~*~ You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish which 'til now has been silent
- Phantom of the Opera
~*~
The place was desolate. Bare
rock, bare trees, and cold. Biting wind blew across this
landscape, filled with tiny flecks of dust and rock that stung
your face and made one’s eyes water. Just like so many other
war torn planets in this part of the galaxy. Razed by fire,
every resource of value stolen, many the peoples killed or
enslaved.
It used to be beautiful, a
place of lush forests and thriving towns. The planet had been
a center of trading and culture: a tempting target for an
invading army. Not that the boy knew any of this personally.
He’d only arrived on this planet recently, having stowed
away on a cargo ship. There were still people living here,
refusing to leave their homes, still trying to etch out an
existence in this forsaken place.
The boy walked along a worn
path in the dead forest, a tattered cloak wrapped around him
against the chill wind. His hair, bright white, stuck out
against the background, pointing up in untamed spikes held
back by a green bandana.
His plan was to head for the
largest settlement and get some supplies, through stealing or
bartering, just whatever he could get. In times like these one
had to be careful. Bandits and murderers were commonplace;
taking advantage of other’s misfortune, and a lone traveler
was always at risk- especially one so young.
He paused, glancing around at
the blasted remains of the trees, dotted here and there with
large rocks. It was getting dark as well. There were too many
places for potential enemies to be hiding. He saw and heard no
one, so he continued on.
One hand moved to his stomach
as a hunger pain shot through. He hadn’t eaten for two days,
not that that was uncommon. Just a little bit farther…
A twig snapped.
The boy whirled around, large
pointed ears helping him zero in on almost exactly where the
sound had come from. But as soon as he’d moved, there was a
rush of movement, and an entire group of maybe half a
dozen demon beasts appeared from the debris. They were some of
the same kinds responsible for the attack on this place. They
were the smaller kind, most of them somewhat lizard-like, but
he was outnumbered…
The largest, a kind of small
horned dragon with shining red eyes stepped towards him,
hissing but undeniably smiling. They’d found easy prey.
It leapt.
An explosion struck it before
left the ground, a flash of white that sent it flying back,
stunned or dead. The boy threw off the cloak, leaping into the
air and spinning towards two of the others.
“Spin Kick!” he shouted,
his foot slicing the air with an arc of white energy that cut
through the next two beasts. The others began attacking now,
their numbers now five as more appeared.
The next was taken out with a
series of fast punches, or rather the bursts of energy that
came from his fists. Despite the boy’s apparent strength the
demons didn’t retreat, emboldened by their numbers.
“Smash Punch!” A larger
blast of power took out another two. They kept coming. He’d
probably walked right into an ambush.
The breath was knocked out of
him as one managed to head butt him from behind. He rolled
forward, landing in a heap next to a fallen tree. He moved
quickly as another demon slashed at him, splintering the wood.
The boy crouched, watching the others circle, moving closer.
If they all attacked at once…
He kicked again, the blast
killing the one that had hit him. He couldn’t keep up this
pace for long either. His instincts told him to escape so he
leapt over the next attacking beast, landing on the path and
taking off running. Hopefully those damn things wouldn’t
want to bother chasing him.
“SHIT!” He skidded to a
halt then to see there was yet another lizard demon, this one
even larger and blocking his way. Behind, the others were
closing in. All he could think was how stupid he was to take
the main path at all.
The one in front of him
suddenly howled- but it was a cry of pain. Greenish blood
sprayed from a wound in its neck as it spasmed and toppled
onto the dry ground. The other beasts faltered, knowing it
hadn’t been the boy’s work.
A figure clad in red and gold
and black leapt from behind the dead one, landing behind the
boy. A flash of steel and another was down. The figure was a
blur, efficiently killing the next by severing its head. Now
the others began to back away, unsure about the attack now. As
another howled in its death throes, the demons retreated,
bounding away into the dark forest.
Silence fell. The boy stood
there, watching the vague outline of the figure as he was
approached. He moved into a battle stance, glaring certain
death.
“Come any closer and you’ll
be as dead as they are,” the boy snarled. He looked serious,
yet the stranger laughed as he walked into the light.
It was an adult, a much older
man. He was one of the peoples native to this planet- evident
by the two ridged ebony horns stuck from the back of his head.
His skin was pale blue, and oddly enough only one of his steel
gray eyes was visible, the left one hidden behind deep
blue-black hair.
He was smiling as he held his
weapon in a relaxed posture, some kind of dual bladed polearm,
dripping green with the beast’s blood.
“Is that any way to act to
the person who just saved you?” he asked.
The boy didn’t move. “You
heard me. For all I know you’re another thief. I didn’t
ask for your help. Now get away!”
The man appeared hurt, though
in more of an exaggerated way. “Hm. That’s an awfully rude
judgment to make. If I was a thief don’t you think I would
have robbed you by now? Besides…” He studied the boy for a
moment. “You don’t seem to be carrying anything anyway.
You have nothing to steal.”
That was true enough. “What
do you want?” He watched the man carefully for any sudden
movements.
“A ‘thank you’ would be
wonderful.” The smile returned to his face. Warm, genuine,
not something you saw in a place like this these days. The boy
frowned, more uncertain now. Maybe this man was just one of
those people who still tried to do good? It was possible…
Definitely something he’d want to believe.
He swallowed hard, shuffling
his feet a bit. “Um… thank you.”
“There we go!” The man
laughed, and spun his weapon around before returning it to the
holster on his back. “Nice to know some kids can still show
gratitude… Mm, how about introductions. My name is Gardell,”
he said, doing a little bow. “And with whom do I have the
pleasure of speaking with?”
“…Knuckle Joe.” He
reached up, rubbing his ‘nose’ in an odd gesture. Well,
the guy had just risked his life to save him. He could
trust him that much, but if he made the slightest wrong move…
“Knuckle Joe, eh?” Gardell
tested the name, walking towards the boy. “Cute. And now the
question that begs to be asked… What is a child doing out
here by himself? You’re a long way from the nearest camp.”
He sounded… concerned. Joe couldn’t help but notice; it
was such an unusual thing to hear. But if he was just trying
to lull him into a false sense of security… He couldn’t
drop his guard just yet.
“I’m alone, I’m just
looking for supplies.”
“I see,” Gardell asked no
more on that and Joe was grateful. “I have to say, for a kid
that was an impressive fight you put up. I’ve met adult
fighters whose attacks aren’t that powerful. Still, it’s
not safe to travel alone.”
Joe lifted an eyebrow. “Aren’t
you traveling alone?”
“Well... that’s a rather
unfortunate thing, you see…” The man’s grin became more
of a grimace. “It’s almost nightfall. You don’t plan on
going the rest of the way yourself, do you?”
“I…” Joe looked up at the
sky, seeing a dark red as the sun was sinking below the
horizon. “I guess I have to.” He didn’t want to, oh no,
even he didn’t want to go through this damned dark forest by
himself. But what could he do?
“No, far be it for me to
allow you to do that…” Gardell shook his head. “I have
some extra supplies and the place I camp at is much closer.
Care to join me?”
The boy glanced about
uncertainly at first. He didn’t feel like he’d be in
danger. This stranger hadn’t really given him any reason not
to trust him. And it would make his life a lot easier… “Sure,
why not,” he said, sounding confident. “But try anything
and I’ll kill you.”
Gardell just laughed. “I’ll
remember that. Just follow me…”
~*~
Gardell watched with mild
fascination as Knuckle Joe wolfed down a second bowl of the
stew he’d prepared and reached for more. “…Hungry, I
take it?”
“You have no idea,” he said
between mouthfuls. Surprisingly the stuff tasted really good,
filled with some kind of meat and even vegetables, much better
than what he’d been able to eat in the past few weeks. He
paused for a moment, noticing Gardell wasn’t eating
anything. “Er… Are you…?”
He waved his hand dismissively.
“Oh no, don’t worry. You’re a growing boy, you need to
more than I do.” He smiled.
Gardell was currently living
alone in some old ruins hidden in the forest. Even he wasn’t
sure what the stone structure’s true purpose was, but it was
concealed and kept the rain out so it made a pretty nice place
to stay. As an added bonus, they could keep a fire concealed,
with the smoke going out through a gap in the roof.
Joe finished his third helping
before he spoke again. “So… what’s your story?”
“Hm?” Gardell looked like
he’d been distracted. “Oh… It’s nothing glamorous. Why
do you ask?”
“Because you took out those
demons pretty fast… You’re pretty good.” Joe meant it.
He could respect anyone who was that strong.
“Why thank you. I was a
soldier for my town since… well since I was your age. But
after we were attacked, things happened and I ended up on my
own.” He shrugged but he didn’t look upset over the
memories. “I live with it. Bit lonely though.”
“Yeah…” Joe said quietly.
He didn’t really think much about it himself, but that part
could be hard on you. He suddenly realized how grateful he was
for someone’s company, even if it was this weird guy. “You
seem to have it pretty good.”
“Well, if you’re smart it’s
not that difficult.” He grinned, showing teeth. “But what
about you? Were you here when the attack came?” Gardell
intoned, leaning forward to look at him over the fire. Even
with only one eye, Joe found his look could be oddly intense.
The fire crackled loudly as one
of the logs crumbled, tiny sparks flying. Joe didn’t reply
at first.
“I just…” Could he tell
this person he’d just met? “…I don’t want to talk
about that.” He spoke harshly without really meaning to.
Gardell leaned back, seeming
only mildly disappointed. “I see. Well, none of my business…”
He reached for his weapon to poke the fire with, stirring the
embers. “Will you be leaving tomorrow?”
“…Probably.”
“Because…. you could stay
longer if you wished. It’s not safe out there for a child.”
Joe’s hands suddenly clenched
into fists. “Stop saying that! I’m not just some helpless
little kid!”
Gardell didn’t look fazed by
the outburst. “You’re not helpless, but you are still just
a boy. Strong as you are, you don’t have the experience or
know how to survive long. How long have you been on your own
now?”
Joe faltered. “I don’t know…
Maybe a month or two…” He hadn’t really been keeping
count, but it felt longer than it probably really was.
“Then you’ve been very
lucky.” His voice was stern now but he still sounded
concerned, his gaze more intense as it reflected the
firelight. “I mean no offense, you understand. I just wouldn’t
want you to be hurt.”
Joe was taken aback, looking at
the man with confusion evident in his eyes. “…Why do you
care about what happens to me?”
A corner of his mouth turned up
the slightest bit. “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t
sure?”
“You want something in
return, right?” Joe asked. Or could this guy just want him
to stay because he was genuinely concerned with the well being
of a kid he just met? He’d mentioned being lonely too… Joe
could understand that, he supposed. It was so strange though.
Not something he was used to. He really didn’t know what to
think.
“No, not really. Not like
money if that’s what you’re thinking… I’m weird that
way, aren’t I,” Gardell said, grinning widely again.
Joe caught himself before he
could agree out loud. “I’ll stay under one condition.”
“Oh?”
He grinned a bit himself. “You
have to fight me. Then I’ll see if I could learn anything
from you.” He rubbed his nose again, and Gardell lifted an
eyebrow.
“Why do you do that?”
“...Do what?”
“Touch your nose like that.”
Joe’s face was blank for a
moment. “Oh… Er…” Good question, it was just a habit
of his really. Who knew where he’d picked it up…
“Don’t worry about it…
Well, it sounds fair to me… But I’m a bit tired now.
Tomorrow morning?” Gardell yawned, stretching his arms
behind him. “I wouldn’t be much fun to fight right now.”
“Fine, tomorrow morning,
first thing.” Joe said, nodding. As Gardell took care of the
fire, Joe walked over to a low bench on one of the walls. Didn’t
look terribly comfortable, but he’d slept on worse…
Then something big and soft hit
the back of his head. He turned around to see a rolled blanket
on the floor behind him. Gardell laughed again.
“Sorry about that, thought
your reflexes could handle it. Anyway, I had an extra… Good
night, sleep well.”
Joe sat on the ledge, unrolling
the blanket and wrapping it around himself. He wasn’t sure
about sleeping in the same room as this guy yet, in case he
really did turn out to be some psycho… We’ll he’d have
to sleep light, just in case.
He sat there for a moment,
looking up at one hole in the ceiling that you could see the
sky through. Despite his worries, he felt safe here. He
eventually drifted off, wondering about how the morning would
go…
~*~
It was a large clearing,
surrounded by trees on all sides. The sun was still low in the
sky, casting a hazy light on the forest. It was warmer at
least, but even a sunny day didn’t make the place any more
cheerful.
Knuckle Joe stood grim faced,
looking across at his opponent. Gardell just smiled, slyly
now, his weapon tip embedded in the ground next to him. They’d
agreed Gardell could use his weapon, as could Joe use his
distance attacks. No hitting to kill of course, neither of
them wanted to risk that. This was a test of skill.
Gardell spun his weapon in his
left hand, switching to his right and back again. “What are
you waiting for?” he called, grinning toothily. “You make
the first move!”
“You asked for it!” Joe
shouted back. He ran, covering ground quickly, heading right
for Gardell. Gardell didn’t move, even as Joe launched a
Smash Punch attack at him. No, he didn’t move until the very
last second, the attack not even touching him.
“You’ll have to do a little
better than that, Joe. I can see your attacks coming.”
Joe held his fists out from his
sides, glaring at him. Well he’d just have to see if he
could dodge a lot of attacks at once!
“Vulcan Jab!” He punched in
rapid succession, dozens of smaller blasts speeding towards
the older fighter. Gardell ran ahead of them, leaping up and
back and dodged the next attack right after he landed.
“Spin Kick!” Joe snarled,
trying to hit him while he was still recovering from the last
dodge. “Hold still, damnit!”
“If you want,” Gardell held
his weapon in front of him, spinning the double-blade so fast
it became a single steel blur. The energy blast hit it but was
deflected and dissipated by the spinning steel. He stopped,
embedding the tip into the soil in front of him. He sighed and
looked over at Joe. The boy was breathing hard, the attacks
having taken a lot out of him. Gardell smiled. “You’re
just tiring yourself out. You can forfeit you know.”
“I don’t forfeit!” Joe
watched him, trying to figure out what his weak point was. He
was good at dodging, even against multiple attacks. Maybe long
range just wasn’t going to work… Close range? He worried
about trying that, especially considering Gardell’s weapon.
But had to try something! He suddenly grinned, an idea forming…
He ran towards him again.
“Smash Punch!” He launched
the attack again, but he didn’t aim at Gardell. Instead he
aimed near him so the resulting dust cloud covered him. Joe
ran right towards his position, firing in several smaller
energy attacks for good measure, knowing Gardell wouldn’t be
able to see him or his attacks as well.
Unless of course, he realized
at the last second, Gardell had moved first.
He felt rather than saw the
movement, and then large hands grabbed his shoulders, and then
he was lifted up high and slammed rather forcibly to the
ground. Not enough to hurt him but more than enough to knock
the breath and a lot of the fighting spirit out. Then the dust
had cleared and Gardell was standing over him, bladed weapon
pointed at his neck.
Joe stared upward, shocked.
Gardell returned his weapon to its holder and lifted the boy
up, setting him on his feet.
“Nice match… I think you
need some work though.”
Joe didn’t say anything,
looking down at his feet. He’d lost?
Gardell shook his head. “You’re
the one who insists you’re not just a kid. Take your loss
like a man then. Stop pouting.”
Joe’s look was furious. “I’m
not pouting!” He was met with another grin.
“Whatever you say… Well?”
Gardell stood back, arms folded over his chest.
“…Well what?”
“Think you’d benefit from
staying a while?” He smiled.
Joe started to speak,
stammering something before falling silent again. Gardell was
a skilled fighter…. He’d also been the first- no, only-
person he’d met so far that went so far as to offer him food
and shelter. It would be outright stupid to leave, he thought.
“…How do I know I can trust
you?”
Gardell shrugged. “I would
have hoped I’d given you reason enough. I’m simply
offering you my hospitality at my own expense… Call it my
good deed for the year.”
Joe actually smiled then,
nodding. “I guess I can stay… For a bit.”
“Glad to hear it. I don’t
think I would have let you leave anyway… Let’s get started
then.”
~*~
“So your aunt taught you, did
she?” Gardell asked. The two of them were back in the temple
later that day, following a long bout of training. Knuckle Joe
was amazed and more than a little embarrassed by all the
things he’d mess up on, but Gardell was a surprisingly
patient teacher.
“Yeah… My aunt Jarle,”
Joe said between bites of jerky. “She was… a little weird.”
That was an understatement. While she was anything but cruel,
she obviously didn’t like taking care of a kid. She’d
tried, but it just wasn’t really in her… “She taught me
how to fight. Not much about strategy.”
“Strategy’s the most
important thing though,” Gardell was sharpening his weapon
as he spoke. “Or better yet, just outright fooling your
enemy. Brains over brawn, you know… Personally, I like to
avoid a fight if I can take advantage of a stupid opponent.”
Joe almost laughed. He’d
finished eating, leaning back on his elbows. It was strange
that he could just relax for once, instead of worrying about
what he could find to eat or where he could get shelter for
the night… It did seem almost too good to be true, and he
hadn’t dropped his guard just yet.
“What about your parents?”
Gardell chanced asking. The brief pained look on Joe’s face
told him a lot about that subject. “…I see. I’m sorry…”
“No…” Joe frowned,
sitting up. It wouldn’t hurt to tell him… “I mean, I
never knew my parents… My aunt told me my mom died a little
while after I was born,” he said bitterly. “And my father…”
He grit his teeth, staring at the fire. Why was he telling him
this? He just felt like he had to tell someone…
“…All I know is someone
killed him. I was really little though… I barely remember
him.” He really couldn’t at all, any memories he had he
suspected were more from the few photos he’d seen and few
stories he’d heard from his aunt. “She would never tell me
about it though. She didn’t tell me anything…”
He winced as he felt wetness on
his face, a few drops falling and leaving tiny wet spots on
the stone. “Damnit…” he rubbed at his eyes, trying to
brush them away. He felt Gardell sit down next to him, tensing
for a moment when he felt a light, comforting hand on his
shoulder.
“Even the strongest warriors
cry sometimes. Anyone that doesn’t lost his soul a long time
ago,” he said. Joe still felt embarrassed and angry to show
any kind of weakness. “Is that what happened? You wanted to
find out who killed your father?”
He nodded slightly. “My aunt
wouldn’t tell me what happened… I don’t know why. She
said it was better if I didn’t know… Damnit I have a right
to know! He was my father!” He swallowed hard, not sure why
he was venting like this, but he felt good to do so. “Damn
it DAMN it I was stupid to leave…” He’d just had enough
and snuck out one night. He wanted to find the truth himself,
somehow…
“So that’s why you’re out
here by yourself… You’re a long way from home, aren’t
you?”
“…A lot of things went
wrong…” he admitted. Not surprisingly. He’d done it on a
whim; he probably would’ve gone home, but how was he
supposed to know the ship he’d stowed away on would be
attacked? He’d been so stupid. Not much he could do now.
“…Do you want to go home?”
Gardell asked. Joe had the feeling that if he said yes, this
man would help him get there. Aunt Jarle was probably worried…
Or maybe relieved he was gone. But he shook his head.
“I’ve come too far now. I’m
going to find out what happened to my father.” No matter
what.
Gardell nodded. “If that’s
what’s important to you. It was brave in a way, but bravery
only gets you so far…” He squeezed his shoulder before
pulling his hand back. “Don’t worry. I teach you some
things to help you out. You’ll do fine.”
“Thanks,” Joe said, and
yawned widely. He hadn’t realized how tired he was after all
the training. Nor did he notice that he had been leaning
against Gardell’s side, and quickly moved away. Gardell
chuckled.
“I don’t mind, really…”
He grinned, and reached up to tussle the boy’s unruly hair.
“Hey! Stop that!” Joe
protested, getting a bigger laugh from him.
“Sorry, sorry, you just act
so serious all the time… Well, let’s see now…” Gardell
stood up. “Tomorrow I need to head to next settlement to get
some more supplies…”
“…Do you steal them?” Joe
asked. That’s what he usually ended up doing himself, but
where did this man get all of his?
“Well, yes and no… You’ll
see.” He grinned shrewdly. “You can turn in for the night
if you’d like. I have a few things to take care of.”
“Okay…” He watched
Gardell leave, but didn’t go to his bed yet. It still just
seemed so strange to him, but not in a bad way. In fact he
could probably get used to this… He smiled, picking up the
blanket. Yeah, this wasn’t bad at all…
~*~
The camp was little more than a
large collection of broken walls and buildings and shoddy
tents, but there was still a decent sized community there.
Unfortunately, hard times had forced the law that only the
most fit survived. It was not a place for the weak, young, or
elderly, except those that had stronger comrades to help them.
Knuckle Joe stood tall, glaring
at any shady character that he thought was looking at him the
wrong way. Gardell acted more casual, his eye half lidded as
he surveyed his surroundings. A large bag was flung over his
shoulder, its contents a mystery. He glanced at Joe.
“Careful now… Look that way
at the wrong person around here and a dozen goons will be
after your head.”
Joe nodded slightly. He wanted
nothing more than to be strong on his own, yet he still kept
close to Gardell without realizing it. “So where are we
going?”
“To a friend’s.”
“Oh…”
A booming but oddly cheerful
voice suddenly called out. “Gardy! You old bastard, I haven’t
seen you in weeks.” The voice’s owned followed, appearing
from behind a tent. He was a big guy in blue armor and worn
leather, his face and arms craggy with old scars.
“Hello, Trevor. You’re
looking well.”
The big man laughed. “I could
say the same about you but to be honest you look a bit pale.
Now, what do you have for me to-“ Trevor paused, finally
noticing Joe. “Eh? What do we have here?” He looked at
Gardell a bit oddly. “Ya know kids really ain’t my thing.
Not much I could offer ya…”
“Trevor, don’t be stupid.
The boy’s with me.” Gardell said, rolling his eye. “He
was attacked by demons out in the forest and I decided to help
him out. I have what you want.” He gestured to the bag with
a nod of his head.
Trevor nodded. “Great! Well c’mon
then.” He turned and went into the big tent behind him.
Gardell motioned for Joe to follow.
“Don’t worry about Trevor.
He’s harmless really, but people don’t mess with him
because of his size and he has a lot of friends who will
hurt you.” They went inside the tent. Gardell dropped the
bag onto the table and undid the top, spilling its contents.
Joe stared. Weapons. Mostly daggers, a sword or two, maces and
a large ax.
Trevor whistled. “Not a bad
haul… Good condition too.” He looked over the items,
picking up one of the swords and pulling it from its scabbard,
examining the blade.
So he traded, Joe realized.
That brought up the question on where he got all these weapons
to begin with… He’d ask when the two were done talking. He
glanced around the tent, not seeing anything of interest. When
he looked back at the entrance, another pair of eyes met his.
He gasped, and whoever had been spying on them vanished.
He looked over at Gardell and
Trevor. They hadn’t noticed anything. He stood there for a
moment, wondering if he had anything to worry about. Joe
cautiously peered outside the tent but didn’t see anyone out
of the ordinary. But then he heard something, a high voice he
couldn’t quite make out. There was a cry that was suddenly
cut off. He strained his hearing in that direction. A gruff
voice and then a thud. Was there a fight going on?
Joe grinned. Great, maybe
someone else was in trouble and then he could do something
useful by helping them out. Then Gardell wouldn’t be able to
say he was as helpless as he seemed to think!
He ran out of the tent, ducking
behind barrels and whatever else, approaching where the sounds
of a struggle got louder. Looked around a cracked wall, he saw
two rough looking men, one of them holding a terrified woman
by her wrists, one hand covering her mouth.
“Hey now, we ain’t gonna
hurt ya. Just come wit’ us an’ everything’ll be fine,”
the first said, grinning widely. “C’mon, let’s get outta
here before anyone-“
“Let her go!”
The both turned to see Joe
standing there, on top of the wall.
“The hell? Hey kid, mind your
damn business…” the second man sneered. “Go run back to
your mommy.”
“Vulcan Jab!” The first man
cried out as the attack hit his side. “I said let the lady
go!”
“Damn brat!” the man
cursed, holding his side. “Shit, this ain’t worth it. Drop
her and go!” The second man didn’t argue, letting the
woman fall to the ground and helping the first make a getaway.
Joe grinned widely. What a
bunch of cowards! He ran over to the woman, who was sitting
and appeared to be crying. “Are you okay?” he knelt down,
trying to see.
“I’m… I’m fine…”
she said quietly. “You saved me…” Her hands suddenly
snapped out, grabbed Joe’s arms. “How ever can I
thank you?” She looked up, her grin cruel.
“Wh-what?” Joe exclaimed,
trying to pull away, but too late. His world was suddenly dark
as a thick bag was thrown over him from behind, then tied and
hefted into the air. He tried to right himself, struggling. He
heard familiar voices.
“Stupid kid… Hey, you’re
a good actress! Perfect damsel in distress routine,” the man
said.
“Why thank you.” It was the
woman of course. Joe screamed in anger.
“LET ME OUT!” He kicked at
whoever was holding the bag, rewarded with a yelp of pain. “DAMN
YOU!”
“Idiot, you didn’t knock
him out first?”
“Sorry, but I’m not opening
the bag to do it!”
“Don’t bother, just smack
it against the wall or something… Don’t kill him though,
we need him alive.”
Joe snarled, pressing his fists
to the bottom of the bag. The back draft would hurt but he had
to get out.
“Smash Punch!”
The energy tore through the bag
and he tumbled out, rolling on the ground away from the three.
“Hey! You little bastard, get
back here!” The second man shouted. Joe didn’t even bother
attacking them, he just ran. And he ran right into someone
else. He looked up at Gardell, eyes wide.
“Joe! What just happened? I
heard-“
The three people appeared from
behind the wall, stopping in their tracks as they saw Gardell.
Joe found himself pushed back, and saw Gardell grab his weapon
from his back. “What the hell are you three doing here?!”
“Well, you see-“ the first
man started but the second interrupted.
“Fuck this. Let’s get out
of here.” The others nodded and they ran off, disappearing
behind the rubble.
Gardell glared at their
retreating forms before he turned to Joe, his expression
worried. “Damnit Joe, what were you doing?”
“I thought… I thought she
was in trouble and… they tried to…” Joe was trying to
slow his breathing down. As much as he hated to admit it that
had shaken him up. “Who were they?”
Gardell shook his head. “Not
people you want to associate with… Trying to play the hero,
eh?” He smiled lightly and drew the boy close in a brief
hug, moving away before Joe could protest or be bothered by
it. “Just… try not to run off like that, though. People
are scum. Or mostly scum, so I think it saves trouble to just
not trust any of them.”
“Not even me?” It was
Trevor. He laughed and looked over at Joe. “Hey, is the kid
all right? I’ve been trying to get those bastards out of
here for a week… Well maybe you two scared em off for me.”
Gardell stood up and turned to
him. “Hopefully… Well, nothing bad happened, let’s not
worry about that too much. So, is my business done here then?”
Trevor held out Gardell’s
bag, which was full again. “Got everything ya asked for. Ya
want anything for the kid? I think I have some mint candies
somewhere, can’t give em to you for free though. I have an
image to maintain.”
Gardell grinned. “I’ll
bring something to trade next time. Thank you again, Trevor.
Be careful.”
“Ha! You too. See ya.”
Trevor waved and went back into his tent. Gardell lifted the
bag over his shoulder again and motioned to Joe.
“Let’s get back then… Are
you all right?”
“Yeah… I’m fine. They
didn’t hurt me or anything.” He still felt shaky though.
What were they trying to take him away for? That scared him
more than anything, but he didn’t want to talk about it. “Where
did you get all those weapons…? Did you steal them?” he
asked as they started walking back.
Gardell laughed a bit. “Well,
in a way. I stole them, but the owners didn’t really have a
need for them anymore, if you understand what I mean…”
“Oh… you get them from
corpses.”
“Right. Shouldn’t let a
good weapon go to waste. They’re pretty hard to get though,
since a lot of demons like to collect the ones they kill and
their weapons… It’s great when you find one with a nice
stash. Anyway, I got enough provisions for at least another
week or two.”
The two of them walked in
silence for a while, Joe looked at the ground in front of him
but his mind wandering. Figures, he thought. He tried to help
someone and it all went wrong… Forget trying that
again any time soon.
“Those three…” Gardell
said as he was checking to make sure they weren’t being
followed. It involved a lot of back tracking and making a
false trail or two. Some parts of the forest were still alive
and made good cover, though barely, much of the leaves dead or
dying. “There are a lot of people who’ll take advantage of
those weaker… They’re like that.”
“Why did they want me?
Monster bait or something?”
The older man grimaced. “No…
There are some who have connections to the same people who
attacked this planet. They make a living by selling valuable
items, resources, and even people… A strong kid like you
would be worth a lot…”
Joe was silent for a moment.
“Oh…” They were going to make him into a slave or
something? He shuddered, but then grinned haughtily. “Well,
they couldn’t possibly catch me. If they try again, I’ll
show them a thing or two!”
“That works.” Gardell
laughed. He looked up at the ruins. “Well, home sweet home…”
~*~
Bread. Where the hell did
someone get bread in a place like this, or even anything to
make it with? Joe asked about it, tearing off another piece of
the loaf.
“Oh, there are supply ships
that stop down every once in a while. Aid from a few other
planets. Never enough for everyone of course… And a lot of
the time they’re raided and all the good supplies are taken
for us poor bastards down here…” He lifted an eyebrow as
Joe finished the loaf. “…I think I was being optimistic
when I said this would last us a week.”
The boy shrugged, but though he
was still hungry, he didn’t take any more. “Why are you
staying here? Why don’t you find some place better?”
“Who’s to say the next
place won’t be worse? Anyway, I think things are good enough
right now…” Gardell leaned against the wall. “Well then,
it’s only a little after noon… I’ll show you some more
techniques and some of that survival stuff I mentioned…”
