Outlaws and Origins

by Eric S Kim

  So far, Artyom was still absent. The cave itself did not produce any echoes that could have sounded like footsteps, whether giant or not. Preston, though still cautious all the way through, could sense an optimistic outcome. His teammates were already halfway done with collecting the items they had sought for all day. They didn’t produce an accidental clanking noise when metal touched metal. They performed without mistakes. Preston brought his finger away from the trigger. He just waited for his teammates to finish packing the artillery.

  But then, he heard Rebecca whisper, “Do you guys hear that?”

  Preston didn’t want to, but he did. It came from the center of the cave. It could have been Artyom’s footsteps, but it sounded too small and regular in terms of its pattern. Bryce had already pointed his flashlight at the new intruder. Preston was relieved, but he didn’t lower his weapon. Otis Cooper had appeared from behind a massive stalagmite. The lack of blood and black rods on his body could only signify that he had fled from the previous attack unharmed.

  “Stop! All of you!”

  His simple plea didn’t stop the Blackjacks from warning him to step away. Those that finished storing the artillery in the storage box now had their rifles and shotguns aimed at Otis.

  Oswald growled at him. “I should just pull the trigger.”

  Otis stopped him. “All of you are making a fatal mistake.”

  Bryce replied, “You can’t stop us, man. We got a job to do.”

  “You have no idea how important it is for us to keep these weapons away from civilization. If you bring them to Gorvex, he will eliminate them immediately.”

  Sabrina was not in the mood to listen to Otis. “Yeah, yeah, just shut up for a minute.”

  Lionel gave Otis a fair warning. “Be careful now. You wouldn’t want us to send you to Alaska for bad behavior. That invitation to Social Adjustments is still open.”

  Otis shook his head. “I’d rather be dead than do whatever pleases the hell out of you.”

  Cliff had no objections. “You should’ve said that earlier.”

  Lionel immediately stopped Cliff and the other Blackjacks from pulling the trigger. He said to Otis, “This is how it is. You can’t do anything about it.”

  Otis appeared heartbroken by the remark. “So you’re just going to disrespect everything that you’ve believed in a long time ago?”

  “Don’t say anything else.”

  Otis kept going. “You’ve lost your true identity. I find that very sad.”

  Rebecca asked Lionel, “What’s he talking about?”

  Lionel’s silence gave Preston a reason to anticipate a possible revelation known only by selected teammates.

  But Lionel said to Otis, “We’re taking you to Orange County, and you’re going to accept our punishment for you whether you like it or not.”

  Otis would have said something after Lionel’s retort, but he didn’t. He brought his stare above the men and women that he confronted. Preston suddenly froze. A faint slithering noise originated from the space behind him.

  Otis gave a clear hint. “Maybe it’s best that I stay here.”

  In a quick fashion, Preston turned around. The first image that popped up in his line of vision made him call out to his captain.

  “The roots are alive!”

  Everyone could now see what he had just begun to witness. The Devidlow roots, originally motionless, had lifted itself up off of the ground and had untangled itself. Nearly a half-dozen limbs acted as tentacles. The Blackjacks didn’t even have time to open fire. The roots swung from left to right, knocking each of the Blackjacks’ weapons out of their hands. The rifles and shotguns crashed into the wall.

  Preston could feel something grabbing on to him by the foot. To his shock and dismay, two sharp tips that resembled claws dug deep into his shoe. A bigger body emerged from underneath the grass. Dirt flew everywhere as the strange green creature jumped out from under the ground and grabbed him with its claws. Several other spots on the ground reacted the same way, resulting in other creatures climbing out of the floor and clinging on to their original targets.

  Nick cried out, “Holy shit! Zatrad!”

  Preston was unfamiliar with this particular species. They appeared to be a hybrid of both plant and insect: each had an almost spherical green body with six thin legs. They had no eyes, but they still acted as sentient beings. The legs had sharp yellow claws that produced a tapping noise whenever the creatures took a rapid step.

  Otis and Sidsum were the only individuals in the cave who didn’t fall prey to these plant creatures. The spider-like creatures jumped right on the Blackjacks. All fourteen of them had been caught by the Zatrad. It was a surprise attack from below. More of the Zatrad dug out of the grass and climbed onto the intruders’ bodies. The humans struggled to escape from the creatures that grabbed them by the legs and brought them down on the floor. More of them climbed down from the walls and made a dash for the Blackjacks. The cave had now been inundated with hundreds of these plant critters. Their march toward their enemies sounded as if a thousand crawling insects had been let loose to enact their anarchistic ways.

  Several of the Blackjacks shouted, “Get off me!”

  The clash was one-sided: the Zatrad had the advantage. Preston had been pushed to the grass by one of the them. He tried to shove it away from his body, but it was too strong. The Zatrad grabbed his chest with its other legs and started to hoist him up off the ground. Two other Zatrad grabbed Preston’s legs.

  The young man couldn’t escape from their grasps. They carried him out of his hiding spot and further into the area where Artyom had currently resided. The other Blackjacks experienced the same hasty motions. The Zatrad grabbed on to their chest and their legs before they carried them like simple packages. It was a frenetic act. The six-legged creatures had successfully apprehended the trespassers with their surprise attack.

  Kurt punched two of the Zatrad with his fists and they dropped to the floor without consciousness. But the vehement actions from the Vietnamese Blackjack wasn’t enough to push back the assault. Several more of them attempted to keep Kurt down on the ground. The Zatrad carried the Blackjacks up on the wall. When they stopped at the center, they pressed their claws deep into the vertical surface. They produced tiny cracks on the wall as they dug their claws deeper inside. Two of them pressed their bodies harder onto Preston’s chest and legs, making it more impossible for him to escape. The creatures trapped the Blackjacks between their bodies and the wall.

  Sidsum was the only one bounded by these six-legged creatures. He had already taken flight and flew away.

  “I’m sorry! I can’t help you now! I’m out of here!”

  Sabrina yelled, “Quitter!”

  The fourteen Blackjacks were pinned against the wall. They were all cluttered together as one apprehended group. None of them had their weapons anymore as all of them lay scattered on the ground like a child’s toys in a messy bedroom. A hundred more of these Zatrad crawled in every direction. They infested the cave like ants invading private property.

  Otis, who had stayed in the corner and observed the struggle, finally said something. “Nobody listens to my warnings anymore.”

  Preston no longer tried to escape from those that kept him in their alien lock. All he could do now was watch. The Devidlow roots straightened and touched the floor. From above, a large body burst out of the ceiling, causing a couple of stalactites to fall.

  Preston had become speechless. The roots were in fact tentacles connected to a more massive body.

  Artyom Trutnev.

  He used his tentacles as support while lowering his body further downwards. Preston expected Artyom’s metamorphosis to be some kind of plant crossover. A man with bark skin, or something of that sort. The actual result was completely different. Artyom had grown as large as a humpback whale. His entire body had morphed into a naked creature with many fattened limbs. His belly had been inflated with more mass. His arms must have experienced an unbalanced mutation as
they. His legs were replaced with the multiple tentacles in uneven shapes and sizes. His human head had grown distorted with various bumps around his skull. His hair was bleached green like the color of grass. The lanterns that lit up this particular zone exposed his entire figure to everyone.

  The tentacles below the mutated man began to slither around. He stood up straight and crept closer to his new prisoners. He growled as his lips formed a smile that seemed absolutely sinister. As he stood straight, he towered over the Blackjacks. He was a giant that found a brand new project waiting to be torn apart.

  4:54 AM

  The six-legged creatures continued to crawl all around the cave as Artyom Trutnev stood in front of the restrained Blackjacks. He bent down and leaned his head forward as he examined those that were trapped between the creatures and the wall. Ever so slowly, he turned his head from left to right. The size of his eyes had been uneven: one was much larger than the other. But that didn’t stop him from memorizing the intruders. The Blackjacks couldn’t say anything. They waited as Artyom continued his inspection. His arms had been so far apart that they probably wouldn’t even touch each other. Everything about him was a demonstration of an extreme mutation caused by what could have been a fairy tale from the forest.

  “Blackjacks. I could at least expect you to be here.”

  Artyom’s voice must had been enhanced with a deeper bass that echoed across the cave. When coupled with his Russian accent, the end result was a petrifying sound to Preston’s ears. One of Artyom’s tentacles rose up and made a scratch between two of his sharp teeth.

  “A job well done for my little ones. Do you like them? They’re the only ones that I trust.”

  Cliff nonchalantly remarked, “Well, they’re a little soggy on the outside.”

  Artyom shook his fist at him. “Never insult the Zatrad! They are much smarter than you think.”

  The mutated man caressed the one Zatrad that ensnared Preston’s chest and arms. “Beautiful, aren’t they? They would never survive in your civilization, but they will always thrive in this forest.”

  Preston cleared his throat. “Well, I hope they’re vegetarians. Because if they are, good for them.”

  Artyom gave an ominous grin. “That is the bad news. I am the only one who is not.”

  Otis finally stepped in. “Please don’t try to hurt them! I can try to talk some sense into him.”

  Artyom turned around and said, “Your business is done here. Go home.”

  “But one of them is important. I have to bring him back to the good side.”

  Artyom pointed at something behind Otis. “The entrance is that way. Leave now. I will deal with them myself.”

  Otis sighed. “I don’t think you’re going to see me again. They know what I’ve done. I have to leave home. That’s the worst thing that can happen to me.”

  “You will be safe. Just go to Canada or something. Or maybe Mexico. It won’t matter, anyway.”

  “But Skidmore is my home.”

  “Bring some food with you when you’re on your way out of this country.”

  “I…”

  Artyom suddenly snapped at him. “Go! Or I’ll throw you out myself!”

  Otis was defeated. He sulked at his misfortune. He turned to the Blackjacks and said, “Good luck, Lionel. I wish you only the best.”

  The bookstore owner walked away.

  Elliott cried out for him. “Hey! Don’t just leave us here!”

  His plea was already considered useless. Otis disappeared within seconds.

  Artyom touched the storage box with one of his tentacle legs. “So you’re the ones who are willing to steal my precious items.”

  He opened the storage box. He bent down and grabbed the spear. It was a small stick compared to the size of his tentacles. “No one is ever allowed to take these away from me. I don’t need to give an explanation, since I am assuming that every single one of you has accepted the truth.”

  Lionel asked, “Should we explain to you why it’s wrong for you to keep these here?”

  Artyom opened his mouth to say something, but then he noticed the man who asked that question. He leaned in for a closer look. Preston didn’t move. All he could do now was wait for Artyom to make his final decision, which would be something that Preston already didn’t look forward to.

  Artyom growled. “I remember you. Yes, I do. Otis has told me everything about you. He has read the news articles to me and shown me the pictures from the internet. He has even shown me a few textbooks.”

  Lionel stayed composed in the clutches of the Zatrad. “So now you know why we’re here. This is something that the California Chairman wants.”

  “I don’t mean you in the present. I mean everything that happened before your world leader took over.”

  Preston immediately remembered what Jerome had told him on Saturday. He didn’t move as Artyom when on to say, “Oh, Mr. Tyler. It must have been easy for you to call it quits and join the wrong side.”

  Lionel replied, “Don’t try to bring our personal lives into this.”

  “But it’s the right time. I can already see how important the artillery is to you.”

  He tapped his tentacle against the scabbard of the sword that Lionel had brought with him.

  “Do you remember the one who used to possess this magnificent little thing? He was a good man, a good leader of his team. He would lead them into battle with all of their dragons. You remember him, don’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  “You would never betray him, would you?”

  “Never.”

  Artyom laughed. “Then why did you?”

  Bryce didn’t get the hint. “Lionel, what is he talking about?”

  Rebecca didn’t, either. “He’s just spouting out a bunch of crap, right?”

  Artyom noticed the lack of awareness. “So this information is completely new to your people. That’s rather humorous. So, Lionel, should I tell them what happened eighteen years ago? You know, the day that you abandoned those who tried to fight back?”

  Lionel’s tone of voice grew slightly more aggravated. “They don’t need to learn about it. The past is done.”

  “So it was easy for you to forget all of it? How heartless can you really become? Maybe I should punish you for it.”

  “You can’t hide the artillery forever. People will realize why we are missing, and they will find out why we arrived in Green Brigalvic. More people will be here if you keep us detained.”

  “Everybody fails when they try to scare me. Including you.”

  The Zatrad crawling both nearby and in the distance made an unsettling echo. Preston was stuck in his silent desperation. He could only imagine Artyom letting the entire Blackjack squad out of these caves as a promise to never bother him again. The young man quivered. The suspense almost overwhelmed him.

  Artyom backed away from the wall. “I will make a deal. If you can defeat me, then I will let you and your friends live. If not, then you will have to endure excruciating pain in my stomach. I prefer the flesh to be raw.”

  The two Zatrad that ensnared Lionel popped their claws out of the wall and brought him down to the floor before both of them crawled away.

  Artyom added, “But your own guns will not be included.”

  He pointed at the scabbard attached to Lionel’s belt. “I want you to use that one instead.”

  Lionel didn’t move. “I can’t.”

  “And why not?”

  “I’m not allowed to use a weapon that’s considered to be profane in today’s society.”

  Artyom tightened his fists. “Use the sword…or the entire squad will be digested. And I think I’ll start with that one.”

  Preston didn’t want to believe that Artyom pointed at him, but the bitter truth couldn’t be denied any longer. He almost forgot to take a deep breath. He waited for Lionel to actually do something. The captain didn’t move. He turned around and gazed at his teammates. His solemn expression didn’t change.

 
Artyom asked, “Well? What is your decision?”

  Ever so slowly, Lionel’s fingers reached down for the hilt. Preston had been immersed in his mixed feelings. A part of him wanted Lionel to show the mutated man what he could be capable of. But another part of him wished that Lionel would never disregard the universal principles that Gorvex himself had created. Lionel grabbed the hilt and unsheathed the sword. The sound of metal sliding against metal produced a slight echo in the caves.

  Artyom chuckled as Lionel grabbed the hilt with both hands. It was indeed a dense blade with a remarkably clean surface. The light from one of the lanterns reflected off of it.

  Lionel didn’t use it yet. “You shouldn’t force me to do this.”

  Artyom didn’t seem like the type of person who would change his mind so quickly. “Why the objection? Don’t you wish you could use a sword again?”

  “I can’t even activate its magic. The rings are still missing.”

  “That’s very unfortunate.”

  “There’s no way I can beat you with just the blade.”

  “That’s very good news.”

  Artyom readied himself for Lionel’s attack. The two of them began to walk in a circle in front of each other. One would have to strike first to initiate their official confrontation. Preston anticipated an unexpected victory from his captain, and he hoped that his teammates would feel the same way.

  4:59 AM

  Artyom’s tentacles slid quietly on the floor. The smile on his face didn’t vanish. He raised his fist and banged it on the ground. Lionel only had to step to one side to avoid the first strike. He still had the sword in his hands, but he didn’t swing it in any direction.

  Artyom swapped at Lionel with one of his tentacles but didn’t hit him. “What’s the problem? Have you forgotten to use one of those things?”

  Lionel didn’t sound like he could submit to the pressure. “It’s been eighteen years.”