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to call Tapestry and Multi for backup. Unfortunately, he had no service, and he suspected it was either because of the bubble, or some electric cellular interference on Rain Dancer’s part.

  An hour went by, and then two. Malcolm started humming 90s rock songs, which Rose immediately started teasing him about. It did serve a purpose, both to pass the time and to recharge his powers slightly. It wasn’t the same as listening to the actual music, but it still served to meet the criteria of his focus activity.

  What does it even matter, though? My powers are next to useless against Rain Dancer. And Rose isn’t much better off…

  He was about to say as much to her and start brainstorming a better plan when the door to the room opened. Malcolm couldn’t make out any details other than the light streaming in and Shield Maiden’s vague shape.

  “Hey,” he said. “Are you going to let us go now? Because I’m like ten minutes away from peeing inside this bubble.”

  “Go right ahead,” said Shield Maiden. “The smell would stay contained to the bubble. You’d be the one suffering in the end.”

  “Point taken,” said Malcolm. “Now answer my question.”

  “She isn’t going to let us go, Malcolm,” said Rose, her voice annoyed. “They’ve beaten us, and they’ve taken us prisoner. They won’t let us go until they get what they want.”

  “Prisoner isn’t the term I would use,” said Shield Maiden. “How about… a deliberate guest? And no, we don’t plan on holding you indefinitely.”

  Malcolm was about to ask what she meant by that when Shield Maiden began moving them again. It was hard to get a sense of the world outside the bubble, but he was at least aware of when they passed out of the church and into the open. It was midafternoon, and the light of the sun was obvious.

  A vehicle pulled to a stop in the road in front of them. The bubbles lifted, and Malcolm and Rose were loaded into the back of a van, judging from the roomy interior. It was dark again, and their captors didn’t say anything as they began traveling.

  “Rose,” he said. “Are you okay?”

  She didn’t answer immediately. Malcolm started to get a little concerned.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just worried, Malcolm.”

  “Trust me,” said Malcolm. “I won’t let them put a finger on you without going through me first.”

  “Yeah, that’s exactly why I’m worried,” said Rose, quietly. “Malcolm… You’re the one who is in danger here. Not me.”

  Malcolm frowned.

  Hmm…Hadn’t really considered it. They only attacked after Shield Maiden pointed out that I was a champion.

  The ride went on for what felt like an eternity. The back of the vehicle was pitch black, but even if their bubbles had been in front of windows, Malcolm doubted he’d have any real sense of direction. He didn’t know Halter City all that well to begin with, anyway.

  Finally, they came to a stop. The doors in the back of the vehicle opened. Malcolm made out the shapes of Shield Maiden and Rain Dancer, along with the walls and ceiling extending forward several hundred feet. It was a tunnel, and Shield Maiden directed their bubbles down toward the end of it.

  “Hey, I think we started off on the wrong foot,” said Malcolm. “Maybe we could have a do over? Talk this through?”

  He wasn’t scared for himself, exactly, but Rose’s words had put a nagging sense of impending doom into him. Malcolm tried to keep his awareness on his surroundings as Shield Maiden carried him forward down the tunnel.

  “We will speak soon enough,” said Shield Maiden. “For now, both you, your spryte companion, and Rain Dancer could all use some time to cool off.

  “Shield…” said Rain Dancer. “You’re making me sound like a steaming child, you know?”

  “Well, perhaps you should stop behaving like one so often,” said Shield Maiden. “If you hadn’t riled Wind Runner up, we wouldn’t have an empty space in place of one of our church’s stained-glass windows.”

  Rose laughed.

  “Yeah, seriously, Rain Dancer,” said Malcolm. “Good going.”

  “You are a punk,” said Rain Dancer. “I’m making you pay for the damages, you hear?”

  “Yeah, good luck with that,” said Rose. “Because Malcolm’s just rolling in money, as it is.”

  Shield Maiden let out a tired sigh and brought both bubbles through an entrance into a new area. They were in a huge, moderately lit space. That much Malcolm could make out. She brought them both across the floor, through another door, down another hallway, and into a new room.

  Finally, the bubbles disappeared. Malcolm immediately tensed up, looking around and feeling a bit like a caged animal. They were in a concrete cell, with bright overhead lights, a metal door, and no furniture.

  “We’ll be back in a little bit,” said Shield Maiden.

  “Hold on!” Malcolm jumped up. “I’m a champion. And, in case you didn’t know, my fellow champions can track me using this!”

  He brandished his stabilizer in the air. Rain Dancer looked amused.

  “Just like you can use your phone to call for help?” he asked. “Electrical interference, you know? It’s one of my powers.”

  Malcolm gritted his teeth. He tried a different tactic, hurling himself toward the door, pushing himself forward with the wind. Shield Maiden closed it before he could do anything.

  Jeez, I wasn’t going to attack her, or anything. I mean… maybe. But maybe not!

  Malcolm banged on the door a couple of times. He turned around, and saw Rose sitting in the corner of the room, trying to shield her face from the light.

  “Damn it,” he said. “Is it that bad for you?”

  “I used my powers too much trying to fight that stupid brute,” said Rose. “The light… it’s draining when I’m like this.”

  “Here.” Malcolm took his shirt off, sat down next to her, and draped it over both of them. It didn’t block that much light, but combined with the hood of Rose’s sweatshirt, it was at least enough to give her a little bit of relief.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Malcolm put his arm around her and squeezed.

  “Any ideas?” he asked.

  “We wait,” said Rose.

  “For what?”

  “A chance to kill them.”

  Malcolm frowned.

  “No,” he said. “I think we might be able to settle this without any more violence.”

  “Are you insane, Malcolm?” snapped Rose.

  “No,” he said. “Just aware of our current situation. I don’t think we’ll be able to beat Rain Dancer in a straight fight, but if we play our cards right, we might not have to. And what about your sister?”

  Rose was silent for a couple of seconds.

  “I haven’t even spoken to her yet, Malcolm,” she said, softly. “I’m not sure she even recognized me. As soon as I let my hood down in the church… she, along with all the other cultists started… worshipping me.”

  “Hey, worship is a step up from having to wrestle her for the remote,” joked Malcolm.

  “I’m being serious,” said Rose. “I can’t remember her, beyond a few scraps of memories. And I don’t know if she’ll ever see me as who I am, now. I think… maybe it was a bad decision to go looking for her.”

  Hearing her say those words out loud made Malcolm’s heart ache.
He didn’t know what to say. He just put his arms around her and hugged her.

  CHAPTER 16

  Time passed slowly in the cell. The accommodations were only slightly better than the rainbow bubbles, and Malcolm still felt claustrophobic from being confined. He wondered what Shield Maiden and Rain Dancer hoped to accomplish by leaving them alone for so long.

  They might be doing his to keep Rose weak. But it’s not as though they knew about her weakness ahead of time. The cell was already here, meaning they’ve imprisoned people before.

  An hour or two had gone by before the door finally opened. Shield Maiden and Rain Dancer stood side by side, both tense and ready for any attacks. Malcolm looked over at Rose. He could tell from the expression on her face that she wasn’t ready to fight again so soon.

  “Are the two of you willing to hear us out, now?” asked Shield Maiden.

  Malcolm made a show of looking at the concrete walls of the cell.

  “Well, considering the many options we have in our current situation…” said Malcolm. “You know, you guys should really consider going door to door. Like Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

  “I don’t think they like your jokes,” said Rose.

  “Oh, I do like them, you know,” said Rain Dancer. “Your boyfriend is a regular funny man.”

  Malcolm chuckled and glanced over at Rose, who had an oddly embarrassed look on her face.

  “It’s not our intention to keep you both locked in this cell,” said Shield Maiden. “As you shall soon see, there is more to our project than the church in Halter City. But we must have your word that you will not attack us or any of the Awakened Children.”

  Malcolm tapped his fingers on his chin. It wasn’t that he was hesitant to give his word, but rather, a little surprised that Shield Maiden would be willing to trust him on it. Rose seemed to be thinking something similar, and she gave a slow nod.

  “You have our word,” said Malcolm. “We won’t attack.”

  Shield Maiden nodded. Rain Dancer’s expression was a little darker than his companion’s, but his body language relaxed slightly, after a moment.

  “Good,” said Shield Maiden. “Then please. Follow me.”

  She stepped back from the door of the cell, as did Rain Dancer. Malcolm walked out into a hallway, making sure Rose stayed close. Shield Maiden led in front, while Rain Dancer trailed behind them.

  “We call this place Underworld,” said Shield Maiden. “It’s our home, and a place where both the star touched and the Awakened Children can live without fear of persecution.”

  Underworld? I’m 99% sure they got that from a movie.

  The hallway spilled out onto a massive chamber. Malcolm confirmed from the lack of windows that they were somewhere underground, though it was barely necessary. The chamber looked as though it had once been a subway hub point, possibly, or maybe something related to a long dormant sewer.

  Whatever it was, it had been completely cleaned, renovated, and overhauled. The floor was polished wood, and the walls had been decorated with massive murals of beautiful, distant landscapes.

  Several long tables ran down the center of the chamber, and Malcolm recognized Rion and some of the other Awakened Children sitting around one of them. Shield Maiden waved to them, and all of them gave a quick bow in return.

  “We’ll be eating dinner a little late tonight, my children,” called Rain Dancer. “Still working out what to do with the new arrivals.”

  “Of course, milord,” said Rion. “Please, take your time.”

  Malcolm scratched his head, feeling a bit put off by the display of subservience. Shield Maiden was already walking again, leading them around the massive chamber’s outer wall.

  “You might consider this to be our meeting room, or cafeteria,” said Shield Maiden.

  “It’s very impressive,” said Malcolm.

  “This is an underground chamber,” said Rose. “How are you handling electricity? I see lights hanging from the roof, and for it to be so warm in here, you must have a heating system.”

  “Indeed, Ms. Shadow Spryte,” said Rain Dancer, beaming with pride. “We produce so much electricity that we sell some of it back to Halter City.”

  “Through a shell corporation,” said Shield Maiden. “It’s where most of our funding comes from. As much as we’d like for Underworld to be completely self-sufficient, no man is an island.”

  Malcolm nodded.

  “Which one of you came up with the name?” he asked, unable to resist.

  “I did, you know,” said Rain Dancer.

  Malcolm snorted.

  “It’s… very creative,” he said. “Like two words in one.”

  Rose started giggling next to him. Rain Dancer didn’t pick up on the humor, but Malcolm saw Shield Maiden trying to contain a coy smile.

  “Up here,” said Shield Maiden, gesturing to another hallway. “Is the path down to the dormitories. We keep the Awakened Children divided by sex, but we have several extra rooms, in case of visitors.”

  “Does that mean we won’t be sleeping on the cold concrete tonight?” asked Rose.

  Rain Dancer flashed a smile at her that Malcolm wasn’t sure he liked.

  “You will have plenty of choices about where to sleep tonight, Ms. Shadow Spryte.”

  “Rain…” said Shield Maiden, her voice slightly chastising. She approached another opening in the concrete chamber and pointed. “Down here, we have a small but functional gym, along with a meditation room with heated floors.”

  She continued like that, showing them a bathing area, a sauna, a small movie theater, and the kitchen. Malcolm was impressed, but beyond that, unsure of how to react to it all.

  They have what amounts to a base for a cult down here. But what is their plan for it?

  “Would you like to join us for dinner?” asked Shield Maiden, as them came back into the center of the meeting chamber.

  Malcolm looked at her warily.

  “Why the sudden warm welcome?” he asked. “If I recall correctly, we were trying to kill each other a few hours ago.”

  Shield Maiden shook her head.

  “You were trying to kill us,” she said, in a matter of fact tone. “We have no reason to make your stay unpleasant. It’s not as though you can do much against us, as we’ve already shown, and we prefer making friends to making enemies.”

  Malcolm shrugged.

  “We’re your guests,” he said, dryly. “How could we refuse?”

  The four of them sat at a table separate from the Awakened Children. Rain Dancer waved to Rion, who stood and gave a small, rather normal prayer before the meal began. Three women in aprons wheeled out carts of food and went around serving all those seated.

  Malcolm thanked them as they placed roasted chicken, steamed vegetables, and rice onto his plate. He felt himself lowering his guard around Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden, and had to force himself to keep it up.

  “So,” he said. “How did your church come to be originally? It’s not rude for me to ask that, is it?”

  Rain Dancer smiled.

  “Of course not,” he said. “I received a dream from the stars, you know? That was when I first realized what I had to do with the gifts I’ve been given.”

  He closed his eyes. It was hard for Malcolm to tell if he was being sincere. Beside him Shield Maiden kept her gaze down at her food, expression unreadable.

  “Did this dream come before or after you became a… star touched?” asked Malcolm. He only barely managed to stop himself from using the word demon, instead, which he sensed would only serve to prickle Rain Dancer.

  “After,” said Rain Dancer. “Of what I remember of the time before the stars’ touch on my soul… is only of me being lost. I was not a very nice person before, you know? I was given a second chance.”

  “That’s an interesting way of looking at it,” said Rose. “To me, it feels more like I was robbed of my first chance, when I became a spryte.”

  An awkward silence hung over the table for a couple
of seconds. Malcolm decided to fight fire with fire.

  “So…” he said, casually. “Shield Maiden, are you and Rain Dancer, uh, you know? Do you guys share a room?”

  Shield Maiden smiled, and thankfully, didn’t seem offended by the question.

  “No, we do not share a room,” she said, plainly. “However, if what you mean is a euphemism for sex, then yes, on occasion.”

  “Shield!” snapped Rain Dancer. “You don’t need to tell them things like, you know?”

  Shield Maiden laughed, and then let out a small sigh. She waved a hand to one of the serving girls.

  “If you’d be so kind to bring some wine over to the table,” she said. “Two bottles, at least.”

  CHAPER 18

  The food was delicious, and the wine served to lubricate conversation around the table. Malcolm found himself being more forthcoming with his questions and answers, and even Rose seemed willing to let her guard down enough to engage with their captors.

  “Rose says she doesn’t remember much from the time right after she became a spryte,” said Malcolm. “Do either of you remember? Or is that a sensitive question?”

  “I was in prison,” said Rain Dancer. He held Malcolm’s gaze with an intensity that made it feel like a fight was an instant from breaking out, and then burst out into deep laughter.

  “Haha, good one,” said Malcolm.

  “He’s serious,” said Shield Maiden. “He was in prison at the time of discovering his gift. He used it to try to break out, and ended up pushing himself past his limits, becoming a demon in the process.”

  Malcolm nodded, finding it interesting that Shield Maiden had used the word demon instead of star touched, which seemed to be what Rain Dancer and the rest of the cult defaulted to.

  “And what about you?” asked Rose. “Do you remember where you were, when you became a spryte?”

  Shield Maiden smiled sadly and shook her head.

  “I do not,” she said. “And strangely, many of the sprytes I’ve spoken to also have trouble remembering such things. I suspect that it’s a difference between demons and sprytes that hasn’t been properly researched.”

  “You think sprytes have more trouble holding onto memories?” asked Rose.