ã€ŠArcane Shot [Fantasy Western]ã€‹


 Book 1, Chapter 1 - The Spellslinger

    The man with the orange scarf stood atop the cliff, staring towards the convoy of cars that drove along the old desert road. He counted five of them; three at the front and two more as brown silhouettes obscured by the billowing dust streaming out from the frontmost cars.

    The second in the lineup was the one he sought; a pickup truck with heavy armour plating to guard the man who relaxed in the passenger seat, no doubt uncaringly puffing a cigarette with his seat reclined back and a smile on his face, but he wouldn¡¯t be smiling for much longer.

    With a satisfied smile of his own, the man on the cliff checked that his rope was securely tightened around the jagged rock he had fixed it to. He held it firmly in one hand as he walked to the edge of the cliff and slid down effortlessly while the rumbling of the convoy grew ever louder.

    The man¡¯s blonde hair blew in the breeze and the tail of his scarf flew over his shoulder as he slid. He landed with a thud on a small outcropping above the road with the far side of the rocky pass beneath facing him. He moved his hand to his side and pulled out a gun from his holster.

    It was an exquisite piece. Gold from top to bottom, save for the varnished wooden grip and the blue indecipherable inscriptions along both sides of the barrel. The trigger was designed and calibrated to perfection; never too sensitive and never too stiff. It was both sturdy and lightweight. Even the cylinder was a work of art, glowing as sapphire blue as the man¡¯s eyes whenever it took a shot, but few got to see it do that. Those who did rarely lived to tell the tale. No, to most, the cylinder was forever golden.

    Many found the weapon garish, but to the man, it was beautiful. ¡°What in the world are you carrying that flashy thing around for, Arc,¡± they would say, receiving only a smile and a shrug in return. But those who knew what it was capable of did not say a word.

    Arc the Hawk, bounty hunter extraordinaire, took out a single red bullet with a rune inscribed into it. These bullets were his favourite to use and he could not wait for the cars to pull up close enough for him to fire a single shot; it should be all he needed to get this show on the road. He hated wasting these special cartridges, so hard were they to come by, but the occasion merited it.

    As Arc felt the rumbling in the air and the ground beneath him start to shake, he knew that he was only seconds away from enacting his plan. He flicked the cylinder open and carefully placed the bullet inside before clicking it back in place. He kept low and stared down the road as the cars grew larger, keeping their trails of dust flowing behind them.

    Arc took a slow, deep breath and held it as he pointed his gun towards the bonnet of the first car. He didn¡¯t dare blink in case he missed a sudden jolt from the car and his cartridge was wasted. That would be a tragedy of unmatched proportions.

    ¡°Almost there,¡± he said under his breath as the car came within a hundred yards of him.

    Arc followed the bonnet, looking through the front sight of his gun, and counted to three as the cars sped closer and closer. It was the moment of truth. The second his target passed underneath the outcropping where he was perched, he pressed his finger on the trigger and fired his shot, but it was not a mere bullet that exploded from the muzzle; it was something much more powerful.

    The cylinder glowed that beautiful sky blue that Arc loved so much as the bullet casing was cast aside. From the muzzle, emerged a flashing white orb of arcane power that burst towards its target, curving along with the movement of the car and speeding towards the bonnet so quickly that the driver couldn¡¯t hope to outrun it.

    Upon seeing what was chasing him, the driver screamed ¡°What the¡ª" before the sphere whizzed overhead and struck the bonnet precisely where Arc had intended. Before the driver could as much as veer to the side, the vehicle exploded and blew him and his passenger to smithereens, sending the burning remains of the truck spinning through the air.

    The rest of the drivers spun their steering wheels like madmen, trying to avoid the flames. Three of the vehicles crashed into the cliff faces, including the pickup truck, and the final car flipped on its side, having turned too sharply, before colliding with the broken remains of the blown-up car.

    There were a few seconds of stunned silence that Arc used to drop to the ground, still comfortably out of reach on his perch.

    ¡°To arms, men!¡± cried an enraged voice from the armoured truck. This was the voice of the man that Arc sought; the voice of Colt the Scourge.

    Arc remained low, pressed against the tiny pebbles that dug into his chin. He knew it was only a matter of time before they deciphered the mystery of why one of their cars suddenly blew up. At least one of the men would have seen his spell flying overhead, homing in on its target.

    As the men leapt from their cars, grabbing their pistols and swords, they called out furiously to each other to confirm who in their group had survived the crash. Colt stood atop his vehicle, not fearfully seeking cover like the rest of his men. No, he was anything but a coward. He spun his revolver around in his hand and let out a loud whistle.

    ¡°Come out, come out,¡± called the bandit chief. ¡°It¡¯s my head you want, isn¡¯t it? Probably best you don¡¯t put a bullet in it in case my beautiful mug ends up unrecognisable, eh?¡±

    Arc said nothing as he retrieved an old grenade from his jacket pocket and pulled the pin, praying silently that it would work as intended. Not wanting to overshoot the crash site, he forcefully rolled it across the bumpy stone and let it fall into the pass beneath. The panicked cries of the men as they dove for safety made him smile.

    He had them out of their cars and ready to blast a few holes in him, but he needed them confused and aimless, even if it was only temporary. As a few of them pointlessly shot at the navy canister, Arc peered over the edge to mark their positions a second before the grenade exploded and let loose a wave of black smoke that filled the valley, reaching twenty feet high and to just below where Arc was waiting.

    He switched his golden spellcaster for a regular old silvery revolver and shot six rounds down into the smoke; four pained cries followed. Four out of six wasn¡¯t bad, especially not when seven men had climbed out of the cars. That left Colt and two terrified lackeys remaining. He had been in fights with far worse odds and felt as though today would be one of those days where everything worked out exactly as he had planned.

    Arc retrieved six small rounds from his jacket pocket and hurriedly loaded them into his revolver before aiming in the rough direction of one of the bandits. He held fire, fearing that he would miss his target and waste his precious rounds of ammo. No, it was the time to be patient and he would be rewarded for it later.

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    At last, the smoke cleared and Arc moved his gun an inch to the left, now pointing right at one of the remaining goons of Colt the Scourge. The bounty hunter¡¯s eyes widened in horror as he caught a glimpse of his main mark. Colt was pointing a copper-coloured rod at Arc and giving him a wide grin as he gently tapped the trigger of his spellcaster.

    Arc lay flat as the same spell he had cast¡ªArcane Shot¡ªsoared towards him. It tried to curve to his position, but he was too low and it clipped the edge of the cliff before bursting and unleashing its magical energy. A hefty chunk of stone was obliterated into dust, leaving Arc in a precarious position. As the rocky outcropping crumbled, having nothing to support itself with, Arc tried to drag himself to safety only to find himself falling twenty feet into the valley and landing on the hard ground with a heavy thud.

    He groaned as he stretched out before climbing onto his feet, glad he had opted for the lower outcropping over the much higher-up cliff edge. He held his gun in one hand and clutched his back with his other, staring towards the quivering image of Colt and his two men, all of whom were pointing their guns at him.

    Colt swished his spellcaster through the air like a baton and started whistling a merry tune that echoed throughout the pass. All the while the smoke from the burning wreckage of one of his cars floated up behind him. The smell of the burning fuel and metal was filling the pass, but a faint hint of burning flesh slowly started to permeate the thick air. It was all the more reason for Arc to finish the job and get out of there as quickly as he could.

    ¡°Another spellslinger, eh?¡± asked Colt as Arc shot at him and missed, too disoriented to aim accurately. ¡°A powerful gentleman like you shouldn¡¯t be chasing bounties, my friend. What, with a weapon like yours, you should be conquering these forsaken lands and ruling them as the god that you are. A pantheon of spellslingers to rule over Nuvaria is what we need in this day and age, is it not?¡±

    Arc said nothing, feeling nothing but disgust for the man speaking to him.

    Colt continued. ¡°If that¡¯s too big time for you, friend. I¡¯ve got an opening in my crew if you feel like signing up. Several openings, in fact, thanks to your marksmanship. We can do your formal interview right here and now, but I¡¯m liking your odds already. It doesn¡¯t hurt that you¡¯re the only candidate for miles.¡±

    Arc clenched his eyes shut and opened them again, trying to push through the pain and refocus, but it was no use. His vision was still blurry and he knew that he had to buy time until his eyes caught up to his brain.

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting piece you got there, Colt,¡± Arc called out. ¡°You don¡¯t see many spellcasters shaped like wands.¡±

    ¡°A custom piece,¡± said the bandit, flicking the barrel up to his mouth and blowing away imaginary smoke before smirking. ¡°Quite slick, if I do say so myself. I had it remodelled from an older gun model that wasn¡¯t too dissimilar to yours. What are you rocking, Mister¡­¡±

    ¡°Arc,¡± the bounty hunter replied, pulling out his own spellcaster with his free hand and holding it up high. He rotated it so that Colt could get a clear view of it. ¡°I call it the Golden Hawk.¡±

    The bandit leader whistled enthusiastically. ¡°Fancy old instrument that one is,¡± he said. ¡°Definitely one of the nicer spellcaster models I¡¯ve seen. Real shiny too, you must have polished it recently. I¡¯ve got a nickname for mine too, just so happens. The Conductor. I¡¯ll let you work out how I came up with it.¡±

    ¡°Boss,¡± came the impatient voice of one of Colt¡¯s goons. ¡°Just say the word and I¡¯ll blow this rotten scumbag¡¯s head clean off.¡±

    Colt held up a finger without looking at his man. ¡°Do not interrupt my conversation, Howie. This fella may be of use to us. Having another spellslinger on the squad is worth a dozen sharpshooters and two dozen swordsmen. We need to think about our long-term goals, don¡¯t we?¡±

    Howie was briefly dumbfounded before his face contorted with rage. ¡°Screw all of that, boss. He killed our guys!¡±

    ¡°I am very much aware of that. And think how many more he could kill for us,¡± said Colt, turning to look at his lackey. ¡°Think of how many towns would be at our mercy with such power. We can become richer than our wildest¡ªagh!¡±

    Colt clutched his bloody ear as a shot rang through the air. Arc the Hawk stood with his revolver pointed straight ahead. His vision was not perfect, but he had felt ready enough to take the shot. Clearly, he was wrong, but now he had to act quickly.

    As the bandit leader finally ducked behind one of his vehicles and loaded his spellcaster with another round, Arc ran to the side and fired another bullet at Howie, piercing him in the neck as the other remaining goon dove behind his overturned vehicle, using the still smoking wreckage to hide.

    Howie fell onto the road, clutching his throat as he gasped for breath in an expanding pool of his own blood. He looked to his boss who didn¡¯t have enough mercy in him to even bother to put his subordinate out of his misery. All Colt understood was power and the dying Howie had none of it, while Arc had plenty of it. It was such a shame that his fellow spellcaster had so resoundingly rejected his generous offer.

    ¡°Pretty stupid of you to do that,¡± called Colt. ¡°I extended a hand to you and I was more than willing to forgive your recent transgressions. We could have been greater business partners, Arc.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more of a freelancer, Colt,¡± replied the bounty hunter as he moved into cover behind one of the crashed vehicles.

    ¡°A real shame. Now, I¡¯m going to have to toss your ravaged corpse onto this fire of your own making and take that golden girl of yours for myself. How¡¯s that for irony?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Arc, hurriedly stowing his revolver and drawing his spellcaster.

    He had hoped he wouldn¡¯t need another one of his precious arcane rounds, but needs must. After all, what good would they be if he was indeed thrown into the fire? Colt would doubtlessly take his rounds, so valuable they were, and that was unacceptable. Arc grabbed another Arcane Shot cartridge from his pocket and loaded it into his spellcaster.

    The situation was dire, he knew that, but he had been in worse predicaments and was alive to tell the tale. This one would be no different, for he was just about the luckiest man alive. Throw in his capabilities and he was a wrecking ball to all things nefarious in this land. Today would not change that, he was certain of it.

    Praying that there would be enough of Colt left to be recognisable, Arc stuck his head around the corner and pointed his gun towards the bandit leader¡¯s position. As he pressed on the trigger, he saw Colt himself rise up from his cover with The Conductor at the ready. The two spellslingers shot simultaneously, each unleashing an Arcane Shot. The spells collided in midair and all went white as an explosion rang throughout the pass.

    All Arc could see was white and all he could feel was an intense wave of heat as he writhed on the ground in pain.

    ¡°Colt!¡± called the final lackey pleadingly. ¡°Boss? Talk to me, boss. You alright?¡±

    It was the last thing he heard before Arc the Hawk lost consciousness and the white light rapidly faded to black.

    *

    Arc groaned as he felt something blunt poking him in the ribcage. He was in agony, but he was alive. As he finished his groan, he started coughing and spluttering, feeling even greater pain than before all throughout his body. He had always wondered what would happen if two Arcane Shots collided and he hoped to never see it again. That was if he was still able to see.

    The bounty hunter blinked furiously and, slowly, the sky above revealed itself to him. There was a lone cloud drifting overhead and he had never been so pleased to see a cloud. He had his sight, but did he have his arms and legs? He wiggled his fingers and toes and the intense pain confirmed that he was intact.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡± cried a young feminine voice. ¡°Jack, come here!¡±

    Arc couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open as the pain grew in him once again and his head started to fog, but he could hear pattering footsteps running towards him before a young man spoke.

    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± said the lad. ¡°I could have sworn he wasn¡¯t breathing.¡±

    ¡°What do we do with him?¡± asked the girl, her voice trembling. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him here on the road to die, can we? What if there are coyotes nearby¡­or worse?¡±

    ¡°We do exactly what we came here to do, Julie,¡± said Jack. ¡°We check his pockets, see if he¡¯s got anything worth taking, and then we get the hell out of here before he tries to kill us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about this, Jack. Do we have to?¡±

    ¡°We need to survive one way or another and if this guy has something we can sell, then it¡¯s his fault for getting caught in that explosion.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julie with a sigh. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±

    As a hand reached inside his jacket pocket, Arc wanted to reach out and stop the looters. He wanted to slap some sense into them and tell them to cease their thieving ways. He wanted to, but he could not. Before he could even move an inch, he slipped back into the dark painless bliss of unconsciousness.

 Book 1, Chapter 2 - Bindings

    Arc felt his head roll to the side and he jolted awake. He was aching all over and parts of his skin felt as though they were burned raw, but all things considered, he had had worse injuries; at least far as he could tell without having had the chance to look himself over. No doubt after a hearty meal and a good night¡¯s sleep, he would be right as rain.

    Even before opening his eyes, he could tell that he was tied up as the frayed rope binding his wrists together rubbed against his skin. And that was without mentioning the jagged rock pressing into his spine; it was more unpleasant than the ropes. Someone had saved him from the pass, but for what purpose, he couldn¡¯t say.

    The bounty hunter¡¯s eyes adjusted to the low light and he realised he was in a cave. The rock he was tied to should have been a clue, but the deserts of Nuvaria were filled with rocks so he cut himself some slack.

    Arc was facing the back wall of the cave and a stream of light was shining from somewhere behind, creating a shadow on the wall, yet all he could see of himself was his elbows and knees jutting out. It was not a simple rock he was tied to and could wriggle himself free from; it was a pillar of stone that stretched from the rough ground to the stalactite-covered ceiling.

    His neck felt stiff and he tilted his head to the side, cracking it to relieve himself. He felt a little looser already and swallowed before clearing his throat, trying to rid himself of the dryness. To say he felt as golden as his gun would have been an exaggeration. Still, he felt considerably better than he did thirty seconds prior.

    ¡°Jack, I think he¡¯s awake,¡± whispered a soft voice from somewhere behind him.

    Arc¡¯s eyes darted to a shadow on the ground that extended to the base of the wall. He had previously presumed it to be a stalagmite, but it was clear now that it was the young girl he had heard after briefly awakening in the pass. He couldn¡¯t remember her name. Jane? No, that wasn¡¯t it. Jenny? No, still not right. Even if it didn¡¯t come to mind, he could no doubt get that information out of her easily enough.

    It suddenly dawned on him that either Colt the Scourge was dead or he had barely managed to escape with his life, but that left Arc without a bounty to claim no matter which outcome was reality. He¡¯d wasted two Arcane Shots and had only scrapes, burns, bruises, and a handful of dead bandits to show for it. He would take the dead bandits as a minor win¡ªdead bandits were normally his bread and butter¡ªbut his failure to ensure Colt¡¯s death was a black mark on his record.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go round there,¡± muttered the girl.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do the talking,¡± came Jack¡¯s voice.

    Arc heard a pair of footsteps approaching. The young man was wearing worn leather boots; Arc was more than familiar with the dull thuds they made against the stone. Was the boy well-travelled or simply poor? He would have to get a read on the situation quickly if he was to try and talk himself out of his current predicament.

    Jack stepped in front of Arc, keeping ten feet back just in case the bounty hunter lunged for him. Tied up or not, Arc presented a threat. It was a sensible move and Arc would have done the same had he been in the young man¡¯s position. Jack was someone with his head screwed on the right way so, with any luck, he could be reasoned with.

    Even though his voice was barely pubescent, Arc was surprised to see just how young Jack looked. He must have been no older than thirteen years of age, but he had a dirty face that had seen plenty of hardship. Under the grime, Arc could see Jack had lightly tanned skin as many locals did; the Nuvarian sun was proficient at giving out tans.

    Jack¡¯s shaggy brown hair was pushed away from his emerald eyes and he could certainly have done with washing that too. He wore a tan t-shirt with a blue jacket over the top that was in sore need of a needle and thread. His frayed sleeves were rolled up, revealing the boy¡¯s skinny arms, which he kept folded in front of him.

    ¡°Hello,¡± said Arc after waiting nearly seconds for Jack to speak.

    ¡°Hello,¡± said Jack, staring at the bound man intensely.

    ¡°My name is Arc the Hawk. I take it that you¡¯re Jack?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡±

    Was the boy too nervous to say anything further or was he trying to read Arc the same way Arc was trying to read him? The bounty hunter didn¡¯t want to push his luck and risk annoying his captor too much, so he stayed silent and waited for Jack to speak again.

    ¡°So,¡± said Jack after a minute, ¡°what should I do with you?¡±

    ¡°What should you do with me?¡± asked Arc, not breaking eye contact with the young man. ¡°Well, letting me go would be appreciated, of course, but I suspect it isn¡¯t that simple.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that simple.¡±

    ¡°Understandable, considering where you found me. For all you know, I could be anyone; you wouldn¡¯t know me from the bandits. Ask me whatever questions you need me to. No matter how difficult, I¡¯ll answer them truthfully and you can make whatever judgements you need. If you decide to leave me here to rot in the cave, go for it, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡±

    Jack nodded slowly and his expression softened the tiniest fraction. It was as though the guilt he felt in holding a man captive had been lifted off his shoulders upon hearing his prisoner did not mind being left tied to a column in a cave in the middle of nowhere. To Arc, this meant that the boy had some empathy and that was exactly what he had hoped to discover.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack. ¡°I have many questions running through my mind and I¡¯m not sure where to start. How about the most awkward one? Arc the Hawk¡­have you ever killed a man?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Arc truthfully. ¡°Presuming it¡¯s the same day that I first lost consciousness, I killed a few men this very morning. All bandits. I couldn¡¯t give you an exact count, I¡¯m afraid, because I don¡¯t know how many survived my ambush. I would say that seven is a reasonable estimate.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who blew up those cars?¡±

    ¡°Most of them, yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bounty hunter,¡± said Arc. ¡°The man I was hunting is a fella named Colt the Scourge. Real nasty piece of work, he is. He¡¯s tied up in all sorts of atrocities from murders to raids on towns, and that naturally leads to him making more than his fair share of enemies in the area. There¡¯s a hefty chunk of silver set aside for whoever brings proof of his demise to the client.¡±

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    ¡°Colt the Scourge?¡± asked Jack, furrowing his brow and biting his lower lip. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the name, so I suppose that¡¯s plausible, but who¡¯s to say that you aren¡¯t Colt the Scourge and the bounty hunter was one of the dead bodies lying on the road.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fair question,¡± said Arc before smiling. ¡°Like I said, you wouldn¡¯t know me from the bandits. Luckily for me, I have proof. You¡¯ve been through my pockets, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Jack said nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not angry about it. There¡¯s a folded piece of paper in there that might interest you. It¡¯s Colt¡¯s bounty notice.¡±

    Jack leaned to the side and gave a nod to the unseen girl who lurked closer to the mouth of the cave. There came the sound of the girl rummaging through Arc¡¯s small pile of possessions and then the distinct rustling swish of paper being unfolded.

    ¡°Yes,¡± came the girl¡¯s voice. ¡°There¡¯s a picture of Colt the Scourge on this and it isn¡¯t him.¡±

    ¡°Julie,¡± muttered Arc and Jack spasmed in horror. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Arc. ¡°I woke up briefly when you two were planning to mug me near the wreckage. I heard you say each other¡¯s names, but I couldn¡¯t remember the girl¡¯s until just now. It was Julie. Are you brother and sister?¡±

    Jack kneeled before Arc and looked him dead in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the questions, Arc.¡±

    ¡°Be my guest,¡± said the bounty hunter.

    ¡°If we were to let you go, what would you do next?¡±

    ¡°Well, I would hope that you would return my possessions and I could move along to the next town over. If we¡¯re roughly where I think we are, that would be Pembroke, which suits me just fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t return your possessions no matter how much I would love to believe everything you¡¯re telling me is true,¡± said Jack, shaking his head. ¡°We have no guarantee that you won¡¯t just shoot us when you leave.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Arc. He contemplated for a moment. Again, it was a reasonable statement even if it was irksome. ¡°At the very least, would you return my spellcaster? It¡¯s the golden gun with the blue markings. I don¡¯t care about any of the ammunition, but the gun itself is precious to me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I must insist that you give it back, Jack.¡±

    ¡°And I already told you I won¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Jack, please,¡± said Julie sympathetically. ¡°How¡¯s he supposed to trust us if we leave him with nothing?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± grumbled Jack, ¡°but just the gun. No ammo and nothing else.¡±

    It would have to do. The Golden Hawk was one of two possessions Arc truly cared about; the other being the orange scarf wrapped around his neck. He could wander the desert completely naked and wouldn¡¯t feel unsafe as long as he had that gun. It wouldn¡¯t be ideal if some ugly monstrosity reared its head from a hole in the ground and tried to eat him, but he would find a way to survive. He always did.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Arc, but his voice was growing hoarse from all the talking and his words were barely audible.

    He heard Julie¡¯s footsteps approaching and Jack held up his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± he warned her, but she ignored him.

    A red-headed girl walked before Arc, holding a dented canteen. She smiled at him sweetly and her bright green eyes¡ªthe same green eyes that Jack had¡ªtwinkled from the evening light that shone into the cave. She couldn¡¯t have been much older than Jack, but she certainly wouldn¡¯t have been younger. They were siblings, there was no doubt about that, for Arc could see the similarities between their faces. Were they twins? They must have been.

    Once Julie had unscrewed the canteen lid, she held it to Arc¡¯s mouth and gently tipped it up. He gulped down two mouthfuls of water to quench his thirst before giving her a nod to signal that that was enough. If he took all of his sister¡¯s water, that wouldn¡¯t ease Jack¡¯s reservations about him. No, as thirsty as he was, he was best to take only what he needed.

    Julie took the canteen away and twisted the lid back into place before Jack grabbed the back of her faded purple garb. She was in arm¡¯s reach of the stranger and he swiftly pulled her back. She almost dropped the canteen as she quickstepped to remain upright and then shot her brother a dirty look.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Arc, his voice coming through more clearly now. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re kind.¡±

    ¡°I think we should let him go,¡± whispered Julie to her brother, but not as quietly as she had intended. ¡°We don¡¯t want to kill him or leave him for dead, right? It¡¯s why we dragged him all the way out here in the first place.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± sighed Jack, shaking his head despondently. ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°His story about the bounty checks out and you¡¯ve heard Colt¡¯s name before, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± said Jack. He glanced over at Arc who tried his best to hide his frustration at Jack¡¯s deliberation.

    ¡°Can we untie him now?¡±

    Jack¡¯s expression was that of anguish and the confidence that he had tried displaying earlier was slipping away as he was faced with the agonising choice of his next course of action.

    Had it been his own safety at risk, he wouldn¡¯t have cared half as much, but he couldn¡¯t let anything harm his sister. If there was even a small chance that her life was on the line, he couldn¡¯t let Arc go free. Yet still, he felt the inclination to do just that.

    Jack turned to Arc, trying to put on a brave face once again, but failing miserably. ¡°Why should we trust you?¡± he asked. ¡°Make your best case.¡±

    ¡°My best case?¡± asked Arc with a faint chuckle.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny. Why should we trust you and let you go free?¡±

    Arc brought his arms around from behind the pillar with the small strand of rope in his hand. He rested his arms on his knees and his smile widened.

    ¡°Because I already freed myself two minutes ago and didn¡¯t attack you.¡±

    Jack and Julie leapt backwards into the cave wall with horrified expressions, but Arc stayed perfectly still.

    ¡°Y-you¡­¡± began Jack, raising a finger and pointing at Arc. ¡°H-how did¡­how did you?¡±

    ¡°It was a good knot,¡± said Arc earnestly, ¡°but the rope was already frayed and all it took was a few subtle movements against the sharpest parts of the pillar before it was loosened enough for me to slip my wrists free.¡±

    Jack stared silently with his mouth agape. It moved ever so slightly, but no words escaped.

    ¡°So, what do you say?¡± asked Arc, dropping the rope. ¡°Have I proven I can be trusted yet?¡±

    Julie took a tepid step towards the bounty hunter. ¡°You were already free when I gave you water?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Arc, giving her a firm nod. ¡°And it would be very easy for me to overpower the pair of you, even with that knife your brother is concealing behind his back.¡±

    Jack held up his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t have a knife. You¡¯re mistaken, Arc.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is so.¡±

    ¡°Turn around,¡± said Arc with a smirk.

    There were three seconds of silence before Jack spoke again. ¡°No,¡± he said, annoyed to have been rumbled by the vigilant bounty hunter.

    ¡°A wise word from the experienced, Jack. If you¡¯re concealing a weapon, don¡¯t keep fiddling with it. It¡¯s a dead giveaway.¡±

    Jack grimaced. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll note that for next time.¡±

    ¡°Next time?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal, kids. I¡¯m going to take all of my stuff and walk away. I won¡¯t touch the food, water, weapons, or whatever else you may have. That¡¯s a solemn promise and my word is valuable to me, so please trust that I won¡¯t break it. Everything you already had remains yours; I¡¯m not interested in it. I¡¯m a wasteland wanderer, not some freak who kills children to get his kicks. I simply want to move around Nuvaria without hassle and find my next mark, alright?¡±

    ¡°And what if we¡ª¡±

    Jack¡¯s words were broken by a high-pitched squealing from somewhere in the wasteland outside. And that somewhere, wherever it may have been, was nearby.

    Arc leapt to his feet, rounded the column and then rushed over to the mouth of the cave. He stared out into the desert while leaning against the stone wall. He could see the faint outline of a hunched creature with sallow skin disappearing across the badlands and moving towards a swarm of black dots that drifted along the horizon.

    ¡°Goblins,¡± spat Arc as the twins rushed up beside him, their young hearts filled with fear.

    ¡°Did they see us?¡± squeaked Julie as the colour faded from Jack¡¯s face.

    ¡°That one was a scout,¡± said Arc. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be hightailing it if he didn¡¯t know we were here. He¡¯s reporting back to the rest of his tribe and they¡¯ll be on the move in seconds. Even if we were to run, they¡¯re quick little beasts and would be on us like a disease before long.¡±

    ¡°What do we do?¡± whispered Jack, unable to speak any louder.

    Arc reached out his hand without looking back. ¡°Give me my weapons and all three of us might make it out of this alive.¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 3 - Screeching Goblins

    Jack tossed Arc his spellcaster and the three spell cartridges he had taken from the bounty hunter¡¯s jacket. Julie, meanwhile, passed Arc his knife, his revolver, and his thirteen remaining revolver bullets. All the while, Arc kept his eyes on the growing dots in the distance that were rapidly morphing into the shape of goblins.

    ¡°The vermin of the wasteland,¡± he muttered quietly before speaking louder. ¡°You two ever had to deal with goblins before?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Jack, clutching his own knife with a trembling hand. ¡°We¡¯re usually pretty good at moving along undetected.¡±

    ¡°Are we far from the car pileup?¡±

    ¡°No more than a mile away.¡±

    ¡°Then they were probably drawn this way by the smoke in the sky,¡± said Arc sombrely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you two, but them being here is my fault.¡±

    Arc had encountered goblins many times in his life and not one of the encounters had been pleasant. He loathed goblins. They were an invasive species that was historically a pest and had since become a plague; not that Arc had been alive in the time when they were merely pests. Goblins were savage little beasts that would cower in fear if you met one alone, only to bite you in the neck the second you turned around. In larger groups, they were confident and relentless. The worst part was that you could cut a tribe of fifty goblins down to ten and in a couple of years, they¡¯d have bred their way back to fifty.

    ¡°What should we do, Mr Hawk?¡± asked Julie, clutching at the spellslinger¡¯s jacket sleeve so tightly that her knuckles were as white as her face.

    ¡°I want both of you to stay in the cave and out of sight, you hear?¡± said Arc. ¡°Keep yourselves behind the column you tied me to and don¡¯t say a single word. Not even if they¡¯re picking the flesh from my bones and gnashing away at it with their rotten teeth, understood?¡±

    The twins nodded and then made a dash for the back of the cave, trying their best to both stay behind the pillar. They clung to each other, listening to the stampeding footsteps that were picking up in volume. Julie kept her eyes tightly shut while Jack watched the bounty hunter¡¯s shadow on the cave¡¯s back wall. He wanted to help, but he knew he would only be a liability if he tried.

    Arc took a deep breath as the goblins grew closer and closer. They began screeching a battle cry that made him wince as it pierced his eardrums. He took a dozen paces out of the cave and loaded his bullets into his revolver. After that, he readied his spellcaster with three more Arcane Shot cartridges. It was a real shame that he might need to use these on lowly goblins, but it was his best chance at getting the two youngsters out of this mess. After all, they were on the verge of releasing him. Thieves or not, they weren¡¯t heartless monsters. He would give them a second chance.

    The goblins were now close enough that Arc could make out their faces and he counted twenty-two of the green-skinned rodents. They were hideous, wrinkled little creatures standing at no more than four feet tall. They wore skirts made from hide with some of them wearing lop-sided vests that certainly weren¡¯t fashioned by capable human hands. Around their necks, wrists, and waists they wore adornments of tooth and bone that would rattle with the slightest movement. Stealthy, goblins were not.

    Presuming he missed zero shots and it took a single shot to kill each of his foes, he was still six bullets shy of a full sweep. Hopefully, if he said a prayer, the goblins would get spooked once Arc laid waste to most of their attacking force and turn tail and run. Perhaps a single shot would do the trick if he was lucky.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arc quietly, raising his spellcaster. Thanks to its homing movement, an Arcane Shot spell was an almost guaranteed hit. ¡°it¡¯s showtime.¡±

    He pressed his finger on the trigger of his golden gun and the cylinder glowed blue as it rotated and unleashed the first Arcane Shot. A basic spell it may be, but it was reliably effective as long as he aimed correctly. The magical orb of white energy soared through the air, whizzing over the dry bushes and dusty ground, before colliding with a screeching goblin¡¯s head and caving it in with a gruesome squelch. Its viscous blood and liquified brain doused the next row of goblins, painting them red.

    The headless goblin fell backwards into one of his comrades, tripping him up, while the rest of the goblins shook their sharp spears and thick clubs angrily. The death of one of their own only served to anger them, not scare them, but Arc thought that would be the case; first blood had been drawn and their forces were still strong.

    Arc threw his spellcaster into the air and flicked his revolver into his right hand, catching the spellcaster with his left. He raised the revolver, looked down the sights and tapped the trigger once, twice, thrice, and then four times. Each shot was a hit and he took out four goblins; a great streak. His fifth shot was a near-miss and he winced as it grazed a pointed green ear. His sixth shot had him back on form and his round pierced a goblin¡¯s eye, shooting out the back of its head along with a spray of blood droplets, ending its miserable life. His six kills now left the goblin horde with sixteen goblins who refused to cease their screeching.

    ¡°No fear yet?¡± Arc asked aloud as he put his spellcaster under his arm and loaded six more cartridges into his revolver. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see how long that lasts, you miserable little wretches.¡±

    As Arc raised his gun, he spied a spear flying through the air and quickly pivoted mere seconds before it landed right where he had been standing. The only cover nearby was the cave and there was no way he was stepping inside unless he was forced to; not with Jack and Julie hiding there. The goblins would find them eventually, he knew that, but he wanted them out of the way for as long as possible while he thinned the horde.

    Six bangs later, four more goblins were dead. Normally, enemies drawing closer would make them much easier to pick off, but the flung spears left Arc shooting and dodging simultaneously. Things could have gone better, that much was certain, but every dead goblin meant that Jack and Julie stood a greater chance of surviving the attack.

    Arc loaded his final revolver round with over half of the horde still standing. He held his gun out and shot a rather toothy goblin in the throat, toppling the ugly menace instantly. And with that, Arc shoved his revolver into its holster and snatched his spellcaster back with his right hand. It was a shame to use his last two Arcane Shots, but needs must.

    ¡°Here goes,¡± he muttered, unleashing two successive bursts of magical energy.

    Before the spent cartridges even hit the ground, two more goblins had fallen and Arc had holstered his gun, replacing it with his knife. He held it close and kept his shoulders in, readying himself to thrust as the goblins closed the gap and the yards between the predators and the prey grew fewer by the second.

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    ¡°Come on!¡± Arc called out, lunging forward and stabbing a goblin in the chest as it swung its club at him.

    The sudden strike threw the goblin¡¯s trajectory off, but the club still struck Arc in the leg. Had he been at full strength, this wouldn¡¯t have been much of a problem, but weakened as he was from his dealings with Colt, he buckled and fell to the ground, only just managing to wrench his knife free as the goblin also collapsed. Unlike the human, however, it had no chance of getting back up and lay disgracefully on the dry soil.

    Arc let out a howl of pain as another goblin swung its club in an arc through the air, bashing him across the knee. Overconfident as the goblin was, it lingered a second too long while smiling at its supposed success. The opening gave Arc the chance to grab its club with his free hand, pulling both it and its wielder towards him and skewering the no-longer-grinning goblin through the eye with his knife before tossing the little beast aside. The human scrambled back to his feet as pairs of gnarled fingers grabbed at his jacket, trying to pull him into their midst.

    Even now that there were only seven of them remaining¡ªjust shy of a third of their starting forces¡ªthe goblins did not turn and run. As stupid as these brutes were, they were just intelligent enough to grasp that Arc had run out of bullets and their superior numbers were all they needed. Seven goblins against a lone human with a piddly dagger was plenty and Arc knew it too.

    They started circling the bounty hunter, who quickly made peace with the fact that the best he could do was take out another handful before he was a goner. A pitiful way to go, dying to goblins, but at least he could say that he killed most of his attackers before perishing. Hopefully, the goblins would be too demoralised to venture into the cave and retreat to whatever filthy hole they crawled out from. There it was again, another forlorn hope.

    ¡°Come and get me, you bastards,¡± cried Jack from the mouth of the cave. What the hell was the young man doing? He was told to stay away.

    Jack sprinted past the goblins and, in the distraction, Arc ended the life of yet another of his green foes. The remaining goblins split their numbers with three chasing after Jack and the others staying with Arc. Now these were numbers the spellslinger could work with.

    The goblins pummelled Arc with their clubs, but he landed a swift slash across one an unguarded green stomach, spilling the beast¡¯s guts across the dirt. They lay thick on the dust and the blood filled the small crevices while staining the ground. A forceful knock to the head later and Arc joined the goblin upon the dirt. He raised his arms to shield his face while waiting for an opening.

    As the two goblins beat him bloody, one of them was suddenly shoved aside by a small figure. As the goblin toppled over, the last goblin turned on the pusher; Julie. She tried to run, but it wrapped its fingers around her arm, breaking the skin with its long dirty nails, and pulled her in close. It opened its dripping mouth, eager to sink its teeth into her and tear off a chunk of flesh. What a delicious morsel she would be.

    Its saliva was swinging from its tongue at it threw its head forward and Julie shut her eyes tightly, believing she would be dead momentarily. The disgusting beast did not get the chance to close its jaw as the tendon at the back of his knee was severed by a sharp blade, bringing it down.

    Julie wrenched herself free of the goblin, taking a nasty cut to the arm, and helped Arc back to his feet. As he arose, the goblin Julie had pushed over moments ago leapt at the spellslinger. Arc howled in fury as he brought his knife above his head and thrust his arm forward, catching the goblin in the neck as it fell towards him.

    The goblin let out a pained gasp that elicited no sympathy from the humans. Its raised arm shook violently as it tried to move, but its strength was failing it. It released its club and collapsed on top of its struggling friend, still alive but not for much longer.

    Arc raised his boot and stomped on the crippled goblin¡¯s head, crushing its skull upon the blood-soaked soil of the badlands, leaving only the goblins chasing Jack still alive. Arc turned his gaze to the last of his enemies and saw that the young man had an impressive lead, but the goblins were rapidly gaining on him.

    Before he could make a move, he felt Julie¡¯s hand on his jacket sleeve. ¡°Here,¡± she said, pulling his arm back and shoving five cartridges into his hand.

    With no time to question her about where she found these, Arc loaded three of the four Arcane Shots into his spellcaster before clicking the cylinder back into place. He raised the Golden Hawk high and aimed at a goblin chasing Jack. He fired, sending out one of his spells before aiming at his second target. He fired again and then pivoted to the third goblin. He squeezed the trigger for a final time and the spell erupted from the gun¡¯s muzzle.

    As Jack looked over his shoulder, he saw the goblins dropping one by one, now all headless. Blood and bone fragments fled from their open neck holes, spreading widely before settling on the ground. Free of his pursuers, the young man dropped to his knees and rolled over, staring into the orange sky above and panting heavily. He hadn¡¯t expected to survive the encounter and left the cave hoping to help Arc enough to give his sister a fighting chance of escaping. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat up as Arc and Julie drew close.

    ¡°Spare rounds, eh?¡± asked Arc, holding up the remaining two cartridges; one red and one white, both of which he had identified by the runes they bore.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julie, looking guilty. ¡°We probably should have told you about those earlier, but we weren¡¯t thinking clearly when we heard the goblins coming.¡±

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Jack, looking at Arc¡¯s bloody face. One eye was closed and the other was already swollen near the brow even though it had barely been a minute since he took the savage beating from the goblins.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± grunted the bounty hunter, ¡°but I¡¯ve also been worse. I¡¯ll survive and so will you.¡±

    He turned and surveyed the horizon, wondering if verminous reinforcements were out there somewhere, skulking in a pit or burrowed within a hill. For all he knew, more goblins were lurking at a full-blown camp just out of sight. He could not risk staying here much longer, especially as depleted of usable ammo as he was. A single offensive spell would not cut it.

    ¡°Alright, you two,¡± said Arc. ¡°Gather your things and we¡¯ll see what the goblins left behind. There¡¯s probably nothing useful, but I¡¯m sure you can take one of their spears, Julie. You¡¯ll need something for the road.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re coming with us?¡± asked Julie in shock.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Arc. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave you two out here fending for yourself, can I? I¡¯ll take you both as far as the next town but, if we come across any other miserable creatures, I doubt we¡¯ll make it there. Worth a shot though, eh?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Julie sincerely before turning to her brother and giving him a concerned look. ¡°You should hand it over, Jack.¡±

    ¡°Hand what over?¡± asked Arc slowly.

    ¡°There may be something else,¡± said Jack, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of bullets that would have been perfectly usable in Arc¡¯s revolver.

    The spellslinger was incredulous, especially considering the twins had ample opportunity to hand over all the bullets they¡¯d hoarded before the goblins were in range. Forgetting the spell cartridges was one thing, but the revolver rounds?

    ¡°We need to have a conversation, Jack,¡± said Arc sternly, staring at the young man through his one open eye. Even with his poor vision, he could see that Jack was tense. ¡°But that can wait until we¡¯re far enough away from here that we can¡¯t be sniffed out. However, before we make any more, I have one important thing to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± replied Jack tepidly.

    ¡°Do you have any other weapons or ammunition I should know about?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s everything,¡± worried that Arc would punch him.

    ¡°Julie? I¡¯m more inclined to believe you.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve given you everything now.¡±

    The twins rushed into the cave and grabbed their bags, slinging them over their shoulders and tightening the straps. While Arc kept watch, the two retrieved everything they had taken from him and returned it, including his food and water.

    As the sun grazed the horizon, the three walked across the badlands, seeking the nearest road. Arc dared not return to the scene of the wreckage. He feared that if Colt had survived, he would be back for vengeance. At the very least he would be searching for Arc¡¯s body to use for target practice.

    No, it was best to get a move on. Pembroke wasn¡¯t far and it was in neutral territory, not because it wasn¡¯t desirable, but because the local bandit groups had fought over it so often that they deemed it not worth losing more of their forces over. And that was as safe as could be expected in the harsh wasteland of this fallen world.

 Book 1, Chapter 4 - Who Are You?

    Arc surveyed the landscape as the last of the light faded. All seemed quiet and there were no fresh tracks in the dirt as far as he could tell, so the small alcove in the cliff would be the best that he, Jack, and Julie could do for the night. He limped over to it, silently beckoning the twins to follow, which they did unquestioningly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll rest here until we can travel by daylight again,¡± he said.

    ¡°No arguments here,¡± said Jack, walking over to the alcove, but Arc held out his arm to stop him.

    ¡°Not too hasty, lad. We¡¯ve got some prep work to do before we settle down for the night. Do you normally sleep out in the open when you¡¯re not in a settlement?¡±

    ¡°We try and find a cliff that we can climb to, but sometimes we just camp out under the stars.¡±

    ¡°Do you spend much time outside of towns and villages?¡± asked Arc.

    Julie shook her head. ¡°Not if we can help it. We tend to move along every couple of months. We ran into you when we were on the move again.¡±

    ¡°The move to where?¡±

    ¡°We hadn¡¯t decided yet,¡± said Jack.

    Julie hastily added. ¡°Only because we didn¡¯t know where else was within easy walking distance. It wasn¡¯t a planned relocation.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± said Arc.

    The bounty hunter pulled a tattered brown sheet out from his pack along with four rusty iron pegs and a hammer so well-used that it had dents and scratches all over. The battered hammer prompted raised eyebrows from Jack and Julie.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to murder us with that thing, are you?¡± asked Jack quietly.

    Arc let out a dry laugh. ¡°You think I would have gone to so much trouble saving you, almost dying in the process, only to murder you with pegs and a hammer?¡±

    The twins looked at each other and Julie couldn¡¯t help but laugh as Jack¡¯s brow furrowed and his mouth pulled to one side.

    ¡°No¡­no, I do not,¡± the young man muttered. ¡°Sorry for even suggesting it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stress over it,¡± said Arc. ¡°Now, give me a hand with this thing.¡±

    Arc got the twins to hold the top of the sheet to the stone and he hammered two pegs into the top of it, pinning it to the cliff face. He then hammered two more pegs through the bottom of the sheet, fixing it to the ground with just enough slack that it was easy to slip behind while hiding them from anything that would follow their path.

    ¡°It won¡¯t protect us from anything with a good nose, but it¡¯ll keep us out of sight. I¡¯d say that gives us good odds of seeing tomorrow, eh?¡±

    The twins didn¡¯t answer, unsure if he was joking or not, and simply exchanged glances as they often did.

    The three ducked behind the sheet and moved into the alcove. There was just enough room for each of them to spread out and have somewhere to lay their heads. It would not be comfortable, that was a certainty, but it was shelter. As they each took off their packs, they took a swig of water from their canteens before nestling themselves on the hard ground.

    Arc sat much more slowly, grunting as he slumped down, still very sore after being caught in both the explosion in the pass and taking a severe beating from the unrelenting horde of goblins. He continually repeated to himself that a good night¡¯s sleep was all he needed to be back to normal; he believed that more every time he whispered it under his breath, although Julie was not convinced.

    The walk from the cave the twins had held him captive in was exhausting, not least of all because of his injuries, but because he had been on the road for days already. He had heard from a reliable source that Colt the Scourge would be making his way towards Pembroke and, separated from the bulk of his forces, he was a much easier target. Arc had been right but, unfortunately, he had failed to glean beforehand that Colt was also a spellslinger. That knowledge would have changed everything.

    ¡°Now,¡± he said after propping up his pack and leaning against it to lessen the impact of the rough wall on his bruises, ¡°that conversation I mentioned an hour ago, Jack.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Jack with a heavy sigh. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have held back the revolver ammo or the spell cartridges.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care that you held them back at first,¡± said Arc, ¡°that was understandable when you knew nothing about me, but the fact that neither of you said anything when it was clear that I was going to stand and fight¡­that¡¯s disappointing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry,¡± said Julie as Jack nodded along.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to hear,¡± said Arc, leaning forward and extending a hand for Jack to shake.

    The young man was baffled, but he accepted the handshake. Arc then turned to Julie and offered his hand to her and she too shook it.

    ¡°Now, we¡¯re all good,¡± he said.

    ¡°That easy?¡± asked Jack, expecting a catch.

    ¡°You came through in the end,¡± replied Arc. ¡°You risked your life for me. You had no guarantee that I could save you, yet you took that chance. That¡¯s a level of honour I can respect. I wouldn¡¯t call that easy penance at all.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, Mr Hawk,¡± said Julie, looking uneasy. ¡°We still know nothing about you. Yet here we are travelling with you.¡±

    ¡°Mr Hawk isn¡¯t necessary,¡± said the spellslinger. ¡°You can just call me Arc. So, you want to know more about me? Ask away. I¡¯ll answer what I deem a fair and appropriate question.¡±

    Jack and Julie initially said nothing, each expecting the other to raise the first question, but neither could think of one. Julie opted to break the silence, asking the only question she could dig up and hoping the rest would flow from there.

    ¡°Is Arc the Hawk your real name?¡±

    ¡°Arc is a shortened version of my real name, which I will not tell you because I don¡¯t like it much, and Hawk is a nickname I earned from some old friends for my shooting accuracy.¡±

    ¡°And how old are you?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-three. How about you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re thirteen.¡±

    ¡°I thought so,¡± said Arc, nodding. ¡°I was tempted to guess twelve, but thirteen made more sense in my gut. Although Jack¡¯s naked chin suggests he¡¯s maturing slowly.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± squealed the young man.

    ¡°Shush,¡± said Arc, nodding towards the sheet. ¡°The point of hiding here is to remain undetected.¡±

    Julie pursed her lips as she contemplated her next question. ¡°What do you hate more than anything in the world?¡±

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    ¡°Vampires,¡± said Arc, making Julie laugh, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she fell silent.

    ¡°Vampires?¡± asked Jack. ¡°Care to elaborate on that?¡±

    Arc tightened his scarf. ¡°No,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn. I have a question for the pair of you that I want you to think carefully about.¡±

    ¡°Shoot,¡± said Jack.

    Arc made two guns with his fingers and pretended to fire, making Julie giggle but Jack didn¡¯t react. ¡°Not funny?¡± asked Arc. ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your question?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°What did you see when you found me?¡±

    ¡°Dead bodies and burning vehicles. They were all pickup trucks, as best as I could tell.¡±

    ¡°How many dead bodies?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We didn¡¯t stay there long enough to check.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°We panicked when one of the cars exploded again and spat glass all over the road. Some of it nearly hit us and we were worried it would happen again. After that, we dragged you away before things could get any worse. We didn¡¯t even get the chance to take too much in.¡±

    ¡°How many cars did you see in total? Blown up or otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Four.¡±

    Arc looked at the ground and smiled. ¡°That slippery son of a bitch,¡± he said in amusement while shaking his head slowly. He pulled out the Golden Hawk and twirled it around. ¡°You found Colt¡¯s spell cartridges, but was there a spellcaster lying around? It would have looked like a long copper rod with a small handle and a trigger; very different from my model.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s different from your model, why are you showing us yours?¡±

    Arc shrugged. ¡°Because I think it¡¯s cool and I wanted to show it off.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe I saw another spellcaster,¡± said Julie. ¡°What colour was it?¡±

    ¡°Copper.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t ring a bell, sorry. I only found the cartridges. They were beneath one of the cars along with a small box of revolver rounds; the same ones we gave you.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good enough for me,¡± said Arc. ¡°I¡¯ll chalk that up to Colt or his last lackey dropping the ammo as they made a hasty retreat. That¡¯s my questioning over. If you have any more of your own, go wild.¡±

    ¡°Where are you from?¡± Julie asked, cocking her head to the side.

    Jack nudged Julie and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not asking the important questions, sis,¡± he said before turning to Arc. ¡°You were hunting a man named Colt the Scourge, right? Stands to reason that you¡¯re a bounty hunter by trade and you certainly have the skills for it considering how many people and goblins you killed today. Do you hunt solely for money?¡±

    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± asked Arc. ¡°What are the limits of which bounties I¡¯ll accept?¡±

    ¡°Something like that, yes.¡±

    Arc scratched his blonde stubble, reached inside his jacket pocket and then pulled out Colt¡¯s bounty notice. He cleared his throat and then flipped the paper around for Jack and Julie to see, but it was almost impossible to make anything out in the low light.

    ¡°The man who posted this bounty is called Rodney Millar. He has a daughter named Carolyn Millar, or I should say that he had a daughter named Carolyn Millar. Now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve worked out where Colt comes into this, but I assure you that the time between Colt and his men taking Carolyn and her final moments were not pleasant. What happened to her is something I wouldn¡¯t wish on my worst enemy, and I¡¯ve had a few worst enemies in my time.

    ¡°Colt has had bounties on his head before, but he tends to make sure that those who placed them are dead and unable to pay up should anyone be daring enough to try and kill him. That¡¯s just the way he operates. It¡¯s smart on his part, no denying that, but it shows you that he is a man who has no qualms about cold-blooded murder to save his own skin.

    ¡°To answer your question, Jack, I don¡¯t take bounties just for the sake of it, at least not unless I¡¯m days away from starvation. I take bounties that remove a small patch of rot from this decaying corpse of a world because I can¡¯t stand the fact that we¡¯re in a constant state of decline with no sign of things getting any better.¡±

    Jack and Julie sat in silence, avoiding eye contact with Arc, who was watching the pair intently. After two minutes of silence, he took another swig of water from his canteen before removing his jacket and folding it into a rectangle. He took a deep breath and held it as he shifted himself into a lying position before letting himself exhale.

    ¡°That was unpleasant,¡± he said through gritted teeth. He shifted his jacket underneath his head to use as a pillow while moving the trail of his orange scarf over his eyes to shut out the faint moonlight that reached in through the small holes in the sheet.

    ¡°Is there anything we can do for your injuries?¡± asked Julie, genuinely concerned for the stranger.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± said Arc as he stifled a yawn. ¡°Goodnight, you two. Don¡¯t stay up too late because we¡¯ve got a lot of walking to do tomorrow. If you go outside, make sure you¡¯re not seen and do not rip my sheet. It¡¯s kept me concealed in crevices like this for almost a year and I¡¯ve grown to like it. I don¡¯t much fancy buying a new one.¡±

    Seconds later, Arc was lightly snoring, leaving Jack and Julie astounded at how quickly he could fall asleep. The twins stared at the bounty hunter for a moment before Jack climbed to his feet He grabbed Julie¡¯s hand and pulled her along, keeping low as they slipped outside into the cool night. As Arc had asked, the twins were careful not to tear his precious sheet but it was tattered enough that it probably didn¡¯t have more than a few months left.

    ¡°So, what do you make of him?¡± asked Jack, voicing the question he¡¯d wanted to ask since he¡¯d first spoken to Arc in the cave.

    ¡°I like him,¡± said Julie. ¡°And I believe him.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About everything he¡¯s told us. Even that weird comment about vampires seemed sincere.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s weird about hating vampires?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, it was how deadly serious his tone was. Did you see the look he gave me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did, but I¡¯d now say that I hate goblins more than I knew was possible after today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. What do you think about him then, dear brother?¡± asked Julie, prodding Jack in the arm.

    Jack nodded as he looked to the stars dotting the sky above. ¡°I believe him too, but I think we¡¯ll be far better off once we¡¯re in Pembroke and away from everything out here trying to kill us. If it¡¯s a nice town, maybe we can find something to do there and actually thrive for a change.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t get caught stealing again,¡± pleaded Julie. ¡°Or fighting. We can¡¯t get thrown out of another town. We¡¯re running out of places that¡¯ll take us and the road between them is longer each time.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± sighed Jack, looking despondent. ¡°You¡¯re right, but if it means keeping us fed then I may just have to take that risk again. I¡¯m telling you this to be honest, alright? It¡¯s not something I want to do, but I promised Dad I¡¯d keep you safe and I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep my word.¡±

    ¡°Can we not ask Arc if we can help him out? Maybe we can earn some money that way?¡±

    Jack was so taken aback that he snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I am.¡±

    ¡°Honest as his intentions may be, the man is dangerous to be around. Need I remind you, Jule, that we found him surrounded by the bodies of men he killed? Bad men or not, he sought them out and almost died. Not only that, he caused so much destruction to those cars that the smoke drew in a pack of goblins. The last thing I want is for us to get caught in the crossfire and up with our brains splattered across the soil.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an unpleasant image that I don¡¯t want to think about,¡± said Julie with a frown.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, and the last thing I want is for that unpleasant image to become reality. The man is a trouble magnet and that should be obvious.¡±

    ¡°I know he¡¯s dangerous, but¡­he kept us alive against the odds. If we hadn¡¯t been holding out on him, he might have been able to kill all of the goblins before they reached him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not denying the man¡¯s talent, Jule. But being able to look after yourself is not the same as being able to look after yourself and others.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right¡­¡±

    ¡°I am right.¡±

    Julie folded her arms and looked back towards the concealed alcove a few feet behind her. ¡°Can we sleep now? It¡¯s been a long day.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± said Jack, pulling up the sheet just enough to let her slink underneath. After a wistful look across the barren land, the young man followed.

    Neither of the siblings fell asleep at the speed of Arc, but they were out cold in minutes.

    *

    ¡°Keep it moving, kids,¡± said Arc as he marched along the side of the road. ¡°We can take a pitstop soon and fill up our water. It¡¯s only a couple of hours until we reach Purdue and then we can take a real rest.¡±

    ¡°Purdue?¡± asked Jack. ¡°I thought we were going to Pembroke?¡±

    ¡°Pembroke is still days away. Purdue is just a place we can take a breather while earning some coin.¡±

    ¡°And we can¡¯t stay there instead of going all the way to Pembroke?¡±

    ¡°Purdue is an abandoned town,¡± said Arc. ¡°You might find a few coyotes or racoons to keep you company, but you¡¯ll not find any people. At least not any living ones.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± scoffed Jack. ¡°It¡¯s a literal ghost town?¡±

    Arc stopped and cocked his head to the side. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a succinct way of putting it.¡±

    Julie ran in front of him and held up her hands. ¡°You¡¯re taking us somewhere plagued by ghosts?¡±

    ¡°Plagued seems a bit excessive. There are plenty of haunted places across the land that are far worse than Purdue. Even young¡¯uns like you pair ought to know that.¡±

    Jack shook his head furiously. ¡°That may or may not be the case¡ª"

    ¡°It is the case,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°¡ªbut that doesn¡¯t mean we should go waltzing into haunted ground. What if the ghosts don¡¯t like us and decide to attack? What can we do against beings that we can¡¯t even touch, but can still harm us?¡±

    Julie¡¯s expression was one of utter terror. ¡°Or worse, what if we run away and they follow us out of town, never letting us have a moment¡¯s peace for the rest of our lives?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry that little head of yours,¡± said Arc, patting her on the crown. ¡°The ghosts only come out at night, Julie, and we¡¯ll be long gone by then. Even if we run a little off schedule, the ghosts won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    The twins looked at each other, unable to believe what they were hearing.

    ¡°Enlighten us, wise one,¡± said Jack, rolling his eyes. ¡°Why will the ghosts not be a problem for us?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re going to make sure that they never awaken again,¡± said Arc nonchalantly as he continued to march.

 Book 1, Chapter 5 - The Ghost Town

    ¡°How are we supposed to lay ghosts to rest?¡± asked Jack, starting to believe that Arc was insane. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re some sort of medium as well as a sharpshooter?¡±

    The spellslinger laughed. ¡°Do you think I would bring us to Purdue if I didn¡¯t know what I was doing?¡± asked Arc.

    Jack rolled his eyes while Arc continued to smile. ¡°No, but it might help us stay alive if we knew your plan.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell us the full story, please?¡± asked Julie, worried more about her brother losing his temper than she was about going into a haunted town.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arc with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s another bounty I picked up a while ago, but it was low on the priority list. It¡¯s pretty simple, honestly. Go into Purdue and smash the spirit idol that binds the souls of the lost townsfolk to the town. Once that¡¯s in pieces, I scoop up the remains and hand it over to the client to cash the job in. Like I said, it¡¯s simple.¡±

    ¡°And this is all part of your plan to remove the rot from the Nuvarian wasteland, is it?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Why are you so cynical at such a young age, boy?¡± asked Arc, scratching his chin. ¡°I do some good and get paid for it. A man¡¯s gotta eat somehow, right? And clients very rarely pay expenses, so all my ammo is paid for by what I¡¯ve got left from the previous job. If you¡¯re looking for a career that¡¯ll make you rich, being a bounty hunter ain¡¯t it.¡±

    Jack and Julie looked at each other.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack, having calmed down. ¡°Tell us what to do and we¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Just stick close to me and do whatever I tell you to do whenever I tell you to do it. There¡¯s nothing else to it. I had planned this little excursion as a solo endeavour after killing Colt, but I¡¯m neither solo nor is Colt dead.¡±

    Jack gave Julie a look that reminded her of the conversation they had the previous night. Julie avoided eye contact, not wanting to admit that Jack was right. Being around Arc would be dangerous and they would have to part ways in Pembroke for their own safety. She hated when he was right, but it happened often enough that she was used to it.

    The trio continued walking along the side of the road. Every now and then as the dust billowed in the wind, the grey of the worn asphalt became clearer and Julie spotted a line marking the centre of the road that separated one lane from another. Cars these days didn¡¯t care how they travelled on the roads as all of the old rules had fallen by the wayside.

    The few who could drive tended to use the centre markings as a guideline to drive on top of rather than a division between forward-moving and oncoming traffic, largely because most roads didn¡¯t see cars for months on end with only the main roads seeing more than a handful in any given week. Living mounts were the favoured method of transport over mechanical ones, simply because it was easier to feed a horse than it was to fuel a car.

    It was late afternoon by the time Arc, Jack, and Julie spotted Purdue for the first time. Arc stood atop a hill and scanned the rundown town of broken brick buildings interspersed with ones of dry and splintered wood. All seemed to be quiet and there was still another hour of sunlight before they would see head or tail of any phantoms.

    ¡°As I said, stick close,¡± Arc reminded the children, who moved closer to him.

    The three walked down the hill and along the road passing through the centre of the small town. Arc poked his head around the corner of the nearest doorway, which had no door to even open. He squinted inside, looking into the dark corners where the light streaming through the broken roof and upper floor didn¡¯t reach.

    ¡°No, too unimportant,¡± said Arc, shaking his head.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Jack. ¡°Couldn¡¯t this idol be anywhere?¡±

    ¡°It could, but it won¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°And why not?¡±

    ¡°In my experience, important artefacts are either buried a few feet under your boots, forgotten to time, or they¡¯re kept somewhere of significance; a town hall, an old museum, and so on and so forth. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m digging my way through town in an hour, so we¡¯ll prioritise a few key buildings. I would bet the silver in my pouch that the idol is somewhere prominent.¡±

    ¡°How many jobs involving ghosts have you taken?¡±

    Arc didn¡¯t answer, avoiding eye contact and walking towards the town centre while ignoring the other nearby buildings.

    Jack had a sinking feeling in his chest. ¡°None?¡±

    Arc smiled. ¡°Two, but I¡¯ve read enough about these sorts of things to know that¡¯s how it usually goes for others. If I¡¯m being honest, most of my lived experience is with humans and monsters. The undead I¡¯ve dealt with haven¡¯t typically been of the spectral variety.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this,¡± said Jack, shaking his head in frustration while clutching his hair. ¡°All this time I thought you were some sort of expert!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see you take out twenty-two goblins on the warpath and live to tell the tale, wise guy. My skills are transferable, and there¡¯s nothing complicated about finding a spirit idol. Once we find it, I shoot it like I do every other thing that causes trouble and it doesn¡¯t live to tell the tale.¡±

    ¡°Except for Colt, right?¡±

    ¡°Stop fighting and let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Julie said, pulling her brother back and looking towards the sun. ¡°The quicker we find the idol, the sooner we can get out of here.¡±

    ¡°The quicker we find it, the sooner we don¡¯t need to get out of here and can rest up as intended,¡± said Arc with a grin. ¡°If you want to split up and check out all of the minor crevices of no significance, then be my guest. But I assure you, you¡¯ll be wasting your time.¡±

    Jack and Julie didn¡¯t dare leave and Arc nodded knowing that they were too scared of being alone if night were to fall. He walked away and beckoned them over his shoulder, leading them towards a building with a wooden signboard that had fallen from its mounted position above the entrance and was now blocking the door.

    ¡°Purdue General,¡± Arc read aloud. ¡°I have no doubt it¡¯s been looted to hell and back, but maybe there¡¯s something useful tucked away here. Scavenging lesson number one, kids; scavengers always look over valuables, whether intentionally or not. I¡¯ve found a few gems hidden at the back of shelves or in locked safes that nobody put any effort into opening.¡±

    Arc leapt over the sign effortlessly and then pushed his way through the rubble that had piled up behind it, while Jack and Julie helped each other into the building. Being much shorter than their new companion, they found entry trickier than the six-foot-tall Arc.

    ¡°Aha!¡± called the bounty hunter after rummaging around behind the counter for a while.

    He sat up and held out a couple of shotgun shells and a single revolver bullet. The twins couldn¡¯t understand why he looked so pleased when his spoils were a single usable bullet and something utterly useless to him.

    ¡°Before you say anything,¡± said the man, ¡°remember that we¡¯re going to Pembroke and they have merchants there. I¡¯ll introduce you to my buddy Jamison when we roll into town. These shotgun shells may not be useful in the here and now, but getting a few silvers for them or using them to barter for something else I need may prove pivotal, my young friends. Never underestimate the value of a good barter.¡±

    Jack was about to retort, but Arc cut him off.

    ¡°How did you two get by before meeting me?¡± he asked.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°We bought what we needed,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°Or stole it,¡± added Julie guiltily.

    ¡°I thought by now that you two would have understood the importance of trade,¡± said Arc, standing up and pocketing the ammunition. ¡°Forgive me if this is a sore subject, but have you two been alone for long?¡±

    ¡°Only a year,¡± said Jack quietly while Julie¡¯s lip quivered. Even though she managed to hold it together, her eyes had begun watering.

    ¡°I see. You don¡¯t need to tell me what happened. After all, I¡¯m still a stranger but hopefully, before we reach Pembroke, I can teach you a thing or two. It¡¯s an old mantra, but remember that one man¡¯s junk is another man¡¯s treasure. Somebody wants these shotgun shells and will happily accept them in exchange for something else, whether that¡¯s money or another item of value.¡±

    ¡°Well, I knew that already,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°Yet you looked confused as to why I decided to keep them. There¡¯s no need to be ashamed of not knowing some of the basic rules of survival, especially if you¡¯re as young as you two and haven¡¯t ever roamed the land scavenging.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Arc,¡± said Julie, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good, kid,¡± he said, making his way back over to the doorway. ¡°Alright, time¡¯s a¡¯wasting. It¡¯s safe to say there¡¯s no idol here.¡±

    Each building they passed, Arc either dismissed entirely or ran a curious eye over before moving along. Jack and Julie asked him why he didn¡¯t bother searching a few buildings that looked like they had once been shops.

    ¡°Shops aren¡¯t important buildings,¡± he told them. ¡°They¡¯re good for scavenging, but who keeps a magical totem in a shop that isn¡¯t intended for dedicated mages? If Purdue has a museum, that would be somewhere worth checking, but most of these buildings aren¡¯t worth our time.¡±

    The trio walked to the centre of the town where an old iron fence sat surrounding a square. Within the square, there would once have been lush grass and vibrant flowers, but they had all died out a couple of decades before the three had even been born. Nestled at the crossroads of four broken paths of paving stones was a podium. Atop it, stood a large stone statue of a finely dressed man with a beard, holding a book and looking towards the town hall. His expression was one of pride as he gazed upon the fine building before him.

    ¡°Last man left in town,¡± chuckled Arc before following the gaze to the town hall. ¡°And I bet you, he¡¯s telling us where we can find the spirit idol.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Scoff when I¡¯m wrong, but not before,¡± said Arc, holding up a hand to silence Jack.

    ¡°When?¡± asked Julie and Jack sniggered.

    ¡°If, I¡¯m wrong,¡± mumbled Arc through gritted teeth. ¡°I meant if I¡¯m wrong.¡±

    He strolled towards the limestone building which had more damaged bricks than not and walked up the stairs, unintentionally flicking sand behind him with every step and forcing Jack and Julie to cover their faces after the first faceful. The spellslinger looked up towards the balcony protruding from the third floor, wondering how nice the view from up there would have once been. No doubt, the entire town was visible and perhaps even beyond the once-green hills to the south.

    With a sigh at the memory of a past he had never known, Arc marched on through the double doors that had remained standing. While few doors hadn¡¯t been ripped from the hinges in Purdue, the thick oak of the town hall doors were in remarkably good condition; so good that even the varnish still had a sheen to it, having been repeatedly buffed by the sandstorms that tended to occur in these parts. How it hadn¡¯t been worn away after decades of neglect, Arc put down to the care of those who came before.

    The town hall itself had been completely ransacked with barely a wooden chair left standing. Many of the remaining chairs were missing legs or back supports. At least two of them were missing their seats. The twins saw these and thought it was sad, while Arc saw firewood that had yet to be claimed; a shame he was travelling light.

    On the walls, there were dark squares and rectangles where paintings had once hung. The ones left behind were either unwanted on account of them being hideously ugly or so badly stained that they were unrecognisable from their former selves. One of them depicted a man with a stretched face and a lecherous grin that sent a shiver down Julie¡¯s spine. When she pointed it out to her brother, he grimaced.

    Arc wrinkled his nose at the smell of musky decay and walked up to the front desk where neither human nor phantom sat to greet him. He leaned over to see what lay behind it, not sure what he was hoping to find there. What he found reflected his hopes; nothing. There wasn¡¯t as much as a single pencil or paper logbook. It crossed Arc¡¯s mind that the record keeping was largely computerised by the time of the Arcanaclysm and most of the electronics would have been stripped for parts years ago. Electronics of all kinds were among the most heavily desired items a scavenger could find, following food, water, and weaponry.

    With a shrug to the twins, the spellslinger made his way from room to room, continuing the search for the idol. The trio made their way between meeting rooms, offices and even bathrooms¡ªwhich were particularly foul-smelling¡ªacross the floor and came up empty.

    ¡°What exactly are we looking for?¡± asked Julie after half an hour of searching. They had now reached the second floor of the building and were systematically working their way through the rooms up here.

    ¡°Small stone statue,¡± said Arc. ¡°I thought I covered that already.¡±

    ¡°I know, but what does it look like?¡±

    ¡°It looks like a small stone statue and that¡¯s the best I¡¯ve got for you. Don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a man, woman, beast, or a random object.¡±

    Arc could feel Jack rolling his eyes through the back of his head. ¡°Look, boy,¡± said Arc sternly, spinning around and pushing his index finger into the young man¡¯s sternum. ¡°This is a job I¡¯m doing to keep myself afloat and it isn¡¯t exactly in my wheelhouse. If you¡¯ve got a problem with it, you and your sister can go and wait for me outside of town. I¡¯ve been nothing but nice to you and the disrespect is starting to grate on me. You want to wander the wastes alone? Go for it. Good luck to you, but I¡¯m going to continue hunting because I need to eat.¡±

    Jack stood silently staring at Arc. He wanted to be staring coldly at him, but the shame quickly washed over him and he broke eye contact.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said the young man. ¡°I¡¯ve not been fair to you, Arc.¡±

    ¡°Damn straight. We¡¯re all trying to survive here and it¡¯s easier done if we don¡¯t rain on each other¡¯s parades all day long. Now get back to searching and we can get out of here much faster.¡±

    As Arc resumed his search, Julie gave Jack a thump on the arm. ¡°You can¡¯t control that mouth of yours, can you?¡± she whispered to him angrily.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my mouth, it was my eyes,¡± grumbled Jack, his tone as miserable as his face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it was. Stop it! We¡¯ve got someone looking out for us for a change and I¡¯m not going to let you ruin it because you need to find fault with everything. I want you to be on your best behaviour from here on out.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I can¡¯t help it, Jule.¡±

    ¡°You had better start helping it or I¡¯ll never let you hear the end of it. Nobody wants to be around someone who complains all the time and has nothing to offer but snark.¡±

    The search continued in silence save for the footsteps on the wooden floorboards and the occasional grinding of furniture being pushed aside. Each room that turned up empty made Arc feel all the more confident that the idol was somewhere deeper in the building.

    ¡°I demand souls,¡± said Arc after sneaking up behind Jack as the young man looked through an old cabinet.

    He yelped and jumped so high that he hit his head on the cabinet shelf. He took a deep breath, his heart beating thrice as fast as it normally did, and then removed himself from the cabinet.

    ¡°That was not funny,¡± he said and started massaging his crown.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re even, Jackie Boy,¡± said Arc, chortling as he clapped Jack on the back.

    Jack knew better than to retort or to make any sour faces, knowing that he would face the wrath of both his newfound protector and his sister. Instead, he got back to rummaging for the idol without a word.

    As the trio crossed the hall for the third time, Julie¡¯s foot broke through one of the older and more rickety floorboards. Arc caught her under the arm as she fell and pulled her back up. She squatted low and looked at the large scrapes across her shin.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Arc asked.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said as she pulled out a couple of large splinters. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Treading more slowly and carefully now, the idol hunters headed into the next room, which was as dishevelled as the others. One thing, however, caught Jack¡¯s eye. There was a large cloth map hung on the wall showing the local area and Purdue was marked dead centre.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t pass any of these places on the road here,¡± said Jack, pointing at different villages and towns.

    ¡°Not everywhere survived the Arcanaclysm,¡± said Arc, walking up beside the young man. ¡°See those forests? All gone with only a few small clusters of trees left to tell you there was ever a forest there. That¡¯s not to mention the factories, temples, and many others that were completely obliterated.¡±

    ¡°Lake Mari,¡± said Jack, drawing a line with his finger from Purdue to a large blue-tinted section. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s dried up now?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Arc as his chest heaved up. ¡°A real tragedy, right? If you¡¯ve ever heard people talk of the Lumen Basin, that¡¯s what they¡¯re talking about. You get strange abyssal beings showing up there every now and then. I don¡¯t know if they live in some deep pit in the darkest crevices of the basin or if they¡¯re coming through some sort of portal lurking somewhere out of sight, but people avoid it like the plague.¡±

    ¡°And for good reason, by the sounds of it.¡±

    ¡°At least we got to keep Lake Pandora on the mountain up there or we¡¯d have precious few rivers running through the area. Imagine trying to survive in lovely old Nuvaria when the only water you get is from the rain¡ª"

    A sudden shriek broke out from another room behind them and the twins froze in horror as Arc spun around, pulling out his spellcaster and loading an Arcane Shot into it. The voice had a horrible echoing tone to it that tore right through your eardrums and seared into your brain, leaving you feeling cold from skin to bone.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± said Arc, glancing at the window.

    Orange light was still filtering through and there should have been nearly half an hour before the sunset. Yet he knew rightly that the chilling wail came from one of the ghosts of Purdue.

    ¡°How could they be awake during daylight?¡± whispered Julie, clinging to Jack¡¯s arm.

    Jack looked around the room and realised the critical error that Arc had made. ¡°Because the daylight is fading faster in here than it is outside.¡±

    Arc felt a lump in his throat as he swallowed. He had unwittingly led the children into grave danger after constantly assuring them that everything would be fine. As big of a mistake as he had made, he told himself that he would get them out of this mess one way or another.

 Book 1, Chapter 6 - A Rude Awakening

    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Julie in a hushed voice, breaking the tense silence that hung in the air.

    The trio had kept quiet for a whole minute, waiting for whatever ghost they had heard to float through the wall or ascend from the floor below. Yet, since the shriek, they had heard and seen nothing except for each other. The unseen enemy hiding somewhere out of sight made the situation all the more terrifying for Jack and Julie.

    ¡°We get the hell out of this town,¡± said Arc, keeping his pitch low and soft. ¡°Idol be damned. The plan was to take care of things before the spirits woke up and I don¡¯t want you two getting hurt. Can¡¯t say I fancy meeting these ghosts much myself.¡±

    ¡°No need to tell me twice,¡± said Jack, looking out the window. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°We make for the stairs and the pair of you keep close. You see something, you say something. I¡¯ve got a single Arcane Shot and it can hurt a ghost, but they¡¯re immune to weapons unless they choose to go corporeal.¡±

    ¡°A single shot?¡± asked Julie. ¡°What about the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is this really the time to ask about the other cartridge?¡± snapped Arc, leading the way from the room and back into the hallway. ¡°If it would help, I would say it would help.¡±

    He ran down the hall with the twins nipping his feet the entire way, dreading the idea of getting separated from the spellslinger. Upon reaching the stairs, Arc¡¯s face contorted into an expression of utter horror as he watched a trio of spectral figures floating up and towards the trio.

    The ghosts were translucent with an eerie bluish-green tint to them. Their forms emanated a wispy vapour that streaked out behind them before fading into nothing. The first figure was of an old man whose mouth was agape as he reached out towards Arc with his spectral fingers. The other figures, a middle-aged man and an adolescent woman, raised their own arms as they floated towards Jack and Julie.

    Arc glanced to his left and to his right, looking for somewhere else to run, only for more ghosts to emerge from the rooms on either side of the group. The encroaching horde of undead were once men, women, and children, all of whom had once lived in this town before being condemned to forever roam its hallways and streets in the darkness. It seemed as though the awakening of a single ghost had stirred the rest of them and they knew they could have an early dinner this evening.

    ¡°Upstairs!¡± barked Arc, hurriedly pivoting and giving the twins a shove.

    They sprinted for the staircase at the far end of the corridor, only to find ghosts ascending through the floorboards from the lower level. All three ignored the rising ghosts who reached out with their hands, grasping at the living humans desperately trying to escape a terrible fate.

    Jack and Julie took the stairs two at a time and Arc took them three at a time while the undead continued their pursuit. Arc took an educated guess that the ghosts wanted the three to join them in being bound to the town, but the method of the kill was something he had no desire to discover, whether by being caught or watching the ghosts pilfer the souls of the younger ones.

    The trio emerged onto the third floor and, as the swarming ghosts started to fill the corridor around them, Arc stashed his gun. He grabbed the twins and threw them over his shoulders, deftly stepping between the lunging phantoms and charging straight for the door at the far end of the hallway. He tucked his head low, knowing what he was about to do would be painful, especially without having fully recovered from his goblin-induced injuries. Ah well, there was no other choice.

    He rammed into the door, breaking through it with his skull and continued his run, skipping over what would have been the mayor¡¯s desk. He kicked his way through the glass balcony doors, shattering them into thousands of tiny fragments that scattered across the floor and flew into the town below. He skidded to a halt, almost topping over the stone railing, but managed to remain upright with the shaken twins still hanging over his shoulders.

    With a sigh of relief, he set the dazed duo back onto solid ground and turned to look inside the town hall. He could see the phantoms slowly retreating downstairs, knowing that they could not reach their prey who were now safely in the daylight. They need not waste their energy, for it was only a matter of time before darkness took hold.

    ¡°That was too close,¡± said Jack, flopping onto the ground and running his hands through his brown hair. He took deep breaths in and out to try and calm his nerves, but his heart was pumping too wildly.

    ¡°You saved us again!¡± cried Julie, joining her brother on the floor.

    Arc was clutching his pained head and cursing under his breath. ¡°Only after getting you into this mess,¡± he said as his piercing blue eyes remained fixed on the now-empty corridor. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have treated this job as if it were still a solo run. I should have left you somewhere safe and then come here alone, only bringing you into Purdue once I was certain there would be no spirits to worry about. I¡¯m a fool for not being more cautious.¡±

    Julie slouched over as Jack patted her on the back. She was on the verge of tears but held them in knowing that crying wouldn¡¯t make the situation any better for anyone.

    ¡°Why do they want us dead?¡± she moaned, throwing her head up.

    ¡°Why do goblins want to eat people and why do bandits want to pillage people?¡± asked Arc. ¡°It¡¯s just in their nature. Fighting against one¡¯s nature is no easy task and lonely spirits who have a grudge against the living world are probably the ones you can rely on to rebel the least.¡±

    ¡°How do we get down from here?¡± asked Jack, standing up and looking over the balcony to a set of stairs below. ¡°I reckon that¡¯s a forty-foot drop. Maybe fifty.¡±

    ¡°I used my rope trying to get the jump on Colt the other day,¡± sighed Arc. ¡°It would have been nice if you two plundered that too.¡±

    ¡°We used what little we had tying you up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll have to think of something. My legs are so battered and bruised that I think they¡¯d snap if I dared jump so we can rule taking a great leap of faith out.¡±

    Jack squinted back into the room. ¡°The spirits are gone; couldn¡¯t we just make a run for it?¡±

    ¡°The spirits are out of sight, but they¡¯re certainly not gone. Now that they¡¯re aware we¡¯re here, they¡¯ll be lurking quietly until they see a way of reaching us. They know that time is on their side, not ours and that the sun will set eventually.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be much longer,¡± said Julie, looking towards the sun that was already moving beneath the western horizon.

    ¡°What we need to do is destroy that idol from the balcony,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°You make it sound easy,¡± said Jack. ¡°We couldn¡¯t even find it when we were going through every room in this building. It mightn¡¯t even be in this building.¡±

    ¡°If it was going to be anywhere, it would surely be here,¡± muttered the spellslinger.

    ¡°You continue to sound confident when we¡¯ve seen no evidence to suggest that that¡¯s the case.¡±

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    Arc walked towards the doorway and peered into the mayoral office. He looked from desk to cabinet to table and took in every little detail that he could, but none of them yielded as much as a hint that would help him find the stone idol. Had he known for certain it was in the room, he could have taken a few targeted shots that might have blown it apart, but it seemed like a waste to do such a thing blindly.

    ¡°Can I ask you about the other spell cartridge now?¡± Julie asked Arc, looking at the Golden Hawk.

    Arc answered without looking away from the room, desperately raking through every inch of it with his eyes over and over in search of the idol. He knew the odds of it being there were slim, but his backup plan to escape was undesirable so he clung to the fading remnants of his hope.

    ¡°There are eight schools of magic, Julie,¡± said the spellslinger, ¡°and each cartridge is colour-coded to the school. Red is for evocation spells, like Arcane Shot. If it ain¡¯t a red bullet, then it ain¡¯t dealing much damage, at least not directly. The white ones are from the protection school and can help guard you in various ways, much like the name suggests. The wizards of old had many tricks up their sleeves, you know?¡±

    ¡°And what does your white cartridge do when you shoot it?¡±

    Arc grinned while still watching the room. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait and see now, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Jack suddenly rushed into the room and wrenched open the cabinet doors and all of the drawers before scurrying back to the balcony. As he sidestepped the desk, a ghostly hand reached from under the floor to grab his legs, but he was too quick for it.

    ¡°You¡¯re a madman, Jack,¡± chuckled Arc. ¡°But I respect that.¡±

    ¡°No idols,¡± said the young man, nervously looking into the room for spirits, but the hand he had narrowly avoided had vanished again. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re out of options. We¡¯ll need to head downstairs to escape.¡±

    Arc nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll need to head downstairs, but we¡¯re not going to go down the stairs.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know, but tell me more,¡± sighed Jack, sensing more danger on the horizon.

    ¡°These floorboards are old and brittle. Julie managed to break one with just an unlucky step. All it takes is enough force to break a big enough hole and we can drop down to the second floor, right? Drop down one more and we¡¯re back on the ground. And don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re more or less directly above the entrance. See for yourself.¡±

    Julie leaned over the balcony and saw the steps leading into the town hall. As she leaned back up, the statue in the square of the old man with the book caught her attention. She remembered how he had been facing the entrance.

    ¡°Go on,¡± Jack said apprehensively.

    Arc continued. ¡°If we can break through the floorboards, we can hop our way down and bypass the long back and forth along three corridors. Once we¡¯re outside, we have a small window to make a clean break for it. It¡¯s our best shot.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything less dangerous that we can do?¡± asked Julie. ¡°Maybe run down one corridor, take the stairs, and then try our luck jumping from a second-floor window?¡±

    ¡°That is an option,¡± said Arc, ¡°but we¡¯re still braving the ghosts to do that¡­not to mention broken legs.¡±

    ¡°Whatever we¡¯re doing, we need to decide quickly,¡± said Jack as the sun slipped lower and lower. ¡°We haven¡¯t got much longer. Getting out of the building is one thing, but if we can¡¯t get out of town before sunset then we¡¯re in a whole heap of trouble.¡±

    ¡°Very true,¡± said Arc. ¡°I¡¯ll just make the decision for us, alright? Alright.¡±

    Arc grabbed his hammer from his pack and slammed it forcefully into one of the floorboards by the balcony door, breaking the wood with ease. He grabbed the nearest half of the broken plank and pried it up, revealing the rotten ceiling from the second floor underneath. He thrust the half-plank into the ceiling and the plaster caved instantly, leaving a small hole that revealed the floor beneath. Arc smiled to himself as the dusty, mouldy crumbs of plaster rained down.

    ¡°And we¡¯re meant to be able to do this quickly?¡± asked Jack. ¡°I can¡¯t see how this will work.¡±

    ¡°This was just me testing the waters,¡± said Arc coolly, daring to take a few quick steps into the room.

    He ducked under the mayor¡¯s desk and pushed up from a squatting position, taking the heavy load on his back. He felt his cuts and scrapes tearing as he strained himself before flinging the desk over his shoulder and letting it crash into the ground. Arc stumbled backwards and was pulled onto the balcony by Jack and Julie as the desk crashed through the floor, taking the ceiling with it and then smashing through the second floor right after. When the cloud of dust had settled, all three could see the ground floor visible below.

    ¡°See?¡± grunted Arc, clutching his side.

    ¡°Should you see a doctor when we get to Pembroke?¡± asked Julie, feeling a small surge of hope that she may live to see another day.

    ¡°That would be wise,¡± said Arc. ¡°But for now, we drop and pray we don¡¯t break something on the way down. Jack, I want you to go first and I¡¯ll follow with Julie. If any of the ghosts come for you, I¡¯ll take my one shot and give you a chance to escape.¡±

    ¡°And what about you and Julie?¡± asked the young man, not wanting to leave his sister behind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll scoop her up and throw her out the door while the ghosts do whatever they want to me. I¡¯ll put her life before my own, I promise you.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack, leaning into the mayor¡¯s office and trying to work out the best angle of approach. He knew that if ever there was a time to trust the bounty hunter, it was now. ¡°I¡¯m going to jump over to the left and then shoot for the right. Once I¡¯m down, I¡¯ll make a break for the door.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Arc with a confident smile. ¡°Let¡¯s get cracking, eh? We¡¯ve got maybe minutes before we lose the last of our light.¡±

    Jack rushed into the mayor¡¯s office and lowered himself into the hole, swinging himself over to the left and landing on the second floor. As Arc and Julie followed, Jack dropped down to the first and the horrifying shriek of dozens of ghosts echoed out as they emerged from the walls, eager to catch the prey that had willingly fallen into their midst.

    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± Arc called, desperate for Jack to move out of the landing zone.

    He clutched Julie tightly as he threw himself down, landing on the floor awkwardly and rolling over, dropping his spellcaster and watching despairingly as it flew across the ground and towards four ghosts that encroached upon him. He pushed Julie onto her feet and scrambled over to his gun, reaching out an arm and curling his fingers around the barrel.

    The spellslinger forced himself to his feet and spun his weapon around as a ghost reached for Julie, opening its mouth as if to try and suck her soul from her body.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± Arc cried, pulling the trigger and launching an Arcane Shot.

    The orb of magical light struck the ghost on the side and it wailed as its body dissolved in a flash of vapour before vanishing from sight. Arc dove out of the way of six pairs of lurching hands and sprinted outside, following Julie through the doorway and into the last remnants of daylight.

    ¡°We did it,¡± sighed Jack, hugging his sister tightly. ¡°You¡¯re alright?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to Arc,¡± said Julie, grabbing the spellslinger¡¯s free hand and shaking it vigorously. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you.¡±

    ¡°As much as I love being showered with praise, let¡¯s save that for later,¡± he replied. ¡°Run!¡±

    Arc, Jack, and Julie sped down the stairs and towards the town centre, aiming for the street on the opposite side of the statue. They bounded over the iron fence surrounding the square, vaulted over the railings at the far side and then stormed straight down the road. Before they had even run fifty yards, the last remnants of light vanished and the sun disappeared behind the hills, opening the gate for the spectral forms that faded into existence.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± gasped Julie.

    ¡°This way!¡± called Arc, turning and running back to the square, hoping that one of the other roads out would be clear.

    Much to his dismay, ghosts were appearing on every road, passing through the walls of the shops and houses, even starting to float their way down the steps of the town hall. There was no easy way out and Arc was out of all offensive cartridges that could aid their escape. As he turned towards the square once more, desperately seeking a way to safety, an idea burst into his mind.

    ¡°Could it be?¡± he said, looking towards the statue and pulling out his revolver. ¡°Anateer guide my bullets.¡±

    He took careful aim at the statue¡¯s leg and fired all six rounds, blowing chunks out of the stone. He hopped back over the iron fence and climbed onto the plinth, shoving the statue with all his might, but it did not budge. As Jack and Julie ran to him, he hurriedly shoved three more rounds into his cylinder and leapt back to the ground.

    He shot each of them into the statue¡¯s other leg and then whipped out his hammer. He struck the bearded figure¡¯s legs until the last man of Purdue rigidly fell from his resting place and smashed onto the concrete slabs below, breaking into a dozen chunks. From his broken book, rose a bluish-green mist reminiscent of the vapour emitted by the ghost he had shot in the town hall. As it faded away, there was an eruption of screams from the ghosts as they were all whisked from this world, trickling out, never to disturb the living again.

    ¡°The idol?¡± asked Jack, rubbing his eyes and clutching his head. ¡°The statue was the idol the entire time?¡±

    ¡°I always heard they were small things,¡± shrugged Arc as he walked over to the stone book and picked it up. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s that. I¡¯ll take this piece and that¡¯ll have to do for proof of the job being done. At least it¡¯s safe to stay here now that the ghosts are no more.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not happening,¡± cried Jack and Julie in unison.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arc with a shrug. ¡°It just seems like a real shame to let all these fine buildings go to waste. We¡¯ll go find another miserable cave for the night if that¡¯s what you really want. You must both enjoy sleeping on the ground.¡±

    The exasperated twins gawped at Arc who chuckled and strolled along, as though their ordeal in Purdue was already a distant memory to him.

 Book 1, Chapter 7 - Left Behind

    Arc sat at the edge of the river, enjoying the shade of one of the few leafy green trees in the area. It was a rare treat to see such a thing and he had never been fortunate enough to come across this particular spot so it was a sight most welcome when he, Jack and Julie rounded the jagged point of the cliff face and happened upon it.

    ¡°Can we get moving?¡± asked Jack, looking around. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel safe here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so paranoid,¡± said Arc, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°Sometimes you have to enjoy a quiet moment when you find it rather than worrying about what could go wrong. Not every single corner of the world is waiting to kill you, Jack.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say they all were, but I¡¯m sure at least half of them are.¡±

    ¡°Relax, my young friend. Bask in the glorious shade we¡¯ve been blessed with. Listen to the soothing tones of the babbling river we¡¯re so lucky to find. It¡¯ll do you the world of good¡±

    Julie was half-asleep in the shade with her bare feet dangling in the river. It helped ease the aches and blisters she had got from so much walking over the past few days.

    Jack had warned her not to put her feet in the water in case a sahaugin took a bite out of them, but she took no notice of his worried ramblings. Her brother repeatedly scolded her for being reckless but Arc cut him off, assuring him that there were no sahaugins in the area. The spellslinger didn¡¯t know that for sure, of course, but he said it convincingly enough that the young man took his word for it.

    ¡°So, are we just going to stay here all day?¡± asked Jack after refilling his canteen in the river.

    ¡°It¡¯s been fifteen minutes, boy. Can you not calm yourself for just a moment.¡±

    ¡°No. All sorts of things could go wrong out here. What if¡ª"

    ¡°Shut it,¡± said Arc, closing his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to take a nap?¡± asked an incredulous Jack.

    ¡°You¡¯re on watch, aren¡¯t you? Seeing as you¡¯re intent on not resting.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one of us with a weapon worth a damn!¡±

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not going to rest, but I sure as hell am. I need my beauty sleep to get rid of this ugly swollen eye and restore my natural radiant complexion. It¡¯s been blemished by all those cuts and bruises, you know. Some of which I got from trying to keep your backside safe from goblins.¡±

    Rather than argue, Jack stayed quiet. Seconds later, Arc began snoring. The young man found it incredible that every time Arc wanted to sleep, he could do so on command. It was a talent that Jack was envious of as he often stayed awake worrying about things. Some of his countless worries were valid, but there were many that came from his ever-increasing paranoia about the world after a series of unfortunate events that seemed to be continuing endlessly.

    Deciding that he would do something productive, he walked over to the cliff and scanned it up and down. There was an outcropping about twenty feet up that would have given him a better view of what lay past the river than sitting by the river would. And from that height, he could still watch over the two snoozers and call to them should a werewolf try and take a bite out of them.

    Jack grabbed the most prominent rocks he could find and then placed his feet into small notches. He took a deep breath and then hoisted himself up. He put up his left arm, dug his fingers into a thin ledge and brought his right arm up to grip it too. He continued climbing, both in large bounds and small shimmies until he reached the outcropping.

    He threw himself onto the lied back, giving himself a moment to rest his tired muscles. He let out a victorious laugh, glad that this was one challenge he could conquer without unexpected consequences. As small as the young man was, he was strong, but being on the road and having only meagre rations to eat, he felt weaker than he knew himself to be.

    Arc had been kind enough to share some of his food with the twins and Jack was grateful for that, especially as Julie always insisted on letting him have more food no matter how much he would protest. Without their parents, they would always try to parent each other rather than let each other simply be brother and sister.

    Jack sat up and slid to the edge of the small cliff and let his legs fall down. A rare smile crept across his face as the breeze gently brushed his hair across his forehead. Down below, he could see Arc and Julie enjoying their slumber in the shade. He couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous that Julie had someone else to look up to that wasn¡¯t him, yet as much as he would audibly doubt Arc, he was glad that the bounty hunter was with them too. It was nice to have someone around that gave a damn, even if he would only give a damn as far as Pembroke.

    He did not think Arc a bad man by any stretch, however, the spellslinger clearly had a penchant for danger. He supposed that was the nature of bounty hunting; seeking out danger and putting a stop to it. He believed Arc when he said he only sought out evildoers.

    The young man looked across the dry land before him and let the calm fall upon him. There hadn¡¯t been any trouble since the ghosts of Purdue the previous evening and the peace was most welcome, even if he knew it wouldn¡¯t last much longer. He laughed to himself, realising that he was appreciative for a mere sixteen hours of peace. How pathetic.

    He continued to look over the land and his gaze fixed upon an oddly shaped rock to the west that was half buried in sand. Every time he tried to look away, he was drawn back to it. There was something about it that wasn¡¯t quite right but he tried to stamp down that curiosity in case he broke that short trouble-free streak he was so glad of.

    After a while, his willpower broke and his curiosity won the day. He carefully climbed back down and headed for the two sleepers. Rather than pester Arc, who needed the rest more than Julie did, he headed over to his sister and gave her a nudge.

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    ¡°Hey, Jule,¡± he said, but she didn¡¯t stir. He bent down and started lightly slapping her cheeks until her face scrunched up.

    ¡°Knock it off,¡± she moaned, splashing water about as she kicked her feet in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on something for a couple of minutes,¡± said Jack, putting his fingers on her eyelids and prying them open. ¡°Don¡¯t go back to sleep until I¡¯m back, alright?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Julie, swatting him away. ¡°Be quick about it, whatever it is.¡±

    Before she had come around enough to even think of asking where he was going, Jack had wandered off across the dry soil and onto the small patch of land where the sand picked up. He could see the top of the strange rock growing closer and continued straight for it while constantly looking around, fearing that some unscrupulous creature was hunting him.

    As he closed in on his unmoving target, he realised he had been mistaken. Although it had no shortage of sand and stone around its base, the object was made of metal. What was most curious about it was that it was painted the colour of the stone as though to camouflage it in its environment.

    ¡°A vehicle?¡± muttered Jack, noticing the six large wheels wrapped up in a wide segmented chain of metal that was fixed with many rubber pads, most of which were worn and torn.

    The base of the machine was rectangular with broken lights on the front, or at least Jack presumed it to be the front, for the top section looked as though it could turn. Emerging from the rounded top was a large metal pipe that reminded Jack of a gun, but he had never seen a gun as large as this before.

    ¡°What in the world?¡± he asked aloud with a raised eyebrow.

    Jack climbed onto the base of the vehicle and leaned onto the top section. There was a rounded hole within it just large enough for someone to fit inside. Dare he? No, it would be stupid to climb inside an unidentified vehicle. At the same time, what harm would it do? It didn¡¯t look like it had moved in years.

    He glanced over to the tree in the distance and saw no commotion. Assured that Arc and Julie were fine, he climbed on top of the machine and slid into the hole, only to find himself sitting on a small pile of sand that had blown its way inside.

    Looking around, he was astounded by the complexity of the controls. There were switches, levers and dials everywhere. He¡¯d seen the inside of cars before and they were astounding enough. How could anyone drive this crazy contraption? Although, considering how thick its armour plating was, not a soul would dare take you on in this metal behemoth. He could ride across the badlands, crushing goblins underneath the treads and the screeching menaces couldn¡¯t do a damn thing to stop him. He would laugh wildly as their skulls popped under the immense weight of his rolling steed.

    ¡°I bet that is a gun,¡± whispered Jack, looking out the tiny window and seeing the large pipe outside. It was pointed towards the far cliff.

    Jack pressed a few buttons and laughed as he imagined blowing goblins to smithereens. As he continued to press the buttons, the machine suddenly jolted awake and started rumbling. Jack whacked his head on the ceiling and he looked back and forth to all of the buttons in a panic, wondering how he had stirred the beast.

    ¡°How can you still be working?¡± asked Jack, desperately trying to find the button he had pressed. ¡°Where are you? Where are you?¡±

    Deciding that a large red button was the one, he slammed his fist on it and immediately knew he had made a huge mistake. A huge bullet erupted from the tank, forcefully jolting it to its core, and stormed at lightning speed towards the cliff, striking it and unleashing a thundering explosion that smashed the cliff face to pieces.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± said Jack, his eyes stretched wide and his heart beating rapidly. ¡°Oh no, oh no, oh no. What should I do? Give me a sign.¡±

    He scurried out of the machine and threw himself to the ground, falling flat on his face. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted towards the tree by the river, only to find Arc and Julie already running towards him with terrified looks on their faces.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± roared Arc as he made a beeline for Jack.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± cried Jack, feeling incredibly stupid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°You could have gotten yourself hurt, you imbecile!¡± barked Arc, checking to make sure Jack hadn¡¯t injured himself.

    Jack erratically pointed behind him. ¡°Big machine,¡± he said, not knowing how else to describe the vehicle he had found. ¡°Big gun.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t believe the words coming out of his mouth. He sounded like a toddler, but fully formed sentences just weren¡¯t coming out. Never had he felt so incompetent and useless as he did in that moment. What if something had heard him? The shame was almost too much to bear.

    Arc ran over to where he was pointing with the twins following him. Julie shot her brother a look of daggers when they arrived at what Jack had once thought to be an unusual rock. She had no idea what the machine was either, but she would have had the sense not to touch it.

    ¡°A tank?¡± asked Arc, putting his hand on the rumbling machine. His expression was a mixture of confoundment and intrigue. ¡°Who in the entirety of Maestria would leave a tank behind? And a working one at that.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was a tank,¡± insisted Jack. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what a tank is!¡±

    ¡°Well, you do now,¡± said Arc, still furious as he turned to the petrified Jack. ¡°What if its gun had been pointed at me or your sister?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe me, but I turned it on by accident and was trying to turn it off,¡± said Jack quietly, looking down at his shaking hands.

    ¡°And did you accidentally climb into it?¡± asked Arc. ¡°You could have come to me and asked me what it was rather than sneaking off like that.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sneak off, I told¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not to derail this much-deserved telling off, but look at that,¡± interjected Julie, pointing to where the shell had struck the cliff.

    ¡°Look at wha¡­¡± Arc trailed off as he followed Julie¡¯s finger to the stone.

    ¡°Should we run before the sound attracts all manner of beasts?¡± asked Jack, not daring to look at what had left Arc lost for words. It had to be something terrible.

    ¡°No,¡± said the spellslinger, taking out his revolver. ¡°I want to see where this leads.¡±

    Trying to stifle his guilt at the trouble he had caused, Jack exhaled a deeply held breath and turned to look at the cliff he had destroyed. His jaw hit the floor once again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± he muttered as Arc and Julie began walking towards the glowing green tunnel that Jack had accidentally unveiled.

    As the trio drew closer to its mouth, the glowing did not subside. Arc half-wondered if it was a trick of the light at first, but it became clearer the further he walked that the glow was no mirage. There were emeralds embedded in the cave Jack had opened up; hundreds of them. Some emeralds were the size of a rounded silver coin in Arc¡¯s wallet and some were as large as his head.

    The three hopped onto a rock in the centre of the river and then threw themselves onto the bank at the far side to reach the cave entrance.

    ¡°We should turn back, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Yes, we should,¡± said Arc, staring into the cave.

    ¡°But we¡¯re not going to, are we?¡±

    ¡°You two can go and wait by the tree. I¡¯ll take a look around.¡±

    Jack shook his head profusely. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for goblins, orcs, demons, or any other ugly creature to show up. You know how loud that explosion was. Dangerous as this might be, we¡¯re sticking with you. It couldn¡¯t be much worse than the ghosts from yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Julie, captivated by the beautiful gemstone-encrusted walls.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arc, stepping up and onto the small ledge and heading into the cave as the twins followed closely behind him.

    The tank being perfectly aligned with the cliff was no accident, he was sure of it. There was something more to this place than emeralds, grand as they were, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

 Book 1, Chapter 8 - The Emerald Master

    Arc gazed around the opening of the cave as he walked, marvelling at the hundreds of glistening emeralds that caught the streams of sunlight. They were objects of beauty, but he felt something otherworldly radiating from them as though they had great untapped power dwelling within their shimmering cores.

    ¡°How could these possibly be here naturally?¡± Julie wondered aloud.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are,¡± said Arc, tearing his gaze from the emeralds and looking deeper into the cave. ¡°That bullet didn¡¯t create the cave, it uncovered it. That tank was pointed this way on purpose¡­but why was no shot ever taken?¡±

    ¡°Do we want to find out the answer to that question?¡± asked Jack trepidatiously.

    ¡°Of all times to not be curious, it¡¯s now?¡± asked Arc. ¡°Considering you were the one playing in a tank, that ship has failed my friend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cautious because of the tank, Arc,¡± said Jack, the frustration in his voice evident. ¡°It was much more dangerous than I¡¯d even imagined and now we¡¯re walking into¡­well, I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re walking into.¡±

    ¡°And a little bit of exploration is how we find out,¡± said Arc, spinning his revolver around his finger and marching ahead.

    The gems of the tunnel continued to twinkle their brilliant green as the trio walked along. Julie was especially captivated and leaned in close to gaze into their depths before running to catch back up to Arc, all the while Jack wouldn¡¯t leave her side, fearful that something would go wrong. The young man didn¡¯t know what it was that would go wrong, but he knew it would be something. Something always went wrong. The peaceful streak that had admittedly lasted less than a day was well and truly over.

    ¡°There¡¯s light up ahead,¡± Arc said quietly over his shoulder.

    True enough, from around a bend came a flickering green light upon the stone floor of the tunnel. It danced around as though excited to have guests in its humble home, hidden far away from what remained of civilisation.

    ¡°Green light,¡± said Jack, throwing up his arms. ¡°Green light is never good.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Do I really need to explain that? Normal light is white, yellow¡­or orange! You don¡¯t see green lightbulbs for good reason.¡±

    ¡°Son of a¡­¡± muttered Arc, upon rounding the bend. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open as he trailed off.

    Before him lay a large bridge of dusty sandstone that stretched out over a dark chasm descending into the abyssal nothing. As the bricks of the bridge crossed the chasm, they slowly turned into a small set of steps of no more than a dozen before going flat again at the doorway of a temple built into the wall of the cavern.

    The front of the temple bore pillars on either side of the door and two further pillars where the front face of the temple ended and turned back into rough and rocky wall. Nestled between the pairs of pillars were four alcoves, two upper and two lower, that held braziers containing uncountable amounts of small emeralds that were casting the green light throughout the chamber.

    Unlike the previous emeralds that used the sunlight from outside to shine, these emeralds were glowing from within. Whatever magic flowed through them, Arc couldn¡¯t guess, but he hoped that it was merely some sort of light-emitting enchantment rather than anything more sinister.

    ¡°Jackie Boy, what have you stumbled upon?¡± asked the spellslinger, starting to laugh quietly.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know¡­¡± said Jack, his eyes taken in by the mysterious temple before him.

    ¡°Are you curious yet?¡± Julie asked him breathlessly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted. ¡°But I still think we should turn tail and flee across the sands.¡±

    Julie moved to step forward onto the bridge, but Arc held up a hand to stop her.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, we go cautiously,¡± he said, passing her his guns.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Making sure that I don¡¯t get you two caught up in something too dangerous again.¡±

    ¡°Too dangerous?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°A little danger is fine.¡±

    Arc placed one foot on the bridge and tapped it across several bricks. Once satisfied, he took another step and let his weight fall upon the bridge. He did a small hop and was assured that the bridge was stable. The spellslinger walked over to the edge and looked over the waist-high wall that would protect only the smallest of people from falling over in the event of an accident. He gazed into the black below and let out a high-pitched whistle that echoed throughout the cavern.

    ¡°Anything?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Arc, taking a couple of steps back. ¡°Let¡¯s keep to the middle of the bridge.¡±

    He held out his hand and the twins walked up to him. Julie handed him his guns back and he stashed his spellcaster in its holster while keeping his revolver in hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± said Arc. ¡°Any word of trouble, the pair of you do as Jack said; turn tail and run. You grab your kit from under the tree and forget about me, alright?¡±

    Julie made to protest, but Jack spoke first. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re the boss, after all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that¡¯s clear.¡±

    Arc slowly walked across the bridge, looking all around the cavern in case any dark creatures were hiding in the crevices in the ceiling or lurking just out of sight at the edge of the pit. For all he knew, there was a nasty troll holding onto the underside of the bridge, keeping it in place. He chuckled to himself at the image, attracting nervous looks from the twins.

    Upon slowly ascending the steps, Arc peered into the dark doorway. Up close, it wasn¡¯t as lightless as he first thought. From somewhere inside, came more green light that was shining faintly a short way ahead, but the light was not enough to illuminate much of the corridor. Arc took a small leap and landed in the lower left alcove where the brazier of glowing emeralds lay. He grabbed a small handful of them and shook them lightly, letting them clink together in the palm of his hand.

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    ¡°This¡¯ll do,¡± he murmured, shoving a couple of handfuls of them in his pocket and then taking another fistful.

    He leapt back over to the steps and passed a couple of the radiating gems to each of the children before walking through the doorway. Before going far, he looked over at them.

    ¡°Keep close,¡± he warned them, unable to hide the look of excited intrigue on his face.

    Arc led the way through the musty corridor with his left hand held high and open to light the way as best as he could. There were chambers littered throughout the temple, but he couldn¡¯t see into them well and opted to continue down the straight corridor, thinking he would start with the room furthest away and explore his way back to the entrance.

    He crept towards the green light that grew brighter with every step. He knew now that it was another emerald, but this one appeared larger than the rest. Yet, it was not only the size that was different. The light this one emitted was sparser, as though being blocked by a large obstacle, yet there was nothing standing in front of it.

    Upon reaching the door to the large chamber where the emerald rested, Arc had to hold back a gasp while the twins both yelped in shock. There was nothing blocking the emerald from the outside, however, there was something dense dwelling inside; something shaped remarkably like a human.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± said Arc, sweeping his hand around in an arc and scattering the small emeralds around the room.

    He walked up to the large emerald that stood taller than he did. It must have been at least eight feet tall and appeared as solid as any other. There was no doubt that the figure inside was a human; a man, in fact.

    He was tall and broad with a thick beard and long hair that ran to his shoulders. It was kept out of his eyes by a purple headband. He wore a white tunic and baggy grey trousers along with a pair of lightweight shoes that Arc couldn¡¯t discern whether they were green or yellow. What stood out most about the man was the amulet he wore around his neck that bore another crystal¡ªno doubt an emerald¡ªwhich was surrounded by swirling silver rings.

    The spellslinger carefully circled the crystal, looking for a way that someone could climb inside. He chuckled as he made his third lap of the man and started shaking his head.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°This is one of the most bizarre things I¡¯ve seen, and I¡¯ve seen some weird stuff, Jack.¡±

    ¡°How long do you think he¡¯s been trapped in there?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Arc, ceasing his circling and standing to face the man. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s trapped. Perhaps, he¡¯s put himself in some sort of stasis. Look at his face.¡±

    Jack and Julie walked closer and examined the man¡¯s expression. He looked calm; almost resolute. He didn¡¯t bear the look of someone who had been trapped in the emerald against his will.

    ¡°Can you break him out?¡± asked Jack, lightly tapping his fist on Arc¡¯s holstered spellcaster.

    ¡°Firstly, never touch that without permission,¡± Arc scolded him. ¡°Secondly, why would I want to? With this guy locked up here, anything we find is ours for the taking.¡±

    There was a sudden flash of the intensely bright light from the grand emerald and the trio scurried backwards as it began to audibly crack. Arc kept his revolver pointed at the man within while shielding his eyes from the blinding light.

    As the remnants of the crystal encasing the man clinked to the ground and faded away, a voice spoke out. ¡°You would steal from me, would you?¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± muttered Arc before raising his voice and lowering his gun. ¡°That was an error in judgement on my part, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± came the man¡¯s gruff voice as the light faded and he became clearly visible to the three.

    ¡°That is so.¡±

    ¡°Might I ask you, regretful thief, why it is that you¡¯re trespassing in my temple?¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s Arc,¡± said the spellslinger, holstering his revolver and holding up his hands. ¡°There¡¯ll be no need for hostilities, emerald man, this is all a simple misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°This temple should not be known to anyone on the outside. And it certainly shouldn¡¯t be accessible by walking through the non-existent door.¡±

    ¡°Well, there was a bit of a mishap with a tank. You see¡ª¡±

    ¡°That tank?¡± barked the man. ¡°That blasted tank should no longer be operational. What year is it?¡±

    ¡°45-AA,¡± answered Arc.

    ¡°Curses! I¡¯ve only been sealed for three years and you go and wake me, you bum.¡±

    ¡°Bum?¡± asked Arc in bemusement. ¡°What¡¯s your name, emerald man?¡±

    ¡°Minator,¡± said the man, scratching his chin and frowning.

    ¡°Minotaur?¡± asked Jack, taken aback.

    ¡°Do you see any horns, you little runt? Minator, not minotaur. Do not compare me to those beasts. My name is a grand name passed down through generations of my family.¡±

    ¡°What is your name, boy?¡±

    ¡°Jack.¡±

    ¡°Bah! The name of an urchin, not one of a man destined for greatness. And you had the nerve to mispronounce my name.¡±

    ¡°Please excuse him,¡± said Arc, walking forward and holding out his hand. ¡°I feel like we got off on the wrong foot and I don¡¯t want any bad blood.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because I¡¯m awake,¡± said Minator with a sneer. ¡°You were perfectly happy to rob me while I slept. Weren¡¯t you, Arc?¡±

    ¡°Guilty,¡± said Arc, retracting his outstretched hand and rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Truth be told, I wasn¡¯t even sure if you were alive.¡±

    ¡°Looting then, eh?¡±

    Arc held up his hands. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m sorry. Not sure what else I can say, Minator. You come across a ruin buried in the desert and you hope you might find something worth a damn inside that can pay for your next meal. There¡¯ll be no looting, thieving or robbing, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± grunted Minator, holding out his hand.

    A relieved Arc accepted the handshake and the twins dared to approach.

    ¡°What were you doing inside that crystal?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°I thought that was obvious by now,¡± said Minator. ¡°I was sleeping.¡±

    ¡°I realised that, but¡­why?¡±

    ¡°Is the world still the ravaged hellhole that it was after the Arcanaclysm?¡±

    ¡°More or less,¡± shrugged Arc.

    ¡°There¡¯s your answer,¡± said Minator. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the world to fix itself. It may take a century, it may take a millennium, but I don¡¯t much fancy wandering the wastelands looking for things to steal for my next meal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad,¡± said Arc. ¡°Hell, the three of us weren¡¯t alive in the old world. The world as it is today is all we know so we might as well make it a better place in the time that we have.¡±

    Minator scoffed. ¡°Your futures were stolen from you by the disaster. The fact that it doesn¡¯t bother you bothers me. I would appreciate it if you would let me return to my sleep and I request you keep this temple¡¯s location to yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Are you a mage?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Hardly,¡± said Minator, tapping the emerald pendant on his neck, ¡°but this gives me two very specific powers that keep me safe while the world rebuilds itself.¡±

    ¡°Emerald armour and¡­?¡±

    ¡°Throw those emeralds in your hand on the ground, Jack. In fact, all of you throw your emeralds onto the floor.¡±

    Jack and Julie did as they were asked while Arc took the three handfuls of the tiny glowing gemstones from his pocket and then turned his pocket inside out to remove the lingering ones he missed. Minator gestured for them to step back and they did so.

    The man from the emerald clasped his hands together and breathed in deeply before holding them out. The second he did that, the emeralds all across the floor rose up and shot towards him before swirling around in a circle by his feet. One by one and quicker than the trio¡¯s eyes could keep up with, the emeralds fused together seamlessly.

    They formed a small humanoid creature, no more than six inches tall. It walked towards Arc and then turned its head up to look at him with its eyeless face as the spellslinger stared at the creature in awe.

    ¡°This is one of my minions,¡± said Minator, picking up the miniature golem. ¡°And I can make as many of these creatures as I want using the emeralds in this cavern. In fact, I can make them as big as I want too. Follow me.¡±

    Minator led the way back through the corridor and Arc, Jack, and Julie silently followed him. The four walked down the steps and stood upon the bridge, turning to face the braziers. Minator tossed his emerald golem onto the ground in front of him and it climbed to its feet, standing patiently by. It cared not that it had been thrown, for it was bound to the will of its master.

    As before, Minator clasped his hands together and then held them out. All of the glowing emeralds from the braziers arose and flew towards the golem as though carried by a strong wind. They swirled around the small creature like a hurricane, joining with it one by one. Within seconds, it had grown from the size of a show to a nine-foot-tall hulking brute that could have snapped any of the four humans with its emerald hands.

    ¡°It would have been a bad idea to steal from me, Arc,¡± said Minator coldly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 9 - Minerals and Machines

    ¡°Lost for words?¡± asked Minator with a sneer as Arc continued staring at the large golem standing on the bridge before him.

    ¡°We should probably leave,¡± said the spellslinger, his hand slowly moving towards his revolver.

    ¡°That was not a threat,¡± scoffed Minator, silently ordering his golem to step aside. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come inside for a short while before I resume my stasis. As I said, I expect your discretion regarding this temple¡¯s location.¡±

    ¡°What about the cliff outside?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°It can be repaired by my golems,¡± said Minator, waving his hand dismissively as he walked back towards the temple. ¡°If you want to leave, leave. If you don¡¯t, come inside.¡±

    Arc looked to the twins who were uncertain. With a shrug, he followed Minator, intrigued by the strange man who was so determined to wait out the ruined world for a time less harsh.

    Minator walked down the corridor and into a side chamber. With the snap of his fingers, he illuminated a couple of emeralds sitting on a stone table. He sat himself down on a stool and gestured towards three others.

    ¡°I thought you only had two powers,¡± said Arc, nodding towards the emerald pendant hung around Minator¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Snap your fingers,¡± said the man.

    Arc did as he was told and the lights faded into nothing. He snapped them again and the light returned. Unable to resist, Julie did the same after him while Jack sat there frowning, unamused by the magical gemstones.

    ¡°You were alive before the Arcanaclysm?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Minator solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ve been in and out of stasis over the years. Physically in my mid-thirties, but I¡¯ve been alive for twice as long. I couldn¡¯t tell you my exact physical age because you start to lose track after a while, but I was in my late twenties when the world collapsed.¡±

    ¡°What was it like?¡± asked Arc, having heard tales from a few people he had met during his life. Each story brought a new illumination of the old world and its fall to him.

    ¡°I missed the entire thing,¡± said Minator, tapping his pendant. ¡°I woke up one day, only to find the world I was in was not the one I¡¯d left behind.¡±

    ¡°That must have been awful,¡± said Julie, holding her hands to her mouth.

    ¡°It was,¡± sighed Minator. ¡°Very few of the people I knew survived and even fewer of the ones I loved survived. I tried to make the best of things, but this barren world is not worth living in, so I chose to wait until it was something better.¡±

    ¡°Why not make it better?¡± asked Jack haughtily.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± asked Minator crossly.

    ¡°We all have to live with the hand fate dealt us. We don¡¯t get the luxury of sleeping in an emerald cocoon until the Nuvaria is lush and green again. I think you¡¯re a waste of space.¡±

    ¡°Jack!¡± shouted Julie, embarrassed by her brother¡¯s words.

    ¡°Well,¡± said Arc, leaning forward on his knees. ¡°I¡¯m with Jack on this one, I¡¯m afraid. Every monster I kill, every person I help¡­that¡¯s progress to a better world. Could I find a quiet little outpost away from all trouble and live peacefully for the rest of my days? Probably. But I don¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Minator. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have hope that things will have improved in any measurable way before you die.¡±

    Arc grinned and stood up. ¡°I do have that hope. All of our actions ripple through time and our good deeds can outpace the bad ones if you spur them on enough. It just takes a little faith and a lot of action.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an optimistic fellow, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°How can I not be? I¡¯m alive and well, aside from a few cuts and bruises. When you¡¯ve been through hell and back a few times over, you realise that every second is a blessing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pile of¡ª¡±

    Minator stopped dead upon hearing a cacophony of screeches echoing down the corridor. Arc, Jack, and Julie¡¯s hearts jumped into their mouths, having heard similar screeches mere days ago. It was the horrifyingly familiar screeches of a band of goblins.

    The four ran to the bridge where the emerald golem stood waiting and the screeching only grew louder, but it was now joined by at least a dozen thudding footsteps.

    ¡°Kill them all,¡± ordered Minator to his golem as he ran back across the bridge to hide within his temple.

    Content to let the golem deal with the ugly little beasts, Arc, Jack, and Julie followed. Before they had cleared the bridge, a spear whizzed past the trio and struck Minator in the back, tearing through his flesh and penetrating his stomach from behind. He fell flat on his face and the twins continued to run, but Arc spun around and pulled his revolver out.

    The golem grabbed goblin after goblin and hurled them into the abyss while Arc picked off three of the goblins with well-placed shots before running over to Minator who was weakly trying to climb to his feet.

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­going to¡­¡± groaned the emerald master as Arc helped him up.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, bud,¡± said the spellslinger as he spied Jack and Julie peeking out from the dark doorway ahead. ¡°You just need to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeee!¡± screeched a goblin as it leapt on Arc and sank its claws into his shoulders. He released Minator who stumbled over to the bridge wall and held onto it for dear life.

    ¡°Arc!¡± cried Jack and Julie, rushing to his aid, but he had already flung the goblin over his shoulder and onto the bridge.

    He didn¡¯t want to waste a round and pinned it down while slamming the butt of his gun into its jaw over and over again, breaking the bone with a series of sickening cracks while the desperate goblin tried to escape. With his foe dazed, he stood up and grabbed its arm, pulling it up and swinging it through the air. He released the goblin and it flew over the wall and fell into the chasm below.

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    ¡°I¡­¡± grunted Minator as he leaned on the edge of the bridge. ¡°Hope¡­you¡¯re right¡­Arc.¡±

    The last of his strength faded and he fell over the wall, plummeting into the abyss, following the many goblins into the unseen depths below.

    ¡°Minator!¡± cried Arc, looking into the darkness below, but the emerald master¡¯s body was already consumed by the chasm.

    ¡°What do we¡ª¡±

    Juile¡¯s words were cut off by the emerald golem taking strides towards her. As it reached up and swung an arm downwards, Arc tackled her out of the way. The golem¡¯s fist left a small crater of broken bricks in the bridge and it stood up straight again.

    ¡°Run!¡± Arc called, scrambling to his feet and pulling Julie up with him.

    Jack didn¡¯t need to be told twice and sprinted straight around the corner with them, following the tunnel towards the light of the outdoors. The emerald golem thundered after them, its docility gone with its master¡¯s death, leaving it an unrestrained brute who was taking its master¡¯s last command too literally; it was trying to kill them all.

    The trio burst back into the light, leaping onto a rock to cross the river before landing on the sand-dusted and dried-out soil. Arc dared to glance over his shoulder and saw the emerald golem clear the river in a single leap, landing only a couple of yards behind the trio. He shot at it with his revolver and the bullet plinked off it, leaving only a minor dent.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± cried Jack as Arc spied the exact tool he needed nestled between rocks in the distance.

    ¡°Use the tank; I¡¯ll be the bait,¡± he said, stopping and turning to face the golem as the twins sprinted away.

    The golem raised its hefty green arms and thrust them down at the man who leapt aside, his blonde hair and vibrant scarf blowing from the draft created by the thump of the golem¡¯s fists on the earth.

    ¡°I¡¯m not so slow,¡± said Arc with a smirk as the golem stared at him with its featureless face before making for him once more.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Jack cried to Julie who was lagging behind him.

    ¡°Just keep going!¡± she yelled as her brother charged straight towards the still-rumbling tank he had never wanted to see again.

    Knowing that it was Arc¡¯s only hope of survival, Jack pushed himself hard and ran furiously towards the hunk of metal. When he drew close enough, he jumped and landed on top of it before swinging himself back inside. He was surrounded by the overwhelming collection of buttons, dials, and levers.

    ¡°Which one was it,¡± he muttered, looking around in a panic for the controls he needed to blast the golem into a thousand pieces.

    As Jack settled on the large red button he was semi-confident was the correct one, he looked out the narrow window and saw that the golem was a few yards too far to the left and only getting further away as Arc desperately dodged the massive emerald beast¡¯s heavy stomping.

    Jack slipped his head out of the hull and called out to his sister. ¡°Julie! Make Arc move to the right!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she wailed.

    ¡°To the right! To the right!¡±

    Jack slipped back in and watched as Julie fearlessly ran closer to the emerald golem. Arc was tiring and the monster thumped him in the side, sending him flying further to the left. Wishing he knew how to turn the beast of a machine, Jack looked from control to control; a glance upwards and he saw Julie pointing to the right and Arc scrambling across the sand to do as she had told him. In pursuit of its prey, the golem followed behind, ready to pulverise the human desperately crawling away.

    ¡°Please,¡± whispered Jack as he took aim and waited for the golem to be led into position.

    It held its arms high in the air as Arc lay flat on the ground, covering his face, and Jack pressed the red button, praying for success. The tank let out an explosive bang as a shell flew across the desert, faster than anyone¡¯s eyes could keep up with.

    Jack knew his aim was true within a second as, before his eyes, the emerald golem¡¯s upper half was turned to fine crystalline dust. The shell flew straight through the tunnel opening and struck the back wall, sending a wave of smoke billowing out while the golem¡¯s legs crumbled into dozens of smaller chunks that thudded upon the ground.

    The young man breathed a sigh of relief and slammed his head against the tank wall. Slowly, he began laughing. It was a miracle that it had worked. He climbed out of the tank and hopped back onto the ground, following Julie over to meet Arc, who was sitting upright and juggling a pair of emeralds with a stupid smile on his face.

    ¡°Catch!¡± he called to Julie, tossing one to her, but she sidestepped it and it rolled across the sand. ¡°No? Nothing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling especially jovial right now,¡± she said, drawing close to him.

    As Julie helped Arc back to his feet, Jack flopped onto the ground and put his hands over his eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t we have a day without trouble?¡± he asked.

    ¡°If I get five days without trouble, I¡¯m doing well,¡± said Arc, ¡°but I¡¯d happily take two days at this point.¡±

    ¡°What do we do about Minator?¡± asked Julie shakily.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do anymore,¡± said Arc, talking out of one side of his mouth. ¡°Poor guy fell into that bottomless pit after being run through by a spear. That¡¯s something that even the best of us couldn¡¯t survive. A real shame. Cowardly as he was about the state of the world, I don¡¯t think he was a bad fella.¡±

    ¡°We never did get to hear the full story about life before the Arcanaclysm. All of the older people I¡¯ve spoken to either refused to talk about it, saying it was too painful, or they were too young when it happened to remember it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s best not to dwell on the past too much, Julie,¡± said Arc, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll just end up getting depressed. And when you get depressed, you fall into despair, which can end far worse. We keep on moving along, seeing where the road takes us and finding out what we can do to help others.¡±

    ¡°For you, at least,¡± said Jack. ¡°Our road ends in Pembroke and I can¡¯t wait for it.¡±

    Arc smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t have fun blowing up that golem.¡±

    ¡°I would have rather not seen it in the first place, but¡­yes, it was fun. That said, you¡¯ll never see me climbing into a tank again, even with a hundred assurances that it¡¯s broken.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel guilty?¡± asked Julie sternly.

    ¡°About what?¡± asked Jack, pushing himself up on his elbows.

    ¡°Minator!¡± she shouted. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you playing around, his hideout wouldn¡¯t have been exposed and the goblins wouldn¡¯t have heard the noise to know to come looking.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°Now I do,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Damn¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it, Jack,¡± said Arc, walking over and pulling the young lad to his feet. ¡°Stupid as it may have been, you didn¡¯t know. Dozens of things could have led us down a different path.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± asked Jack, looking over his shoulder at the tank.

    ¡°If we¡¯d kept on moving rather than stopping to rest, if I hadn¡¯t suggested going into the temple, if Minator hadn¡¯t come outside to hear the goblins. And that¡¯s just a couple off the top of my head. Learn from your mistake and move along.¡±

    ¡°Can we say a prayer for him?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°That, we can do,¡± said Arc brightly, leading the way back into the temple. ¡°I reckon Anateer is watching over us right now because the timing of Jack¡¯s shot couldn¡¯t have been more perfect. I was maybe two seconds from being turned into paste.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to take any of the emeralds?¡±

    ¡°No. Out of respect for Minator, I¡¯ll leave everything as it was when he died. It¡¯s different taking things from bandits or ruined towns, where we don¡¯t know the face of the dead. Taking the emeralds doesn¡¯t feel right, having known who the owner was. There¡¯s a fine line between looting and scavenging and I think we¡¯re right on it today.¡±

    Julie sighed. ¡°Things will be better when we get to Pembroke, won¡¯t they?¡± she asked, not sounding convinced.

    ¡°Better than being attacked by goblins, ghosts, and golems?¡± asked Arc. ¡°Yes, you won¡¯t have to worry about those too much in Pembroke. Don¡¯t get me wrong, nowhere is perfect, but you¡¯ll be able to handle yourselves in a town like that. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get back on the road once we¡¯ve said a few words for Minator,¡± said Jack. ¡°All I want right now is to be somewhere safe.¡±

    ¡°And I promise, I¡¯ll get you there,¡± said Arc, looking towards the tree under which he had been sleeping no more than an hour before.

    He led the way over to it with a disgruntled Jack and a relieved Julie following him. He fully intended to make good on his promise, but he had been a trouble magnet lately. The second that thought crossed his mind, he knew that trouble had been following him for much longer than lately.

 Book 1, Chapter 10 - Somewhere Safe

    ¡°Almost there,¡± said Arc, calling back to Jack and Julie who were dragging their feet along the asphalt road leading towards Pembroke. The twins were exhausted and failing to hide it, while Arc was exhausted and hiding it behind a big smile. Had the twins not witnessed his occasional grimace, they would have believed he was unphased by the gruelling journey.

    The trio had been walking for two days solid and all had been quiet since the emerald golem turned on them and Jack blasted it to pieces. They were all grateful for the peace, but the constant danger had broken the monotony of cautiously moving along the many roads of Nuvaria.

    ¡°Beautiful, little hole in the desert, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Arc, rounding a bend atop the hill. Jack and Julie looked at each other, hoping he wasn¡¯t playing a joke on them, and ran to catch up with him.

    The town of Pembroke stretched out before the three of them, looking an equal mixture of dishevelled and inviting; truly an uncanny oasis. The buildings were mostly repurposed brick houses and shops from the world before the fall, but a couple of wooden towers had been erected near the main roads in and out of the town to serve as guard outposts.

    Arc knew rightly that these were largely decorative as the constant desire from the local bandit groups to claim Pembroke as their own kept things surprisingly peaceful. The biggest trouble the town tended to see was bandits from rival gangs killing each other only for it to be swept under the rug because the leaders didn¡¯t want all-out war. No, Pembroke being disputed territory that brought an uneasy truce worked well for them because the money continued to flow their way when all was said and done.

    The streets of the town were quiet around the edges, save for the occasional quiet straggler making his way deeper in. Antisocial as they may have been, other humans were a welcome sight, especially to Jack and Julie. All this time on the road was starting to make them feel like the world had been wiped out all over again with Arc and Minator being the only living people they had seen in a week, and Arc was the only one of those two still alive.

    The spellslinging bounty hunter was used to being alone for days at a time, but travelling across the wasteland was something the two younger ones only did when Jack got them kicked out of a settlement. This journey, however, had been the longest one the twins had ever had across the Nuvaria.

    ¡°Go now and be free, young vagabonds,¡± said Arc, stopping and holding his hand out while making fluttering motions with his fingers. ¡°You¡¯re no longer in danger.¡±

    ¡°And just like that, we¡¯re kicked to the kerb?¡± asked Jack with a sideways smirk.

    ¡°Yes, now beat it,¡± said Arc before chuckling. ¡°If you feel like tagging along while I cash in my bounties and sell these shotgun shells weighing me down, be my guest.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to a visit a medic?¡± asked Julie, cocking her head to the side.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve over the worst of my injuries,¡± said Arc, massaging the faded bruises on his face. ¡°No point paying for something I don¡¯t need anymore.¡±

    ¡°Hard times, eh?¡± said Jack.

    ¡°I consider myself an economical fellow. Pinching the pennies is what keeps my fed well enough to have the strength to do my job.¡±

    ¡°How much would that spellcaster gun of yours be worth?¡±

    ¡°More than I would get for selling the pair of you,¡± said Arc as he started walking again. ¡°Not that I would do such a thing. I¡¯d sell everything I own all the way down to my boots, but my spellcaster and my scarf will still be by in my hand and around my neck.¡±

    ¡°Why do you never the scarf off?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°I like it,¡± shrugged Arc, but the twins knew there was more to it than that.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get it?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Got it from a friend.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s all there is to it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a scarf, Jackie Boy. Let it go. Are you pair coming or not?¡±

    ¡°No better way to get the lay of the land than to follow a wise sage like yourself,¡± said Jack, following Arc.

    Julie beamed brightly as she walked along after her travelling companions, excited for that prospects a new town could bring for her and her brother. Perhaps they could get jobs somewhere, even if it was cleaning up somebody else¡¯s filth. Anything to earn some silver and afford a living without having to cross the wasteland sounded like a good deal, especially after the trying week she¡¯d suffered through.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before, right?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Arc, tapping his pack. ¡°Pembroke is my home away from home. It¡¯s how I found out about Colt the Scourge and the idol of Purdue.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to say to that Millar man?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I haven¡¯t completed the bounty, so I won¡¯t seek him out until it¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Hang on, hang on,¡± said Jack, running in front of Arc and forcing him to a halt. ¡°Even after what happened, you¡¯re going after Colt again?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I seem to recall¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you mentioned it, then you weren¡¯t very clear,¡± shouted Jack. ¡°You almost got yourself killed last time and my sister and I won¡¯t be there to drag you away if it happens again. Maybe you would have woken up anyway, but maybe not before one of the trucks blew you to smithereens or Colt returned with backup. Maybe he would have thought it funny to tie your body to the back of his bumper, dragging you until you were a battered pulp of a man who wouldn¡¯t be able to string a sentence together.¡±

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    ¡°The man is evil and he has to go,¡± said Arc sternly. ¡°Knowing that he¡¯s a spellslinger only makes him that much more dangerous in my mind, my friend. He. Has. To. Go.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± said Julie, attracting the stunned gaze of her brother. ¡°I think it¡¯s the right thing to do. And it¡¯s better that Arc gets the money and uses it to kill a few more bad guys rather than some thug who will use it to wage more bandit wars.¡±

    Arc smiled at her. ¡°See? You get it, Julie.¡±

    ¡°I get it too,¡± said Jack, holding up his hands. ¡°I know you well enough now to know that your intentions are pure and you¡¯re a skilled man, I just think it¡¯s too risky when you failed once already.¡±

    ¡°I took out a bunch of his men, four of his vehicles and learned some valuable information. Now, I wouldn¡¯t call it a success, but it was far from a failure, Jack. Sometimes you just have to take the hard-learned lessons and come back wiser.¡±

    ¡°And better armed,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°Again, Julie, you get it,¡± said Arc proudly before tapping his pack. ¡°Now let¡¯s go turn in this head and get ourselves something to eat, alright? My treat.¡±

    ¡°But what about causing a power vacuum?¡± protested Jack. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that throw the entire town into disarray if one of the major bandit gangs suddenly vanishes?¡±

    ¡°Less taxes for the citizens,¡± shrugged Arc. ¡°Evil is evil, Jack, and I¡¯m not going to step aside while it ebbs away at lovely little Pembroke.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Jack,¡± said Julie, shaking her head. ¡°Please just let it go. You aren¡¯t going to win this argument.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, nonetheless,¡± said Arc, tussling Jack¡¯s hair.

    Jack wasn¡¯t pleased at being dismissed, nor having his hair tussled, but he knew that Arc wouldn¡¯t listen to him, so he stayed silent and followed along once more. If he was going risk his life, that was his problem. Jack would focus on his sister and himself.

    ¡°Feels good,¡± said Arc, jingling the pouch on his belt containing his newly acquired silver and a couple of small gold pieces.

    He had been paid a small bonus for passing the stone idol of Purdue over. The client, a gentleman named Dorian Duke, had been waiting for three years for someone to successfully find the cursed totem. He told the trio of the many failed attempts by other bounty hunters and mercenaries, only half of whom had made it back to Pembroke and had refused to ever set foot in the ghost town again.

    ¡°The money may feel nice, but I¡¯m hungry,¡± said Jack as his stomach growled.

    ¡°Well, this money is going to get you your breakfast,¡± said Arc. ¡°I was a little light on funds before this, as you know doubt know from your rummaging through my stuff while I was unconscious.¡±

    ¡°Do we need to keep dragging up the past?¡± asked Jack nonchalantly.

    ¡°Exactly, dear brother,¡± said Julie with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s put all that behind us.¡±

    ¡°It already is,¡± chuckled Arc, ¡°but it still happened.¡±

    ¡°Where to, navigator?¡±

    ¡°Right this way, Julie,¡± said Arc, walking ahead and beckoning the twins along.

    The three walked along the street and passed a series of glass windows. Upon peering inside, Jack and Julie could see people chatting away as they ate and drank. It seemed like a pleasant place and the sight of food made their hunger that much more intense. Arc led them to the corner and through the door, above which sat a sign that read Tina¡¯s Diner.

    The smell of fried food immediately hit the trio¡¯s nostrils the second they stepped inside, making them all salivate. It had been far too long since they had a proper meal, having had to settle for rations on the road as well as a coyote that Arc had shot, gutted, and cooked for them the previous evening. The tables in the diner were scuffed and there wasn¡¯t a single leather seat without a tear, but the beautiful scent of the food took away all care they may have had for the condition of the upholstery.

    A middle-aged woman with curly brown hair and a large mole on her left cheek gave Arc a nod as though she recognised him. ¡°What¡¯ll it be, blondie?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Afternoon, Tina,¡± said Arc pleasantly. ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten a thing all day, so it¡¯ll be the full breakfast works for each of us, a tea for me, and two milks for these little knuckleheads.¡±

    ¡°Milks?¡± asked Jack, but Julie looked happy enough with the order.

    Arc put his arms around their shoulders stuck his head between theirs. ¡°You two are too young for caffeine.¡±

    ¡°Coming right up,¡± said Tina before walking over to the window where the bald chef could be seen working away at a grill with his spatula.

    The three walked past the weird assortment of customers, many of whom were visibly armed with guns, swords, knives, and clubs. There was even a scarred gentleman wearing a cowboy hat with a spear slung over his back that looked like it had been sharpened that very morning.

    ¡°They have cows in town?¡± asked Jack, sliding into the nearest free booth.

    ¡°Nope,¡± said Arc, taking the seat opposite Jack while Julie slipped in beside her brother. ¡°Too much of a liability to have half of Pembroke defending the food supply if there¡¯s a monster attack. There are a handful of ranches a couple of miles from town and they supply both Pembroke and the nearest bandits with produce. The bandits help guard the livestock in exchange for food and let the ranchers sell their excess. It¡¯s a fairly decent arrangement, even if private security would be preferable, to having bandits skulking around your land. They¡¯d be cheaper too. All the more reason to dispose of Colt, eh?¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that bandits could actually be useful for something.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re good monster fodder too,¡± chuckled Arc. ¡°But make no mistake, they¡¯re guarding the food out of self-interest, not because they want to ensure the ranchers can supply the town.¡±

    A waitress walked over and set down two glasses of milk and a cup of tea for Arc. The twins immediately glugged down their drinks while Arc took a sip of his tea. His eyes widened briefly and he tried to hide the fact that he had burned his tongue.

    ¡°Did you burn your tongue?¡± asked Jack, slamming his empty glass down on the table.

    ¡°No,¡± replied the bounty hunter calmly before setting the scalding tea back down. ¡°I¡¯m just shocked it¡¯s that nice. I¡¯d love a coffee, but it¡¯s five times the price.¡± He could see Jack opening his mouth to comment on his deflection so he decided to deflect some more. ¡°So, how do you two like your new home?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± said Julie, cocking her head to the side. ¡°It¡¯s a town, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°How eloquent of you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to say, Arc. We¡¯ve lived in so many different places recently and I don¡¯t want to get too comfortable.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope this place can become your new permanent home. You pair are much too young to have to deal with all the hardship that comes with adulthood, but you¡¯ve been thrust into it. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re pointed in the right direction and check in on you both from time to time. Things will be alright.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jack quietly. ¡°I know I can be a pain, but you got us here safely. Who knows how long we¡¯d have been wandering around trying to find somewhere to stay.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d probably have starved if we hadn¡¯t met you,¡± added Julie.

    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t starve today,¡± said Arc, tipping his head towards the approaching waitress.

    She was carrying three plates loaded with pancakes, sausages, eggs, and bacon. Jack and Julie¡¯s mouths fell open as though they had never seen that much food in their lives. They had already gotten used to the smell of the diner and hadn¡¯t given it much thought in the last minute or two, but having the food in their faces made their mouths water all over again.

    ¡°Tuck in,¡± said Arc, picking up a rasher of bacon and taking a crispy bite. ¡°Our meals on the road have been a little light, so let¡¯s indulge ourselves this morning, but don¡¯t get used to this lavish lifestyle if you want to afford a bed.¡±

    ¡°This looks better than the coyote,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°That¡¯s very hurtful,¡± said Arc with a mock frown. ¡°I spent ages skinning and cooking that little critter.¡±

    The twins thanked him through mouthfuls of sweet, buttery pancakes while Arc chuckled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll grab a couple of rooms at the motel after this, relax for the evening, and I¡¯ll take you to meet my buddy, Jamison, tomorrow. If you¡¯re looking to defend yourself in Pembroke, he¡¯s the man to talk to.¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 11 - Guns and Bullets

    ¡°Well, well,¡± said the balding shopkeeper with the handlebar moustache. He leaned on the counter with both hands, smiling cockily as three figures walked through his doorway. ¡°If it ain¡¯t the fabled Arc the Hawk, still alive after his brush with death.¡±

    Jack and Julie stood behind Arc and looked around the shop, taking in everything from the empty canteens piled in a crate in the corner to a dozen backpacks hanging on the wall, fixing especially on the locked-up arsenal of weapons kept behind the counter. Everything that a bounty hunter like Arc needed was in this shop, but the one thing they didn¡¯t see was spellcaster bullets.

    ¡°Word travels fast, Jamison,¡± said Arc, approaching the shopkeeper and shaking his hand firmly. ¡°I take it Colt¡¯s men have been running their mouths?¡±

    ¡°They said their big boss killed you, but I see they were a little presumptive,¡± said Jamison with a hearty guffaw before taking notice of the two shorter individuals. ¡°Who¡¯re the children? They¡¯re much too old to be yours, Arc.¡±

    ¡°The boy¡¯s called Jack and the girl¡¯s called Julie,¡± said Arc, gesturing to each as he spoke their names. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking out for each other on the road and they¡¯ll be sticking around town after I go on my merry way.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± said Jamison, looking to the twins, ¡°let me welcome you both to Pembroke. Decent enough little place, all things considered. If you¡¯ve got the money to eat, you¡¯ll eat well, which is more than can be said for most towns across Nuvaria.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the welcome,¡± said Julie sweetly and Jack hurriedly repeated after her. ¡°You aren¡¯t hiring, are you?¡± she added.

    ¡°Hiring?¡± asked Jamison with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re looking for work? Well, I hadn¡¯t thought much about it, but I can always put out some feelers and see if there¡¯s anything going.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll work hard,¡± said Arc, giving the twins a subtle wink. ¡°You can give my name as an assurance of that, Jamison.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been straight with me, bud, so I¡¯ll take that as gospel,¡± said Jamison with a curt nod. ¡°I presume you¡¯re here on business and it isn¡¯t just a social call.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Arc, pulling out his spellcaster, flicking out the barrel and spinning it around. ¡°I¡¯m in need of some more rounds if you¡¯ve got any left.¡±

    Jamison walked over to the door and latched it before turning back to Arc. ¡°Alright, come with me. I¡¯ve got a few and you can take your pick if you¡¯ve got the coin for it.¡±

    The trio followed Jamison behind the counter and into a back room where he kept all sorts of tools and weaponry that couldn¡¯t be seen from the shop floor. He had everything from rocket launchers to a bionic arm. Julie wasn¡¯t sure if the arm was meant to be worn like a long glove or if it was a cybernetic limb to replace a lost one, but it intrigued her greatly.

    Sitting in the corner was a large greenish-grey shell that looked as though it would have fit neatly in the barrel of a tank; Jack wrinkled his nose upon seeing it. He felt another pang of guilt about what had happened to Minator because of his carelessness, but he tried to focus on what Arc had said about the string of circumstances leading up to the emerald master¡¯s uncovering. It didn¡¯t help much, but it was just enough to tide him over until he was distracted by Jamison reaching underneath a desk and pulling out a battered leather suitcase.

    He blew the dust from its surface and entered the lock combination before flicking the lid open and revealing the contents. Inside, were two rolled-up pieces of parchment along with ten spellcaster rounds in various colours¡ªred, white, and purple¡ªwith six of the seven red cartridges being identical.

    Arc picked one up and looked at the rune inscribed on the side. ¡°My favourite,¡± he said, signalling to the twins that this one was an Arcane Shot. ¡°I¡¯ll take all six of those plus that other red one in there.¡±

    ¡°Pricey, no? If you didn¡¯t kill Colt then you don¡¯t have his bounty money.¡±

    Arc held up a small pouch and jingled it. ¡°I took a little detour on the way back. It was very much worth my while.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± grunted Jamison with a smirk. ¡°Fair enough, my friend. It¡¯ll be sixty ounces of silver per Arcane Shot cartridge with the Fireball cartridge at two hundred ounces, but I¡¯ll do the whole lot for four hundred and fifty seeing as I know you¡¯ll be back for the others before too long.¡±

    ¡°Four hundred and fifty is the discount?¡± exclaimed Arc. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems as though a certain bandit has been buying up what my supplier had in stock so prices are on the rise. Maybe Colt the Scourge knows you¡¯re coming back for him.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± grumbled Arc, opening his pouch and dumping eight small gold coins on the table along with fifty ounces of silver. ¡°But you¡¯ll throw in two dozen revolver rounds too and relieve me of a few shotgun shells I scavenged.¡±

    ¡°Works for me,¡± said Jamison, collecting the gold and the shotgun shells Arc placed beside them.

    The spellslinger lifted the seven red bullets and put them in his jacket pocket, zipping it up so they wouldn¡¯t fall out. He felt as though he had been robbed, but he knew that Jamison wouldn¡¯t overcharge him unless the supply of spell cartridges was tightening. It just meant that Arc would have to resist the urge to use his Arcane Shots unless it was absolutely necessary.

    The four returned to the shop floor and Jamison handed Arc the revolver rounds he promised before unlatching the door. He bid Arc and the twins farewell and told Jack and Julie to check in with him in a couple of days to see if he had found them a job. After thanking him, the siblings followed Arc outside.

    ¡°Four hundred and fifty ounces of silver,¡± said Arc, still sore about how much he had to spend. ¡°That leaves a lot less for the pair of you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Jack.

    Arc held out a hand containing sixteen pieces of silver ¡°I¡¯d give you more, but it¡¯s all I can afford now that my wallet has been nuked. It¡¯ll be enough to keep a roof over your heads and buy you some food until you¡¯ve got some sort of income.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t take your silver,¡± said Julie, shaking her head and her hands. ¡°You earned it. If anything, we just got in the way in Purdue.¡±

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    ¡°Shut up and take it,¡± said Arc, grabbing her hand, dropping the coins in her palm, and then folding her fingers over. ¡°I¡¯ll not see you two starving, alright?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jack, holding out his hand for Arc to shake. ¡°I mean it.¡±

    ¡°I know you do,¡± said Arc, shaking the young man¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll check in on you tomorrow, alright? I¡¯m going to go and speak to a few contacts I have and see if they can sniff out where Colt¡¯s hanging his hat right now.¡±

    ¡°You know where we¡¯ll be,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°Take it easy, kids.¡±

    And with that, Arc the Hawk walked along the street and away from Jack and Julie, both of whom were at a loss for how to fill their time while waiting for work. Arc knew they¡¯d have the sense to realise they needed to take their own initiative before the day was over, so he wasn¡¯t particularly worried about them. For now, he had to find a small man in a bowler hat. He would surely point him to where he needed to go.

    Arc headed into a small side street and squeezed past a rust-eaten dumpster that hadn¡¯t been picked up in decades. To prevent it from going to waste, it had been repurposed as a bed for one of the local urchins whose bedroll was sitting at the bottom. So filthy was the torn cover that nobody would have thought twice about stealing it.

    Not far past the dumpster sat a red door that had long since lost its sheen and left many a glimmer of steel visible beneath its chipped paint. Arc gave it a knock and a small hatch opened up, revealing a pair of brown eyes behind it.

    ¡°Afternoon, Jeremy,¡± said Arc pleasantly. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Kenny, is he in?¡±

    ¡°Thought you were dead,¡± mumbled Jeremy through the door.

    ¡°A premature notion spread around by a few not-so-intelligent individuals. I¡¯m alive and kicking.¡±

    ¡°Good to know.¡±

    Jeremy slid the hatched closed and unlocked the door, pulling it open to reveal a set of wooden stairs leading into a basement. The burly Jeremy stood blocking the way, holding up a finger of warning.

    ¡°There¡¯s any punching this time, I¡¯ve got permission to intervene, Arc,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping this will be a civil conversation,¡± said Arc, patting the guard on the shoulder. ¡°But, just in case, I¡¯d appreciate it if you found yourself just out of earshot.¡±

    The spellslinger reached into his coin pouch and passed five silver pieces that he¡¯d rather not part with over to the burly man, who accepted them and took in a deep breath.

    ¡°My ears are feeling a bit congested,¡± he said, stepping aside. ¡°Must be coming down with a cold.¡±

    ¡°Better to take it easy then,¡± said Arc, walking down into the basement. ¡°I¡¯m sure Kenny wouldn¡¯t want to catch it.¡±

    The air was thick, with no ventilation to speak of, but the owner liked the stifling heat. His kind were used to making burrows underground and, if he wanted to keep his business going, he had to make do with what most would consider an unpleasant basement. It suited him just fine.

    Arc walked up to another door¡ªthis one wooden¡ªand rapped his knuckles against it. ¡°Oh, Kenny!¡± he called in a singsong voice.

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± muttered a squeaky voice from behind the door before speaking up. ¡°The door is open, Hawk!¡±

    Arc flung it open and sauntered into Kenny¡¯s office with a big smile on his face. It was a dreary little chamber of concrete with a rickety wooden desk and a few crates that were used in place of drawers and filing cabinets. Hung on the wall was a map of Nuvaria with at least fifty pins stuck in it, all colour-coded in ways that Arc didn¡¯t understand, but didn¡¯t care enough to ask about.

    The man he sought, Kenneth Wormwood, sat on a stool with his tiny arms folded and his legs dangling over the edge of the stool, unable to touch the ground. He was balding underneath his black bowler hat with his tufty red hair sticking out to the side like pulled cotton. Springing from his chin was a neatly trimmed goatee curled into a hook at the bottom that Arc always joked could be used for fishing. The look on Kenny¡¯s face was one of forced contentedness as he loathed when this particular spellslinger showed up on his doorstep. It always meant trouble.

    ¡°How is my favourite gnome?¡± asked Arc, folding his arms.

    Kenny grimaced. ¡°I heard that you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, that I was dead. Many people are saying this, but I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you do,¡± said Kenny, rolling his eyes. ¡°Colt has a mouth on him and is known for being presumptuous. I¡¯m amazed you haven¡¯t lost as much as a finger.¡±

    Arc raised his eyebrows. ¡°Colt, eh? Seeing as you brought him up¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Kenny bluntly.

    ¡°Can you just point¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°My jaw has barely healed since your last visit, Arc. You think I¡¯d help you after you beat information out of me?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have tried to poison my drink and then stab me in the leg,¡± shrugged Arc. ¡°I¡¯d rather you just talked, but you forced my hand, Kenny.¡±

    The gnome flashed a smile before feigning a guilty look. ¡°Ah, you knew about the poison? I thought it was strange for you to turn down a whiskey. I suppose we¡¯re even then.¡±

    ¡°Even?¡± asked Arc with a guttural laugh. ¡°Not even close, pipsqueak. You made two attempts to kill me and got away with a bloody nose and a few bruises. You owe me information about Colt and I¡¯ll settle for nothing less.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Arc. If you do get killed this time and Colt finds out I¡¯ve ratted, I¡¯ll suffer far worse than that. I¡¯m sorry to say, he¡¯s a much nastier individual than you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not nasty!¡±

    ¡°You are when I piss you off.¡±

    ¡°And you know what you can do to not piss me off, Kenny, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The gnome sighed and dragged his hand across his face. ¡°What do you want me to tell you? Which of his hideouts he¡¯s holed up in?¡±

    ¡°That would be a start.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know where he is.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth, Arc,¡± said Kenny, hopping off his stool and walking over to the map on the wall.

    Standing upright, the information broker was barely three feet tall. He pulled a collapsable pointer from his pocket and extended it, raising the tip to point at various spots on the map.

    ¡°If you¡¯ll see here, there are seven facilities to the north that Colt has ownership of. Each of those has, on average, twenty of his lackeys manning it. Colt himself passed through Pembroke to get medical treatment before vanishing; as he¡¯s known to do.¡±

    ¡°Seven facilities, eh?¡± asked Arc, approaching the map and drawing his finger in a circle around each of the points Kenny had pointed to before stopping at the westernmost one. ¡°This one looks to be a little removed from the others.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s simply an outpost,¡± said Kenny, collapsing his pointer and shoving it back in his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s to keep Darcy¡¯s men away from Colt¡¯s territory. You know how Darcy can be.¡±

    ¡°What does it look like?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it, but old photographs suggest that it was once a broadcasting station.¡±

    ¡°Broadcasting station?¡±

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    ¡°Is it functional? Can the men radio back to Colt if they wanted to?¡±

    ¡°How in the hells would I know that, Arc?¡± snapped Kenny. ¡°You think I¡¯m best buddies with these freaks? That we trade housing tips over a hog roast in the evenings? Catch a grip, you hellion.¡±

    ¡°Well, perhaps you can tell me how many men I should be expecting,¡± said Arc, trying not to laugh as Kenny grew so red in the face that it almost matched his hair.

    ¡°It¡¯s a small place, so I would wager no more than a dozen. I can¡¯t be certain.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Arc, turning towards the door. ¡°Look at that, Kenny, we had a pleasant conversation and I didn¡¯t have to throw any fists today. Our friendship is healing.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Kenny through gritted teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t go getting yourself blown up anymore Arc. That would be a real¡­shame.¡±

    ¡°And deprive you of another jolly visit? I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. No, my friend, you¡¯ll be seeing me for many more years to come. We¡¯re pals ¡®til the end of time.¡±

    Arc departed from the office as Kenny swore up a storm under his breath. He was tempted to ask for his five silver back from Jeremy as he passed, but he thought keeping in good stead with Kenny¡¯s bodyguard would serve him well in the future should the gnome cause him grief. Instead, he simply bid Jeremy a friendly farewell and headed back into the streets of Pembroke.

    If he couldn¡¯t find out where Colt was, he would be sure to cause the bandit as much misery as he could in the hope of drawing him out. Now armed with more revolver rounds and a healthier supply of spell cartridges, Arc was certain that he could convince one of Colt¡¯s men to give up his location. Failing that, he had the exact thing he needed to make a scene big enough to draw Colt¡¯s attention.

    Arc looked at the holstered Golden Hawk and started laughing quietly to himself at the thought of putting his plan into motion. That plan involved a new spell cartridge he had been looking forward to using from the moment he laid eyes on it.

 Book 1, Chapter 12 - What Now?

    Jack and Julie watched as Arc disappeared down the street, already feeling at a loss without him looking out for them. They had only known him just over a week and now they found themselves without purpose in Pembroke.

    ¡°What do we do now, Jack?¡± asked Julie, breaking the sad silence.

    ¡°Get the lay of the land?¡± replied her brother.

    ¡°That¡¯ll have to do,¡± said Julie meekly, still watching the spot where Arc had vanished from sight.

    ¡°Cheer up,¡± said Jack, putting his arm around his sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve got a whole town brimming with potential before us. Once Jamison finds us work, we¡¯ll be laughing about everything that¡¯s happened since we left Fallbrook.¡±

    Julie poked Jack in the chest sharply. ¡°You are not to cause trouble this time, do you hear me? No stealing,  no matter how desperate we get.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack, wanting to say more but choosing silence.

    He had neglected to tell Julie the full details of why they had been kicked out of Fallbrook and he knew it would crush her if he repeated the words he had heard spoken about her and the horrific intent behind the men speaking them. He had attempted to steal a gun for her protection but got caught in the process. That tale was one best left untold and the pair could build their lives anew here in Pembroke without Julie realising how much danger she had been in back in Fallbrook.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± Julie asked, looking down the street.

    ¡°Go for it,¡± replied Jack.

    The two walked along, letting their eyes run from building to building while their brains worked out what each of them was for. As best as they could tell, most of them were houses, but at least a dozen of them were shops. The lack of signs outside didn¡¯t give it away, but the stalls and goods often did.

    ¡°Fresh melon?¡± asked a man, twirling one around in his hands. ¡°Only place you¡¯ll be able to get melon for fifty miles, guaranteed.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°You two looked parched,¡± said a man with a missing eye. ¡°Got a lovely bottle of moonshine with your name on it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re thirteen,¡± said Jack, shooing him away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think moonshine would quench thirst,¡± remarked Julie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he cared much about that,¡± said Jack, looking over his shoulder. ¡°Maybe we ought to spend the money Arc gave us on a gun. Just in case somebody tries something underhanded and we need to fight.¡±

    ¡°And what are we going to eat?¡±

    ¡°The bodies of our enemies,¡± said Jack with a devious smile.

    ¡°Ew, Jack!¡± cried Julie, thumping him on the arm as he chortled away.

    ¡°I was joking, Jule. About the cannibalism, at least. Having a gun would be a good idea, no?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know how to use guns.¡±

    ¡°Not true. Dad showed me once before, but¡­well, I¡¯m a bit rusty.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡± said Julie walking over to a shop that had salted meats in a window display. ¡°These would keep, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but how are we supposed to cook them?¡±

    ¡°With fire, of course,¡± came a boy¡¯s voice from behind them.

    They turned to see a young man with black hair and a white smile beaming at them. He walked over to the window and leaned against it, holding out his hand to Julie.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Quentin,¡± he said. ¡°And you?¡±

    Julie was taken aback by his forwardness. ¡°Julie,¡± she said, slowly shaking his hand.

    ¡°And what about your boyfriend?¡± asked Quentin, nodding to Jack without taking his eyes off Julie.

    ¡°Boyfriend?¡± asked Jack, the disgust in his voice palpable. ¡°I¡¯m her brother.¡±

    ¡°And his name¡¯s Jack,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°Ah, twins? You clearly got the good looks in the family, Julie.¡±

    ¡°Tell us what you want or beat it,¡± said Jack scornfully. ¡°We¡¯re busy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how you react to someone introducing himself?¡± asked Quentin with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Not got great manners, do you, Jack?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s sorry,¡± said Julie, scowling at her brother, who rolled his eyes. ¡°What he meant to ask was how come you¡¯re introducing yourself to us?¡±

    ¡°Just being friendly,¡± shrugged Quentin. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen either of your faces before and thought I¡¯d say hello. Simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± mumbled Julie, blushing. ¡°Hello, Quentin.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Julie,¡± said Quentin with a wink.

    ¡°Yes, very good,¡± said Jack. ¡°Hello. Now let¡¯s move along, Jule. We¡¯ve got¡­stuff to do.¡±

    ¡°Where are you heading?¡± asked Quentin. ¡°Perhaps I can show you the way.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have anywhere to be,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°How about we take a look around a few of the stalls in the town square? There¡¯s always a good spread out on Saturdays.¡±

    ¡°We can go with him, right, Jack?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± said Jack through gritted teeth.

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    He didn¡¯t like the look of this Quentin fellow. He had a handsome face and a slick approach that no doubt attracted the girls, but there was something about his beady eyes that reminded Jack of a trickster. He would have to keep a close eye on him.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± Quentin asked, holding out a hand.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be none of that,¡± said Jack, pulling Julie¡¯s hand back as she moved to take Quentin¡¯s.

    She scowled at him. ¡°What is your probl¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s alright,¡± said Quentin. ¡°Can¡¯t fault a brother for being protective. I would be the same with my sister if I had one. We¡¯re all good, right Jack?¡±

    ¡°All good,¡± said Jack coldly. He could not believe how na?ve his sister was being.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Quentin, leading the way.

    He guided the twins a few streets away, deflecting the peddlers effortlessly. In no time at all, the trio rounded a corner and were in the town square. It reminded Jack and Julie of Purdue, except for a much smaller town hall, no statue, and it was filled with the living rather than the undead. Jack wondered if it was smaller or if it felt that way because there was barely space to move between the stands and stalls with the two hundred perusing people filling the market.

    ¡°Amazing,¡± said Julie breathlessly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Arc didn¡¯t show us this before he left.¡±

    ¡°He probably wanted us to start looking for a job rather than giving us temptation,¡± remarked Jack.

    ¡°Arc? Arc the Hawk?¡± asked Quentin. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was a friend of yours.¡±

    ¡°You know him?¡±

    ¡°Nah, but he¡¯s a legend around here. Strolls into town every now and again, picks up a bag of silver and gold for killing a scumbag or monster, and then goes on his way again. He¡¯s not someone you want to make an enemy of, I can tell you that. Word is that he killed a lich a few years back.¡±

    ¡°A lich?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Quentin, raising his eyebrows. ¡°Some sort of skeleton wizard. I heard they were notorious back before the Arcanaclysm, but there aren¡¯t many of them left. Maybe they¡¯re waiting until the world is populous enough again. You need bodies to make up your skeletal army, of course.¡±

    ¡°Eugh,¡± said Julie, wrinkling her nose. ¡°I¡¯d rather not think about that.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Quentin, walking into the crowd.

    As Julie followed him, all Jack could think about was how he didn¡¯t realise how lucky they¡¯d been to find Arc out by the car wreck. If it had been anybody else, they wouldn¡¯t have bothered him or his sister to somewhere safe. They certainly wouldn¡¯t have been charitable enough to leave them with money to keep themselves fed. He wished he¡¯d taken the time to ask Arc a few more questions about his life and maybe even learned a few tricks from him.

    Jack looked over his shoulder, hoping to see the spellslinger leaning against a nearby wall. Maybe he¡¯d ask the twins to come along on one of his adventures. Jack was self-aware enough to know that he would have questioned Arc endlessly about the dangers, but it wouldn¡¯t have taken much to push him into agreeing to come. With a sigh, he walked into the crowd to look for Julie and Quentin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it got there!¡± cried Julie, her trembling tone evoking panic and sorrow. ¡°I swear!¡±

    ¡°Liar!¡± called a gruff voice.

    Jack was suddenly knocked aside by a sprinting Quentin.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said with a guilty look as he continued his flight.

    Jack had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and pushed his way through the crowd to where Julie was still protesting her innocence about whatever it was that had happened. He found her standing by a fruit stall while a bald man with a stringy beard held her by the arm.

    ¡°Julie, are you alright?¡± asked Jack, trying to pull her free from the man¡¯s grip, but he was too weak. ¡°Let go of her!¡±

    ¡°You a rotten thief too?¡± asked the man, holding up an apple in his other hand. ¡°This was on my stall moments ago. Somehow, it disappeared and this girl had a round lump in her pocket.¡±

    ¡°Quentin,¡± spat Jack. ¡°Wait here.¡±

    ¡°Jack!¡± called Julie as her brother rushed off through the crowd.

    The young man ran as fast as he could, heading in the direction he had seen Quentin fleeing, but there was no sign of him among the crowd. He must have moved back into the quieter streets to create some distance, the rotten vulture. Jack pushed his way free of the square and sprinted back the way he had come until he saw the older boy scurrying into an alleyway. He said nothing as he chased Quentin, not wanting him to know that he was being followed.

    Jack rounded the corner and saw a relieved Quentin slow his run to a walk, but Jack kept up his pace and raised his arm back. He threw a punch at the back of Quentin¡¯s head, sending the young man flying forward.

    ¡°Son of a¡­¡± muttered Quentin, standing up and turning around, only for Jack¡¯s other fist to smack him across the cheek.

    ¡°Thought you¡¯d use my sister as a mule, did you?¡± asked Jack, grabbing Quentin by the shoulders and kneeing him in the stomach. ¡°Two new folks in town won¡¯t be missed if they¡¯re caught and kicked out the day they arrive, is that right?¡±

    Quentin shoved Jack away and then followed up with a kick to Jack¡¯s leg, bringing him to his knees. As Quentin raised his foot to kick again, Jack caught him by the boot and flipped him to the ground. Jack immediately dove on top of him and started punching him furiously. He may not have been as big as Quentin, but he had been in enough scraps to know how to handle himself.

    ¡°Get off!¡± yelled Quentin, grabbing a loose brick from the ground.

    As he moved to swing it against Jack¡¯s head, Jack bit Quentin¡¯s arm. With a yelp, the thief dropped the brick. He threw another hard punch at Quentin¡¯s face and, with a crack and a splattering of blood, Quentin¡¯s nose broke, leaving him screaming in pain.

    Jack stood up and backed away. ¡°You¡¯re going¡­to make this¡­right,¡± he said, trying to catch his breath.

    ¡°Make me,¡± said Quentin, sitting up and spitting out a wad of bloody saliva.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± said Jack, grabbing Quentin by the legs and dragging him from the alley.

    He kicked and struggled, but he was too tired and battered to put up much of a fight. Before the pair reached the street, he swore he would confess.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± said Jack, hoisting Quentin up by the back of his jacket and marching him along. ¡°And before we part ways, you¡¯re going to apologise to Julie and swear you¡¯ll stay away from the both of us. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± grunted Quentin, spitting out another mouthful of blood.

    ¡°I hope I¡¯ve made it clear to you that nobody so much as looks at my sister in a way I don¡¯t like and gets away with it.¡±

    Ignoring the staring faces of the crowd, Jack pushed Quentin on through and towards the stall owner, who was now talking more calmly to Julie.

    ¡°The second you said his name,¡± said the stall owner, shaking his head in exasperation, ¡°I knew what had happened. This isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s pulled a stunt like this. Ain¡¯t that right, Quentin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brendan,¡± said Quentin. He started tonguing his teeth to see if any of them were broken. He could have sworn a couple felt looser than they had ten minutes ago.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Julie, her face turning white as she looked Quentin up and down.

    ¡°He¡¯s got something to say,¡± said Jack, shoving Quentin forward.

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m very sorry,¡± he said, avoiding eye contact with her. ¡°It was wrong of me to take advantage of newcomers.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°It was wrong of me to¡­to steal. Neither of you will ever hear from me again. If we cross paths in the street, I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll just keep moving.¡±

    ¡°Roughed you up good, didn¡¯t he?¡± chuckled Brendan. ¡°Got what you deserved though, boy, I have to say.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Julie,¡± said Jack, turning to leave.

    ¡°Sorry again, Brendan,¡± said Julie sincerely.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, lassie,¡± said Brendan before turning to Quentin. ¡°You on the other hand¡­¡±

    Jack and Julie didn¡¯t hear the rest of the conversation as they walked back through the crowd and onto the street leading away from the square.

    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± asked Julie breathlessly, seeing the thick wads of blood Quentin had spat onto the street.

    ¡°What needed to be done,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°I was able to talk things through with Brendan calmly. He¡¯s a reasonable man!¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Quentin needed to be taught a harsh lesson.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Jule,¡± said Jack, looking her in the eyes. ¡°I need you to trust me, alright? I knew there was something off about Quentin from the start. If you can¡¯t trust me, then what am I doing here?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julie, apologetically. ¡°Yes, you were right. I do need to trust you.¡±

    Julie wasn¡¯t sure what else to say. On the one hand, she was grateful that Jack was looking out for her. On the other hand, if he had beaten someone to a pulp on their second day in Pembroke, how long would it be before he got himself into more trouble?

    Jack, however, wasn¡¯t concerned. He kept on walking with a defiant look of assuredness on his face, backed up by his belief that he had done the right thing. Julie was all that remained of his family and he would be damned if anybody put a single toe out of line while he was watching over her.

 Book 1, Chapter 13 - The Spiders Web

    Three shots echoed out as Arc pressed his trigger, emptying the cylinder, and putting three revolver rounds straight through the necks of the last of the kobolds who thought they could escape him. They collapsed one by one, thudding a song as their hide-clad bodies hit the cracked soil.

    A small wisp of smoke streamed from the tip of Arc¡¯s gun before vanishing into the air. The spellslinger cautiously edged towards each of the dozen kobolds lying dead around him and gave them a kick. Not a single one of the scaly little reptile men let out as much as a groan.

    Arc had been walking for two days, making his way through the wasteland to one of Colt¡¯s outposts. He would have much preferred the road, especially as it was free of kobold caves, but he wanted his arrival to be a nice surprise for the bandits.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± muttered Arc, rifling through his pouch for ammo. He loaded six bullets into his revolver, leaving another fifteen for an emergency. ¡°Not a great stock.¡±

    The previous day, he had been unfortunate enough to happen upon a lone gnoll as it snagged an armadillo for dinner. It was clad in iron armour and it took three bullets to put the sturdy beast down. Today, the dozen kobolds had cost him eighteen bullets. The worst of his injuries were but minor scrapes, so he assured himself that his twenty-one remaining bullets would be enough to deal with Colt¡¯s men. Frankly, he was hoping a single bullet would be all he needed.

    Arc took a swig of water from his canteen and then looked around to ensure that he was alone before loosening his orange scarf. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt a cool breeze graze his neck. Slowly, he raised two fingers and gently massaged two small, circular scars on the right of his neck, just above his clavicle. It was not painful, yet he winced and then immediately tightened his scarf once more.

    Taking a deep breath, he proceeded along the wiry grass, regularly checking his surroundings for more kobolds on the horizon or a slithering snake winding its way towards him. All was quiet as he ascended the hill, trying to see if the road was close by. The second his eyes were level with the peak, he dropped onto his chest and lay flat on the slope with the grass poking him in the arms and legs. He was here.

    Arc wriggled his way forward and peeked over the hill at the long antenna he had seen. His eyes followed it downwards to a broken metal dish, beside which stood a man with a pair of binoculars around his neck and a rifle in his hands. The building itself was small, as Kenny had said it would be, with at least one door nestled within the faded red bricks.

    ¡°Two hundred and fifty?¡± Arc asked himself, trying to work out how far away the building was. ¡°Three hundred maximum?¡±

    He needed to get closer without the guard seeing him and there was no way his Arcane Shot could reach him from this distance. He knew very well this may have been the case so he pulled out his spellcaster and clicked the cylinder back one notch before stashing it in his waistband and covering it with his t-shirt.

    ¡°I hope this gentleman isn¡¯t trigger-happy,¡± the spellslinger said under his breath.

    Arc stood up and held his hands high to the sky while ambling slowly down the hill towards the broadcasting station. He could feel the sweat manifest on his brow and a knot forming in his stomach. This was a stupid idea, he knew that. It didn¡¯t take long before the guard turned towards him and raised his rifle. He stared down the barrel, ready to tap the trigger at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°Afternoon!¡± called Arc, flicking one of his hands in a wave. ¡°My name¡¯s John Welling and I¡¯ve come from Pembroke.¡±

    ¡°Pembroke?¡± asked the guard, keeping his rifle at the ready as the stranger walked towards him calmly and slowly. ¡°Who sent you and why are you here?¡±

    Arc stopped moving, knowing that the slightest misstep meant a bullet through his brain. ¡°Kenneth Wormwood. He asked me to deliver some intel to you about Darcy the Jackal.¡±

    ¡°Wormwood? The gnome?¡± asked the man, his curiosity piqued. ¡°What¡¯s he got to say about Darcy that he didn¡¯t send word directly to the boss?¡±

    ¡°Said he didn¡¯t know how to find Colt and that this outpost would be the best place to broadcast the message to the rest of your crew, seeing as it¡¯s a broadcasting station and all that.¡±

    ¡°You armed?¡± asked the guard.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Arc, nodding down to his waist. ¡°Got a revolver on me, about fifteen rounds left after a couple of scuffles on the way here and a hunting knife.¡±

    ¡°Drop them on the floor, John. Slowly.¡±

    Arc did as he was told and carefully retrieved his revolver and all of the rounds, dropping them onto the ground. The bullets rolled down the hill and he hoped he could pinpoint each and every one later. Eager to please, he then flicked his knife downwards and it wedged in the soil with a faint thwip.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± asked the guard.

    Arc threw his bag down too, took off his jacket, and then turned around, deliberately not turning out the pockets to reveal a lone Arcane Shot cartridge. He then threw his jacket beside his revolver and took off each of his boots in turn, shaking them to show that there was nothing concealed inside before putting them back on. He prayed that the guard wouldn¡¯t ask him to lift his t-shirt or the spellcaster would be discovered and he¡¯d have to run in quickly to get in range.

    ¡°That¡¯ll do,¡± said the guard, relieving Arc.

    He kept his eyes on Arc as he walked towards the edge of the roof. He leaned down and tapped on the window beneath him before standing back up. The window opened seconds later.

    ¡°There a problem, Cryer?¡± came a rough voice.

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    ¡°Got a messenger from Pembroke,¡± said Cryer. ¡°Says his name is John and he has a message about Darcy. Take him before Benson.¡±

    ¡°He armed?¡±

    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s clean. He tossed his weapons and jacket aside. Even showed me his boots. If he¡¯s able to strangle us all to death before we put a hole in his head then I¡¯d say he¡¯s earned the territory.¡±

    In his mind, Arc was thanking Cryer for selling his deception so well. It would be a shame to kill the na?ve bandit later but all of Colt¡¯s men were guilty of atrocities; it was part of the initiation process. Not a single man would be leaving this station alive save for Arc himself.

    ¡°Head on over to the door,¡± said Cryer.

    The bounty hunter did as he was told and walked along carefully. He glanced up at Cryer a couple of times as he approached, hoping he would look away for a second. Luckily, he returned to his watch when Arc came within a dozen yards of the outpost. He quickly grabbed his spellcaster and threw it onto the ground a few feet to the side of the door. As he raised his hand to knock, there was a click and the door opened before him.

    ¡°Message from Pembroke, eh?¡± asked the man who answered.

    He was a tall man with a shaved head, wearing green military slacks and a red beret. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, but the half-smile on his face told Arc that this fellow was a cocky bastard.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Arc with a nod. ¡°Are you Benson?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± said the bandit. ¡°Going to need to search you before I let you inside, envoy.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Arc, holding up his hands once again.

    Benson patted him down, checking Arc all over. He left no stone unturned, even checking underneath Arc¡¯s scarf, much to the spellslinger¡¯s chagrin, but he didn¡¯t mention the two scars that Arc hated so much. As he was being checked, Arc kept his eyes away from the golden gun that lay mere feet away and prayed that Benson was too focused on the search to even consider his surroundings.

    Once he was satisfied, Benson turned around and walked inside, taking no notice of the spellcaster. He beckoned Arc to follow him. Arc walked on, taking a small lunge to the side, scooping up the Golden Hawk, and then shoving it behind his back and under his t-shirt, relieved that his bold plan was paying off.

    Inside, there were another four bandits playing cards at a round table in the corner and another two drinking shots of gin as they talked about something that was making them guffaw to each other. When they saw Benson walking past with Arc, they all focused their eyes on the stranger in their midst.

    ¡°Problem, fellas?¡± asked Benson. The men grunted and returned to their activities. ¡°Sorry if that made you uncomfortable, John. We¡¯re not used to having guests, at least not willing ones.¡± The bandit let out a sneering laugh.

    Scum. That was all that Arc could think right now, but he had to play it cool.

    Benson led Arc down a small hallway, past a couple of doors, and into an office at the far end. He sat behind a desk and gestured for Arc to take the seat facing him. The bounty hunter obliged and sat rigidly so as not to let his gun fall out from his waistband.

    ¡°So, John,¡± said Benson, clasping his hands together and giving another cocky half-smile. ¡°What¡¯s this message of yours that brings you all the way from Pembroke on foot? Must be real important.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Arc. ¡°Kenneth Wormwood has intel¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kenny the gnome?¡± asked Benson, letting out a cackle. ¡°That smarmy little bugger is providing us with intel now, is he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details of any arrangement he has with your boss. He simply paid me to deliver the message.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, naturally,¡± said Benson, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet on the table. ¡°Get talking, blondie.¡±

    ¡°He said that Darcy¡¯s looking to claim this outpost to encroach on Colt¡¯s territory.¡±

    Benson chortled and then clicked his tongue. ¡°Darcy doesn¡¯t have the manpower to spare if he wants to take this place.¡±

    ¡°Kenny says he doesn¡¯t need the manpower. He was able to scavenge an old tank that¡¯s still operational.¡±

    Benson took his feet off the desk and stood up, but said nothing. He stared at Arc pointedly and the spellslinger continued his fiction.

    ¡°His men found it a few days south of here on a patrol and they were able to haul it back to one of the Jackals¡¯ bases. It could move and shoot, but the armour was pretty beat up so they reinforced it and now it¡¯s powerful enough to blow most of Pembroke to smithereens in an hour.¡±

    ¡°Son of a grizzly whore,¡± spat Benson. ¡°Makes sense why the gnome sent you here now, John. The last thing he would want is that tyrant running the show in Pembroke. We¡¯ve got a good thing going and that jackrabbit is going to ruin it.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Benson. I¡¯d prefer Pembroke remaining as is too.¡±

    Benson shook his head and muttered a few words under his breath. ¡°A tank, eh? Damn, it would be very sweet if we could claim that for ourselves.¡± He folded his arms and drummed his fingers on his biceps. ¡°How did Kenny come across this intel?¡±

    ¡°He keeps it close to his chest,¡± said Arc. He looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. ¡°But I reckon he wants to cut some sort of deal with your boss for a few special privileges when Colt inevitably takes over Pembroke. That runt loves to play the middleman, but he''s got his favourites and his favourites are the ones that will make him the most money.¡±

    ¡°That blasted gnome has always got another motive,¡± sneered Benson, taking off his sunglasses and revealing one blue and one grey eye. ¡°Scummy little creatures they are. Can¡¯t trust them as far as you can throw ¡®em but, that said, he¡¯s done us a good turn here. Just need to let the boss know¡­¡±

    This is what Arc had been waiting for. He needed to play it cool and make the offer when Benson was most susceptible.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Benson, looking at the grimy window behind him. ¡°Or, this could be the opportunity I¡¯ve been looking for.¡±

    Or? Arc didn¡¯t like the sound of that and he liked the look in Benson¡¯s eyes even less. ¡°I¡¯m happy to relay the message to Colt for you, Benson,¡± he said.

    ¡°Alright, that works,¡± said the bandit with a shrug. He took a deep breath and then headed for the door. ¡°Follow me, John.¡±

    Arc felt a wave of relief as he stood up. He adjusted the Golden Hawk and followed Benson back into the corridor. Rather than returning to the room where many of his men were enjoying their downtime, the bandit opened up the first door on the left and walked on in.

    The second Arc stepped through the doorway, he felt the cold press of metal on his temple. He knew then and there that he had made a misstep and should never have come inside the building; Colt¡¯s location be damned. The room Benson had led him to had iron bars going from left to right, halfway into the room, with a single open door. The three windows were all barred from the inside and there was no way of escape.

    ¡°Sorry about this, John,¡± said Benson, putting his hand on Arc¡¯s back and marching him into the cell. ¡°Can¡¯t have you alerting the boss when you¡¯ve told me about the very thing that could let me take his throne, can I?¡±

    ¡°Benson,¡± said Arc as the bandit leader closed the door, all the while keeping his eyes and pistol pointed at Arc. ¡°I won¡¯t alert anyone else about this. I don¡¯t even know where Colt is.¡±

    ¡°That makes two of us, doesn¡¯t it?¡± said Benson with a sly grin. ¡°He¡¯s gone quiet since he left Pembroke last week. The boss man could be up to anything and we wouldn¡¯t know a thing about it. Me and the boys have been left high and dry and I don¡¯t take too kindly to that. It seems to me like a change in leadership is required, given the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll not say a word,¡± said Arc, fighting the urge to go for his spellcaster too early. Talking his way out of this would give him the best chance of survival, given his limited ammo.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t count on that, John. It¡¯s nothing personal and, like I said, I¡¯m sorry about this. It¡¯s just the way the hand of fate pointed today.¡±

    Benson took a key out of his trouser pocket and turned it in the cell door¡¯s lock. With a final cocky smile at Arc, he walked backwards out of the room, leaving Arc alone in the cell.

 Book 1, Chapter 14 - Burn it Down

    Arc hurried over to the cell windows and tugged on the bars, hoping at least one was loose enough to be wrenched off. If he could free a single one, he could thread it through the others and give himself better leverage to pull the rest of the bars out. To his dismay, they were as sturdy as they looked.

    ¡°Damn,¡± he growled, wiping his hand across his face.

    He looked around and knew that he could break his way free with an Arcane Shot, but that would immediately alert the bandits to his attempted escape. They would be easily sniped out in the open but, in the confines of the tight rooms and corridor, he would probably take a few bullets before wiping out his enemies. In this remote of a location, it was certain death, and he didn¡¯t see any vehicles nearby that he could hijack. Perhaps if a bandit came to check up on him, he could talk his way to freedom, but he wasn¡¯t overly optimistic about that prospect. No, he would have to be more cunning than that, especially if he wanted to ensure the fiends were wiped out.

    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s nothing else for it,¡± said Arc, looking at the barred door.

    He sat himself against the wall furthest from the door, making sure his spellcaster remained concealed. It was his only real lifeline in here and, if he got desperate, he would use it, but not a second before. Had Cryer not been watching him so diligently as he approached the door, he wouldn¡¯t have been in this mess. His plan would have been exacted before setting foot inside.

    The minutes rolled by and Arc hummed a couple of tunes to keep himself entertained. After an hour, the most he had heard from any of the bandits was the occasional chuckle booming out, but nobody as much as walked down the corridor. Would he be getting fed or would they just execute him so they didn¡¯t waste resources? No, if Benson wanted him dead, he¡¯d already be dead.

    The single hour turned into two and then into three, and only then did booted footsteps approach the door. Cryer walked into the room with his rifle in his hands as it had been on the roof. His left eye twitched as he stopped three feet from Arc¡¯s gate. He didn¡¯t say a word as he watched the spellslinger sitting idly.

    ¡°Have you got a bucket?¡± asked Arc after a few seconds.

    ¡°A bucket?¡± replied Cryer.

    ¡°Well, I presume I won¡¯t be let out to piss and I¡¯d rather not sit in my own filth. If the bucket sits in the corner and doesn¡¯t get thrown out, that¡¯s fine. I just don¡¯t want to be swimming in my own mess.¡±

    Cryer snorted at the request. Normally, the first things a prisoner asked about was freedom, followed by food and water. ¡°Hang on,¡± he said, walking back out of the room.

    He returned half a minute later with an empty beer bottle that would be good for two usages before being filled to capacity.

    ¡°That¡¯ll do nicely,¡± said Arc. ¡°Would you mind rolling it in here?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move a muscle,¡± said Cryer, approaching the bars cautiously and leaning down.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±

    Cryer put his arm inside the bars and rolled the bottle over to Arc, who stopped it with his foot. If he was to break out, he would have to make sure the bandits lowered their guard. That meant playing the obedient prisoner for as long as it took for them to bestow him with an ounce of trust.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you come in here in the first place?¡± Arc asked Cryer as he picked up the bottle and set it upright on the floor.

    ¡°To make sure you were still here,¡± replied Cryer.

    ¡°What, did Benson think I¡¯d escaped?¡±

    ¡°He said it was worth checking just in case. You may say that you¡¯re an envoy, but we could have let someone dangerous into our midst.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous? Nah, only to monsters. I¡¯d prefer not to be locked up, of course, but I¡¯ll do as I¡¯m told until he decides to let me go back to Pembroke. If it takes a week, it takes a week. Kenny will be paying me either way. I¡¯ll consider this a brief respite from the wilderness rather than an imprisonment. You can relay that back to Benson.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± said Cryer. He bore a contemplative look as he turned to leave and hesitated as he reached for the door. ¡°If you¡¯re looking to sign up and pledge allegiance to our group, I¡¯m sure something could be arranged.¡±

    Arc shook his head. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Cryer, but John Welling likes the simple life. I take things one job at a time and that keeps me focused and fed. No disrespect to you lads, of course, you do a good job in keeping Pembroke out of the hands of Darcy the Rat.¡±

    Was he laying it on too thick? Perhaps he was. He thought Cryer would scoff, but the bandit simply shrugged.

    ¡°Suit yourself, John.¡±

    With that, Cryer departed, closing the door behind him. Arc was alone with his thoughts once more. He thought about what Jack and Julie might be doing back in Pembroke. No doubt, Jack had said something stupid and got himself in trouble with someone. Julie was probably trying to keep him in check and failing miserably.

    As obstinate as Jack could be, he had a fondness for the young man. He reminded Arc of himself ten years ago, before he learned more about handling himself in the wasteland. So many things had changed for him since he was a boy, but he was glad to be alive and knew that today was not his day to die. And when his day to die reared its ugly head, he would not be sitting in this cell. He would be facing down an insurmountable foe and giving it hell right up until his final moments.

    Unable to hold it in any longer, Arc stood up and grabbed the bottle. He relieved himself and set it in the far corner before returning to his seat against the wall. He felt much better. Now all he needed was some food and a drink of water before turning in. The sun was setting and he had a roof over his head, so it would hopefully be a restful night.

    *

    Arc lay flat on the floor of his cell with nothing but his own misery for company. He hadn¡¯t had as much as a drip of water or a crumb of food since he was locked up five days ago. He spent every waking moment wondering if he would have been better risking being shot by Cryer in order to take out every single one of the bandits. He ran many different scenarios over in his head, but that was the one that stuck out to him the most.

    Stolen story; please report.

    He had thought he was being clever coming inside to try and get the bandits to lower their guard, but he knew now how na?ve he had been. They were ruthless monsters, every last one of them. Had he not thought that from own imprisonment, the female prisoner who was dragged in two days ago assured him of that. He hadn¡¯t heard from her since she was dragged away screaming, but a gunshot in the early hours of the morning told him that she had outlived her purpose.

    Arc bolted upright as the door opened and Benson strolled in, looking chipper.

    ¡°You hungry, John?¡± he asked, flicking his sunglasses atop his head.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Arc, but he wasn¡¯t going to beg.

    ¡°You¡¯re awfully resilient, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m impressed, I must admit. Something tells me you¡¯ve gone without food and water before.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t my first time being taken prisoner,¡± said Arc coldly. ¡°And I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be my last. Although I¡¯m starting to wonder if Kenny¡¯s paying me enough to do his dirty work.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still sticking to that story, eh?¡±

    Arc felt his stomach drop. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You ought to have taken off that orange scarf of yours, Arc the Hawk,¡± said Benson with a smirk. ¡°You think I didn¡¯t know who you were the second you walked through that door? You really thought I¡¯d betray Colt the Scourge for a chance to take over when I¡¯ve got things so good?¡±

    Arc held back his temper, but he was furious. He had been kept captive for almost a week and the entire time he had thought the bandits would lower their guard, but they were just toying with him. No doubt Benson had already sent word to Colt about the prisoner who walked into the outpost so willingly.

    ¡°Ah,¡± said Arc, letting out a dry laugh. ¡°I was marked for death the second I stepped inside this building. Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yea, ¡®fraid so,¡± sighed Benson while nodding his head. ¡°I must admit, I had a few doubts, but when we found a spell cartridge in your jacket, that confirmed who you were. A real shame, but that¡¯s the way it goes.¡±

    ¡°It is a shame,¡± said Arc. He stood up and staggered over to the bars, feigning feebleness. ¡°Although, it¡¯s probably for the best. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have been well suited to taking over Colt¡¯s position.¡±

    Benson¡¯s smirk faded. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You may have caught my scarf, but there¡¯s something you failed to consider.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±

    Arc reached through the bars and grabbed Benson by the collar, pulling him in with one hand while whipping out his spellcaster with the other. He put the weapon to the side of the bandit¡¯s head and pulled the trigger, splattering the bars, the walls, and himself with blood as Benson¡¯s head exploded from the point-blank Arcane Shot.

    The spellslinger put his spellcaster between his neck and shoulder, wedging it firmly in place. He used his now-free hand to rummage through Benson¡¯s many pockets. He could hear footsteps rushing down the corridor as he reached for the key, but he found something even more useful than that.

    As the door flung open and a pair of bandits rushed in, Arc fired four shots¡ªtwo at each of his foes¡ªfrom Benson¡¯s gun, dropping his foes like flies. He felt no remorse for the wicked gang members as their lifeless bodies collapsed; he had heard through the walls just what sort of monsters they were.

    Taking the key, he unlocked the door and threw it open. As more footsteps rushed towards the room, Arc grabbed Benson¡¯s body and held it in front of him as a shield.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡± cried a bandit. His expression of shock remained unfinished as he collapsed with a bullet in his neck. The dying man stumbled backwards, crashing into his comrades.

    ¡°Gavin?¡± asked one of the men in horror. He bolted into the room with his gun raised, followed by five others.

    ¡°Good evening, gentlemen,¡± said Arc, peeking out from behind Benson¡¯s open, blood-dripping neck hole. ¡°Would you be so kind as to go fetch my equipment?¡±

    Knowing the response would be a resolute declination, Arc shot again. As the bandit fell, he knew he was out of bullets and didn¡¯t have the time to reload as Cryer leapt over the corpses of his fallen friends.

    Arc hurriedly dropped Benson¡¯s gun and pulled out his spellcaster. ¡°You neglected to take this from me when you imprisoned me,¡± he said, holding out the Golden Hawk. ¡°Now, five of you are dead. I would say that¡¯s nearly half your forces gone, Cryer. I¡¯m a reasonable man and will leave if you bring me my equipment and tell me where Colt is.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Colt is!¡± roared Cryer, pointing his rifle at Arc¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°No need to get angry,¡± said Arc calmly. ¡°You can still get out of this alive if you bring me my stuff.¡±

    Cryer¡¯s cheek was twitching and he grinded his teeth bitterly, holding himself back what he wanted to say. He didn¡¯t know what spell cartridge Arc had loaded into his gun and a single wrong move could spell the death of everyone in the building.

    ¡°What¡¯s it going to be?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Morgan, bring him his possessions,¡± said Cryer heavily.

    Arc and Cryer silently watched each other, both of their fingers resting on the triggers of their guns. The two men would have loved nothing more than to shoot each other, but they knew that was in neither of their best interests at the moment.

    When Morgan had brought Arc¡¯s possessions, he set them on the floor by the door, making Arc laugh.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± asked the spellslinger. ¡°Set them in the corner and then all of you get out.¡±

    Morgan did as he was told and then Cryer took a couple of careful steps backwards before closing the door behind him.

    Arc ran to the corner and threw on his jacket, belt and bag. He quickly checked to make sure that his revolver, knife, and ammo were all still there¡ªthey were¡ªbefore picking up Benson¡¯s body once again. He held the bandit up with one hand and kept the Golden Hawk readied in the other.

    He marched over to the door and then lifted a foot, kicking it open. All was quiet and he didn¡¯t like that. He threw Benson¡¯s body into the corridor and it was immediately hit with a barrage of bullets.

    ¡°That was a mistake,¡± called Arc, picking up another body for a shield.

    ¡°Hold your fire!¡± ordered Cryer.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m in a forgiving mood,¡± said Arc, stepping out into the corridor with his new corpse shield. ¡°Everyone stay where I can see you.¡±

    Arc edged forward and the bandits backed away, none of them daring to raise their guns again. They walked backwards into the main room as Arc approached. Once there, he pivoted and walked backwards to the front door of the outpost without taking his eyes off the seven men. He could see by the looks in their eyes that they wanted him dead more than they wanted anything else, save for their own survival.

    ¡°Farewell, gents,¡± said Arc, dropping the body in the doorway and using it to block the door from falling closed.

    He stepped back into the outdoors, relieved to breathe fresh air in the open once again, but he wouldn¡¯t let himself be complacent. No, these bandits were a conniving bunch, it was in their nature.

    As Arc continued his slow steps, he kept his eyes fixed on the men waiting in the main room. He saw one of the bandits sitting on the sidelines twitching. A second later, the bandit was on his feet and shot Arc in the chest, but the bullet plinked onto the ground after striking him.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± said Arc coldly. He tapped the trigger of the Golden Hawk and the runes on the gun glowed blue as it unleashed the spell within.

    A huge fireball erupted from the muzzle, leaving a roaring trail of flames in its wake as it streaked towards the doorway. The bandits all yelled and dove for cover, but it was for nought. The fireball flew into the centre of the room and exploded, taking the outpost and all of its occupants with it in a devastating torrent of fire.

    Bricks rained down upon the desert and smoke billowed into the sky, flying free from the now-open roof. Arc stood silently by, keeping his spellcaster held out. If there was a single soul left alive inside, they wouldn¡¯t be for much longer as the flickering flames burned their flesh.

    Arc watched for a minute before daring to approach. He stepped over a low wall that had been much taller not so long ago, and into the main room where the flames were now dying down. He tried counting the bodies, but they were in too many pieces and too badly burned to be counted accurately.

    ¡°Good enough,¡± said Arc, satisfied that his enemies were dead. ¡°You¡¯re next, Colt.¡±

    Arc walked back into the desert, throwing the trail of his blood-stained scarf over his shoulder. His first order of business upon returning to Pembroke was to get his treasured scarf washed and dried. The second order was to make sure that the twins hadn¡¯t gotten themselves into as much trouble as he had gotten himself into.

 Book 1, Chapter 15 - The Client

    ¡°Looks like you two are living large,¡± said Arc, walking into Tina¡¯s Diner. ¡°This is one of the pricier places in town to grab something to eat.¡±

    ¡°But they have bigger portions,¡± said Jack, shoving an entire pancake into his mouth.

    ¡°They do,¡± admitted Arc.

    Julie swallowed what she had been chewing and then leapt to her feet. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± she squealed, drawing attention from everyone in the diner. ¡°Sorry, Tina.¡±

    Tina rolled her eyes and got back to work.

    ¡°Back indeed and not much worse for the wear,¡± said Arc, sitting himself down.

    Jack started sniffing. ¡°Is that¡­soap?¡±

    Arc looked at his clean scarf and smelled it. ¡°Yes, cactus blossom,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t pick the scent but I can¡¯t deny the allure.¡±

    ¡°Why did you wash your scarf?¡±

    ¡°Because it was dirty.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but¡­why?¡±

    ¡°I had a small run-in with a few of Colt¡¯s boys. I was taken prisoner for five days and then escaped.¡±

    ¡°Prisoner?¡± asked Julie, dropping her fork and putting her hand over her mouth. ¡°Are you alright? You must tell us everything!¡±

    ¡°Later,¡± said Arc, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see the pair of you haven¡¯t skipped town already. How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± shrugged Jack. ¡°Jamison paid us a couple of silvers yesterday for delivering some equipment to buyers around town. We thought we¡¯d celebrate with a hearty breakfast.¡±

    Julie beamed. ¡°And he said to stop by again tomorrow because he may need a few more things delivered.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Arc with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s very good. I¡¯m glad you two seem to be settling in so well. Like I said, Pembroke is one of the better places to nest in Nuvaria.¡±

    Jack finished his last piece of bacon. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done. Now, you can tell us everything. We thought you¡¯d be back in a couple of days, but you¡¯ve been gone for over a week.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pay a visit to Rodney Millar, the man who¡¯s paying me to take out Colt. There are a few updates I think he should hear about and I don¡¯t much fancy repeating myself too many times. If you¡¯ve got nothing better to do, why don¡¯t you come along?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julie enthusiastically.

    ¡°I was hoping to let my breakfast settle,¡± grumbled Jack.

    ¡°Nothing settles a stomach like a post-meal walk,¡± said Arc, leaning over and ruffling Jack¡¯s hair. The young man was not amused. ¡°Come on.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Jack said, standing up and fixing his hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re not waiting for me to eat?¡±

    ¡°But you just said¡­¡±

    Jack sat down and muttered under his breath as Julie giggled and Arc flashed him a sneaky grin.

    The trio walked up to Rodney Millar¡¯s house. It was one of the nicer abodes in Pembroke, standing at three storeys tall and with some semblance of a garden outside, but there was an unsettling air about the place that wasn¡¯t eased by the two guards keeping watch by the front gate.

    ¡°Here to see Mr Millar,¡± said Arc. ¡°About¡ª¡±

    ¡°About Colt,¡± nodded one of the guards. ¡°Yeah, I know who you are, Arc the Hawk. Go on in. The boss is sitting by the pond.¡±

    Jack leaned over to Julie. ¡°I was hoping to see inside.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± she sighed. ¡°To live in a place like this¡­¡±

    Arc led the twins past the guards, through the gate, and around the garden. There was no shortage of wiry grass and even a few blooming flowers sitting in deep-brown flowerbeds. Arc had always wondered where Millar had gotten the rich soil that allowed his plants to thrive, but considering his visits were in relation to the man¡¯s dead daughter, he decided it would be inappropriate to ask.

    He walked around the side of the house and Millar came into view. He was a stocky man with greying hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore grey dress trousers and a white shirt with a red tie, having taken inspiration from the businessmen from before the Arcanaclysm. Now that Arc thought about it, Millar would have been alive before that, but he wouldn¡¯t have been much older than a toddler in those days.

    As the guards had said, Millar was sitting by a small pond where a handful of silvery fish were swimming around aimlessly. The man was transfixed by the creatures who had not a care in the world, perhaps because he longed to have no burdens of his own, but no man worth a damn is truly carefree.

    ¡°And what brings you back into my midst, Arc the Hawk?¡± asked Millar without looking up. ¡°I know that Colt is still alive because a few of his men were in town just yesterday.¡±

    Jack and Julie exchanged worried glances. For all they knew, they had unwittingly walked past the bandits.

    ¡°I¡¯m working on that,¡± replied Arc. ¡°I have no doubt you know about my failure to kill him in the pass a couple of weeks ago, but it did leave him short a few pickups and ten men.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Millar, looking up with a faint smile. ¡°A little bit of frustration and misery for him before he dies.¡±

    ¡°And three days ago, I blew one of his outposts to smithereens and killed another twelve of his men, including one of his generals.¡±

    ¡°Hammington? Hawthorne? Benson? Who was it?¡±

    ¡°Benson.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. Did Kenny Wormwood give you the location?¡±

    ¡°He did¡­half-heartedly.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Millar, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

    Arc relayed his tale from his meeting with Kenny to the moment he walked away from the burning ashes of the outpost. He kept the information about the young woman the bandits had brought in on the light side, not wanting to expose the twins to such atrocities, but Millar knew Colt and his men¡¯s methods well enough to pick up on the subtle suggestions.

    ¡°That one will hurt,¡± said Millar, looking back to the fish. ¡°Benson is one of his most cutthroat men. It¡¯s exactly why he¡¯s kept on the edge of Colt¡¯s territory. If any of Darcy the Jackal¡¯s men encroach too far, he¡¯s the perfect person to ensure their torture and disfigurement before being sent back as a warning. Frankly, Arc, you¡¯re lucky to be alive.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I suspect he thought it was funny watching me starve while awaiting his boss¡¯s arrival. I¡¯m just glad I could rip that chance away from him¡­along with his head.¡±

    Julie winced at the thought, but Jack was in awe. He knew Arc was tough, having seen it for himself a few times over, but to have survived such a dire situation was miraculous.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you snuck your gun in,¡± said Millar.

    ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t sure if that tactic would work,¡± replied Arc with a laugh while scratching the back of his head. ¡°I thought Benson would have seen it for sure, but it must have been those stupid sunglasses of his.¡±

    ¡°I would say that it was arrogance.¡±

    ¡°He had no shortage of that.¡±

    ¡°And what is it that I can do for you? I know that you didn¡¯t come here to simply give me an update.¡±

    ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d been able to source me any more supplies?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the contingency that we discussed¡­¡±

    Millar reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handheld radio. He pressed a button on the side. ¡°Darius, bring the red one out.¡±

    ¡°Just the one?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Just the one,¡± said Millar. ¡°Colt has been giving the suppliers some grief.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Jamison had said as much. Another reason to see to it that he doesn¡¯t make it past next week.¡±

    ¡°As if there needed to be another reason.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Arc.

    Julie stepped forward, bowed her head, and clasped her hands by her waist. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for your loss, Mr Millar.¡±

    Millar didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment. His lip quivered, but he held himself together. ¡°Thank you, child,¡± he said. ¡°I can already tell that my Caroline would have liked you. She was only a few years older than you, you know. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Julie,¡± the young girl replied, looking up to make eye contact.

    ¡°And my name¡¯s Jack,¡± said her brother. ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever we can to help Arc. I promise.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that, but it would be best if young ones like yourselves didn¡¯t involve yourself with such dangerous people. Frankly, I¡¯m not sure why Arc brought you both here.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re my intrepid assistants,¡± said Arc. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about them, I wouldn¡¯t bring them into one of Colt¡¯s bases, especially the one he¡¯s twiddling his thumbs in.¡±

    ¡°Knowing Colt, he¡¯s doing anything but twiddling his thumbs.¡±

    A man walked around the corner holding a small red cartridge between his index finger and thumb. On the side of the bullet, was an emblazoned rune. The man was wearing similar armour to the guards out the front and had a shotgun slung over his back. He approached Millar and gave him a salute with his right hand.

    ¡°Thank you, Darius,¡± said Millar, gesturing towards Arc.

    Darius pivoted rigidly to face Arc, ceased his salute, and handed over the spell cartridge. Arc immediately identified it as another Arcane Shot, bringing his total back up to five. As much as he would have liked a few spares or even other spells at his beck and call, he was happy with his five red bullets and lone white bullet for the time being. For everything else, he had his revolver.

    ¡°Cheers,¡± said Arc, giving Darius a nod. The guard then swiftly departed and Arc turned back to Millar. ¡°Thank you for finding this, Mr Millar. Even without worrying about supply lines, it¡¯s getting harder to find larger batches of cartridges.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s because there are fewer men left who can make them,¡± said Millar with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Who makes them?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Wizards,¡± said Arc, making the young man laugh, but he cut it short when Julie gave him a nudge.

    ¡°I assure you, young man,¡± said Millar, ¡°that wizards still exist, but most of them have the sense to keep their heads down lest they be deprived of them. However, I have hope that times will change as my generation dies off and people forget the world that once was and are forced to accept the world that is.¡±

    ¡°One day,¡± sighed Arc. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you in peace, Mr Millar.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Arc the Hawk,¡± said Millar. ¡°And stay safe, children.¡±

    The trio departed, leaving Millar who returned to staring into this pond where one of the fish was poking its face above the surface. Once Arc and the twins had passed through the gate and were back on the streets of Pembroke, Jack asked a question that was burning in his mind.

    ¡°Can people who make regular bullets not replicate spell cartridges if they have one to base it off?¡±

    ¡°I know of a few people who tried,¡± said Arc, scrunching up his face. ¡°But they¡¯re either dead or have lost a limb. Nah, once a spell is contained within a bullet, it¡¯s in there for good and nobody can open a cartridge without triggering it. Similarly, someone without magical training or aptitude will only cause themselves a whole heap of strife should they read a spell scroll aloud in their vain hope of trapping it within an empty cartridge.¡±

    ¡°And why can¡¯t the wizards who are left mass produce them?¡±

    ¡°Because of the way magic works. If a wizard has a scroll, he can cast that spell by simply reading it and the paper burns up before him. If he copies it to his spellbook, he can use it freely, but there¡¯s a slight hitch that stops these mages from unleashing endless spells.¡±

    ¡°Their memories?¡± asked Julie.

    Arc raised an eyebrow. ¡°How¡¯d you know that?¡±

    ¡°I read about it in a book I found last year.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Julie smiled and her walk turned into a giddy skip.

    ¡°You¡¯ve met wizards before, haven¡¯t you?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°Is it true that you took down a lich?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would even know what a lich was,¡± said Arc, taken aback. ¡°But yeah, it¡¯s true. That was a few years ago and I certainly didn¡¯t do it alone. Had my old buddy Jono not done his research, my entire group would probably be roaming an old crypt in service to Shutan the Ruined. How¡¯d you hear about that story anyway?¡±

    ¡°People around here know more about your past than we do,¡± said Jack.

    Arc pondered this for a moment. ¡°Yeah, I suppose that¡¯s true. But does it matter when you know me and not my deeds?¡±

    Jack bit his lower lip as he thought. ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t, but you¡¯re still an enigma.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I know much about your past either, but I know the pair of you are good kids. You¡¯ve got a bit of an attitude, Jacky Boy, but I know it¡¯s because you want to protect Julie.¡±

    ¡°He beat another kid bloody last week,¡± said Julie quietly.

    ¡°Did he deserve it?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Yes,¡± admitted Julie.

    ¡°Had the other kid learned his lesson?¡±

    ¡°He walked past us a couple of days ago and avoided all eye contact.¡±

    Arc put his hand on Jack¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then you did a good thing, my friend. And don¡¯t let that snitch of a sister tell you otherwise.¡±

    Jack laughed heartily while Julie scowled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a snitch¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what all snitches say, young lady,¡± said Arc. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to Jamison¡¯s. Maybe he¡¯s heard something from his suppliers about where Colt is holed up.¡±

    Arc, Jack, and a seething Julie continued along, making their way back towards the street where Jamison¡¯s armoury lay. As they walked, they heard a distinct rumbling of a vehicle somewhere a few streets away, but it sounded like it was coming closer.

    The three turned their heads as the smoky rumbling grew louder. Arc¡¯s jaw dropped as two pickup trucks drove up the street and parked outside the local watering hole, Desert¡¯s Lament, and four men jumped out with thirsty grins on their filthy faces. They glanced around and one of them locked eyes with Arc for a split second.

    ¡°Cover!¡± called Arc as he dove on top of the twins to shield them from a slew of gunfire.

    Arc and Julie crawled behind a low wall while Jack rolled behind a crate outside of Jamison¡¯s shop.

    ¡°Colt¡¯s men?¡± asked Julie, her voice trembling.

    ¡°That dopey son of a bitch who shot at us was the only other survivor of the wreckage,¡± said Arc, checking his revolver as loaded. ¡°I never got his name, but I remember his ugly mug.¡±

    Arc leaned around the corner and fired three rapid shots at Colt¡¯s men. He threw himself back as a rain of bullets struck the wall. Some whizzed over it, shattering the windows of the grocery store behind.

    ¡°Missed ¡®em all,¡± said Arc with a sigh, switching his revolver for his spellcaster. ¡°Seems like a waste¡­¡±

    He leaned around once more and fired two shots at the men. The cylinder glowed blue and clicked, sending the bullets speeding down the barrel. They discarded their binding cases and erupted as arcane energy. The Arcane Shots homed in on their targets, striking them in the chests and collapsing their ribcages. As their broken bones pierced their hearts and lungs, the two men dropped and died a quick, but agonising death.

    Arc leaned around once more, but he only saw one man remaining. Where had the other gone? He switched back to his revolver, hoping to save as many of his spell cartridges as he could. To use them against lackeys rather than the head honcho pained him. They would be a last resort.

    Suddenly, the ignition started on the trucks and Arc sprung over the wall, taking careful aim at the backmost driver and, with a squeeze of his trigger, splattered the bandit¡¯s brains across the windshield as the other¡ªthe man who recognised him¡ªsped off at full throttle.

    ¡°Things could have gone worse,¡± said Arc out the side of his mouth. ¡°You alright, Julie?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said the young girl, peeking out from behind the wall. She was shaking relentlessly as the adrenaline coursed through her, but she did indeed seem to be okay.

    ¡°How about you, Jack?¡± Arc called over to the crate.

    There was no answer.

    ¡°Jack?¡± Arc called again, rushing over. He froze in horror upon seeing no sign of the young man.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Julie, hurrying over to join Arc. She clasped her hands to her mouth when she saw her brother was not there. ¡°Where is he?¡± she cried out.

    ¡°There¡¯s no blood,¡± said Arc, looking around. ¡°He must have slipped away to somewhere safer when the¡ª¡±

    Arc slowly turned his head to look at Julie. The look on his face elevated her fear.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± she said quietly.

    Arc sprinted to the pickup truck, threw Colt¡¯s dead lackey to the ground, and jumped inside. He wiped the bloodied windshield with his sleeve, leaving an even more obfuscating red smear. The reason he had only seen one man before was because the other was busy grabbing Jack and throwing him in the back of his truck. The young man was bait to lure Arc to Colt.

 Book 1, Chapter 16 - The Rat That Got Away

    Arc shifted the rumbling pickup truck into first gear and screeched off, following the man who took Jack. He shifted up through the gears as he steered his way through Pembroke, honking the horn and alerting the townsfolk. With the amount of blood smeared on the windshield, if they didn¡¯t get clear of the road then Arc was going to mow them down.

    ¡°Move!¡± he yelled at the top of his lungs, swerving out of the way as an old lady narrowly avoided becoming roadkill.

    ¡°He took Jack?¡± screamed Julie from the cargo bed as she clung to the sides to avoid being thrown from the vehicle during the sharp turn.

    ¡°What in the¡ª¡± called Arc, briefly looking over his shoulder. ¡°Get out of here. You aren¡¯t coming with me!¡±

    ¡°No way. He¡¯s my brother!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a trap and we¡¯re driving straight into it! I want to get him out good and quick.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±

    Arc didn¡¯t have time to argue with her. He caught glimpses of the pickup truck through the alleyways and knew that he was gaining on it. It was driving quickly, but not with the same breakneck ferocity that Arc was driving with. That meant that the bandit wasn¡¯t yet aware that he was being followed.

    The spellslinger burst into the town square, driving straight through the crowd who immediately scattered. As far as they were concerned, a raging madman was going on a rampage. All the while, Arc strained to see where he was going, but he was confident he had managed to avoid running over anyone. Sadly, the same could not be said for the stalls and Arc clipped the corners of two of them, collapsing them as he pursued his target.

    Emerging from the town square, the spellslinger slammed on the brakes, turning a corner before speeding up, and accelerated along the road out of town. His quarry came into clear view as the last of the buildings disappeared. He knew that with only one bandit up front, all he needed was a well-aimed Arcane Shot and the driver was a goner, leaving him free to grab Jack. Once he brought the twins to safety, he would patrol this road until he found where Colt was hiding. The bandit leader was going to pay. Any actions taken by his men, he was responsible for.

    ¡°Julie. Now is not the time!¡± called Arc as Julie crawled along the cargo bed and slung herself through the open back window to sit in the passenger seat.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± she said. She leaned forward, placed her hands on the dashboard, and watched the vehicle carrying her brother through unblinking eyes.

    ¡°Keep yourself low and out of sight.¡±

    ¡°Why would he take Jack?¡± Julie asked, ducking down so that she could only just about see out of the windshield. Luckily for her, there was only a smattering of blood on this side and her vision was unobscured.

    ¡°To get my attention. I suspect word got out that I¡¯m still alive and blew up one of Colt¡¯s outposts. His opinion of me must have soured with all of the explosions and assassinations.¡±

    ¡°But why Jack?¡±

    ¡°No doubt the rat saw that you two were with me when I tackled you to the ground. That cretinous minion thought it would be a smart move to kidnap your brother? Well, he¡¯s about to find out that that was the stupidest thing he could have done. It will cost him dearly and I¡¯ll make sure that he pays the fine, don¡¯t you worry about that.¡±

    Arc was gaining on his prey, who still hadn¡¯t realised that he was being followed, but that wouldn¡¯t last for much longer. The spellslinger would make sure that the last thing Jack¡¯s kidnapper saw was a glowing Arcane Shot filled with righteous fury, right before it turned his head into a rainfall of brain, blood, and bone, leaving his corpse as food for the ravenous coyotes and vultures.

    The bounty hunter¡¯s tyres ripped the sand and dust from the road, turning it into a cloud that coned out behind the truck. All the while, the engine roared louder and louder, finally alerting the bandit who glanced over his shoulder in panic.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, you rat,¡± said Arc, as the driver sped up.

    ¡°He¡¯s getting away!¡± cried Julie.

    ¡°Take the wheel,¡± said Arc, keeping his foot on the accelerator and grabbing his spellcaster.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to drive,¡± said Julie, grasping the side of the wheel in two hands as Arc leaned out the side window and took aim at the bandit.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± said Arc, trying to aim. ¡°Just make sure we don¡¯t crash.¡±

    The bandit was proving slippery and driving erratically to make things as difficult as possible. He knew that Arc wouldn¡¯t risk shooting the car and blowing it up as he had delightedly done the last time they had met. He wouldn¡¯t risk hurting the boy knocked out in the back.

    As Arc was on the verge of pressing the trigger, his hijacked truck swerved and he clutched the door to save himself from falling out. ¡°Careful!¡± he yelled at Julie.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she wailed, trying to see through the bloody smear. Her arms weren¡¯t long enough to hold the wheel properly while still seeing out of her own side of the windshield. ¡°Do you see Jack?¡±

    ¡°I see him alright,¡± said Arc. Jack¡¯s blue jacket and floppy brown hair were clearly visible in the back of the truck. ¡°Damn!¡±

    Arc ducked inside as bullets whizzed past, clinking off the side of the truck. The bandit was shooting at them but at the cost of speed. His car slowed down and he veered off the road, giving Arc and Julie the chance to close the distance.

    ¡°Almost there,¡± said Arc, leaning out of the window and aiming his spellcaster once again.

    The bandit started pulling away and Arc slammed his foot on the pedal, desperate to close the gap a few yards more, but it was no use. The truck was slowing down as the bandit tore along the road, making his escape. It wasn¡¯t long before he was much too far out of range for the Arcane Shot to seek its mark and Arc and Julie had slowed to a halt.

    ¡°What¡­what happened?¡± asked Julie, looking at her trembling hands as they remained clutching the steering wheel.

    ¡°We¡¯re out of fuel,¡± said Arc, smashing his fist against the dashboard where a red arrow pointed to the letter E. ¡°How in the hell were they supposed to get back to base with so little diesel left? Ridiculous!¡±

    Arc turned around and looked in the cargo bed, hoping he¡¯d find a canister or tank of some sort that he could use to refuel, but the only thing that caught his eye was a bullet hole in the side. His eyes widened and he would have sworn his heart had briefly stopped pumping blood around his body for a split second.

    The bounty hunter threw open the door and jumped onto the ground with a thud before pivoting to look at the side of the truck. He dropped his spellcaster, which clinked onto the dirt, and he fell to his knees in despair.

    ¡°The bandit only just hit the car, there¡¯s no way it would be empty¡­already¡­¡±

    Arc gasped in horror. It wasn¡¯t the bandits¡¯ fault that there was no fuel left; it was his. He fell back onto the road and stared at the sky. He couldn¡¯t believe how close he was to rescuing Jack only for the bandit to escape due to Arc¡¯s own mistake.

    ¡°I hit the fuel tank,¡± he said under his breath, putting a hand to his forehead. ¡°When I shot at the men in Pembroke, I hit the damn fuel tank!¡±

    Julie climbed over her seat and into the bed before vaulting over the side to land beside Arc. She looked at the holes in the side of the vehicle and followed a wet trail with her eyes that led along the road and back towards the town.

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m so sorry,¡± muttered Arc, looking to Julie who was welling up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to say, Julie, but¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Tears rolled down Julie¡¯s cheeks as she mouthed words so quietly that Arc couldn¡¯t hear her.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, not wanting to make light of the horrible situation as he so often would.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said, still softly, but audibly.

    Arc climbed to his feet and grabbed onto the edge of the truck, letting his head slump and hit the dented metal. He stood up again and thumped the car before throwing the trail of his scarf over his shoulder, picking up his golden gun and looking down the road.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over,¡± he said.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Julie weakly.

    ¡°Colt wants me to find him,¡± said the bounty hunter. ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do.¡±

    Julie grabbed onto the back of Arc¡¯s brown leather jacket. ¡°I¡¯m coming too,¡± she said breathlessly.

    ¡°No,¡± said Arc sternly. ¡°You head back to town. It shouldn¡¯t take you long to get there and you can wait with Jamison. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind if you explain the situation to him.¡±

    Julie grabbed Arc¡¯s wrist as he tried to pull away. ¡°I said, I¡¯m coming too!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Jack is my brother and, as much of a pain as he can be, he¡¯s all I¡¯ve got left. I want¡­no, I need to make sure that he¡¯s safe. He would do the same for me and you know it. He wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer, would he?¡±

    ¡°Julie¡­¡±

    ¡°Arc,¡± she said, her green eyes piercing through him. ¡°If you die trying to spring him from Colt, then he¡¯s dead anyway. And I won¡¯t ever find his body to give him a proper burial. I¡¯m coming and doing whatever I can to help rescue him.¡±

    Arc took a deep breath and looked to the sun resting in the blue sky above before lowering his gaze back down. He couldn¡¯t believe he was even considering it. After the mess in Purdue, he had vowed to himself to try and steer Jack and Julie as far away from danger as he could. Sadly, the danger had come to him, as it often did.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said reluctantly, ¡°but there are conditions.¡±

    Julie nodded. ¡°Just tell me what they are,¡± she said quietly.

    Arc could not believe he was relenting. ¡°You do exactly as I say whenever I say it. There can be no room for fear or doubt and especially no room for hesitation.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be walking in and causing mass death. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯re the ones dead.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not just saying that, right? You¡¯re sure you can handle that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julie defiantly, clutching a hand to her chest. ¡°I can handle that.¡±

    Arc looked around, making sure that the loud vehicles and the gunshots hadn¡¯t attracted any animals or monsters. He walked to the far side of the pickup truck and checked the surroundings carefully before walking back over to Julie.

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing we need for you and we may need to head back into town to get it,¡± muttered Arc, scratching his growing blonde stubble.

    He was keenly aware he needed to shave and had planned to do it before lunchtime, but that plan was scuppered. Another crime Colt and his men would pay dearly for.

    ¡°What do we need?¡± asked Julie with trepidation.

    ¡°We need¡­hmm,¡± said Arc, raising an eyebrow and looking towards the pickup truck. He had an inkling and he squinted as he stared through the driver¡¯s side window.

    ¡°Please, just tell me,¡± sighed Julie despondently. ¡°You have this bad habit of not finishing a thought before acting on it, Arc. This really isn¡¯t the time for that.¡±

    Arc walked around to the passenger side of the car, threw open the door, and wrenched open the glove compartment.

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he said.

    A faint smile crept across his face as he lifted out a 9mm handgun and a spare magazine, filled to capacity with ammunition. This was exactly what he had been hoping for and there were more bullets than he had expected. He snatched up both the gun and the magazine and walked back around the car, tossing them to Julie.

    ¡°A gun?¡± she asked as she caught them.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Arc. ¡°Have you ever used one before?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she replied. She held her new toys out and ran her eyes over them.

    ¡°Well, no time like the present. You¡¯re a smart girl and a quick learner, so I need you to pay attention.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± said Julie, not moving her fingers in case she accidentally shot the weapon. Not a single digit was within an inch of the trigger, yet she was still worried.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Arc, sensing her anxiousness.

    ¡°Yes, I will,¡± said Julie, sounding more confident than she felt.

    ¡°Lesson one,¡± said Arc, pointing to the weapon. ¡°Safety.¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 17 - Quite the Arm

    The empty bottle with its thin outer layer of dirt sat upon the crooked wooden fence post, barely balanced and a weak breeze away from toppling over. The sun¡¯s rays shone down upon it, slowly heating it up as the last of the day¡¯s unburst clouds rolled away into the distance.

    Bang.

    The glass shattered and its fragments sprinkled the dirt as a small whiff of smoke faded above a 9mm pistol held by a young girl. She grinned with excitement as her hand trembled, looking to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man who stood beside her with a proud smile.

    ¡°I did it,¡± she gasped before raising her voice. ¡°I did it, Arc!¡±

    ¡°And on your third shot too,¡± said the Hawk. ¡°Not half bad, Julie. I wouldn¡¯t start signing up for a sunset duel just yet, but give it a few more weeks.¡±

    ¡°A duel?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s when¡­never mind.¡±

    Arc looked up the road, making sure that the tracks the duo had been following hadn¡¯t been covered by a new layer of dust that could mask them.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said to Julie. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving before the trail goes cold and we have to trek all the way back to Pembroke to find out where Colt is.¡±

    ¡°And then we¡¯d have to walk all the way back out here,¡± said Julie wearily.

    ¡°Precisely. If we get this right now, then we don¡¯t need to go through all that hassle to find your brother. Now put the safety on your gun and stick it in your belt so you can draw it quickly should the need arise. The last thing we want is to get mauled by a pack of roving goblins before we find Jack.¡±

    Julie did as she was taught, flicking the gun¡¯s safety lever so that she couldn¡¯t shoot herself in the foot as she walked. She tucked the weapon between her purple t-shirt and belt. She jumped a couple of times to make sure it wouldn¡¯t fall out as she walked.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± said Arc. ¡°I¡¯d say after you, but I¡¯ll lead the way so I¡¯m the meat shield keeping you safe from any of Colt¡¯s men that venture this way.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they will?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Nah, not unless we dilly-dally for so long that they think I¡¯m not coming for him.¡±

    Arc and Julie set off alongside the road, keeping closer to the rocks littering the wasteland than to the asphalt itself. Should they hear the faintest of rumblings, the pair were diving for cover and would worry about what it was that was coming down the road after the fact.

    The road seemed endless as they walked along, but the tracks continued and they were assured that they were still moving in the right direction. All the same, Julie couldn¡¯t help but fear that Jack was already dead. All Colt needed was for Arc to think Jack was alive; he didn¡¯t need to be alive. Arc shot down those thoughts each time she spoke them aloud, saying that Colt was a gloater and he¡¯d want to dangle Jack in front of him before killing the young man.

    ¡°Out of all of Colt¡¯s minions, Jolly Roger is going to pay the most,¡± said Arc, having silenced Julie¡¯s doubts for the fifth time.

    ¡°We¡¯re settled on the name then?¡± she asked, having suggested a dozen different ones, each of them more spiteful than the last. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound harsh enough to me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong, Julie,¡± said Arc, shaking his head. ¡°You don¡¯t want to give him a basic or cool nickname. You want it to sound just goofy enough that it evokes a laugh the first few times you hear it. Our enemies must feel mocked, not emboldened. Something like Chuckles would work too, while some of your foul-mouthed suggestions would maybe get a wince at best.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was capable of those words,¡± admitted Julie.

    ¡°Nor I.¡±

    ¡°I think Jack influences me more than I realise sometimes. Not that that¡¯s always a bad¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± said Arc, holding up his hand and then pointing over the hills in the distance. ¡°See that?¡±

    ¡°Black clouds?¡± asked Julie before squinting and realising that the spreading darkness was drifting upwards, not along. ¡°Smoke?¡±

    ¡°Smoke,¡± confirmed Arc, pulling out his revolver and marching ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s pray that it isn¡¯t the burning remains of the truck your brother was in.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe we should pray that it is and he¡¯s safe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll happily take that one.¡±

    The arid badlands they walked along had little else except for stones and sharp grass that grew in occasional clumps where the soil retained just enough moisture to let it survive. Rain was a luxury in this part of the world, falling typically two or three times a month, and a town that wasn¡¯t built near a river was one that wasn¡¯t going to last for very long.

    Humans had gotten used to storing large quantities of water in tanks and barrels on the streets or the roofs of their houses, collecting every last drop they could gather when the opportunity arose, for they had no idea when the next rainfall would come. It had been decades since anyone had given it a second thought; it was simply part of life now.

    Arc and Julie pressed ahead and kept just far enough away from the road that they felt safe, but as they walked, it became clear that the road was drifting off to the right, while the smoke was coming from somewhere to the left. Whatever lay on the other side of the hills may not have been the truck, but they had to make sure.

    The duo crept up the sloping ground, keeping low as they moved. They managed to keep quiet save for when Julie slipped on a few loose stones. Luckily, Arc was quick off the mark and grabbed her arm before she slid down and scraped the skin from her legs. After a hushed thank you from the young girl, he pulled her back up and the two proceeded more carefully until they reached the apex.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    What was causing the smoke was not that shocking; a large bonfire of wood, but what was sitting on its fat backside beside the fire left Julie stunned and Arc smirking.

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± he said, giving Julie a wink. ¡°Perfect target practice for you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Julie asked, scared of the creature that was scratching its bulbous, scabby stomach.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a hill giant before?¡±

    ¡°I heard they existed, but I never thought I would see one in person.¡±

    The hill giant was a fat, ugly lump of a creature that had more hair on its chest and back than it did on its head. It had vacant eyes that stared through its bonfire and a slacked jaw that you could have crammed a car tyre into if you were forceful enough. Its arms and legs were a mixture of muscle and fat with countless cuts, bruises and scars. This giant had seen plenty of battles and had survived to tell the tale.

    Perhaps it had seen one recently for on the dirt beside it, lay two human skeletons whose bones were picked clean of flesh. There were black marks on the bones of one skeleton, indicating whoever it once was had died in the fire or the giant had overcooked this portion of his succulent meal.

    ¡°That¡­that couldn¡¯t be Jack and Jolly Roger, could it?¡± asked Julie weakly.

    ¡°Nah,¡± said Arc. ¡°It would struggle to catch up to a car and one of the skeletons is too big to be your brother. It¡¯s not them.¡±

    Julie was reassured by this, but she still felt uneasy. ¡°We can¡¯t fight this thing. What should we do?¡± she asked, shifting her head lower, fearing that the giant would spot two more tasty morsels watching it.

    ¡°Fight it?¡± asked Arc. ¡°Nah, we shoot it. It¡¯s one thing practicing on targets that don¡¯t move and another entirely to practice against one that¡¯s moving. Not only that, but if you¡¯re going to kill a human, evil as the human may be, it¡¯ll help you if you kill a creature that feeds on your own species without a second thought. It''s sad to say, but you need to be desensitised.¡±

    The giant raised up an arm, startling Julie, but he scratched his armpit, gave his fingers a sniff and then lowered his arm again. Julie scrunched up her face, finding the creature repulsive, but Arc found the simplicity of the beast¡¯s mind strangely charming. Another look at the skeletons beside it rid him of that thought quickly.

    ¡°Alright, take out your gun and make sure you take the safety off,¡± said Arc, drawing his revolver just in case things took a turn for the worst. ¡°You¡¯ve got two options, Julie. Aim for the head and hope you can take him out good and quick, or aim for the leg and cripple him so he can¡¯t chase you easily.¡±

    ¡°Why would I not aim for the head first?¡±

    ¡°Because if you miss, he¡¯s going to come charging in faster than a pack of coyotes, young lady. Are you confident in your accuracy after only minutes of target practice?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me what to do?¡±

    ¡°If we get ourselves into a scrap with Colt, Jolly Roger, and the rest of their unruly crew, I can¡¯t give you step-by-step instructions while trying to lay waste to our enemies. I¡¯m not that good and I can¡¯t see out of your eyes. I need you to be able to make your own calls in the thick of it.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Julie, taking a deep breath and creeping up slightly higher. She lay as flat as she could manage and held her pistol in both hands while staring down the sight. ¡°Here it goes.¡±

    ¡°No talking,¡± said Arc. ¡°Keep quiet and let yourself focus.¡±

    Julie lined up her target and aimed carefully, trying very hard to steady her shaking hands. As vile as the creature was, she felt pity for it as she readied herself to assassinate it. When she was ready, she gently squeezed the trigger and a lone bullet erupted from her gun as the shot rang out across the badlands. Less than a second later, the giant let out a quaking roar as it clutched what was left of its nose.

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± said Arc with a chuckle, aiming at the giant who had sprung up and around, looking towards him and Julie. ¡°Do something!¡±

    Julie bounced to her feet as the giant reached into the fire and grabbed one of his burning tree stumps. He cocked his arm back as the blood streamed down his face and launched the flaming wood at the hill. Arc slid down, grabbing Julie by the leg and pulling her back onto the ground as the log whizzed overhead with flames streaking along behind it. It smashed into the ground at the bottom of the hill and broke into hundreds of ashy pieces.

    ¡°Quite the arm on him,¡± said Arc, enjoying himself. Stupid foes were his favourite foes.

    He grabbed Julie with one hand and pulled her back to the top of the hill, keeping his revolver at the ready. The giant ran with thundering footsteps and Julie aimed for his left knee, squeezing the trigger again. She was shaking so much that she missed its knee and the giant took the bullet in the stomach. It barely phased the hulking brute as it continued its heavy bounding towards the little creatures it wanted to tear asunder.

    ¡°What do I do?¡± squealed Julie.

    ¡°Shoot!¡± called Arc, not yet wanting to step in. She needed the pressure to prepare her for what may be coming next.

    Julie fired three more rounds, missing once and striking the giant in the thigh twice, yet it still kept on coming. The hill shook as it stormed up it. Arc turned around and slid down the loose stones, speeding his way to the bottom and leaving Julie by herself. In a panic, she launched herself after him as the giant¡¯s head peeked out to watch its dessert sliding away.

    Arc pulled Julie to her feet and she turned around right as the giant stood atop the hill. She pointed her gun at the beast and emptied the rest of her magazine, managing to get three good shots into the brute¡¯s skull. It froze and wobbled unsteadily as it fought to cling to life.

    The hill giant¡¯s face looked dopier than ever before as its eyes drooped to a close. It let out a weak groan before slumping over and tumbling down the hill. It rolled and spun, picking up speed as Arc and Julie ran to the side to avoid being flattened. The giant slowed upon reaching the flat land and came to a halt, its half-closed dead eyes now staring at the sky. Its face was covered in dust with large clumps sticking to the mess of blood around its eviscerated nose.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad,¡± said Arc, nodding proudly and patting Julie on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll make a marksman out of you yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± stammered Julie as she stared at the dead giant, her entire body shaking vigorously. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s¡­ha-happening¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the adrenaline,¡± said Arc. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like a first kill to get the body firing on all cylinders. It won¡¯t be so bad the next time. The time after that, you¡¯ll once again find it easier. After a while, you¡¯ll be so used to it that you¡¯ll not even think about it.¡±

    Julie stood silently trembling while Arc walked up to the giant and looked at the beast¡¯s ugly face. He poked it with the tip of his revolver, checking to make sure that it was definitely dead and not merely knocked out. It wouldn¡¯t be unheard of for giants that appeared dead to simply be unconscious, so sturdy were the species. Assured that the last vestiges of life had left its body, Arc walked over to Julie and pointed at her gun.

    ¡°That thing¡¯s empty,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve only got one more magazine, so we¡¯re not going to take any more shots unless it¡¯s a necessity, alright?¡±

    ¡°Y-y-yes,¡± said Julie, trying to put the safety back on, but she couldn¡¯t keep steady enough to do it.

    Arc took the gun from her hand and did it for her before twirling it around on his finger and handing it back over. Julie looked at him, wanting to say thank you, but found herself unable to get the words out coherently.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good, Julie,¡± said Arc. ¡°You now know that you¡¯ve got it in you, right?¡±

    ¡°R-r-right.¡±

    ¡°Wait until Jack hears about this. He¡¯s not going to believe you for thirty seconds, then he¡¯ll sing your praises in a high-pitched voice and, finally, he¡¯ll start muttering under his breath about how cool you are. He¡¯ll think that you don¡¯t hear him, but you will.¡±

    ¡°He¡­he does do that¡­doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Arc with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m his hero, even if he won¡¯t admit it aloud. It¡¯s nice to be appreciated, you know? Anyway, let¡¯s get a move on and find that brother of yours before that mouth of his riles up Colt¡¯s crew so much that they shoot him before we get there.¡±

    Arc paused as Julie looked up at him with narrowed eyes and a twitching mouth.

    ¡°That was a joke,¡± he said before jerking his head to the side and wincing. ¡°Alright, it wasn¡¯t funny. You¡¯re right.¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 18 - The Stone Garden

    Arc and Julie looked at the road, their eyes following the tyre tracks from the sand-strewn asphalt to the cracked ground. The tracks led up to a stone tunnel that made its way into the side of the cliff, leaving the road firmly behind it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°Me neither,¡± agreed Arc. ¡°But if we¡¯re to find Jacky Boy, this is the way we go.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Drawing both his revolver and his spellcaster, Arc marched on ahead and Julie followed closely behind. The bounty hunter was keenly aware that going through the tunnel could as easily have been a trap as it could have been the way towards Colt¡¯s base, but he knew there was no choice but to keep on walking.

    The duo entered the dark tunnel that grew dimmer with each passing step putting the sunlight further behind them. It had been hot outside, but it was sweltering in here with no ventilation to speak of. This only exacerbated the foul smell of rotten garlicky fish wafting down the tunnel.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick,¡± said Julie weakly. ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Arc, but he had an inkling. ¡°It could be a lizard.¡±

    ¡°A lizard?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, scaly fellas with sharp teeth and claws.¡±

    ¡°I know what a lizard is.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­oh, stop it.¡±

    Arc chuckled and Julie gave him a small punch in the back. In a serious situation like this, his jokes were not appreciated, but he had achieved the desired effect of taking her mind off her brother¡¯s kidnapping for a brief moment. Sadly, the hollow feeling inside her returned shortly afterwards.

    The further they walked, the stronger the horrid odour became. Arc was more convinced than ever that it was some sort of lizard, but he could only guess as to the species. He didn¡¯t think it would be kobolds as they tended to smell more like damp rags. It wasn¡¯t a drake because there were no dragons for them to guard in these parts and that was presuming that dragons hadn¡¯t gone extinct, as had long been theorised.

    There was now utter darkness and Arc had to run the side of his hand along the wall to stop himself from tripping over broken chunks of road. Had the truck he¡¯d pilfered still been usable, driving through with the headlights on would have been a breeze.

    Julie grabbed onto the back of Arc¡¯s jacket. ¡°Would you believe I thought a peaceful life was possible just this morning?¡±

    ¡°No such thing, Julie,¡± said Arc. ¡°Especially not if you want to do some good in this world.¡±

    ¡°I was happy making enough money to live and never setting foot outside of Pembroke again.¡±

    ¡°Trouble would have come one day,¡± said Arc. ¡°I had just hoped that it would have been years down the line for you when you and your brother were ready to face it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. You do know that, right?¡±

    Arc smiled a smile that couldn¡¯t be seen. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll pay you back when we can?¡±

    ¡°Pay me back?¡±

    ¡°For looking out for us all the time.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not looking for payback.¡±

    Julie tugged on his jacket. ¡°We¡¯re going to pay you back and you¡¯re going to accept it, one way or another.¡±

    ¡°Live and prepare yourselves for the next bad day,¡± said Arc. ¡°That is payment. Money, goods, favours¡­I don¡¯t need that from either of you.¡±

    Julie was about to speak again, but Arc suddenly stopped moving. The surface of the wall had changed from concrete to metal. He tapped it and heard a dull clunk. It couldn¡¯t have been a door, could it? He felt around and located a metal bar running along the middle. It was a door alright and there were two of them side by side.

    ¡°Give me a hand, would you?¡± Arc asked Julie, taking her wrist and placing it on the left handle while he took the right.

    The two gave the handles a shove and they compressed. As the doors creaked open, they flooded the tunnel with light. The pair were blinded by the sun as it shone down into what would have once been a storage room. Its roof had either collapsed or been torn off, leaving it exposed to the elements. After their eyes adjusted, Arc and Julie recoiled in horror and the spellslinger raised both of his guns. A split second from firing, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± he said.

    ¡°I almost fainted,¡± said Julie, leaning against the wall.

    What sat before them was a large reptilian corpse that had been staring at the door, no doubt having died waiting to be released from its open-top prison. Its scaly skin lay on the ground, surrounding the creature, having slid from its body as the flesh beneath rotted away. All that was left was a brownish skeletal beast with empty eye sockets.

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    Behind the skeleton stood two dozen stone statues. A few remained perfectly intact, but many of them had been bashed to pieces or were partially crumbled. Most of the still-standing statues were of men, but one was of a woman and another was of a young child not much older than Julie.

    ¡°Statues?¡± she asked, standing up straight and walking into the room curiously.

    ¡°Statues,¡± said Arc grimly. He didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her how these statues had gotten here.

    Julie walked over to one of the broken statues and picked up its head in her hands. It was of a woman whose face was fixed into a twisted scream. It was both chilling and mesmerising to Julie, who ran her fingers over the statue¡¯s features.

    ¡°It¡¯s so lifelike,¡± she said.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Arc, looking over his shoulder. ¡°We should probably get moving while we¡¯ve still got daylight. At least with this door open, we can see further ahead.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t curious about these statues?¡±

    ¡°Their origin is a riveting tale, no doubt. Unfortunately, not one we have time to worry about today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m missing something, aren¡¯t I?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°I¡¯m not subtle, am I?¡± mused Arc, walking over to one of the statues of the men. He put his hand on its shoulder and then looked to Julie. ¡°These statues were not always statues, in the same way that the big lizard over there was not always a skeleton. They were alive not so long ago.¡±

    Julie gasped and dropped the statue¡¯s head. It broke an ear on the ground and Julie¡¯s hands trembled as she reached out to pick it up, but she drew her hands back up and took a few steps towards Arc.

    ¡°That big guy over there?¡± said the spellslinger. ¡°He¡¯s a basilisk. What he¡¯s doing locked up in here and what happened to the ceiling are questions I can¡¯t answer. What I can say for sure is that these unfortunate souls looked into his eyes and were turned to stone instantly.¡±

    ¡°It killed them?¡± asked Julie, looking around. Even with the desert sun beating down, a shiver ran down her spine.

    ¡°Once upon a time, there was a way to restore people who had been petrified to life. The clerics of old could cast divine spells to restore them to their original forms, but there are as many clerics left as there are mages. Even divine magic was largely stamped out after the Arcanaclysm with many of the gods forgotten.¡±

    ¡°And what about the broken statues?¡±

    ¡°The broken statues would be restored with their broken parts still broken. I reckon that decapitated lady you dropped would have been dead even before you broke her ear, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Julie walked over to the basilisk¡¯s skeleton. ¡°These things just¡­exist? They walk around, turning people to stone for no reason? All with a glance¡­¡±

    ¡°For millennia, yes. From what I remember, they were hunted to near extinction and they retreated to the underground to hide.¡±

    Julie looked at him with a pleading look on her face. ¡°We live in a more dangerous world than I ever realised, don¡¯t we? What other horrors lurk out of sight?¡±

    ¡°Too many,¡± said Arc with a grimace. ¡°On the plus side, humanity is so focused on survival that they don¡¯t seek out and unleash the horrors quite as often as they used to. Funny how curiosity is quelled by harsh living conditions, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You were right before,¡± said Julie. ¡°Let¡¯s leave immediately.

    ¡°Fine by me,¡± said Arc, taking a few steps towards the door. Before stepping through it, he heard the pitter-patter of many feet scurrying along the stone. ¡°Close your eyes!¡±

    Julie did as she was told and then placed her hands over them for good measure. She didn¡¯t dare reach for her gun to shoot at the unseen foe, fearing that she would hit Arc rather than her target. Her heart was beating rapidly and beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she waited.

    Arc squatted by the edge of the door, waiting for the creatures to come into the room with both his revolver and spellcaster at the ready. The sound of the rushing footsteps grew heavier, but they were dull thuds rather than stomps. What was coming was not an adult basilisk.

    Small lizards bounded into the room, their petrifying eyes fixed on the shaking Julie. With several bangs, the three young basilisks collapsed on the ground. Arc closed his eyes and walked over to where he knew each of them to be. He raised his foot high and then crushed each of them in turn beneath his boot.

    Their reptilian bodies made sickening cracks and squelches as he broke them, but he had to ensure their deaths before either he or Julie opened their eyes. The last of the three young basilisks let out a croaking screech, having been unfortunate enough to survive the gunshot. Arc stomped on that twice more.

    ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± he said as he wiped his boot on the floor, but Julie didn¡¯t uncover her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± she asked.

    Arc walked over to the tunnel and looked up and down. There was nothing. He stood silently for a minute, listening for anything scrambling towards him. There was only silence. He walked back over to Julie, took her wrists, and gently lowered her hands from her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± he said resolutely.

    The girl opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. ¡°Okay,¡± she said squeakily.

    ¡°This skeleton must have been its mother,¡± he said. ¡°I wonder if she threw them out to safety and they¡¯ve been waiting in the tunnel for her ever since. I¡¯d be sad if basilisks weren¡¯t such abominable creatures.¡±

    Arc dragged his feet along the ground, trying to clean the rest of the blue blood from his soles, but concrete was not well-suited to cleaning. He would need to give them a proper scrub back in Pembroke whenever he, Jack, and Julie made their way back from Colt¡¯s hideout.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Arc, leading the way out of the stone garden, but keeping both of his guns handy.

    The two walked along the tunnel in silence, neither feeling much like talking just in case there was something else biding its time in a crevice, just waiting for them to pass. Every so often, Julie would close her eyes and take the back of Arc¡¯s jacket before getting the courage to look again a minute later.

    It wasn¡¯t long until a light appeared in the distance, signalling that the end of the tunnel was close. Julie was relieved, but Arc was perhaps even more relieved, even if he refused to show it. He had feared showing up to rescue Jack with Julie already dead, but to have her turned into a statue by a basilisk seemed somehow worse.

    ¡°More!¡± cried Julie, seeing several reptilian figures on the ground.

    ¡°They¡¯re already dead,¡± said Arc, not deterred.

    The two walked up to the five dead basilisks. They were all similar in size to the three that Arc had killed, and all five had been crushed by something heavy that left a bloody blue trail in its wake.

    ¡°Tyre tracks,¡± said Arc brightly. ¡°Look at that, we¡¯re still going the right way.¡±

    ¡°We were in a tunnel with only one way to go,¡± said Julie, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°That we were, Julie,¡± said Arc, walking out into the open. ¡°That we were.¡±

    Julie couldn¡¯t help but laugh. As wild of an emotional rollercoaster as she had been on the last few hours, there was something comforting about Arc¡¯s apparent joviality. She often had thoughts about what made him so optimistic in a world as cruel as this, but she never liked to pry too much into his past.

    She hurried to catch up with him as he headed over to a new road where the last remnants of the basilisk blood told the duo the way forward. Julie was filled with renewed determination to find her brother and rescue him from Colt¡¯s clutches.

 Book 1, Chapter 19 - On the Outside

    Night had fallen as Arc and Julie followed the road, maintaining their distance from it as they had done the entire journey. The tracks left behind were slowly being recovered by the sweeping sand, but Arc was certain that they were going the right way. Jolly Roger had brought Jack this way, he could feel it in his bones. And where Jack was, so was Colt the Scourge.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking all day,¡± sighed Julie, starting to give up hope of reaching Colt¡¯s hideout before morning. ¡°Why would Colt have a base so far away, it doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that far,¡± said Arc. ¡°We could have driven here in under an hour if I hadn¡¯t destroyed the damn fuel tank.¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have needed to come this far if you hadn¡¯t done that.¡±

    ¡°Cold, Julie.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Arc let out a dry laugh. ¡°In any case, remember what I said about Pembroke being neutral territory? There¡¯s a reason that Colt doesn¡¯t have his headquarters too close to the town. He would piss off the rest of the bandit groups that want it. He¡¯s a cunning fella, no doubt, and the last thing he wants is an all-out war between him and his rivals.¡±

    ¡°What about the outpost?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°That was for reassurance that his territory remained in his own hands, not because he was trying to expand. At least, not yet. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love nothing more than to expand, but his men have a habit of dying when a handsome spellslinger rocks up with a golden gun.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re awfully full of yourself sometimes, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Julie with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°At least seven women have said as much to me and only one was a relative.¡±

    ¡°And yet you don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡±

    Arc¡¯s face told Julie that she had hit upon a sore spot, but he covered it up with a smile.

    Desperate to relieve the awkward silence, Julie veered back on topic. ¡°Do you think Jolly Roger open firing on us in the town will get him and his men a ban from Pembroke?¡±

    ¡°Enforced by who?¡± asked Arc with a shrug. ¡°The guards will turn a blind eye, especially seeing as nobody was killed except for Colt¡¯s own men. I reckon the other bandits will see that as a win. Maybe not so much of a win that they¡¯ll seek me out and shower me with gold for all my troubles, but maybe they¡¯ll hesitate if I ever run afoul of them.¡±

    ¡°Even that sounds overly optimistic,¡± remarked Julie.

    ¡°You know me, Jule,¡± said Arc. ¡°I¡¯m ever the optimist.¡±

    Julie stopped walking and took a deep breath. It was her turn to have a sore spot pressed upon.

    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Arc asked, turning to her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make a big deal of it, but can you not call me Jule?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­only Jack calls me that.¡±

    ¡°As I said, fine by me,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Julie quietly.

    Something poking out from one of the looming cliffs ahead caught Arc¡¯s eye. There was a faint twinkle in the night as though a sliver of shining moonlight had caught what it ought not to have for a moment.

    ¡°What do we have here?¡± he muttered, running up ahead, following the upward slope and ignoring the road that passed between two cliffs.

    Julie ran after him, hoping that they had finally found something more than a decreasingly visible set of tyre tracks to follow. Her morale was low and she needed something to pull her out of the vat of pessimism she¡¯d been lowered into as the day had faded into night.

    ¡°Keep low,¡± Arc whispered while beckoning her forward. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve finally hit the jackpot, little lady.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°That, Julie, is a factory.¡±

    The large structure was made from concrete and panels of metal that had long since lost their paint, giving way to ever-encroaching rust. There were odd assortments of pipes, small and large, connecting one section of the factory to another and two large chimneys that hadn¡¯t felt a tinge of smoke in countless years but continued reaching into the sky in the hope of purpose. At the far side of the building were large rounded tanks with long ladders reaching to their tops. They had railings around the roof to keep the walkways safe for whoever made the climb up.

    Standing watch on one of these walkways and on a further walkway on the flat of the factory roof were two men with guns in their hands and swords by their sides. Two more men patrolled back and forth along the perimeter of the chain fence. Every so often, they¡¯d stop and look around before continuing their slow steps. Resting on the asphalt within the confines of the fence, just outside the main factory building, were four pickup trucks, one of which was more haphazardly parked than the others.

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    ¡°Well, Julie,¡± said Arc with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ve found them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure these are Colt¡¯s men?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Does that vehicle look familiar?¡± asked Arc subtly pointing to the haphazardly parked truck.

    Julie gasped and then placed her hands over her mouth, worried that she had been too loud. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the one, isn¡¯t it? Jolly Roger¡¯s truck!¡±

    ¡°Bingo.¡±

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    ¡°Four men on patrol outside, and no doubt another couple dozen inside,¡± said Arc, drawing his guns. ¡°Three Arcane Shots left to use, but the bright lights would attract too much attention, even if I was able to somehow get in range of all four of Colt¡¯s vigilant lackeys. I¡¯ve got maybe twenty-five or twenty-six revolver rounds left while you¡¯ve got, what, thirteen rounds in your magazine?¡±

    Arc contemplated for a moment, furrowing his brow as he tried to crunch numbers based on his estimations of how many men would be in the building. Julie watched the cogs turning in Arc¡¯s brain as the spellslinger¡¯s eyes flicked back and forth across the factory.

    ¡°We¡¯ll manage,¡± he said after a short while. ¡°It would be nice to have a few more spell cartridges, but finding that gun in the glove compartment was a real gift. It means I don¡¯t need to piss myself worrying about you going in unprotected.¡±

    ¡°I take it that means I¡¯m allowed to come in?¡±

    ¡°If I told you that you couldn¡¯t, would you listen to me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Julie. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°To start with,¡± said Arc, moving slowly along the cliff while keeping far back from the edge. ¡°I want to get the lay of the land. Our best bet is to introduce the guards to one of my good friends, Lieutenant Knife. The less ammo wastage for the early kills, the better. It means I can afford a few misses, which I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have. As good of a shot as I am, I can¡¯t land them all.¡±

    Arc and Julie crept along the cliff, dropping to the ground and freezing any time it looked like a guard¡¯s head was turning in their direction. To their relief, the guards always passed on by moments later and gave no second thoughts to the small shadows that could just as easily have been rocks, if they had even noticed them at all.

    Upon reaching as far as the cliff would take them, Arc had seen enough. There was a sizable hole in the fence right by the gate that he and Julie could slip through without making much noise. The factory windows were too grimy to see through and even the broken ones opened only into more darkness.

    Along the cliff, Arc had found a small chasm that he could slip down to reach the fence without walking along the main road. It would be an awkward climb and a painful fall, but he was confident that he could make it and help Julie down at the same time.

    He and Julie crawled back to it and waited until the ground guards were waiting by the gate before slipping down, wedging themselves between the two rock faces. Arc had a much easier time of this and he had to shimmy his way down while holding one arm to the underside of Julie¡¯s leg to relieve some of her weight. As slender as she was, she was not as strong as her brother and struggled to support herself.

    Once they were safely at the bottom, the two dusted themselves off and pressed themselves against the rocks, trying to blend in as much as possible. With the guards being much closer now, reality started to sink in for Julie and she was filled with dreadful anxiety at the thought of having to kill a human. Arc assured her that he would do as much of the killing as possible and her role was to watch his back while prioritising her own safety.

    They waited as the guards continued their routine, taking care to count if the timings were consistent. They weren¡¯t, but that only made things easier as having all of the guards facing or moving away from them was exactly what Arc wanted. Everything needed to synchronise in just the right way and they would be golden.

    ¡°One of the guards is slipping around the side,¡± said Arc and then looking to the guards above. ¡°Those two aren¡¯t facing us. Now¡¯s our chance.¡±

    He hurried over to the fence and moved quietly alongside it with Julie keeping close to him. Arc unsheathed his knife as they drew upon the guard who was too busy scratching his nose to notice his pursuer until it was too late.

    Arc placed a hand over the guard¡¯s mouth and stabbed him in the neck before he could let out more than a low groan. The bounty hunter dragged his victim over to some rocks and dropped the bandit¡¯s body, which lay limp on the ground. Arc gathered a handful of sand and scattered it on the blood at the gate as he headed for the hole in the fence, disguising his successful assassination as much as possible.

    He helped Julie through the hole before climbing through himself and looked to the perimeter guard who was still moving away from them. With no time to check their surroundings further, they rushed over to the poorly parked pickup truck and crawled underneath it.

    The pair breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have gotten this far without issue. He felt a jolt as Julie tugged on his sleeve and he looked up, wondering what was wrong.

    ¡°Arc,¡± whispered the young girl.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he mouthed to her.

    ¡°The passenger side window is open,¡± said Julie before pointing to the gun tucked in her belt.

    Arc smiled at her and nodded, pleased that she was so observant. Once he was certain there was nobody watching him, he slipped out from under the car and reached inside the window. He opened the glovebox and felt around. His fingers brushed along a cold bar of metal and he wrapped them around it, pulling out the magazine and then crawling back under the pickup truck.

    ¡°Good job,¡± he whispered to Julie, passing her the magazine and receiving a smile in return.

    The two strained their eyes through the darkness as clouds covered the moon, making everything under it even more difficult to discern. Worried that it wouldn¡¯t be long before the patrolling guard realised his buddy was dead a few yards away, Arc gave Julie the signal and they crawled low, making their way underneath each of the trucks in turn. Every chance he got, Arc tried the doors of the trucks, only to find them locked. He decided it wasn¡¯t worth smashing the windows and drawing attention to them for weapons and ammo that might not be there.

    Once they were free of the final vehicle, Arc and Julie quickstepped over to a low wall that lay by a small set of concrete stairs. At the top of the stairs, lay a door; their ticket to inside Colt¡¯s base.

    ¡°The coast looks clear,¡± said Arc, looking around. ¡°Agreed?¡±

    Julie surveyed the area as best as she could before giving Arc a nod. ¡°Agreed,¡± she mouthed.

    The spellslinger creeped out from behind the wall and up the stairs while watching over Julie as she did the same. ¡°Inside,¡± he said.

    Arc pulled out his revolver, opened the door, and walked inside with Julie following him. He closed the door behind him, glad that the first step of the mission was out of the way. He was fearful that Julie would get hurt during the infiltration, but he had to push that feeling aside. Their chances of success together were much greater than if he were alone.

    As she had said, if he told her to wait outside, she would have refused and come along anyway, so desperate was she to find her brother. No, they were best to stick together and beyond the point of no return.

    That left Arc with two tasks before the night was through. He had to find Jack and reunite him with Julie, and he had to make sure that Colt the Scourge was dead, along with as many of his bandits as possible.

 Book 1, Chapter 20 - Move and Kill

    The dark corridor stretched out before Arc and Julie as they raised their guns. Even though they saw nothing, the two kept their weapons aloft fearing that one of Colt¡¯s men would round the far corner at any second. After thirty seconds of holding their breath, they dared to exhale and Arc gave Julie a nod.

    He led the way along the constricting oblong of concrete and metal, taking careful steps to avoid rustling his clothes. Julie clung close to him, checking over her shoulder constantly, determined to play her role well. If Arc got shot in the back on her watch, she would never have been able to forgive herself.

    At the end of the corridor, Arc hugged the wall and counted down from three before peeking around. Glad to see that all was quiet and the moonlight was being let in through a smashed window above, he walked into the small stairwell and placed a firm foot on the first step. Before taking another step, he listened carefully, just in case he heard the breathing of bandits waiting in ambush. If he heard as much as a single rasp, he was throwing Julie back into the corridor to keep her from harm.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he whispered as lowly as he could manage. ¡°I think we¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°Where to?¡± mouthed Julie, not trusting herself to emit any noise.

    ¡°Next floor up,¡± replied Arc. ¡°If we start from the top and work our way down, that only makes an escape more difficult. We would have bandits in our way every step we take. We¡¯re going to clear out Colt¡¯s men as they come, but I suspect the second we start shooting is the moment the whole factory goes on high alert. I¡¯ll try and avoid that for as long as possible, but I reckon it''s inevitable.¡±

    Julie gave him a nod and the two started their trepidatious ascent. Upon reaching a steel door, Arc gave its bar handle a light push and found that it was open. He kept the barrel of his gun pointing through the small gap as he pressed his shoulder against the metal, leaning hard until it was wide open. He held up a hand and beckoned Julie through before closing it behind himself. He then stepped in front of her to shield her from any surprise attacks.

    The pair began moving cautiously along with Julie continuing to look over her shoulder every couple of steps. With every room they passed, they took a glance inside and found them to be mostly abandoned. Occasionally, there would be a bedroll or two and a few backpacks, indicating that these rooms were where Colt¡¯s men would hole themselves up for the night before venturing out during the day.

    Suddenly, Arc held up a hand and froze his movement, leading Julie to do the same. He cupped his hand to his ear, listening intently. Exactly as he thought. There were voices coming from somewhere up ahead. They were faint, but they sounded jovial and were interspersed with laughter. They were about to find out that their jokes weren¡¯t so funny.

    The two edged along the corridor, listening for where the chatter and laughter was coming from. It must have been at least around the next corner and in one of the rooms for it to be as stifled as it was. Arc¡¯s ears continued to prick up with each small boom in volume. So focused was he that he didn¡¯t notice the shadow lurking in one of the rooms he passed.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± called a weaselly voice from the room.

    As the man reached for his gun, Arc burst inside and tackled the bandit to the ground, knocking his gun aside. Julie raised hers to shoot, but Arc knew this would be a mistake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fire,¡± he told her as he thrust his head down and broke the man¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Augh,¡± grunted the bandit, his eyes rolling as he clenched his jaw to deal with the pain.

    ¡°Goodnight,¡± said Arc, raising his revolver and cracking the man across the side of the head with it.

    The man let out a pained yelp before Arc struck him again. Each time the man refused to die, Arc beat him. He beat him until his head was a bloody mess and he started twitching. Knowing that the man would not be able to make any sudden moves, Arc drew his knife and plunged it into the man¡¯s eye socket, first popping his eyeball and then piercing the man¡¯s brain.

    Julie stood at the back of the room shaking as she continued to point her gun at the man. ¡°Is he¡­is he¡­¡± she began, but couldn¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°Assuredly,¡± said Arc quietly, wiping his knife on the man¡¯s shirt and stashing it back in the small sheath on his belt. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I¡­think so.¡±

    The spellslinger walked over to the trembling girl and placed his hands on her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that, Julie, but it had to be done. If you want to hide in here until I¡¯m finished, that¡¯s fine. I understand that none of this is easy for you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Julie, shaking her head defiantly. ¡°I¡­I have to come, Arc. I have to.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± said Arc, ¡°but we¡¯ll try and avoid any more mistakes. I was concerning myself with the voices so much that I lost my vigilance. A mistake like that can be fatal, as it almost was. If that dope hadn¡¯t spoken out in shock, he could have shot both of us before we had a chance to react.¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    The two departed from the room and resumed their original strategy of checking through each doorway before moving along. In one of the rooms close to where the voices were coming from was one of Colt¡¯s sleeping lackeys.

    Arc crept into the room while Julie waited just inside the door. As the bounty hunter closed in on the man, she fought to keep her eyes open, but couldn¡¯t help but shut them. When she heard the faint plop of the knife being plunged into the man¡¯s throat, she wished she had been able to keep her eyes open. With only the sound to focus on, it ran through her viscerally and sent a chill up her spine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget,¡± Arc said to her as he walked from the room, ¡°he would do much worse to you and already has done to many others. You don¡¯t get to be on a crew like this without being bound together by the heinous crimes you commit. These men are the lowest of the low.¡±

    Arc and Julie slinked around the corner and tiptoed up to a room with a shut door where a small sliver of light crept through the crack. This was the one. Arc placed his eye to the light and saw a group of seven men drinking from pewter cups and laughing away as they munched down some crispy pork they¡¯d cooked on an old iron stove at the back. The food smelled delicious, but Arc wasn¡¯t here for a meal, although perhaps he would come back for it once this factory was bandit-free.

    ¡°Seven men, six bullets in the cylinder,¡± he said to Julie, who nodded to indicate she understood. ¡°You ready for this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice,¡± she replied.

    With a glance up and down the corridor to ensure nobody else was nearby, he shoved the door open and fired all six of his shots, hitting each one of his targets and dropping four of them instantly. Three men cried out as they leapt to their feet, two of them with bullet holes in their shoulders and one with a missing ear. Eight bangs later, and they all dropped to the floor as Julie stared down the sights of her pistol.

    ¡°Inside,¡± Arc said, checking to make sure that they hadn¡¯t stirred anybody nearby from their slumber or bathroom break.

    Julie stood still, unable to move her feet.

    ¡°A little slow off the mark, but you did good, kid,¡± Arc said to her, hurrying into the room and pulling her with him before closing the door. ¡°You ain¡¯t got time to think about it, alright? We see what weapons these chumps have on them and we keep on moving, you hear?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julie breathlessly, her eyes wide with horror.

    She had taken a human life; she couldn¡¯t believe it. And not just one, she had taken three lives. It was for Jack, she told herself. It was for her brother. Every man dead was one less man between her and her beloved twin. No, these were not men. These cruel creatures were beasts and no better than goblins or giants.

    They may have drunk cold beers, laughed, and enjoyed a helping of pork like a normal person, but that was just a mask. What lay beneath the surface, hidden in their souls, was abject wickedness that could not be redeemed. Once a bandit, always a bandit, and they deserved to pay the ultimate price.

    Arc finished rifling through the men¡¯s possessions and shoved all of their guns into his bag, taking a handful of revolver rounds for himself and two half-filled magazines for Julie. He tossed them to her and they whizzed past her, hitting the door as she stood perfectly still.

    ¡°Clear your head,¡± he said to her. ¡°You can stress about death later.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Julie snapping back to life. She turned around and picked up the magazines from the floor.

    She placed them in her pouch and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the end of her baggy purple t-shirt. As she adjusted her clothing, she noticed something in the corner of the room. There was a metal box attached to the wall with a metal rod sticking out from it. The rod ran up to the ceiling and out of sight. On the box was a small circle of mesh with dozens of tiny holes and positioned below the circle was a red button.

    ¡°Arc, what¡¯s that?¡± Julie asked.

    Before Arc could answer her, the intercom crackled, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± came the smooth voice of Colt. ¡°If it ain¡¯t my old friend, Arc the Hawk. You¡¯ve caused me an awful lot of trouble over the last couple of weeks, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Arc walked over and pressed on the large red button. ¡°Colt, you son of a bitch, where¡¯s Jack?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, that young friend of yours who came to visit. He¡¯s been asking about you and I told him that you¡¯d be along soon. Glad you¡¯re not going to disappoint him.¡±

    ¡°Let him go.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, pal.¡±

    ¡°If you bring Jack to me right now, I¡¯ll let you walk away with your life.¡±

    ¡°Hoo wee!¡± cackled Colt upon Arc releasing the button. ¡°You really think you¡¯re in the position of power here, don¡¯t you? Sorry, Hawky, but I¡¯m the one with all of the aces and all you¡¯ve got is a pair of twos. Ain¡¯t that right, young Jack? Go ahead, sonny, you tell him.¡±

    Arc heard a thump from the other side and a grunt from Jack. ¡°Pair of twos¡­¡± muttered the young man and Julie clutched her forehead, trying desperately not to cry.

    ¡°Let him go, Colt,¡± said Arc. ¡°Or the last thing you¡¯ll see is a rain of fire upon your entire operation. You¡¯ve seen what I¡¯m capable of by now. I won¡¯t let a single one of your men walk out of this factory alive and I¡¯ll make sure I save you for last, you hapless oaf.¡±

    ¡°No need for petty name calling, my friend. If you want to see your pint-sized friend, you and that little girl had better meet me on the roof good and soon. Clock is ticking for Master Jack, Arc, and I¡¯m not a patient man.¡±

    The intercom crackled again and let out a small tone of static before falling dead silent. Arc wiped the sweat from his brow and shook his head before letting out a dry laugh. It wasn¡¯t a laugh of amusement, more a laugh of knowing how stupid he was about to be.

    The bounty hunter looked to Julie, who was biting her lower lip. ¡°Well,¡± Arc said to her, ¡°looks like this is where I go it alone.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± cried Julie, running over to Arc and hitting him on the chest. ¡°You can¡¯t bring me all this way, let me hear my brother on some¡­some radio and then kick me aside because Colt says the clock is ticking. We can stand up to him together.¡±

    ¡°Julie,¡± said Arc, taking her by the shoulders and pushing her back so she couldn¡¯t keep thumping him. ¡°Listen to me, alright? Yes, I¡¯m going to the roof alone, but there¡¯s something else I want you to do for me. Something very important.¡±

    The young woman calmed down. She was heaving up and down as she drew in quick breaths and exhaled them, but she nodded so that Arc knew she was ready to listen.

    ¡°When we were scouting the factory out by the cliff, I was trying to absorb every detail. Now, I¡¯ve got a theory and, if it¡¯s correct, we may be able to get out of here alive.¡±

    ¡°Jack too?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Jack too.¡±

    Julie nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for overreacting, Arc,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Tell me what you want me to do and I¡¯ll do it. No questions asked.¡±

    Arc smiled comfortingly. ¡°Attagirl,¡± he said. ¡°Now listen closely.¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 21 - Showdown at the Factory

    Arc marched up the stairwell, his boots clinking and clanking with every step he took on his way to the rooftop. He had his revolver in one hand, loaded with six rounds, and his scarf tied tightly around his neck, just shy of choking him. He had bid farewell to Julie moments ago, very much aware that it may be the last time he saw the girl.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get Jack out alive,¡± was one of the last things he said to her before their separation.

    The bounty hunter fully intended to do just that, even if it cost him his life, but he also had no intention of dying. Colt was clever and capable, but his weakness was his cockiness. He had heard such things before, but the meeting between the two a fortnight ago had proven it.

    Arc paused outside the door to the roof and took a deep breath while his free hand hovered just over the metal.

    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± he muttered, pushing the door open and stepping out into the wispy streaks of moonlight that were broken by the dark clouds drifting across the sky.

    Arc¡¯s eyes darted across the rooftop. He knew what it looked like, having taken it all in during his brief reconnaissance session no more than an hour ago, but it was now playing host to a few visitors. Tied to a railing was the badly beaten Jack. The young man could barely see out of his two blackened eyes. He had a wad of cloth stuffed into his mouth and he was trying to shout to Arc, no doubt a futile attempt to warn him about some cunning trap that Colt had been bragging about moments prior.

    Beside Jack, holding a large shotgun, was the bandit Arc and Julie had nicknamed Jolly Roger. He wasn¡¯t looking too jolly, no doubt because of the deaths of his many fallen comrades by Arc¡¯s hand. Perhaps some of them had been close friends, but Arc wasn¡¯t fazed by the man¡¯s angry sneer. After all, Roger had five other friends hanging out on the rooftop with him so it was quite the party. The rest of the bandits shared Roger¡¯s fury with their own foul-faced stares. The only one who looked like he was enjoying himself was the big boss himself.

    Standing at the far side of the roof, holding his copper spellcaster rod to his shoulder, was the smirking bandit leader; Colt the Scourge. His default disposition was of a man who was always having the time of his life. Threatening lives and life-threatening situations were his bread and butter, but throw in some vengeance and he was as giddy as could be. If Arc had enough wealth to loot, Colt might have just spontaneously combusted then and there.

    ¡°We going to chat first before you try and kill me?¡± asked Arc before Colt had the chance to speak.

    ¡°Of course!¡± called the bandit leader, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Arc, flicking his gun out and shooting Roger in the gut.

    He grabbed his stomach with one hand and his expression turned from rageful to one of despair as he staggered backwards. As the other bandits brought their fingers to their triggers, Jolly Roger¡¯s shotgun fell from his hands and clunked to the ground. The bandit gasped as he tripped over the railing, sending him tumbling from the roof to his death upon the concrete below.

    ¡°Just a little payback for kidnapping the young lad,¡± said Arc, holding his gun up and pointing it to the sky. ¡°I don¡¯t take kindly to my friends being kidnapped and beaten. I¡¯m sure you understand, Colt.¡±

    The bandit leader cackled wildly. ¡°You are quite the character, Arc the Hawk,¡± he said once he calmed down. ¡°I¡¯ll let that one slide, my friend, but any more of those and I¡¯ll be forced to gun you down mercilessly. I¡¯m sure you understand, Arc.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± said Arc, giving a curt nod.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s the girl?¡± asked Colt, exaggeratedly looking around. ¡°I believe I requested her presence too, did I not?¡±

    ¡°You did.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And I sent her on her way because I¡¯d prefer she kept her life even if Jack and I lose ours. Might as well have at least one survivor from our little posse. After all, you had all the aces.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± said Colt with a shrug. ¡°She was hardly a threat, but I was looking forward to collecting the whole set. And what about that fancy little piece of yours, that spellcaster I was eyeing up the other day?¡±

    ¡°With the girl, just in case any of your minions give her any trouble. That way, she doesn¡¯t need to rely on accuracy.¡±

    Colt raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I don¡¯t believe you, Arc.¡±

    Arc set his revolver on the ground, took off his jacket and kicked off his boots before turning around on the spot. He then put them all back on and picked up his revolver, all the while Colt¡¯s men looked on in disbelief. Arc wasn¡¯t sure if it was because they thought he was incredibly bold or if it was because they didn¡¯t know why he hadn¡¯t been blasted off the roof by now.

    ¡°That¡¯s a real shame,¡± said Colt, pointing his gun at Arc. ¡°I was hoping we¡¯d have a real duel, my friend. Spellslinger to spellslinger. Our last one was cut short on account of that spell collision blowing up another one of my beautiful trucks.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened, is it?¡± asked Arc. ¡°My memory is a bit foggy.¡±

    ¡°Pair of us got knocked out good and clean, so my buddy Jimmy tossed me into the passenger seat and we sped off. He got a real telling off when I woke up because he didn¡¯t bother killing you and taking your weapon, but I let it slide. It was a highly pressurised situation and the poor sod just wanted to get me to safety; can¡¯t fault that. He made things right in the end by finding young Jack. At least he did some good before you killed him.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°He had it coming,¡± said Arc coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re a heartless bastard, ain¡¯t you?¡± asked Colt with another guffaw. ¡°Only thing you¡¯re worried about in this life is those two kids, eh? They¡¯re not yours, Arc, you¡¯re much too young.¡± Colt licked his lips. ¡°It really is a shame you didn¡¯t bring the girl. We could use a plaything around here.¡±

    Arc had to fight the urge to run across the roof and strangle the bandit. ¡°So, Colt,¡± he said, pushing his emotions down. ¡°What way¡¯s this going to go then?¡±

    ¡°Seeing as you didn¡¯t bother bringing any aces to the table, I¡¯m going to have to find another way to make some fun. I reckon I¡¯ll start by blowing your arms off and then my buddies here can use you as a punching bag for a while. There¡¯s a nice rusty hook down below that we can stick inside your throat. We¡¯ll dangle you over the factory floor for a few days until you stink up the place so bad that we dump you in an unmarked grave somewhere. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like that at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, Arc,¡± said Colt, closing one eye as he pointed his spellcaster at the bounty hunter. ¡°I¡¯m afraid, you don¡¯t got a choice.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± said Arc, holding up his right hand. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    A gunshot rang out and Colt dropped his weapon, startling his men who all turned to him. Arc dove for his gun on the ground and unleashed five shots, hitting each of his targets and killing two of them instantly. The last two bandits standing turned on him and raised their weapons only to be shot in the side from a broken roof window underneath.

    Colt the Scourge seized his weapon with his good arm right as Arc the Hawk reached over his shoulder and pulled his spellcaster out from under his scarf. The two aimed their weapons at each other and fired their Arcane Shots. The two magical spheres flew across the roof, colliding and emitting a wave of energy that knocked Arc and Colt to the ground.

    The spellslingers shot two more Arcane Shots, each of them colliding. They burst, releasing their intense shockwaves as the men gritted their teeth and forced their eyes to remain open. Arc climbed to his feet and charged for Colt, out of Arcane Shots. He held his spellcaster out and, as the bandit leader arose and pulled the trigger, Arc pulled his own trigger.

    His cylinder glowed its familiar blue once again as the white cartridge within unleashed its spell. An ethereal circular shield formed in front of the gun, reaching from Arc¡¯s head to the ground. It moved along with him as he ran, staying fixed in place until Colt¡¯s Arcane Shot struck it, shattering it into magical fragments that dissipated in the air.

    He was now close enough to his mark. Arc dropkicked Colt in the chest and sent the wicked bandit flying over the railings. For the first time since Arc had known him, he had a look of fear on his face as he bumped into the glass windows. He slid down and desperately tried to find something to grab onto, but it was no use. He slid right over the edge of the factory and fell fifty feet through the air, his face contorting and twisting the further he fell. He landed on the ground with a thick thud and a harrowing crack that echoed in the night. From underneath his bloody and broken body, burst a cloud of dust and Colt the Scourge would move no more.

    Arc looked around the rooftop, making sure that he and Jack were alone before rushing over to his young friend and cutting him free of his bindings with his knife. Jack tried to speak, forgetting that he was gagged, and only emitted an incoherent mumbling. Arc grabbed the cloth and pulled it from the young man¡¯s mouth, tossing it aside and giving the boy a moment to breathe before saying anything.

    ¡°You alright, bud?¡± he asked him as Jack massaged his sore wrists where the ropes had cut into them.

    ¡°Much better now,¡± he sighed before looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s Julie? Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. Who do you think shot Colt and killed two of his men?¡±

    Jack was astounded. ¡°Julie did that?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s become quite the shot in the last¡­what, twelve hours?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± muttered Jack, his eyes wide. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±

    ¡°You alright down there, Julie?¡± Arc called to the window beneath the metal walkway where she had shot from.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, sounding uneasy.

    ¡°See?¡± Arc said to Jack with a grin.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± The young man started laughing incredulously before sweeping his hair back and breathing out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Please get down here before more of them show up,¡± Julie pleaded.

    ¡°Well, you heard her,¡± said Arc, giving Jack a shrug. ¡°You alright to walk, Jacky Boy, or do you need a piggyback?¡±

    ¡°I can walk,¡± said Jack before holding out his hand to Arc. ¡°Thank you¡­again.¡±

    ¡°No thanks necessary,¡± said Arc, accepting the handshake. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been walking through Pembroke with me in the first place, Jolly Roger wouldn¡¯t have kidnapped you for bait.¡±

    ¡°Jolly Roger?¡±

    ¡°Ah, what did Colt call him? Jimmy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Colt talks a lot.¡±

    Arc nodded. ¡°The man doesn¡¯t know when to shut up, does he? Well, perhaps I should say he didn¡¯t know when to shut up. If he¡¯d shot me the second I stepped onto the roof, he¡¯d still be alive and I¡¯d be dead instead.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth.¡±

    ¡°No arguments here.¡±

    Arc walked from bandit to bandit, lifting their guns, ammunition, and whatever coins they had on them. He stashed them all in his bag to sort through later, intending to give some to Jack and Julie as a parting gift whenever they made it back to Pembroke. Seeing as Arc had wasted all of his spell cartridges, at least he¡¯d now be able to afford some new ones. No doubt with Colt¡¯s disruption of the supply chains, the bandit leader would have some on his body down below.

    ¡°What was that spell you used?¡± asked Jack, looking at the golden gun holstered by Arc¡¯s side.

    ¡°They call it Minor Shield,¡± said Arc, tapping his spellcaster. ¡°Very useful spell and the first spell I ever witnessed being used by a mage. Remember how I told you about the different schools? Well, that white cartridge you found for me lets me bring up a barrier that protects me for a short while or until it¡¯s shattered by something stronger. All it took was one of Colt¡¯s Arcane Shots to break it, but it bought me the time I needed.¡±

    ¡°Why not use that one first?¡± asked Jack. ¡°Could have saved yourself some cartridges.¡±

    ¡°Did I look like I had time to load things on the spot?¡± asked Arc. ¡°I thought there was a chance I¡¯d need to use those Arcane Shots on his men if they took my revolver away. But Colt proved to be more arrogant and sloppier than I first presumed. Again, I¡¯m glad of that, but still.¡±

    ¡°So, the lesson here is to shoot before your enemy gets the chance to shoot you?¡±

    ¡°Seems obvious, you¡¯d think?¡± chuckled Arc, taking out one of the looted handguns. ¡°You know how to shoot, Jack?¡±

    ¡°Barely,¡± he said, gingerly accepting the gun. ¡°My dad showed me when I was younger, but I didn¡¯t get much chance to practice.¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± called Julie squeakily from below. ¡°I don¡¯t like being down here by myself.¡±

    ¡°Coming now,¡± said Arc, patting Jack on the back and making him wince. ¡°Sorry, pal,¡± he added apologetically as the young man nursed his wounds.

 Book 1, Chapter 22 - Purge the Remnants

    ¡°It was dangerous for you to leave her all alone down there,¡± said Jack as Arc helped him down a flight of stairs.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to give me attitude even after risking my life to save you?¡± asked an incredulous Arc.

    Jack paused and thought for a moment. ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°Sometimes I have a big mouth and I need to think before I say things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said that?¡±

    ¡°Not in those words.¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re good words, you knucklehead. Take them to heart.¡±

    Jack laughed but winced from the pain as his abdomen contracted. He clutched onto a railing to stop himself from keeling over. ¡°That¡¯s my payback coming in right on schedule.¡±

    ¡°Quiet,¡± whispered Arc, pulling Jack back from the railing.

    ¡°What?¡± mouthed Jack, but he heard it too. A door down below opened and Arc could hear two sets of footsteps hurriedly ascending the stairs.

    The bounty hunter kept low and peeked through the railings to see if he could catch a glimpse of his foes. With a smile, Arc took aim at the second-floor walkway with his revolver and waited. As soon as the first bandit stepped in line with his iron sights, he squeezed the trigger and splattered the ne¡¯er-do-well¡¯s brains on the floor.

    The other bandit dove out of the way and Arc leaned back, knowing that his enemy would be aiming in his direction. All he needed to get the upper hand was a little distraction. He took two of the guns he¡¯d grabbed from Colt¡¯s men on the roof and slid one of them along the step and off the edge.

    As it fell, there were eight successive bangs and a loud grunt of frustration from the bandit. Arc took the next gun and slid it out too, letting it fall and be shot at six times.

    ¡°Fourteen shots,¡± he muttered, hoping the man was using the same guns as the ones he had just slid into the abyss.

    Arc quickly and quietly moved down three steps and leaned out. He emptied his cylinder as the bandit fired the last bullet in his magazine, only to hit the spot where Arc had been dropping guns from and send a small chunk of concrete spiralling in the air before hitting the wall.

    Three of Arc¡¯s bullets struck the bandit¡ªone in the shoulder and two in the chest¡ªand he fell into the wall before sliding along it and tumbling down the stairs. Arc listened closely and waited, but there came no hint of movement from the man. He didn¡¯t even make as much as a moan of pain.

    ¡°Dead,¡± said Arc, looking over his shoulder to Jack.

    The young man was as white as a ghost. ¡°Good,¡± he said.

    Arc walked back up to Jack and put his arm out, giving the lad something to lean on. The bounty hunter helped his young friend down to the floor where Julie was impatiently awaiting them and opened the rusted iron door carefully, not wanting to startle her.

    He held up a hand signalling for Julie to not move as he and Jack stepped through the doorway and onto the grated walkway above the factory floor. Arc held Jack back, knowing that he wanted to run to his sister, but he had to make sure that they were alone.

    He looked across the huge room and surveyed the machinery down below, running a keen eye through the nooks and crannies to ensure that no more bandits were lurking in wait. Even the torn-apart crates and boxes could have been hiding spots if the bandits had made enough effort to conceal themselves. After a minute or so, he was satisfied that the area was as clear as he had left it before he and Julie had parted ways.

    Upon being released, Jack limped over to his sister who hurriedly stowed away her gun and ran to embrace her twin brother. The two hugged each other tightly and, although Arc couldn¡¯t see Jack¡¯s face, he knew the young man was in immense pain and making an ugly grimace; to his credit, he hid it well and didn¡¯t as much as gasp.

    ¡°Brings a tear to my eye,¡± said Arc, walking up to the two of them and ruffling their hair.

    ¡°Mine too,¡± said Julie, pulling away from her brother¡ªmuch to his relief¡ªand wiping her eyes with her t-shirt.

    Arc wanted to tell her that he said that in jest, but decided not to spoil the moment. ¡°You¡¯re a crack shot,¡± he said instead, looking up to the broken glass overhead where he could see the roof walkway and where Colt was standing during their showdown. ¡°I thought for sure you¡¯d leave one of them standing and I¡¯d take a bullet or two. And I don¡¯t mean that in a disparaging way, I could have missed just as easily. You¡¯ve got a knack for this.¡±

    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°If she wants to be able to defend herself, yes,¡± said Arc. ¡°If she wants to join up with one of the other bandit gangs, no.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I fancy that,¡± said Julie, furrowing her brow and making Arc laugh.

    ¡°Now that Colt the Splatter is dead,¡± he said, ¡°what say we round up the last of his minions and see what goodies are hidden around this place? I¡¯d love to buy myself a few new trinkets and give you pair some money to keep yourselves afloat for a while.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Julie, throwing her arms around the spellslinger¡¯s waist. ¡°Thank you for saving him, Arc.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure, Julie,¡± he replied, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°Now before we all start weeping like weasels, let¡¯s finish the job.¡±

    Arc led the way through the factory while the two armed teenagers watched the rear and helped him check any side rooms for lurkers. They kept a slow pace to ensure they were quiet, but also to let the pained Jack keep up with them without injuring himself further.

    On the third floor, they encountered a sleeping bandit who had stuffed tissues into his ears to block out any noise. Arc thought it was a shame to wake the man who had managed to miss all of the action, but he had an important message that he needed to spread.

    ¡°Wakey wakey,¡± he said, tapping the bandit on the chest with his revolver.

    The man jolted awake, looking around wildly before realising that Arc was pointing a gun at him. The bounty hunter seized him by the shirt and hauled him out into the corridor. He took him to the stairwell and held him to the edge of the railing. Jack grabbed the tissues from the man¡¯s ears as Arc smiled at the pleading man, who was frantically begging the bounty hunter not to kill him.

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    ¡°Be quiet,¡± said Arc and the man did as he was told. ¡°Your boss is dead, as are most of your crewmates. I¡¯m going to give you one chance to make it out of here alive. I¡¯m not even going to tell you what I want you to do before asking for agreement. If you¡¯re in, nod your head. If you¡¯re not, then we¡¯ll see if you can survive your skull smacking solid concrete after a thirty-foot drop.¡±

    The man nodded furiously while saying nothing.

    ¡°Good. My name is Arc the Hawk; you¡¯ve no doubt heard of me by now. You are to go and spread the word to the rest of Colt¡¯s men holed up in the other bases, hideouts, outposts, and beyond that they¡¯ll be getting no more payments for any work they do. I would also advise each and every one of them, including yourself, to give up the life of banditry because it won¡¯t be long before I show up on their doorsteps and wipe them out. Any man who subsequently chooses a more virtuous path and strives for redemption will receive no such visit. Have I made myself clear?¡±

    The man nodded again.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Arc, pulling the bandit back from the edge and shoving him towards the stairs. ¡°Now get to work.¡±

    ¡°But¡­but my weapons!¡±

    ¡°Grab a car and hope there¡¯s a spare in the glovebox because you¡¯re not coming back inside. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Thomas.¡±

    ¡°Thomas, I hope I don¡¯t see you again.¡±

    The man nodded and scurried down the stairs. When he reached the bodies of the two men Arc had shot from above, he howled and then picked up his pace. Arc, Jack, and Julie waited and listened to hear if the metal door leading outside slammed. It wasn¡¯t long before the grinding clank echoed down the corridor and ascended to their ears. Shortly after, there came the distinct sound of a car engine rumbling before it screeched off into the night.

    ¡°Are you really coming for each and every one of them?¡± asked Jack.

    Arc shook his head. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s just to scare the pants off them. Unless, of course, they make it to the big time and end up with their own bounties. Hopefully, my warning will make them cease their wicked ways, renouncing them for a life of farming or woodcraft. Sometimes all you need is the fear of the bogeyman to set you on the straight and narrow.¡±

    ¡°You think many will renounce banditry?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± sighed Arc, ¡°but I¡¯ve done just about everything I can to give them a chance. With Colt dead, they¡¯re a disorganised mess, but there¡¯s a strong likelihood that they¡¯ll join up with a rival gang, claiming that they never liked Colt anyway.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Sadly, yes, but it¡¯s beyond my reach and resources to take out every single one of them before that happens. The best I can do is spread a message and hope they take it onboard.¡±

    Jack put his hands on the back of his head. ¡°And to think I gave you so much grief on the way to Pembroke,¡± he said solemnly.

    ¡°We¡¯re all good, my friend,¡± said Arc, going to pat the young man on the back before remembering how bruised Jack was.

    The trio continued to search the factory, rummaging through every pack, drawer, and cabinet they could find. By the end of it all, they had gathered thirty-one ounces of gold, and two hundred and twelve ounces of silver, not to mention the wealth of guns and ammo¡ªboth usable and sellable¡ªthat had been stashed away. The one thing they didn¡¯t find was the one thing Arc truly sought as the spoils of this rescue mission; more spell cartridges. But he wasn¡¯t without hope and suspected he knew where some may be found.

    Before heading outside, he found the main office where a microphone sat hooked up to a bunch of wires. He was confident that there was nobody left in the building, yet he thought it was worth sending out a wide message in case anyone had been moving around at the same time he had been going from room to room and they just so happened to miss him.

    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± he said, pressing the button, ¡°Colt is dead and you will be too if you don¡¯t leave. I¡¯m armed and dangerous with more spells loaded into my caster than you¡¯ve seen your boss use in all the time you¡¯ve known him. You know who I am and you know what I¡¯m capable of. No more warnings.¡±

    With that, he, Jack, and Julie headed back through the corridor, down the staircase and out into the night which was slowly fading into morning. They walked around the factory, stepping over the dead body of Jolly Roger¡ªor Jimmy, as was his real name¡ªand to the back of the building where Colt¡¯s pale, broken body lay in a pool of its own blood.

    His hands hung limply while his arms were twisted into awkward, unnatural angles. Even his jet-black hair had lost its sheen and rested lifelessly on the concrete in the growing light of the early morning. The bandit¡¯s face was fixed in an expression of terror that Arc prayed continued on into death as his spirit burned in whatever hell awaited him. He resisted the urge to kick the corpse, deeming Colt not worth the wasted energy, and picked up the man¡¯s copper spellslinger.

    ¡°A single Arcane Shot,¡± said Arc, taking a cartridge from the chamber and slotting it into his own gun.

    He kneeled down and rifled through Colt¡¯s jacket, finding another three cartridges that made Arc¡¯s face light up with glee.

    ¡°Jackpot,¡± he said, throwing them into the air, catching them one by one and holding them in an open palm.

    Jack and Julie looked into Arc¡¯s hand and saw another Arcane Shot, the squiggly rune now familiar to them, along with a green cartridge, and a blue cartridge.

    ¡°What do the colours mean?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Well, my dear,¡± said Arc, grinning widely. ¡°The green one is an enchantment and the blue one is an alteration spell. Enchantments can do all sorts of wonderful things to a foe, from charming them to confounding them, but this one will put a target right to sleep.

    ¡°And the blue?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Getting to it, Mister Impatient,¡± snapped Arc. ¡°Alteration spells can manipulate reality to a degree. There¡¯s one that can open a locked door, which frankly I think is a waste of money when a good hammer tends to do the trick. There¡¯s even one that you can shoot yourself with and it¡¯ll turn your skin to stone.¡±

    ¡°Like the basilisks do?¡± asked Julie, looking alarmed.

    ¡°Nah, you retain all of your movement and it wears off over time. Think of it as body armour that makes you as tough as a golem.¡±

    ¡°What about this one?¡± asked Jack, pointing at the blue one in Arc¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Jack!¡± scolded Julie. ¡°Will you let him speak?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°This one, my pint-sized friend, will create ropes that bind your mark, bringing them down to the ground and making them easy pickings. A very useful one if you feel like interrogating someone.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea spells cartridges were so versatile,¡± said Jack, looking impressed.

    ¡°We¡¯re just scratching the surface, Jackie Boy,¡± said Arc, stashing the cartridges away and then twirling Colt¡¯s spellcaster around like a baton. ¡°Is it any wonder that magic is so feared across not only Nuvaria but all across Maestria?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s going to soften anytime soon?¡±

    ¡°Only once I¡¯ve purged the world of evil using these handy little trinkets,¡± said Arc with a wink.

    ¡°That¡¯s a tall order.¡±

    ¡°And a notion I don¡¯t take lightly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe that fully.¡±

    Julie walked over and squatted beside Colt¡¯s body. ¡°What should we do with him?¡± she asked. ¡°It seems strange to just leave him here.¡±

    ¡°Any stranger than leaving the rest of them?¡± asked Jack with a frown.

    Arc shook his head and scoffed before turning around and walking away. ¡°Let the rat have a final purpose as food for the vultures, coyotes, wolves, or whatever creature sniffs out his rotting remains over the next few days.¡±

    ¡°Farewell, Colt,¡± said Jack, holding up a hand in a mocking goodbye before spitting on the bandit leader¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Was that necessary?¡± asked Julie, scowling at her brother before following Arc.

    ¡°No, but it makes me feel better about getting kicked about by him and his cronies.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fight, you two,¡± called Arc as he headed straight for one of the pickup trucks. ¡°This should be a joyous morning. We all survived, you two are reunited, and we¡¯ve just made decent coin while ridding the land of some prime cuts of scum.¡±

    ¡°Hoorah!¡± cheered Jack, throwing a fist to the sky.

    ¡°Yay¡­¡± said Julie, less enthusiastically while running her hand over the gun sticking out of her belt.

    Now that the dust had settled, she had to process the fact that she had killed several people over the last couple of hours. Necessary to rescue her brother as it may have been, she did not feel good about it. At the same time, she didn¡¯t want to burden Arc and Jack with her feelings on the matter.

    Arc looked over to her and gave her a small nod that she returned. That one small action made it clear to her that he knew what was going through her mind and that she could talk to him about it if she wanted to. She decided to save it until they all had a chance to rest back in Pembroke. The dust still had to settle.

    The trio hopped into the car with Arc sitting in the driver¡¯s seat and the twins cramming themselves into the passenger seat. Julie insisted on taking the window side, wanting to feel the breeze on her face while she watched the world awaken.

    ¡°Ready?¡± asked Arc, turning the key and starting up the engine.

    ¡°Ready,¡± said the twins.

    ¡°To Pembroke, we go.¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 23 - At the Diner

    ¡°Good morning, Jamison,¡± said Arc, walking into the store with Jack and Julie in tow. The broken glass from the previous day¡¯s shootout had been swept up and the window was boarded up with grubby planks. The shopkeeper¡¯s peeved shopkeeper did not look overly pleased to see Arc back.

    ¡°You know how difficult it is to get new windows these days, Arc?¡±

    ¡°I do indeed,¡± said Arc, jingling a pair of keys in front of Jamison. ¡°I can repay you with a used pickup truck that has a half-full tank of diesel. Its previous owner is probably having his eyeballs plucked from his skull by hungry birds as we speak so it¡¯s yours for the taking and there¡¯ll be zero repercussions.¡±

    ¡°Son of a¡­¡± muttered Jamison, snatching the keys. ¡°You took out Colt? You utter madman.¡±

    ¡°How much for the rest of those spell cartridges?¡± Arc asked slyly. ¡°I¡¯ve got some money burning a hole in my pocket and I¡¯d like to get rid of some of it before I hit the road.¡±

    Jamison chuckled as he walked over to the door and latched it before heading into the back room where he kept his best gear.

    ¡°You gave him the truck?¡± whispered Jack incredulously.

    ¡°Jamison is my main source of cartridges and I need to keep him sweet if that¡¯s to continue,¡± said Arc. ¡°And besides, I don¡¯t have the money to keep that thing repaired and fuelled. Cartridges are more important to me.¡±

    The three followed Jamison into the back room where he had already flipped open his spell capsule suitcase. ¡°One white, one purple,¡± said Jamison, sliding the case along the table.

    ¡°Minor Shield, I recognise,¡± said Arc, picking up the white round. ¡°What¡¯s the illusion spell?¡±

    ¡°Haze.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course,¡± said Arc, looking closely at the rune while Jack and Julie exchanged a confused glance. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take both.¡±

    ¡°That was one of the old man¡¯s favourites, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Arc, giving Jamison a stern look.

    Jack and Julie looked to each other. They silently agreed that they were best not asking what Jamison had meant.

    ¡°Anything else you¡¯re in the market for while you¡¯re here?¡± asked Jamison, scratching his beard and eager to move along from the awkward moment.

    ¡°Yes, rope,¡± said Arc before tapping his bag. ¡°And I need to offload a few things I looted from Colt¡¯s base. A few guns, some ammo, and the like. And would you mind giving the guns these twins have a once over to make sure they¡¯re in good working order?¡±

    ¡°What about your body armour, is that still in good shape?¡±

    ¡°Perfect condition,¡± said Arc, lifting his t-shirt and revealing a thin layer of black armour that neither of the twins knew he had been wearing. ¡°I got shot once at one of Colt¡¯s outposts, but it didn¡¯t leave a mark.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like I told you,¡± said Jamison with a proud smile. ¡°Best armour on the market, made using the exact same techniques used half a century ago.¡±

    ¡°Best on the market, bar the enchanted ones.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Arc. I¡¯d hardly call those widely available.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± said Arc with a shrug. ¡°In fact, give me two more small ones for these two. If I¡¯m not here to watch their backs and more chaos breaks out in town then it¡¯ll be nice to know they won¡¯t die from a punctured lung.¡±

    ¡°This has been my best morning in two months,¡± chuckled Jamison as Arc reached for his coin pouch. ¡°I may have to close up early today to celebrate.¡±

    *

    ¡°How did you two bozos not know about the body armour?¡± asked Arc. ¡°You were planning to mug me and didn¡¯t think to check? Did you at least look inside my boots for backup weapons?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± admitted Julie. ¡°Did you have any in your boots?¡±

    ¡°No, but you should still have checked. You pair are hopeless crooks, so I¡¯m glad you¡¯re turning over a new leaf in this town.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the body armour,¡± said Jack, twisting around and stretching through the pain. ¡°It feels flexible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good stuff,¡± said Arc, rapping his knuckles on his t-shirt. ¡°How do you think I¡¯ve taken such a beating and still been able to walk around? If you were wearing that, Colt wouldn¡¯t have done half the damage he did. Granted, he would have had the sense to check you if you were wearing armour.¡±

    ¡°Alright, we get it,¡± said Jack. ¡°Stop rubbing it in.¡±

    ¡°Just pulling your leg, lad,¡± said Arc. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m glad his lackey, Benson, was more arrogant than Colt. The fool didn¡¯t check me for armour. Not that it would have mattered much considering he had me behind bars and could have shot me in the head if he felt like it, but if I¡¯d walked out the door of the outpost without armour and taken a bullet in the gut, I¡¯d have had a much harder time making it back here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pleasant thought after a glorious victory against Colt the Scourge.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, we¡¯ll need to pay Mr Millar a visit, but I don¡¯t want to risk waking him. ¡°Shall we get some breakfast first? After that, you two can tag along and then we¡¯ll all get some much-needed rest. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll pick up another bounty and hit the road.¡±

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    ¡°To where?¡± asked Julie sadly.

    ¡°Wherever the wind takes me,¡± said Arc, waving his arms like snakes before laughing. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll see what¡¯s on the bounty board and accept whatever takes my fancy. If there¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ll move along to the next town and see what jobs are going there. Don¡¯t worry, I promise I¡¯ll check on you both again.¡±

    ¡°Do they sell spell cartridges in¡­wherever the next town is?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°I would say one in every dozen towns sells spell cartridges,¡± said Arc, cocking his head to the side and running his hand through his blonde hair. ¡°I¡¯m not joking around when I say that these things are rare, and the supply is dwindling. There are precious few wizards left in the world and precious fewer who can make them. With each passing generation, magic dies out that little bit more and these little gems become more desired by those who own spellcasters. Fifty years from now, spellcasters may be considered antique collector¡¯s items with no usable bullets remaining.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of,¡± said Julie. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sell Colt¡¯s spellcaster? You didn¡¯t even mention it to Jamison and I could tell he wanted to ask.¡±

    ¡°It may come in handy one day,¡± shrugged Arc. ¡°I can¡¯t replace mine easily, so if it ever breaks or I lose it, I have Colt¡¯s as a backup. It¡¯s an ugly and awkward piece though, so I¡¯d prefer to stick with my own. Why he customised it in such a stupid way is beyond me.¡±

    ¡°Yours is bright gold,¡± said Jack. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit garish?¡±

    ¡°Garish?¡± asked Arc with his eyes wide. ¡°The nerve of you, Jacky Boy. Garish¡­never have I been so insulted in my life. Gold is a classic colour that looks good on everything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever, Golden Boy.¡±

    Arc winced at the utterance of that name, but neither Jack nor Julie noticed. ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°I could eat everything left in the diner.¡±

    He sauntered ahead, leading the twins to Tina¡¯s Diner. It was close enough to Jamison¡¯s shop that he didn¡¯t bother waiting for the still-limping Jack to catch up, taking the young man¡¯s late arrival as a chance to put the orders in while the boy hobbled down the street.

    ¡°Coming right up, Arc,¡± said Tina as she slumped over to the kitchen.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got our pick of booths today, kids,¡± said Arc, looking at the largely empty diner. ¡°The perks of an early morning visit. Where do you fancy?¡±

    ¡°Back corner,¡± said Julie, walking over first.

    ¡°Need a hand, Jack?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll push through,¡± he replied.

    The three took their seats with Arc sitting opposite the twins and stretching his arms across the tatty leather. He basked in the glory of a job well done and with Colt finally dead, he eager to find out what awaited him on his next job.

    ¡°Go,¡± said Jack, nudging Julie and looking pointedly at Arc.

    ¡°You!¡± she said.

    ¡°Something the matter?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± said Julie, looking for Jack to complete her sentence for her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± he said to his sister. ¡°It was your idea. You ask him.¡±

    Arc¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Ask me what?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± repeated Julie, this time looking at Arc.

    ¡°Spit it out, Julie,¡± said Arc impatiently. ¡°No need to be shy with me after all the madness we¡¯ve been through in the past¡­erm, how long have we known each other now¡­two weeks?¡±

    ¡°We were thinking,¡± she began before Jack shot her a foul look. ¡°I was thinking that maybe it would be best if we came along with you and helped you hunt your bounties?¡± She looked uncertain as she spoke.

    ¡°Really?¡± asked Arc with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Really,¡± repeated Julie firmly.

    ¡°With everything that it entails?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Arc laughed and looked out the window. He would be lying if he said he hadn¡¯t expected this to be asked of him¡ªit wasn¡¯t the first time¡ªbut he didn¡¯t want to put the two young ones in danger. However, he also knew that they were smart enough to make their own decisions and that he would enjoy having company on the road again. He¡¯d grown fond of the pair of them, even with Jack being as irksome as he was. He jumped back and forth in his mind a few times, trying to convince himself it was both a good idea and utterly ludicrous at the same time.

    He looked back over to the twins as Tina set their drinks on the table. ¡°Julie wants to come with me through the treacherous wilderness and be there when I¡¯m getting shot at by marks while their minions are swinging swords at me. What about you, Jack?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever Julie wants to do,¡± said Jack. ¡°But if helping you out ensures that we can get enough food, water, and money to survive then I¡¯ll serve you without question. Well, maybe some questioning, but I¡¯ll still do what you tell me to.¡±

    ¡°Even after our narrow escape from Purdue, you¡¯d be willing to follow me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the twins said in unison.

    ¡°Even after we were shot at outside Jamison¡¯s shop?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Even after¡ª¡±

    ¡°We get it!¡± snapped Jack. ¡°The answer is yes to whatever you say next.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arc, picking up his cup and blowing on his tea. He wanted to take a sip to give himself more time to think, but he didn¡¯t want to burn his tongue like he did the previous week.

    Julie cocked her head to the side. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll take us or that you understand Jack¡¯s point?¡±

    ¡°The latter,¡± said Arc. ¡°If I were to say yes to bringing you along, you understand the burden that would place upon me? I would be your guardian and have to put your lives before my own. That¡¯s how it works when you¡¯re looking after children.¡±

    ¡°Not if you train us up,¡± said Jack. ¡°Julie¡¯s already shown you what she can do and now it¡¯s my turn.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I have full confidence in you,¡± said Arc. ¡°After you ran out to distract the goblins, you showed remarkable courage. And the fact you didn¡¯t just keel over and die after Colt and his boys beat you to a pulp, well, that¡¯s an admirable demonstration of your fortitude, Jack.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you so hesitant?¡±

    ¡°The pair of you don¡¯t fathom the kind of responsibility this requires. I¡¯m working to feed three mouths, not one. That means I can¡¯t just take whatever job I feel like because I know I¡¯ll be able to scrounge enough food for myself. I¡¯m watching all of our backs, not just my own.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you train us along the way. We can pull our own weight. We can fight, we can hunt, we can do whatever you teach us to do. Please, Arc. Take a chance on us.¡±

    Arc closed his eyes and sighed. It would not be the first time he¡¯d been out in the wastelands of Nuvaria and lost travelling companions. And not only had former companions lost their lives, but he had been forced to walk away from others. Then again, Jack and Julie had nobody else looking out for them and even remaining in a relatively safe town like Pembroke gave no guarantee that trouble wouldn¡¯t rear its ugly head eventually.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said reluctantly and the twins¡¯ faces lit up with glee. ¡°We¡¯ll be a merry little trio of bounty hunters, but I¡¯m keeping the bulk of the coin, alright? Seeing as I¡¯ll be funding our whole operation and doing most of the work.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± said the twins together.

    ¡°Don¡¯t expect us to call you dad,¡± said Jack snarkily.

    ¡°Shut up, you little worm,¡± said Arc, giving him a light slap across the side of the head. ¡°You were born when I was ten years old so we¡¯re from the same generation. I¡¯m not as old as you like to pretend.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± said Julie, clapping her hands.

    ¡°Remember those three words when we¡¯re all tied to fenceposts and being used for target practice.¡±

    ¡°Your dissuasion isn¡¯t going to work on me.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± said Arc, praying he wouldn¡¯t regret agreeing. ¡°We¡¯ll stick with my original plan for today and then all three of us will take off in the morning.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t regret this,¡± said Jack confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll prove to you that we¡¯ve got what it takes to keep up, Arc.¡±

    The spellslinger smiled and nodded slowly. ¡°See to it that I don¡¯t when I give you your trial.¡±

    The twins looked at each other nervously. ¡°Trial?¡± they asked in unison.

    Arc flashed them a cocky side smile and started laughing to himself.

 Book 2, Chapter 1 - The Hunting Party

    Arc watched and waited with his spellcaster drawn, ready to unleash a barrage of Arcane Shots at his foes who haplessly wandered along below. Oh, they were in for quite the surprise. Jack and Julie were squatting on a lower ledge of the chasm, each holding their guns at the ready as the men with hyena heads walked along with halberds in their hands and dead coyotes slung over their shoulders. Little did they know, they had already eaten their last meal.

    ¡°Almost in range,¡± Arc said under his breath, hoping that Jack and Julie could do as they were ordered. He squinted at the cackle of gnolls and spotted a long bar of metal on the back of one of the hairier members of the pack. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±

    He had never seen a gnoll with a gun before and a hunting rifle was more than he had bargained for, but there was always a first time for everything. As long as Jack and Julie took that hairy bastard out first then he wouldn¡¯t pose a threat.

    Was he expecting too much from them? Maybe so, especially considering that Jack wasn¡¯t a great shot compared to his sister as target practice the previous evening had demonstrated. To be fair to the young man, Julie had the opportunity to practice on the way to Colt¡¯s base and during the skirmish on the factory roof. In any case, if the twins passed this test, then Arc would be assured that they were capable of being on the road with him while not being too great a liability.

    The spellslinger watched with bated breath as Julie turned her head to the armed gnoll and nudged Jack, startling him. He immediately squeezed the trigger and shot the opposite canyon wall, bringing the gnolls swiftly to high alert. The hyena men dropped the bloody spoils of their hunt onto the ground and looked up to face the predators on the ledge.

    ¡°Shit,¡± said Arc, massaging his temples with his index finger and thumb. He drew his revolver with his free hand in case he needed a quicker shot than his spellslinger could provide.

    The gnoll rifleman retrieved his weapon and took aim at Jack, who was shooting like a maniac into the pack. It wasn¡¯t a wholly ineffective strategy as he wasn¡¯t missing many of his shots, but he also wasn¡¯t hitting vital areas or the most important target of all. It wasn¡¯t long before his magazine was empty and the gnoll was on the verge of pressing the trigger.

    There came a bang followed by a more thundering bang as the gnoll¡¯s arm slumped before letting loose his shot.

    Arc lowered his revolver arm as he watched Julie fire her second shot at the armed beastman, pleased that she had covered her brother before he needed to step in. The bullet landed in the ferocious gnoll¡¯s forehead, taking him down and sending his hunting rifle spinning across the dirt.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± said Arc quietly. ¡°Let loose the fury of hell on these abominations.¡±

    Julie emptied her magazine while Jack shakily reloaded. The adrenaline was pumping through him and his fine motor skills had sharply declined. When it was Julie¡¯s turn to reload, Jack felled the last of the dozen hunters using twice as many rounds as he needed to, leaving a red-stained pile of gnolls and coyotes in the middle of what was once a road many decades ago. The twins breathed a sigh of relief as Jack removed his magazine and refilled it with loose rounds he had stashed in his pack.

    Arc looked up and down the chasm floor from his perch to ensure the coast was clear. He watched for the slightest twitch from the bodies below, half expecting there to be a single gnoll clinging to its last vestiges of life. Once he was certain there were no hairy reinforcements nearby and no survivors, he stashed his revolver in its holster and slid down the rope he had previously fixed to a rock. He landed with a thud behind the two teenagers who jumped, thinking they¡¯d been beset upon again.

    ¡°Easy there,¡± said Arc, spinning his spellcaster on his finger and then holstering it, leading the twins to do the same with their guns. ¡°Good job on the successful kills, you two.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we did it,¡± said Jack, lying down and wiping away his sweat with the sleeve of his jacket.

    ¡°What¡¯s the verdict?¡± Julie asked Arc hopefully.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll start with you, Julie,¡± he replied. ¡°You were a little slow off the mark, but you caught that one of your targets was armed and took out the arm before he pierced a hole in your brother¡¯s skull. I was a split second from pulling the trigger myself, but you came through in time. Overall, your accuracy was good but there were a couple of misses in there. Ultimately, they were inconsequential and you definitely passed the test.¡±

    ¡°And me?¡± asked Jack, sitting up nervously.

    ¡°Sloppy,¡± said Arc and Jack¡¯s face immediately fell. ¡°Firstly, you leapt out of your skin and shot the far wall, you loon. That was a big mistake because you alerted every single one of your enemies. In a scenario where they were all armed, you and Julie would both be dead. When it came to shooting the gnolls themselves, you were firing with no precision. You shot into the crowd and hoped for the best which is not the way of a good marksman.¡±

    ¡°I killed my targets!¡±

    ¡°And if you only had one target? Think of a standoff scenario where you have to aim at one opponent while he aims back at you. Or worse, what if he was aiming at Julie who was sitting on the sidelines? Could you live with yourself if you shot inaccurately thrice and missed each shot, letting your enemy kill her? A single precise shot could save her.

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    Jack said nothing and tucked his head between his knees. He audibly sighed before looking up and blowing upwards, flicking his hair away from his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something and Arc decided to prod him on it.

    ¡°No comments? No backchat? I¡¯m all ears if you want to launch a tirade.¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± said Jack. ¡°I told you before I¡¯m trying to tone down the backchat. You¡¯re right and there¡¯s nothing else to say about it. I¡¯ll strive to improve next time.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Arc, impressed that the young man was trying hard to learn a few lessons. He held out his hands and helped the twins to their feet. ¡°Now comes the second round of the test.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a second round?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°There is if you want the full benefit of this training,¡± said Arc. ¡°I kept this part a surprise so you didn¡¯t have a full day to stress about it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, hit us with it,¡± said Jack, slapping his knee. ¡°Is there another hunting party out there somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Where do you suppose the hunting party was going?¡± asked Arc, tapping the side of his head. ¡°Think it through, Jacky Boy.¡±

    ¡°Back to a camp?¡±

    ¡°Back to a camp.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re going to wipe out the camp?¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it, my wild-shooting apprentice,¡± chuckled Arc. ¡°The gnolls have themselves a stronghold along the western road. If we follow the cliffs, we¡¯ll reach it before too long. I¡¯m not sure how many of them to expect, but taking out the twelve below will have thinned their manpower somewhat and one less firearm in their arsenal will only serve to benefit us.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll have more guns at the stronghold?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Good question, my precise apprentice,¡± said Arc proudly while Jack scowled at getting the worst of the two apprentice titles. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect any of these ugly mutts to have guns so we go in under the assumption that they do. And for that reason, I¡¯ll be helping out as much as I can so that things go smoothly. Once we¡¯re done here, we loot what we can and then move on to our bounty.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the bounty?¡±

    ¡°No, this is training for you and an opportunity to do some Nuvarian wasteland cleanup. We¡¯ll be heading up to Cliff Town a few days to the north, right on the border between Nuvaria and Auriga. Remember that shifty guy I was talking to back in Pembroke?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Julie, biting the inside of her cheek. ¡°I didn¡¯t much like the look of him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the guy who¡¯s giving paying us to go to Cliff Town and do a little job for him. I¡¯ll explain more about that after we wrap up this little detour so you can focus on the task at hand.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s stop wasting time,¡± said Jack, determined to prove he could do more than shoot randomly into a crowd.

    Arc, followed by the twins, climbed back up his rope, untied it and stashed it back into his pack before following along the edge of the cliff. He kept a keen eye on the path at the bottom to make sure there were no unexpected divergences and any time there were, he found a way to slip down to a lower level of the jutting cliff that would let him keep as close to the road as possible without losing the advantage of the high ground.

    Eventually, the path forward was halted by a rapid river. The road had once crossed over this, indicated by the uneven broken edges. A rickety rope bridge now hung over the river, providing a means of crossing. The workmanship of the bridge was so shoddy that Arc was confident it was the gnolls themselves who had built it, but what was of greater concern than bad carpentry skills was a brick tower built into the cliffs at the other side of the river. It crept out from the jagged stone with a single barely visible gnoll standing on watch with a clear view of the bridge below. There was no easy way to approach the obscured stronghold without being seen.

    ¡°We¡¯re pulling out, right?¡± asked Jack as Arc fetched his rope again.

    ¡°Why would we?¡± asked the bounty hunter.

    ¡°Because we¡¯re sitting ducks if we move across that bridge.¡±

    ¡°Jacky Boy, Jacky Boy, Jacky Boy,¡± sighed Arc. ¡°Have you not seen the tall odds we¡¯ve been stacked against before? Have a little faith. We¡¯re only sitting ducks if we¡¯re seen.¡±

    ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t we be seen? Do you think that joker is sleeping up there? I¡¯m pretty sure he just scratched his nose.¡±

    Arc reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a purple spell capsule. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to my good friend, Mr Haze. You want to approach unseen? He¡¯ll see to that for you. We won¡¯t be invisible, but we¡¯ll be a distorted blur and, from the distance he¡¯s watching, he¡¯ll think it¡¯s a trick of the light; a mirage. Gnolls are idiots, Jack, I assure you. I¡¯ve had the displeasure of a conversation with one.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack, wanting to keep his vow to question Arc¡¯s decisions less. ¡°Tell us what the plan is and we¡¯ll do it.¡±

    Arc grinned. ¡°I shoot the spell, we sprint across the bridge before the effect fades away, and then we keep close to the rockface as we enter the stronghold. Simple, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Julie.

    ¡°Right,¡± said Jack more reluctantly.

    Arc secured the rope to another rock and climbed down onto the path below, ensuring that he was blocked by the cliff the entire way down. Once he had the rope held firmly at the bottom, he signalled for Jack and Julie to make their descent. Now safely on the ground, the trio moved towards a cluster of jutting stones and kept behind them in case any gnolls wandered along the path from the stronghold.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arc, loading the Haze bullet into his spellcaster. ¡°You both ready for this?¡±

    ¡°Ready,¡± the twins said.

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± said Arc, taking careful aim at the centre of the bridge.

    Once he lined up the shot, he pulled the trigger. The spellcaster cylinder rotated while glowing blue and launched a thin wisp of pale light towards the bridge. It stopped dead in mid-air before spreading into a distorted cloud with a fifteen-foot radius that caused the bridge to become a shifting blur. It did not look like smoke or fog, more like water sloshing silently around.

    Without hesitation, the trio ran from their hiding place and into the haze. The bridge rocked back and forth as they moved and the three were unable to see their footing clearly. Arc, being the most dextrous of the group, grabbed the twins by the hands and guided them to the other side. Once they were clear of the bridge, they pressed themselves against the cliff and watched as the haze vanished, leaving the bridge exactly as it was before.

    ¡°That imbecile up there will think it¡¯s just his eyes playing tricks on him,¡± said Arc confidently before cocking his head to the side. ¡°In theory, anyway.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only saying that it¡¯s a theory now?¡± asked Jack in a hushed voice, unable to contain himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m ninety percent certain we¡¯re in the clear. Maybe even ninety-five.¡±

    ¡°Ninety-five is good,¡± muttered Julie while nodding. ¡°I can live with ninety-five.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Arc as he drew four spell cartridges¡ªtwo red, one blue and one green¡ªfrom his pocket and loaded them into his spellcaster.

    Once he had finished, he tossed his golden gun into his left hand and drew his revolver with his right. At the same time, the twins grabbed their own guns from their belts and double-checked that they had full magazines and bullets in the chamber.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go slaughter some hyenas,¡± said Arc with a devilish grin.

 Book 2, Chapter 2 - The Gnoll Stronghold

    The sun was high in the sky as Arc, Jack and Julie hugged the cliff. There was no cover of darkness to mask them from any onlookers, only the crevices of the cliff to slink in and out of as they made their way to the crumbling stone staircase. As uneven as it was, it was a great relief to lay eyes upon it, for it was this staircase that would lead them into the gnoll stronghold they sought to liberate from its residents.

    Arc smiled and looked to the twins. ¡°No guards,¡± he said with a smile.

    He swept his blonde hair back and tightened his orange scarf. In the bounty hunter¡¯s right hand was a simple revolver, that shot its rounds true as any good revolver did. The golden piece in his left hand, however, was a much more sophisticated weapon, even if it was an attention-grabbing piece.

    Much like his revolver, it had a six-round capacity cylinder, but the barrel was noticeably longer. The smooth wooden grip fit snugly in Arc¡¯s hand as though his hand was the only hand it belonged in. Running along the grooves of the cylinder were blue runic engravings that few could read.

    As much as Arc loved the Golden Hawk¡¯s aesthetic brilliance, it was what the gun was capable of that made it his favourite weapon in the land. When a special type of cartridge was loaded and he tapped the trigger, the gun would unleash power beyond the wildest dreams of any normal sharpshooter. It was this gun¡ªhis spellcaster¡ªthat made Arc a spellslinger. It was this gun that made Arc one of the most dangerous men in all of Nuvaria and his two companions were glad he was an ally rather than an enemy.

    Jack was thirteen years old with a head of floppy brown hair, emerald green eyes and currently, a nervous look on his face. He wore a tattered blue jacket that staved off the intense sun that shone down daily upon Nuvaria. His sister had the same eyes as her brother, but sported long red hair that she had tied back to keep out of her eyes. She wore a long purple t-shirt with her belt fastened over it around the waist. Unlike her brother, she had a look of determination on her face. Both siblings clutched scratched black handguns and their current excursion was a training expedition for the pair to make sure they could handle themselves.

    ¡°This is where we start making a scene,¡± Arc said to Jack and Julie, running his wrist along his brown jacket to make sure he still had plenty of ammunition in his pocket.

    Having eliminated an entire hunting party of hyena-men making their way back to this hidden base across the river, Arc felt optimistic about their chances. Yet, he knew all too well that to get overconfident was to get sloppy, and sloppiness led to certain death. He had seen it time and time again, even with experienced explorers and mercenaries.

    ¡°We stick together,¡± said the spellslinger, ¡°but not so close that a single bullet from the right angle will drive through us all. Jack, you stay to the left and, Julie, you stay to the right. You see a gnoll? You aim for its hairy head. Too far away? Go for as high on the torso as you can manage. A pierced lung or heart will do nicely.¡±

    ¡°And prioritise the gunners over the melee fighters, right?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Arc, turning back to look at the steps.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure we¡¯re not in over our heads?¡± asked Jack, trying poorly to mask the fear in his voice.

    ¡°You would have said the same before we stormed Colt¡¯s base, Jack,¡± said Arc, tussling the young man¡¯s brown hair. ¡°Yet, Julie and I handled that just fine and got you out of there safely.¡±

    Jack nodded. ¡°I take your point.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear it. Let¡¯s mosey, my young friends.¡±

    Arc led the way up the steps. As the trio moved, the jagged rock of the cliff was replaced by the worn bricks of the stronghold. Many were cracked and all were faded, indicating that this structure had been built at least decades prior. Perhaps it existed long before the apocalypse, standing strong for centuries, back before even electricity had become prominent. Arc could only guess, but it fascinated him nonetheless. As he neared the top, he cleared his mind and focused on the task at hand.

    He ducked low as he heard iron boots clinking against the stone floor. There was a gnoll, perhaps even two, standing guard here. Thanks to his spell cartridge, they had made it this far without an army coming to meet them, but now there was no way to avoid putting the gnolls on high alert.

    Arc took a deep breath and stepped out, pulling the trigger of his revolver once and shooting a halberd-wielding gnoll in the eye. Before the second could react, a second bullet whizzed from Arc¡¯s gun and caught the beast right in the throat and it collapsed right as its fellow guard hit the floor.

    There was a howling that almost sounded like a cackle as the gnolls standing around this lower, wide-open section of the stronghold turned to see what the commotion was. Arc looked up and could see that on the battlements above, more gnolls were readying themselves and making for another stone staircase nearby.

    He fired four more shots as Jack and Julie emerged, taking as little time as they could to aim at the eight or nine gnolls charging towards them. As the squad of beasts fell, the trio turned to the ones on the steps that were quickstepping along.

    ¡°Cover!¡± called Arc as he saw the barrel of a hunting rifle peek out from atop the higher wall.

    He, Jack and Julie ran towards a small doorway and dove inside as a shot echoed across the stronghold. Arc turned to check on the twins, relieved to see that neither of them had been shot, before climbing back to his feet and standing beside the doorway of the shadow-cloaked chamber.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the ones outside,¡± he said coolly. ¡°Make sure nothing sneaks up on us from behind.¡±

    The twins signalled their agreement and stood beside Arc to use the same wall for cover, but far enough away from him that they wouldn¡¯t be in the way.

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    A gunshot rang out a split second before a chunk of stone from the doorway spiralled into the room. As the gnoll cocked his rifle, Arc leaned out and fired all six shots from his revolver at the halberd-wielding gnolls charging towards his location, killing them, and then ducking back inside a moment before another chunk of stone was sent flying.

    ¡°Anything?¡± he asked the twins as he flipped his guns into the air and switched hands.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Jack while Julie shook her head, forgetting to use words.

    Arc leaned out and launched an Arcane Shot at the rifleman on the stairs, sending a sphere of magical light soaring towards the gnoll and striking him in the chest. His rifle was flung from his hands, landing on the ground. The gnoll¡¯s iron armour was shattered by the magical force and splintered into his chest, but he was still alive.

    ¡°Sturdy bastard,¡± said Arc, leaning back in and switching back to his revolver. ¡°Jack, shoot out the door at the ones running for us.¡±

    Arc reloaded his revolver as Jack provided cover, managing to kill three gnolls with five bullets. Arc pulled him back inside before leaning out and taking out a gnoll that was gunning for the rifle.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a gap, let¡¯s go,¡± said Arc, running into the open with the twins following.

    As he ran, he turned to look at the gnoll no the stairs whose armour had been broken by the Arcane Shot. He had been in a daze, taken aback by the magical attack, but was starting to come to. The spellslinger unleashed two revolver rounds into the beast¡¯s chest as he approached the bottom step, sending the gnoll toppling off the edge and onto the brick floor with a gruesome crack.

    ¡°Julie, grab that rifle and toss it over the battlements,¡± Arc ordered as he started ascending the staircase.

    The young woman hurried towards it, grabbing the rifle with one hand and hurling it with all of our might. It struck the top of the battlements and fell to the other side, clunking against the stone as it tumbled far out of reach of the gnolls. All the while, her brother watched over from the stairs as Arc neared the top.

    The bounty hunter kept low and peeked out at the assembling force of gnolls as they rammed ill-fitting helmets onto their heads. There were at least a dozen halberd-wielders and a half dozen gunners. He knew he could take many of them down quickly, but with their protective headgear, a few inaccurate shots would be a death sentence.

    Arc stashed his revolver and looked to his spellcaster. He clicked the cylinder over so that the green cartridge was ready to be unleashed. He then leaned around the corner and shot into the crowd of almost twenty gnolls. A glittering stream of wonderous rainbow-coloured dust trailed along after a faint ball of slight before the spell hit its target. It burst on contact with the gnoll, sending a wave of the glittering dust spreading out and over the gnolls.

    A dozen of the hyena-men, including half of the gunners, dropped to the ground in a deep slumber that Arc knew would not last long. He gave a nod to Jack and Julie who leapt around the corner with him and unleashed hell upon the remaining gnolls that were shocked to see the packmates in slumberland when they should have been killing humans.

    One gnoll with a flame-like mane gave a furious yapping call to try and awaken his allies, but it was no use. And before he could as much as raise his halberd, his neck was hit by a 9mm round, courtesy of Jack. Before the gnoll had even hit the ground, the rest of his awake comrades were dead too.

    ¡°Eyes on the perimeter and spread out,¡± said Arc, keeping his gun raised and scanning the area for any stragglers who may have been lurking in the shadows.

    Once he was assured that the coast was clear, he drew his dagger and moved from sleeping gnoll to sleeping gnoll, plunging the sharp blade into their skulls before wiping it on their brown fur. After the last gnoll was dead, he sheathed the small blade and turned to the twins with a big smile on his face.

    ¡°Sleep cartridge, eh? What do you think of that?¡± he asked them.

    ¡°It would have been nice for those goblins when we first met you,¡± remarked Jack, ¡°but I¡¯m glad you had it here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a rare find, but one of the most useful spells you can imagine. The problem is that it isn¡¯t guaranteed to work, especially on foes who are less susceptible to being enchanted.¡±

    ¡°I did notice a few of them remained standing,¡± said Julie, nodding her head. ¡°Was it because they had the willpower to resist it?¡±

    Arc shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it works the way it does, but I knew it would take enough gnolls out to make our job a hell of a lot easier.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about how the magic works?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know any wizards who know enough to explain it to me and after the great spellbook burnings a few decades ago, the knowledge may be lost to time as the number of magic-users dwindles.¡±

    Jack raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hang on,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t know any wizards who know enough? So, you do know wizards?¡±

    ¡°I have met wizards before,¡± said Arc tepidly, ¡°but they operate in pure secrecy, keeping well away from any form of society. Frankly, I don¡¯t know if the any of the ones I know are still alive.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re that feared, huh?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°After the Arcanaclysm more or less destroyed the world? Yeah, I think it only makes sense that there¡¯s a mistrust for wizards. Even I get funny looks sometimes when people noticed I¡¯m carrying a spellcaster. It¡¯s why it¡¯s so hard to find cartridges for it and specialist sellers like Jamison keep their stashes out of sight and secure.¡±

    ¡°Gnoll!¡± called Jack, raising his gun and shooting the cackling beast that was making for the stairs.

    The bullet struck its upper chest, piercing its left lung and sent the gnoll spinning around on its short journey to the ground.

    ¡°Nice,¡± said Arc, impressed that Jack had made the shot. ¡°Got your knife?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Jack, walking towards the gasping creature who had a look of fear in his eyes.

    The young man raised his knife high and then thrust it down as the gnolls closed its eyes. An eyelid, however, was not enough to protect him from the blade that pierced his eyeball before penetrating his brain. Jack had to hold back a dry heave upon hearing the gruesome squelch and seeing the blood splash out upon pulling his weapon free.

    ¡°It gets easier,¡± said Arc, walking over and patting the lad on the shoulder. ¡°Feels different, doesn¡¯t it? Stabbing a creature to death instead of just shooting it from a distant.¡±

    ¡°It feels¡­personal,¡± said Jack, looking much paler than he had a second ago. ¡°I can¡¯t say I care for it.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯re you holding up, Julie?¡± asked the spellslinger, turning to the girl.

    ¡°I¡¯m coping,¡± she said as she walked from gnoll to gnoll and grabbed their hunting rifles. She then tossed them into a pile. ¡°What should we do with these?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no bounty on these creatures, so we¡¯ll not be getting paid for this,¡± said Arc, ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can stop by a town on the way to Cliff Town and offload the rifles and the bullets. Anyone fancy finding that one Julie tossed off the lower battlements?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said the twins.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Arc with a cocky smile. ¡°Guess it¡¯s on me then. That means that you two are on cleanup duty inside the stronghold.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we done?¡± asked Jack before realising how silly his question was.

    ¡°If we haven¡¯t checked every nook and cranny for gnolls, we¡¯re not done. The last thing we want is to be followed on the road and shot in the back of the head. You find a gnoll, you kill it. You find a gun? You pick it up and make sure its unloaded. That includes emptying the chamber. We leave no stone unturned before going on our merry way, alright? Same deal as with Colt¡¯s factory last week.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± said Jack, wishing he hadn¡¯t said a word.

    ¡°Yes, Arc,¡± said Julie with a salute before topping up her magazine.

    ¡°Good girl. Now, the pair of you get to it while I look for that damn rifle.¡± The spellslinger walked back down the stairs and grumbled as he descended. ¡°Throwing it over the battlements¡­what was I thinking?¡±

 Book 2, Chapter 3 - Rainfall

    The first rainfall in a month had burst from the clouds as the sun set, leaving Arc, Jack and Julie desperately seeking shelter. As luck would have it, they found a cave to hole themselves up in that was angled uphill just enough to were when the sky decided to play its soaking wet trick on them.

    ¡°Got any dry clothes cartridges?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m tapped out of those,¡± said Arc, taking off his scarf and ringing it out. He hung it over a rock to let it dry. ¡°If this gets damaged, I¡¯ll not be happy. Of course, it rains when we¡¯re on the road.¡±

    ¡°Why do you wear a scarf in a hot wasteland?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Why do you fasten your belt over your t-shirt, Julie?¡± asked Arc with a frown. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re just a fashionable bunch in our little gang.¡±

    Arc pulled up the collar of his jacket, walked deeper into the cave where the shadows were thick, and then sat down on the stone. He kicked off his boots before lying down, letting his blonde hair fall from his face.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s in a mood,¡± muttered Jack to his sister who nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in a mood!¡± barked Arc.

    ¡°I forgot he was dog-like hearing,¡± said Jack, no longer bothering to keep his voice low. ¡°Once he¡¯s slept, he¡¯ll be back to his merry old self.¡±

    ¡°You children,¡± said Arc, rolling his eyes under his shut eyelids.

    Julie walked to the edge of the cave and held out her hand, letting the drop smack her hands before splashing away and onto the stone. She was smiling as the heavy rain beat against her hand so vigorously that it almost pushed it down.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± she said, tilting her head to the side and inhaling the scent of the rain. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it rain this heavily in at least a couple of years. Do you remember that one time with the stairs, Jack?¡±

    ¡°Do I remember when it rained so heavily it broke through our roof and turned our staircase into a waterfall?¡± asked Jack, turning up his nose. ¡°Dad and I spent days trying to dry everything out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but do you remember the rainbow afterwards? We stood on what was left of the roof and watched it arc across the sky.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± called Arc, waking from his doze. ¡°Someone say my name?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re talking about rainbows.¡±

    ¡°Ergh,¡± grumbled the bounty hunter, deciding to fall back to sleep.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack. ¡°The rainbow was a nice way to brighten up a bad couple of days.¡±

    ¡°And we heated up that canned fish because our pantry was ravaged. It was so disgusting that mum threw two spoons of chilli in it to try and mask the taste.¡±

    Jack winced. ¡°I can still remember it. At least we were able to fill up the water tanks and make them last a couple of months. It was money we badly needed to repair the roof.¡±

    The two continued reminiscing as they watched the rain overwhelm the land¡¯s ability to absorb it. Granted, the flooding amounted to no more of a centimetre of water, but it wasn¡¯t a sight often seen in these parts. After an hour of chattering, Arc stirred again and walked over to join them as he wrapped his scarf back around his neck.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that still wet?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°A little, but it¡¯ll dry better around my neck than over that stone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to smell,¡± said Jack. ¡°I¡¯ll have it washed when we reach Cliff Town, don¡¯t you worry, Jacky Boy. Let me worry about my clothes.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re travelling with you and you stink of damp wool, I¡¯m giving you a wide berth.¡±

    Arc ignored the young man. ¡°Any sign of this letting up?¡± he asked, looking to the cloudy sky.

    Julie shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s been consistently heavy the entire time you were sleeping. I wonder if it¡¯s reached as far as Pembroke?¡±

    ¡°Hard to say. That¡¯s a couple days away, so maybe that little rust hole is bone dry. I think one of the few people in town prepared for this sort of thing is Jamison. That man has got supplies for every occasion.¡±

    ¡°Where to next once this subsides?¡± asked Jack. ¡°We took a bit of a detour, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re still heading for the river anyway. We follow that along and, eventually, we¡¯ll reach Cliff Town. After that, we stroll into town and see what the deal is before taking any further action.¡±

    ¡°Elaborate on that, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple,¡± said Arc, taking out the Golden Hawk and pointing it at a cactus a few yards away. ¡°If King Obsidian is the tyrant I¡¯m told he is, then I¡¯ll find a way to remove him from power. If the shady guy who gave us the job was full of it, then we¡¯ll ask for a tidy little sum from the king in exchange for killing someone putting unjust bounties on his head. Either way, we get paid.¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°And you think a king would go for that second scenario? You see no flaws in that plan whatsoever?¡±

    Arc put away his gun and put a hand on each of the twins¡¯ backs. ¡°My young friends,¡± he said smiling and shaking his head. ¡°I am a savvy negotiator; did you not know this about me?¡±

    ¡°You did talk us out of mugging you and leaving you in a cave,¡± said Julie with a laugh.

    ¡°I blame the goblins for that,¡± murmured Jack.

    ¡°Nice try, Jacky. The goblins came along after you set me free. I¡¯ve got a memory like an elephant too. I¡¯m a one-man army.¡±

    ¡°Had you not recently saved my life, I would retort, but I¡¯ll shut up as a special favour just this once.¡±

    ¡°And I appreciate it,¡± said Arc with a grin.

    After a few more minutes of watching the rain, the trio walked up the slope and set up their makeshift beds consisting of their clothes and their bags before turning in for the night. Arc, however, struggled to sleep, so fresh was he from his nap.

    He lay on his back and thinking about the journey ahead. It shouldn¡¯t take more than a week to reach Cliff Town, but he was concerned about having Jack and Julie out on the road with him. They had proven at the gnoll stronghold that they were capable of holding their own and yet, he still worried that a terrible fate would befall him and he would be powerless to stop it. He knew this feeling well and had no desire to suffer through it again.

    The spellslinger wrapped his left index finger in his scarf and tugged it slightly. He moved his right hand to his neck and touched the two scars on his neck that the scarf hit. They would not fade until his flesh had melted away and he was but a pile of bones buried underground. He let out a small laugh; he would be lucky to have a burial considering his line of work.

    Unable to shake his grim thoughts, he walked back to the mouth of the cave and watched the rain fall throughout the night. At least the rain kept most of the wasteland predators at bay. As long as he could avoid the deep crevices of the wilderness, he would be able to keep Jack and Julie safe until they reached the river.

    *

    ¡°Rise and shine, kiddos,¡± said Arc, prodding Jack in the side with his foot and then more gently awakening Julie by nudging her shoulder. ¡°The rain¡¯s gone and we¡¯re back to sunny old Nuvaria.¡±

    ¡°Any rainbows?¡± asked Julie, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°Sadly not,¡± said Arc. ¡°But there are a few puddles if you want to jump around for a while.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re seven or something?¡± asked Jack, climbing to his feet and throwing on his blue jacket.

    ¡°Alright, misery guts, it was just a joke,¡± said Arc, looking to Julie and then muttering. ¡°Someone¡¯s in a mood. I think he needs a nap.¡±

    She giggled as Jack grumpily threw his bag on his back before looking up at Arc. ¡°Breakfast?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to put some distance between us and this cave,¡± he said. ¡°It was fine during the night when the rain rendered us invisible. Right now, I think we¡¯re better somewhere more open so we can see if anything tries to sneak up on us.¡±

    ¡°Jerky it is,¡± said Juile, reaching into her pack and pulling out a stick of meat. She threw one to Arc and one to her brother and all three wolfed it down as they prepared to set off.

    They walked outside and onto the mushy soil, upon which they took great sopping strides towards the broken asphalt road a hundred yards away. As enjoyable of an anomaly as the rain was, it was nice to have the sun back in the sky so they could keep moving at a good pace and without catching hypothermia.

    Every now and then, the road became so broken or buried in sand that it proved difficult to follow, but Arc¡¯s keen guesswork and estimations of where to go always led them back on the right track. As they passed over one hill, they spied a large wooden billboard wedged into the sand. The poster it once bore had long since vanished, leaving only the board itself still standing, but neither of the twins had seen one before.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°It must be a watchtower,¡± said Julie as Arc fought the urge to laugh. ¡°It¡¯s a clever design, if you think about it.¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± said Jack, nodding along as though he had it all figured out. ¡°The large wooden part gives you cover from your enemies, but there¡¯s the walkway that lets you peer around the corner. I think we should start using these again.¡±

    Arc started sniggering and had to bite his tongue. ¡°Good thinking, you two,¡± he said upon clearing his throat. ¡°The only problem is the positioning of this one. It¡¯s much too close to this hill to be useful.¡±

    ¡°Very true,¡± said Julie, putting a finger to her chin. ¡°What were the builders thinking?¡±

    The trio continued walking along the road and saw little else aside from the wreckage of a car that must have been sitting there for months, if not years. Sadly, there was nothing inside worth looting, but it served as a good pitstop for the three to take a short break and enjoy a decent lunch before continuing their journey onwards.

    As the sun reached its peak, the sound of the rushing river finally hit their ears. Arc squinted to see up ahead and spied something large sitting in the water up ahead. What it was, he could not work out, but it was bobbing up and down slightly and pushing up against the bridge that led to the other side.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Jack, now also seeing the bizarre object.

    It was largely white with chunks of its paint missing that revealed wood underneath. There were small archways all around it, in two tiers, while another tier up appeared to be a small hut. Rising from the second tier were two large black poles that were topped with faded gold. It wasn¡¯t long before the realisation of what the object was hit Arc.

    ¡°A river boat,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one of these in person before. How peculiar.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a funny looking boat,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°Why¡¯s it here?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°That¡¯s a very good question,¡± remarked Arc. ¡°And how long has it been here for? Weapons out, kids.¡±

    Arc drew both his revolver and his spellcaster while Jack and Julie drew their pistols. As they walked closer and closer, Arc suddenly had a strong feeling in his gut that he should turn away, but before he had the chance to act on it, a man¡¯s voice called out.

    ¡°Please, strangers!¡± he cried. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer.¡±

    ¡°Show yourself!¡± demanded Arc.

    ¡°Only if you promise not to hurt me. I¡¯m armed and won¡¯t hesitate to shoot you if there¡¯s any funny business.¡±

    Arc didn¡¯t lower his weapon and pointed it at where he thought the man was calling from on the top deck. ¡°As you can no doubt see, we¡¯re armed too. Before I agree to anything, I need you to tell me how many of you there are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one left,¡± wailed the man. ¡°They¡¯re¡­they¡¯re all gone!¡±

    ¡°And is that because of you or because of someone else?¡±

    ¡°Someone else¡­something else. They took everyone, and everyone they didn¡¯t take was killed. I only survived because the storm hit at just the right moment. They¡¯re monsters!¡±

    ¡°And who are these monsters you¡¯re referring to? I don¡¯t mean to make light of your pain but, if I¡¯m to trust you, I need you to tell me.¡±

    The man stood up with his shotgun held by his side. He looked to be in his forties with brown hair that was fading to grey and he had a scraggly beard that maintained its colour much better than the unkept mess on his head. Even from a distance, there was a look of despair on his face.

    ¡°Orcs,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the orcs.¡±

 Book 2, Chapter 4 - The Man on the Boat

    ¡°Orcs?¡± asked Arc, keeping his gun pointed at the man on the riverboat. ¡°There haven¡¯t been orcs in these parts in years.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, stranger,¡± he said. ¡°These fellas were big, green, and meaner than you can imagine. Real ruthless bastards and armed to the teeth with blades and bullets. They had a few pickup trucks with them and everything.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Hogg,¡± said the man. ¡°Robert Hogg. And you three?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Arc the Hawk, and don¡¯t worry about these two until we¡¯ve spoken further.¡±

    Hogg dropped his shotgun and held up his hands. ¡°This good enough for you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll do,¡± said Arc before addressing Jack and Julie. ¡°I¡¯m going to search the boat. Keep your guns pointed at him until I give you the all clear. Any funny business and you two are to shoot and hightail it out of here, understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± said the twins.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming aboard,¡± Arc called to Hogg.

    The man nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you want me extended the gangway for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll jump from the bridge.¡±

    Arc marched up to the bridge, scanning the boat as he walked and trusting that Jack and Julie would keep a sufficient eye on the supposed final passenger of the boat. There were bullet holes peppering the higher part of the hull and the walls leading inside. As he walked onto the bridge, he saw the red paddle steamer sitting idle with nothing left to power the bladed wheel. Along the side of the boat were the words ¡®Providence¡¯ that was no doubt the name of the boat, but the name was ironic if Hogg¡¯s story was true. The saddest part was that it was a nice boat, preserved well past its time and it would now go to waste if there was a lone man left to maintain it or if it fell into the hands of orcs.

    The bounty hunter put his revolver back in its holster, climbed up onto the metal rail of the bridge and leapt onto the upper deck of the boat. He looked around and saw small splatters of blood on the wooden floors that looked as though they had been largely washed away by the rain. Still, bloodstains were not so easily removed; immune to even a mighty storm. Arc strolled along the outside, admiring the structure as he looked for anyone. There came no creak from above or below, only the occasional clunk of the boat beating against the bridge as it was pushed by the river.

    In the lower deck, there were a few bedrolls laid out as well as satchels filled with camping gear, food, and even a couple of old photographs. He noted that the only weapons were a couple of knives, but they could just as easily have ben used for cutting vegetables. Hogg¡¯s story checked out, but he would probe the man for more information. Orcs in the area? That was a worrisome notion.

    Arc climbed the stairs, walked over to Hogg, and patted him down for weapons, finding only spare shotgun shells. ¡°All clear,¡± he said to Jack and Julie as he retrieved Hogg¡¯s shotgun and held it a. ¡°Hop aboard, you two.¡±

    The twins hurried onto the bridge and Arc continued to watch the stranger until the twins were safely by his side. Once they were, he turned to the man and smiled.

    ¡°Now, I think we can be friends,¡± he said. ¡°Everything seems to check out so far and you behaved yourself, so you¡¯ve earned a modicum of trust. As I said, my name is Arc the Hawk. I¡¯m a bounty hunter and, if the gun didn¡¯t give it away, a spellslinger to boot. Well met.¡±

    ¡°Likewise,¡± said Hogg, looking genuinely relieved. ¡°I lost pretty much everything yesterday and I thought today would be the final nail in my coffin. And I don¡¯t mean that as a metaphor, Arc the Hawk. It¡¯s nice to have a friendly face around, even if you¡¯re just passing through.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Julie,¡± said Julie, holding out a hand, which Hogg shook lightly.

    ¡°Jack,¡± said the young man, not offering his hand to shake.

    ¡°A pleasure,¡± said Hogg.

    Arc looked at the man pointedly. ¡°Orcs, start talking.¡±

    ¡°We had better take a seat,¡± said Hogg, walking over to a pile of overturned chairs and flipping them around. He gestured for each of the three to sit. Once they had all sat, he launched into his tale. ¡°My people and I have been living on the Providence for the better part of a year now. We repaired it from scratch and had it nicely docked in a small alcove. We figured that a mobile home would be the safest place to live, and it was¡­for a while.

    ¡°About a fortnight ago, a small band of armed orcs showed up and demanded we turn over all of our weapons, food, and money. Naturally, we refused, and they thought it would be a smart idea to start shooting us. Although being shot at is not a regular occurrence for us, we have had to defend ourselves before and blew half of their squad to smithereens. With assurances that they would be back, they departed empty-handed and with far fewer numbers than they started with. Had we been sensible, we would have followed them and wiped the rest out, but sadly, we thought it was an idle threat and they would leave us alone now that they knew we would fight back.

    ¡°Last night, during the downpour, the orcs returned in large vehicles with three times the numbers and were led by a particularly burly fellow with a cybernetic arm who called himself Azuk. He said that there can be a peaceful resolution to this and they only want to make a trade. He offered their protection in exchange for some of our supplies; something about needing to arm his people for an upcoming battle.

    ¡°There was a heated debate within our community with at least two-thirds of our number saying we should flat out refuse¡ªmyself included¡ªwhile the others said that having an allegiance with orcs would scare the pantaloon off anyone who dared come close. Especially if these orcs ended up gaining significant territorial wins in the region.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Madness,¡± muttered Arc, shaking his head. ¡°Never trust an orc.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Hogg quietly, tears starting to well up in his sunken eyes. ¡°While we were debating, the orcs launched a surprise assault. They hurled a few smoke grenades to mask themselves and sprayed bullets into the crowd, even though they couldn¡¯t see. Before the smoke had even cleared, they jumped onto the ship and I was thrown overboard while my people were killed or taken. There were only a couple of orcs left on board by the time I pulled myself back onto the lower deck. I grabbed this here shotgun and started blasting them apart before untying the shop and riding the river down. I made sure to take the most difficult path for them to follow. I fell asleep at dawn and awoke as soon as I hit the bridge.¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯re stuck here,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°And now I¡¯m stuck here,¡± confirmed Hogg, putting his head in his hands. ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody left but me.¡±

    ¡°What about your people who were taken?¡± asked Julie with a small spark of hope shining in her voice.

    ¡°They¡¯re with orcs,¡± said Arc as Hogg nodded. ¡°That means they¡¯re not coming back.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we go and save them?

    ¡°With what army? I have an adequate stock of bullets, but precious few spell cartridges. You two are still barely tested in combat. Hogg here, well, he¡¯s got a shotgun which won¡¯t do a lot of good if we¡¯re fighting from afar. There¡¯s no rescue mission to be had with just the four of us.¡±

    ¡°But what if¡ª¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, little lady,¡± said Hogg, shaking his head despondently, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no point. I wouldn¡¯t even know where to follow them to and the storm could easily have washed any car tracks.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention, we don¡¯t have a vehicle to follow them with,¡± said Jack. ¡°It¡¯s a nice thought, Jule, but we¡¯re not capable of taking on an army of orcs.¡±

    ¡°We dealt with the gnolls,¡± said Julie, the hope in her voice fading rapidly and being replaced by desperate pleading.

    Arc put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Orcs are far from geniuses, but gnolls are especially stupid. They were also less armed. I wish we could do something, truly, but we can¡¯t save everyone.¡±

    Hogg stood up and walked over to the edge of the boat. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the railing while looking over the bridge and further down the river. The man looked tired. He drew his hand down his face and stifled a yawn.

    ¡°What are you going to do about the boat?¡± asked Arc, walking over to join him.

    ¡°It¡¯s sitting at the edge of a main road and there¡¯s nothing I can do to free it,¡± he said. ¡°If I stay here, I¡¯ll be a sitting duck and the orcs may pass this way eventually. Hell, there may even be other creatures that find me. I¡¯ll stay here another day or two until I can gather myself. Then, I¡¯ll say my goodbyes to both my people and the Providence before hitting the road.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on our way to Cliff Town. If you want to come along, you¡¯re welcome to accompany us.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I want to disappear. I don¡¯t feel much like being part of another community. In my head, I would be replacing the dead with a new set of the living and that¡¯s not healthy until I¡¯ve processed this.¡±

    Arc shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, that¡¯s what you want.¡±

    Julie snuck up behind him and tugged on his jacket. She looked at him with puppy dog eyes, silently begging him to push a little harder.

    Arc couldn¡¯t help but smile at her and he turned back to Hogg. ¡°Although in saying that, what you want may not be what¡¯s best for you. A shotgun won¡¯t carry you very far, especially with the limited bullets you have left. We¡¯ll keep you company to the gates of Cliff Town and you can make your decision there. I insist.¡±

    Hogg let out a dry laugh and a faint smile curled onto his lips. ¡°What sort of saint are you?¡± he asked. ¡°You come along here and listen to my story rather than mug me. You want to help me rather than leave me for dead. I don¡¯t understand, if I¡¯m being honest with you, Arc the Hawk.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve all lost people,¡± he said, looking over his shoulder to Jack and Julie. ¡°All three of us have. We understand how difficult it is to keep moving forward when death is all around you, but soon, it¡¯ll be in the rear view and you¡¯ll find the strength to keep going. It won¡¯t be easy, don¡¯t get me wrong, but you can come back from this and honour those who were with you for the first part of your journey.¡±

    Hogg sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Mr Hogg,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Arc, holding the man¡¯s shotgun out to him. ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Hogg, accepting his weapon. ¡°Give me a few minutes to get my things together and say goodbye. Any supplies you need or want, feel free to take them. They¡¯re better going to you than being left here to be looted by whoever happens upon the boat.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± said Arc, at which Hogg took a deep breath and nodded assuredly before slumping off downstairs.

    ¡°You heard him,¡± said Jack, nudging his sister. ¡°We¡¯ll strip the boat bare and that¡¯ll give us more than enough supplies for a while.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so callous?¡± asked Julie. ¡°The man¡¯s lost everything and you¡¯re more concerned about how it benefits us.¡±

    ¡°I feel for him, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I¡¯m not going to say that I won¡¯t take the supplies. At least there¡¯s a silver lining after.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± muttered Juile, scowling at her brother.

    ¡°You two can bicker about this later,¡± said Arc. ¡°Let¡¯s give this place a once-over and then get ourselves ready to go. The sooner we get to Cliff Town, the better. This boat is one greater floating target and if we found it, someone else will before long. Now, chop chop, kiddos.¡±

    The three looked grabbed whatever food they could find¡ªwhich admittedly was not much¡ªas well as any knives and spare bullets they found tucked away in crevices across the Providence. As they scoured the ship, Hogg sat on his knees at the front side of the lower deck with his head bowed low. Once the trio had finished, they stood and waited quietly by for Hogg to finish his final farewell to his people and his boat.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± he said, approaching Arc, Jack, and Julie with a stoic face. ¡°Let¡¯s get going to Cliff¡ª¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Arc, holding up a hand.

    As the others listened, the noise grew louder. It was a faint, rumbling sound, but there was a gritty smoky tone to it. Arc looked to the other side of the bridge and saw a small shape on the horizon and his eyes widened with horror. He should have known what it was immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s a car,¡± he said, drawing the Golden Hawk.

    ¡°Run!¡± urged Hogg, making his way to the railing, but Arc grabbed him by the collar with his free hand and pulled him back.

    ¡°No,¡± said the spellslinger, releasing the sole survivor of the Providence. ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Arc hurried to the upper deck and kept low as he watched the object growing larger. There was a single vehicle, he was certain of it, and that meant it was something he could handle alone even if there were half a dozen orcs riding in it. He ran back down to Jack, Julie, and Hogg to give them a hurried instruction.

    ¡°The three of you are to wait down below for me,¡± he said. ¡°Hogg, find the safest place you know and hide there until I call out for you all. I¡¯ll handle whoever this is, orcs or not.¡±

    ¡°Arc, we can¡¯t leave you to do it alone!¡± cried Julie, grabbing onto his jacket.

    ¡°You want to travel with me? Then you do as I say.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do it,¡± said Jack, taking his sister by the arm. ¡°If you need backup, shout for us and we¡¯ll come running. Be safe, alright?¡±

    ¡°Always,¡± said Arc with a cocky grin as Hogg led the two twins inside and into the hull to hide.

    The spellslinger took a deep breath and crept back up to the upper deck. He stayed low as he slipped into the hut and peeked over the edge, looking out into the wasteland as the vehicle¡ªa pickup truck¡ªdrew closer and closer. There was a driver and a passenger in the front with four more passengers in the back. Even from this distance, Arc¡¯s keen eyes could see their green skin through their armour and their sharp tusks protruding out from their lower lips. There was no mistaking it; the orcs were back and they wanted Hogg.

 Book 2, Chapter 5 - Iron Axes

    The orcs drove towards the bridge and Arc watched intently with his spellcaster at the ready. If they were just a little closer, he would be able to blow their vehicle sky high and put an end to their hunt before they even reached their destination. Much to his dismay, they stopped more than a hundred feet from the Providence and climbed out.

    All six orcs were coated in iron armour from head to toe that covered up their broad, muscular physiques. They were shorter than humans, and their pig-like faces ensured that even in darkness, they would not be mistaken for normal people. Their jutting tusks were yellowing, but they were certainly sharp enough to tear flesh from bone without a hint of difficulty. The orcs carried a variety of weapons, from swords and axes strapped to their sides, to the handguns and rifles they held in their hands. They knew who they were looking for and had more than enough firepower to find him. What they didn¡¯t count on, however, was that someone else had found Hogg first. And that someone was their worst nightmare.

    ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± Arc whispered to himself as the orcs stood and talked amongst themselves. After a minute, the tallest of them stepped forward.

    ¡°Human!¡± it roared in its gravelly voice. ¡°You must pay for your crimes against the Iron Axe Clan. Reveal yourself and we will grant you a swift death.¡±

    Arc knew that Hogg was in no position to answer so he kept quiet and waited to see what the orcs would do. With any luck, they would hop back in their car and drive forward so he could blow it up with an Arcane Shot.

    ¡°Last warning!¡± called the orc. He waited a few more seconds, walked over to the pickup truck, and retrieved a bazooka.

    ¡°Oh shit,¡± said Arc, suddenly in a panic. ¡°Iron Axe Clan!¡± he called out.

    ¡°We knew you were there,¡± said the orc, mounting the launcher on his shoulder. ¡°Come down now and accept the death you brought upon yourself for the murder of our clanmates.¡±

    ¡°You attacked my boat first,¡± Arc replied, trying to quickly think of a way to kill the orcs before they blew the entire Providence to smithereens with the four humans still on board.

    ¡°Your negotiations took too long. We are not patient, especially not Azuk.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to take me back to your base?¡±

    ¡°No, we will kill you here and throw your body in the river. All we need is your head to bring back to Scrap Mountain.¡±

    ¡°Alright, give me a second and I¡¯ll be right down. No shooting until I get there.¡±

    Arc knew he was in a bind. He was too far out of reach to use his spellcaster effectively and the orcs¡¯ iron armour would protect them from his revolver rounds. The odds of him being able to kill all six of his foes without having to reload was basically zero. If, however, he could get close enough without having to shoot then he could attack one of their two weak points; the car or the rocket sitting comfortably in the bazooka just waiting to be unleashed.

    ¡°Never trust an orc,¡± Arc murmured. ¡°They¡¯ll kill me before I come close. They¡¯re stupid, yes, but they¡¯re not stupid enough to let me approach armed. Would they fall for the old spellcaster in the scarf trick or would they gun me down the second I show myself?¡±

    Arc crawled through the doorway and pulled himself slowly down the stairs, careful as not to reveal even an inch of himself to his foes.

    ¡°Arc,¡± came Hogg¡¯s hushed voice from the lower deck. ¡°Arc, are you there?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you hiding?¡± Arc asked him angrily.

    ¡°They¡¯re going to kill you. I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    ¡°Not happening. I¡¯ll get all of us out alive somehow.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    Arc sighed. ¡°Somehow,¡± he said, still not having thought of a plan other than to try shooting them.

    ¡°The river is too dangerous to flee to, and those brutes will slaughter all of us if given the chance. If they think I¡¯m the only one left and kill me, that¡¯s your chance to escape. I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to start counting from ten,¡± called the orc.

    ¡°Thanks for trying,¡± said Hogg, walking out into the open and jumping onto the bridge.

    ¡°Hogg!¡± whispered Arc as loudly as he could. ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± said Hogg, throwing his shotgun onto the bridge. ¡°Do what you need to so that I may see my friends once again.¡±

    ¡°Gladly,¡± said the orc.

    One of the others took aim with his rifle and pulled the trigger, piercing a hole through Hogg¡¯s chest. He fell backwards and gasped for air, but his lung had been pierced and he was struggling. Arc shut his eyes tightly for a second, wishing there was something he could have done, but he knew that all there was left was to ensure that Hogg was avenged.

    The orcs jumped back into their car and it started to rumble as the engine fired up. They drove onto the bridge and stopped by Hogg as he slowly reached his hand into the sky as though he had seen something above him. There was a faint smile on his face as his strength failed and his arm flopped onto the ground.

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    ¡°Rest in piss, human,¡± said one of the orcs.

    He hopped jumped from the car and landed beside Hogg. Drawing his axe, he held it high and swung it down swiftly, cutting off the dying man¡¯s foot. Hogg let out a rasping cry of pain before he started wheezing again, trying to catch air.

    ¡°Hurry it up,¡± said another orc. ¡°We¡¯ve got to strip this boat for parts and I don¡¯t want to still be here at sunset.¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t take much longer,¡± said the orc with the axe who smiled devilishly as he raised it up once more. Arc was infuriated by Hogg¡¯s torture and could not allow this barbarism to continue.

    ¡°Oi!¡± he barked, leaping to his feet and pulling out his spellcaster. ¡°No prayers for you, scum.¡±

    He pulled the trigger on his spellcaster and launched an Arcane Shot straight at the bazooka. He dove out of the way as the ball of magical energy tore through the air and collided with the rocket as the orcs all screamed in terror, but their screams were cut short by two successive explosions; the first from the rocket and the second from the car.

    All six orcs were obliterated into small chunks and the suffering Hogg was put out of his misery. Chunks of asphalt, iron, and concrete rained down upon the river and the railing of the upper deck of the boat was dislodged by the force of the blasts. Arc covered his head with his hands as he rolled under a table to shield himself from the falling rubble.

    ¡°Arc!¡± cried Jack, running up the stairs with his pistol drawn. Julie followed, clutching her own gun tightly with a murderous look on her face.

    ¡°Over here,¡± said the spellslinger, sliding out from under the table and clambering to his feet.

    ¡°Thank the heavens,¡± said Julie, rushing over to him and throwing her arms around his waist. Jack walked over trying to play it cool, but halfway there, he did the same as his sister.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to feel loved,¡± said Arc, patting the two on the back. ¡°You¡¯re both alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re fine,¡± said Jack, looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s Hogg?¡±

    Arc closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering. ¡°Robert Hogg died a hero,¡± he said quietly.

    Jack groaned while Julie gasped, dropping her gun and clasping her hands over her mouth. Arc picked it up for her, handed it back to her and she shakily accepted it.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Jack, looking over his shoulder to the flickering remnants of the fire and the ruined chassis of the pickup truck. ¡°You blew up another car?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I blew up another car. I think you¡¯re missing the point here a little.¡±

    Jack sighed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t mean to be disrespectful. Go on.¡±

    Arc explained everything that happened to the twins and they listened silently, only reacting whenever they heard about the orc hacking off Hogg¡¯s foot. Jack spat and cursed while Julie shuddered as her face turned as white as a ghost.

    The spellslinger finished his recount. ¡°And then the pair of you came running up the stairs. Which is touching, by the way, that you wanted to come to my rescue.¡±

    ¡°So¡­what do we do now?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°We continue as before and head straight for Cliff Town. There¡¯s nothing we can do about the Iron Axe Clan, but we can sleep more soundly knowing that there are six fewer orcs in Nuvaria thanks to Hogg¡¯s sacrifice. May he rest in peace and find those he lost in the afterlife.¡±

    ¡°I had optimistically hoped we would be able to take their car and drive the rest of the way,¡± said Jack. ¡°I should know better than to dare to dream. Anytime I think something good is going to happen, the opposite happens.¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I think Hogg was happy to have a way out. A way out that gave him a purpose in his final moments.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like death,¡± said Julie, a pair of tears running down her cheeks. ¡°We¡¯ve seen far too much of it lately. Even the bandits we killed at Colt¡¯s base¡­I see them every night when I close my eyes.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Arc, putting his hand on her shoulder and leaning down. ¡°But, it¡¯s like we said to Hogg, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯ll soon be in the rear view and we¡¯ll find the strength to keep going.¡±

    ¡°And when do you truly get over it?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t, you just get desensitised to it. Which may not sound like much, but it makes it easier to make the world a better place.¡±

    Julie nodded and walked over to the broken railing. She leapt from the boat to the bridge and looked around. Jack kept an eye on her while Arc fetched everyone¡¯s bags which were now filled to the brim with supplies from those who once resided on the Providence.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a long road ahead of us,¡± he said, leaping onto the bridge beside Jack. ¡°Carry your own bags, you lazy bums.¡±

    ¡°You would think the credit for rushing in to save you would extend beyond five minutes,¡± grumbled the young man, taking the bag from Arc.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your pack mule, you freeloader,¡± said the bounty hunter, slapping the young man on the back of the head. ¡°No more complaining.¡±

    Jack rolled his eyes and walked across the bridge. Arc held out Julie¡¯s bag for her and she slumped over to him. ¡°If we all stick together, we¡¯ll be just fine,¡± he told her.

    Julie took her bag and gave a firm nod. ¡°I know. And I know that killing bad people and monsters is what we have to do. It just saddens me that the world is in such a bad state that we have to do it. I wonder if it was like this before the Arcanaclysm¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s ever been a time free from bad characters,¡± said Arc, walking after Jack and beckoning Julie to follow. ¡°Even in the most peaceful and remote places, cretins and villains rear their ugly heads. I¡¯m just glad that there are good people left who want to continue fighting the good fight. I count you and your brother in that, you know?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think we¡¯re just here because you can keep us alive?¡±

    ¡°If I thought that, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to bring you both along. You¡¯re both good souls and wise beyond your years. All that you lack is the experience to back it up, and I¡¯ll make certain that you get just that so that you can fend for yourselves long after I¡¯m gone.¡±

    Julie stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°After you¡¯re gone? Are you planning to leave us behind one day?¡±

    ¡°Not if I can help it,¡± said Arc with a grin before his face fell. ¡°But I have the suspicion that my days are numbered. One day, I¡¯ll walk into a situation that I can¡¯t talk or shoot my way out of. I thought for a moment back on the boat that today was that day.¡±

    ¡°If we go down, we¡¯ll all go down together,¡± said Julie. ¡°This is our purpose now. We¡¯ll hunt your bounties with you, through thick and thin. Even if that means we all end up at the bottom of the same pit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll throw you both out of the pit.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll jump back in again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just stupid. What if you have a chance to go and get some help? Use your noggin, girl.¡±

    Jack called from the river. ¡°Will you two hurry up? I¡¯ll get to Cliff Town a day before you do.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the way, you lug nut!¡± Arc yelled. ¡°The river doesn¡¯t flow through the town, it flows underneath it. Without me, you¡¯d keep walking until a mermaid drags you into her lair.¡±

    ¡°Mermaids are nice, no?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°Not the ones I¡¯ve met,¡± muttered Arc. ¡°They can be as vicious as a sahaugin, especially if you reject their advances.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a story you have to tell me,¡± said Julie, laughing. Her mood had slowly brightened over the course of her conversation with Arc.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not as exciting as it sounds. It¡¯s much better left a mystery.¡±

 Book 2, Chapter 6 - Admission

    After a long few days of following the river, a tired Arc, Jack, and Julie walked up the road towards the settlement on the edge of the cliff; Cliff Town. It was surrounded by large walls of iron that made those approaching the town with nefarious think twice. Breaching the walls alone would be one thing, but the armed guards standing atop walkway above it, none of whom looked especially friendly, was the final deterrent needed.

    ¡°The client wants us to kill the king of this place?¡± asked Jack incredulously upon seeing how fortified the town was.

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°It makes the gnoll stronghold look like a cloth tent in comparison.¡±

    ¡°Need I remind you that I never said we were going to kill King Obsidian? We need to make sure the client isn¡¯t some chump with a vendetta before anything else. No matter how well he¡¯s paying, and he¡¯s paying well, I won¡¯t kill shoot a man who doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±

    ¡°How much was he paying?¡± asked Julie. ¡°You never told us that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not say,¡± said Arc, but Julie feigned looking upset and he relented. ¡°Alright, alright. Ninety-five ounces of gold.¡±

    Jack and Julie looked at each other stunned before looking back at Arc. They both mouthed silent words before they found their voices.

    ¡°That¡¯s almost five thousand ounces of silver!¡± cried Julie as Jack tried to count the numbers on his fingers. ¡°We¡¯d have enough to live on for years.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t go as far as you¡¯d think,¡± said Arc under his breath. He then raised his voice. ¡°Anyway, the point isn¡¯t the money. It¡¯s just a bonus. The point is eliminating an evil-doer. I didn¡¯t tell you the value of the bounty because I don¡¯t want your judgement clouded.¡±

    Julie put a finger to her chin and bit her lip. ¡°Come to think of it,¡± she said. ¡°The man you were speaking to did look a bit like a rat. I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to have a grudge against someone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by his cover,¡± said Arc before grinning. ¡°Unless the cover is hideously ugly.¡±

    Jack¡¯s shock at the money had faded and his face was back to its natural grumpy state again. ¡°And what if this King Obsidian isn¡¯t denying his citizens food and water? It¡¯ll be a wasted journey if you can¡¯t sell him on your backup plan.¡±

    ¡°There are no wasted journeys, boy. You two got to practice your gunmanship in a real-life situation and we¡¯ve still got the spoils to sell, don¡¯t we? Not to mention, the world is down a few orcs.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how receptive the king will be, knowing that he has a bounty on his head.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever had a bounty on your head, Arc?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°I bet he has,¡± muttered Jack.

    Arc slapped the young man on the back harder than he meant to, almost toppling him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said before explaining. ¡°First of all, watch your mouth. Secondly, I¡¯ve had a few in my time and I don¡¯t doubt that at least a couple of them are still active. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there¡¯s someone roaming Nuvaria for the sole purpose of finding and killing me.¡±

    ¡°And you still agreed to bring us with you?¡± asked a horrified Jack.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t understand what this life entailed, you shouldn¡¯t have begged to join me. You know I get shot at all the time. Feel free to walk back to Pembroke and leave me to deal with the king by myself.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± said Julie, turning to Jack and giving him a cold stare. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, dear brother?¡±

    Jack frowned before answering. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that¡¯s settled,¡± said Arc, striding ahead and walking up to one of the few gaps in the wall.

    As he approached, he held up his hands to assure the guards he wasn¡¯t holding a weapon and that he wasn¡¯t going to try anything sneaky. Seeing this, the twins did the same. Nonetheless, the guards all pointed their rifles at the trio they¡¯d been watching slowly draw closer to their precious town. Arc was used to this sort of treatment, but Jack and Julie were taken aback at seeing the barrels of guns pointed in their direction.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± spat one of the guards, giving them an unpleasant sneer.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Arc the Hawk and these two are Jack and Julie¡­come to think of it, I¡¯m not sure what their last names are. Doesn¡¯t matter, I suppose. Jack and Julie are their names.¡±

    ¡°And your reason for being here?¡± asked the guard, not lowering his weapon.

    ¡°I might as well come straight out with it,¡± said Arc with a shrug while keeping his hands held high. ¡°Are the citizens here being denied food and water?¡±

    ¡°What business is that of yours?¡±

    ¡°You king has a bounty on his head and that¡¯s the reason given in the notice. I thought it was only right to ask before¡ª¡±

    ¡°Before what?¡± shouted the guard.

    ¡°Before offering to take out the man who issued the bounty,¡± said Arc, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m being forthright with you here. I would appreciate you letting me explain before you lose your temper.¡±

    ¡°You got weapons on you?¡± asked the guard, nodding to Arc¡¯s holsters.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡±

    ¡°A simple revolver, a knife and my spellcaster. The twins have knives and handguns.¡±

    The guard narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ¡°You met any orcs on the road?¡±

    ¡°Orcs?¡± asked Arc, caught off-guard.

    ¡°Ugly green fellas with a nasty temper.¡±

    ¡°I know what orcs are, but I was surprised you mentioned them. We met six of them, but they¡¯ve been shrunk and multiplied. If that wasn¡¯t clear, I blew them to pieces for threatening us.¡±

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    The guard unwittingly let out a laugh, drawing ire from his comrades. ¡°I¡¯ll be straight with you, Arc the Hawk,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re being strict with our rationing here in town because we¡¯re under threat from those green brutes. Sometimes when people ask for food and water, they¡¯re denied it. Our supply lines are being hit by an orc tribe who wants to take our town for themselves, and venturing down to the river is dangerous these days. We only send people when absolutely necessary and if we have the manpower to keep everyone safe.¡±

    ¡°I assure you that we are not working for orcs,¡± said Arcs as the twins nodded along. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what those brutes are capable of and I sympathise.¡±

    The guard sighed. ¡°And I believe you,¡± he said, looking to his comrades briefly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come into town, but you won¡¯t be allowed to purchase any food or drink while you¡¯re here. I¡¯m sure you understand, given the situation.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± said Arc. ¡°Thank you¡­what as your name?¡±

    ¡°Briggs.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Briggs. I appreciate the welcome.¡±

    Arc lowered his arms and the twins followed suit. With a beckoning forward from Briggs, the three headed on through the gap between the two walls and stepped into Cliff Town. It was reminiscent of Pembroke in that the buildings were made of bricks and concrete with some wood to reinforce them or to serve as an awning or balcony.

    Immediately, it was clear that the atmosphere was tense as the handful of civilians in sight looked in their direction with fear in their eyes. They all turned away and quick-stepped out of sight, as though they shot the trio would open-fire in the middle of the town and leave no survivors.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this much,¡± said Jack quietly. ¡°I feel like they¡¯re waiting for us to walk into the wrong part of town and they¡¯ll beat us to death with sticks.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either,¡± whispered Julie.

    ¡°Just follow the rules stated and we¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Arc. ¡°We don¡¯t buy food and we don¡¯t buy water. Thanks to the Providence, we have enough to last another week.¡±

    ¡°Did you believe what Briggs said?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°I did, but it¡¯s still worth verifying it for ourselves because there¡¯s no small sum on the line, but we¡¯ll play things cleverly. We won¡¯t buy food and water, like I said, but we know there¡¯s something else they won¡¯t want to part with; weapons and ammo.¡±

    The trio walked through the town, ignoring the empty and unmanned stalls that may once have served food. Every person they came across gave them a funny look, no matter how old or young; how able-bodied or frail. The people of Cliff Town were united in their mistrust of outsiders. How long had it been this way? Arc couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    It wasn¡¯t long before they found a rundown little shop called Chance¡¯s Armoury. It had metal bars fixed to the wall that ran across the windows, along with a heavy metal door that would have been more difficult to break through than the walls. This seemed like the best place to attempt a purchase.

    ¡°We¡¯ll test the waters here,¡± said Arc, opening the door and walking inside.

    ¡°What can I¡ª¡± began the bald man behind the counter before stopping dead.

    The small shop was quaint and sparsely stocked, especially compared to Jamison¡¯s shop in Pembroke. Most of the shelves were empty and the items remaining were in poor condition with some of the guns missing grip guards and many loose rounds of ammo sitting on the table, as though they¡¯d accidentally been left behind. It didn¡¯t inspire confidence, which worked all the better for Arc. A desperate man may indeed make a deal with him¡ªnot that he was going to take it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t serve strangers,¡± said the man. ¡°I¡¯m afraid if you¡¯re here for anything other than advice or weapon maintenance, I can¡¯t help you. If you are here for maintenance, I hope you brought the parts you need.¡±

    ¡°Chance, is that right?¡± asked Arc, calmly walking up to the counter.

    ¡°Yes, why?¡± replied the man slowly.

    ¡°Well, Chance,¡± said Arc with a soft smile, bringing out his revolver and setting it on the counter before the uncomfortable merchant, ¡°I¡¯m in need of a few revolver rounds. Six ought to do it, and I can see the right kind sitting on the table by the window.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like I said, stranger. I can¡¯t sell to you.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Arc, jingling his coin pouch.

    Chance closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°Because the town needs all of the weapons and ammo to stay within the town. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the orcs that¡¯ve been giving us trouble.¡±

    ¡°I have.¡±

    ¡°Then you understand my position, no?¡±

    ¡°I understand that I need some ammo,¡± said Arc, pulling out a few silver pieces more than the bullets were worth and setting it on the table. ¡°Quadruple what I should be paying you,¡± he said pointedly.

    ¡°Arc,¡± said Jack, stepping forward. He was worried that the bounty hunter was pushing things too far. ¡°Are you sure this is a¡ª¡±

    Chance whipped out his own gun and pointed it at Arc with a look of disdain. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave now,¡± said the merchant coldly.

    ¡°That seems excessive,¡± said Arc, slowly putting his gun back in its holster before holding up his hands. ¡°Alright, your point has been clearly made. We¡¯ll be on our way. Come on, you two.¡±

    Jack and Julie hurried through the door and Arc followed, taking his own sweet time. Upon stepping outside, the citizens passing by jumped a mile. They had clearly not heard about the strangers in their midst, but Arc paid them no need.

    ¡°Our friend Chance just confirmed the orcs aren¡¯t just an excuse to deprive the citizens of their needs and freedoms,¡± he said to the twins. ¡°That was a good amount of money for those rounds too. He¡¯d have been nuts to turn down a deal like that without good reason.¡±

    ¡°That was dangerous!¡± snapped Jack.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s a grumpy guts today, isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Arc. ¡°We¡¯ll get you some food and that¡¯ll cheer you up, Jacky Boy.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find somewhere quiet to sit and eat our own food. I doubt anyone will take any issue with us finding a quiet corner of town to ourselves. While we fill our stomachs, we¡¯ll come up with a plan of action that¡¯ll get us an audience with the king. I¡¯m a fan of knocking on the door and hoping for an answer, but it mightn¡¯t be as straightforward as that.¡±

    ¡°Is it ever?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± shrugged Arc.

    He walked on through the town, looking for somewhere to sit and eat. He tried his luck at an empty diner, but was shooed away even after repeatedly stating he wasn¡¯t looking to buy food. The trio eventually settled on a low wall. It was crooked and uncomfortable, but it was the best they could do if they didn¡¯t want to sit on the dusty streets like vagabonds.

    ¡°The people of Cliff Town don¡¯t like us much, do they?¡± remarked Arc after finishing his roll of bread. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be as bad as this. Maybe the ladies think I¡¯m taken because I¡¯ve got you two sprogs following me around. Maybe I should lead with the fact you¡¯re not my children.¡±

    Julie giggled while Jack rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Alright, boy, what¡¯s eating you so badly?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being reckless and if you cause too much trouble, none of us are going to survive.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Obviously none of us would survive, especially if we storm the king¡¯s chambers demanding he pay us money to remove his bounty. You don¡¯t need to be concerned about that though, we¡¯re going to be all nice and polite. We¡¯ll explain ourselves and talk about how we¡¯ll take care of that fella back in Pembroke¡­what was his name again?¡±

    ¡°Reeves,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°That¡¯s the one. Just you wait and see, everything will go smoothly from here on out. We¡¯re done gleaning information.¡±

    As Arc finished his sentence, his eye twitched towards four guards, including Briggs, who were making a beeline for the trio with their weapons drawn. He then spied Chance walking along behind them and pointing at them with a scornful look.

    ¡°Ah,¡± sighed Arc.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± whispered Julie while Jack put his face in his hands.

    ¡°Good day, gentlemen,¡± called Arc, waving to the guards. ¡°I get the feeling that there¡¯s been a big misunderstanding and, if you allow me to explain¡ª¡±

    ¡°You were warned to follow the rules, Arc the Hawk,¡± said Briggs, reaching for his belt and pulling out a pair of handcuffs. ¡°Trying to bribe your way into buying Cliff Town ammunition isn¡¯t following the rules. I thought that wouldn¡¯t have needed stated considering you know our current situation.¡±

    ¡°Waters tested and they¡¯re filled with snakes,¡± muttered Jack as he hopped off the wall.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, you two,¡± said Arc, turning around and putting his hands behind his back. ¡°I¡¯ll sort this whole mess out and everything will be just fine. Just wait here and twiddle your thumbs until I get back. I¡¯ll see you in an hour or two.¡±

    ¡°Cuff them as well,¡± said Briggs, nodding to the children.

    Jack and Julie¡¯s faces fell further upon hearing this and they slowly turned around. As he was being handcuffed, Jack shot a look of fury at Arc who gave him an apologetic eyebrow raise and a smile, which was not welcome in the least.

 Book 2, Chapter 7 - An Audience with the King

    There was one positive about being taken prisoner by the Cliff Town guards; it was a good way to see the whole town. Arc, Jack, and Julie were marched along while the citizens looked on with glee. They¡¯d dealt with enough troublemakers, especially of the green-skinned kind, and it was a welcome victory to see ne¡¯er-do-wells being taken off the streets.

    The trio were marched along the asphalt and into a fenced compound which appeared to have once been a carpark, but the painted lines had long since eroded away. To the left, sat four cars and six pickup trucks that had recently been buffed up, but the degraded paint had left just enough holes for rust to eat at.

    At the far side of the compound stood a tall building with four circular pillars supporting the triangular awning beneath the peaked roof. Engraved in the stone awning was an imagine of a man wielding a trident who rode a chariot over water while fish leapt into the air beside him.

    Rather than being guided up the stone staircase, Briggs led his prisoners around the back and through an iron door. After being brought down a cold corridor, the trio were taken into a small side chamber where iron bars had been grafted to opposite walls and into the ceiling and floor, creating a cell. Based on the ugly filler used on the ceiling, this was a creation within the last decade rather than having been around before the apocalypse.

    A guard standing in the room walked over and opened the cell, and Briggs gestured for the three to enter, which they did without a hint of defiance. Once the door was locked, the guards all stepped out of the room except for the one on watch and Briggs himself.

    ¡°Someone will be along to see you shortly,¡± he said sternly before departing too.

    Jack and Julie leaned against the wall and slumped to the floor while Arc scanned the room as though looking for a way to escape. After a short while, he walked over to the wall too and slid down onto the broken tiles.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing,¡± he said calmly to the not-so-calm Jack and Julie. ¡°I¡¯m a people person, as you both well know. A few charming words later and we¡¯ll be laughing about this whole ordeal as we march back to Pembroke.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have a spell cartridge that can charm someone into releasing us from prison, do you?¡± asked Jack with a quivering voice.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re hard to find,¡± said Arc, leaving the twins uncertain as to whether he was joking or not, but neither felt much like asking right now.

    ¡°Keep it down in there, prisoners,¡± said the guard crossly.

    Arc smiled at him pleasantly. ¡°Apologies, Officer. I¡¯ll lower my voice.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they put us in here too,¡± said Jack, his frustration palpable. ¡°You¡¯re the one who tried to bribe the weapon dealer and we still ended up behind bars. It¡¯s unfair and unjust.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want the bullets,¡± said Arc. ¡°We needed to test the waters. It was a test, as you very well know.¡±

    ¡°Well, that test had very real consequences. And stop saying ¡®test the waters¡¯ because it¡¯s only making me angrier with you.¡±

    Arc grinned with his eyes wide. ¡°At least we¡¯re close to the king now,¡± he said with a wink. ¡°No other building in the town is this grand.¡±

    ¡°You¡­surely not?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Did you get us thrown in here on purpose?¡± asked Julie.

    Arc simply shrugged and smiled while staring at the wall. He starting cracking his knuckles and then cracked his neck, all the while smiling.

    ¡°He¡¯s bluffing, Jule,¡± said Jack, nudging his sister in the ribs. ¡°Look at that cocky face. He¡¯s trying to make us think it¡¯s all part of a master plan he cooked up. Don¡¯t buy it. We don¡¯t even have our weapons anymore.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Julie, moving in front of Arc and staring into his eyes. ¡°He seems so¡­calm. We know he¡¯s a smooth operator when he wants to be.¡±

    Jack moved beside her and watched Arc carefully, who stared past the twins while continuing to smile. ¡°Nah,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re definitely bluffing. You¡¯re not a smooth operator, you just make things up as you go and then claim you¡¯re a genius when it just so happens to work out.¡±

    Seconds later, the door swung open and in walked a tall man of such large frame that he had to angle himself to the side to get through the doorway. He had tanned skin and more than his fair share of scars. His hair was a deep shade of dark brown and held away from his eyes by a makeshift headband made from bandages.

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    He walked forward confidently as his metal boots and shoulder plates clinked. His heavy-duty cloth body armour covered his thick torso and his green trousers had so many pockets that they would have been difficult to fill. Strapped to the man¡¯s back was a steel claymore and, on his waist, was a holster holding a snubnosed revolver that looked like he could have crushed it if he squeezed the grip too hard.

    The man stopped in front of the cell with the bars an inch from his face. He had no discernible expression on his face, which made Arc uncomfortable, but the twins even more so. The man said nothing as he stared at the three occupants of the cell, none of whom were smiling anymore.

    Arc didn¡¯t want to be the first one to speak; no doubt the man was waiting for him to break first. The bounty hunter stared back at the man the entire time while Jack and Julie sat awkwardly to the side, glancing around, afraid of making eye contact with the hulking man for more than a second.

    ¡°Arc the Hawk,¡± said the man breaking the uncomfortable silence.

    ¡°And you are?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Lancelot of the Right Hand of Obsidian.¡±

    ¡°May I call you Lancelot?¡±

    ¡°You may.¡±

    ¡°Lancelot,¡± said Arc, standing up. ¡°Why have we been arrested? Surely, keeping us here would mean resources that your town doesn¡¯t want to spare?¡±

    ¡°Who said you were getting food and water?¡± said Lancelot, giving away little with his voice.

    ¡°If you wanted rid of us so badly, we¡¯d have been thrown from the cliff and into the river below or simply kicked out of town. What is it that we¡¯re being held for?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the man who killed Nolt of the Redbrook Bandits, are you not?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± said Arc proudly. ¡°Unless he¡¯s a friend of yours. In that case, it wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°Kristoff the Grey, Franco Saxon, Colt the Scourge. All you?¡±

    ¡°All me,¡± confirmed Arc. ¡°Plus many more, of course. To tell you the truth, I¡¯m surprised you heard about Colt so recently after his death.¡±

    ¡°Guard,¡± said Lancelot without breaking eye contact with Arc. ¡°Release them to me, but keep their handcuffs on.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± said Arc, taking his hands from behind his back and revealing that his wrists were free and he was holding his handcuffs. ¡°These sorts of things aren¡¯t so great at holding me.¡±

    The guard snatched them from Arc before opening the door.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± said Lancelot, turning around and walking out the door.

    ¡°You heard him,¡± muttered Arc to a terrified Jack and July. ¡°No funny business, alright?¡±

    The two nodded and the trio walked into the corridor, following Lancelot. Arc couldn¡¯t but help admire the shining claymore on the man¡¯s back. It was a weapon that had no doubt felled everything from orc to giant. The spellslinger wondered if it was enchanted, so untarnished was the mighty blade.

    It had been some time since he used a sword, but it had long fallen out of favour with him. Guns were smaller and perfect for both long and short range. Last time he used a sword, he had been shot in the side, which had made up his mind about retiring from carrying around the needlessly heavy weapons.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Arc asked as Lancelot navigated the network of corridors and stairs.

    ¡°To see King Obsidian,¡± replied the king¡¯s man.

    At last, the trio reached what must have been the entrance hall, for it was a grander room than any other they¡¯d seen on the journey. To the right sat a set of heavy wooden doors that appeared to lead outside and to the left, up four marble steps was another set of double doors, but these doors were much more polished than the two.

    Lancelot took two steps to clear the stairs and placed a hand on the leftmost door. When Arc, Jack and Julie caught up to him, he gave it a small shove and it flung open as though it were made of cardboard. He nodded them inside and followed them in afterwards.

    The room was as impressive as Arc had expected with the marble floor being kept immaculate, save for a few small chips. Even the windows at the far side were more cared for than any windows he¡¯d seen in years. There was nobody else in the room with them save for a single man who sat on a golden throne at the fair end of the room.

    He wore a full suit of dark plate armour and his gauntlets were so black and thick it was no wonder he was called King Obsidian. He was shorter than Lancelot¡ªas most men in Nuvaria were¡ªbut he was nonetheless burly and had a slick black hair that ran down his back. The king¡¯s face bore considerably less scars than his servant, although there were still a few. His battle scar that stood out the most was the missing lobe of his left ear.

    ¡°Arc the Hawk for you, my liege,¡± said Lancelot.

    ¡°Thank you, brother,¡± said the king in his deep, rumbling voice. He stood up with a stoic look on his face. ¡°You may remain with us, Lancelot, but I ask you to remain silent unless spoken to.¡±

    ¡°Yes, King Obsidian.¡±

    The king looked at Arc, and then Jack, and then Julie, before his gaze fell back upon Arc. He held up a hand and beckoned the three to approach before flicking his wrist and holding out his palm when the trio reached the halfway point of the room. The three obediently stopped and Obsidian sat back down.

    ¡°I have heard that you flaunted my rules earlier today,¡± he said. ¡°After being so graciously invited into my town and warned of the dangers we face, you still thought you would make an attempt at buying rationed resources. You thought that wise, did you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want the bullets,¡± said Arc. ¡°I wanted to see if your citizens were truly afraid of orcs or if that was just a cover story. It¡¯s very clear to me now that it was the former.¡±

    The king smiled grimly. ¡°You came to kill me, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m aware of the bounty on my head.¡±

    It dawned on Arc why Lancelot had asked him about his previous kills. Every single one of the names listed had been bounties that he had fulfilled. He felt stupid for having answered in such a braggadocious manner.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Arc, seeing no point in lying.

    ¡°And you still wish to claim it?¡±

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said no?¡±

    ¡°That depends,¡± said King Obsidian, reaching for a holster on his waist and pulling out a familiar golden gun. He pointed Arc¡¯s spellcaster at him with a devious grin on his face.

 Book 2, Chapter 8 - Arm Up

    King Obsidian calmly sat on his throne with Arc¡¯s golden spellslinger pointed straight at the bounty hunter while Jack and Julie looked on in disbelief. Lancelot remained quietly at the back of the room, but nobody other than the king could see his unphased expression.

    ¡°Depends on what?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Your next course of action,¡± said the king, rising to his feet and smiling a sharp grin at the spellslinger.

    King Obsidian walked across the room, stopping in front of Arc while continuing to point the Golden Hawk at him. Suddenly, he spun the gun around and held the handle to Arc. In relief, the spellslinger took his weapon and the king calmly returned to his throne.

    ¡°If you want to shoot me, go right ahead,¡± said Obsidian. ¡°Lancelot is here to bear witness to the fact that if you do so, you¡¯ll be allowed to leave Cliff Town without repercussion on the condition that you never return. Isn¡¯t that right, brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my liege,¡± said Lancelot.

    ¡°However,¡± said the king, clasping his hands together and leaning forward. ¡°If you are willing to hear a counter-offer, I would suggest that you do not pull the trigger.¡±

    Arc glanced at his gun and could see that his Arcane Shot remained in the cylinder. It would indeed be launched at the king with a simple squeeze of the trigger. Having gotten what he wanted, Arc holstered his weapon and then scratched his chin.

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± he said as Jack and Julie both breathed sighs of relief.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Obsidian as he sat back in his chair. ¡°I¡¯m glad that money speaks to you.¡±

    ¡°Not exclusively,¡± said Arc. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill you even before you suggested a counter-offer.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Tell the man, kids.¡±

    ¡°He told us days ago that he had a backup plan for if you didn¡¯t deserve to be killed,¡± said Julie while Jack nodded.

    ¡°Then my counter-offer should sound even sweeter to you if you would like to do some good.¡±

    ¡°Sounds sweet already,¡± remarked Arc.

    ¡°As you have heard from Briggs, a clan of orcs has been attacking our supply lines. Caravans have not been bringing us goods and the population of Cliff Town is too large to be self-sustaining right now. Normally, we would send people out to scavenge or bring back goods ourselves, but the orcs are just waiting for a group of our able-bodied men to leave town before launching an assault. Do you see where I¡¯m going with this, Arc the Hawk?¡±

    ¡°Arc is fine,¡± said the spellslinger. ¡°And yes, I do. These orcs wouldn¡¯t happen to be from the Iron Axe Clan, would they?¡±

    ¡°They would.¡±

    ¡°And you knew that I already had a run-in with six orcs, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I did. Briggs said as much.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just making sure you¡¯re up to date,¡± said Arc, flashing a grin. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all on the same page. You want us to go kill the orcs for you, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Not quite,¡± said Obsidian. ¡°I need you for another task that will mean there¡¯s no need for you to bother yourself with the orcs. They will get what¡¯s coming to them in due time, provided we can hold out for a little while longer.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Arc, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Out of curiosity, how many orcs are there in that clan?¡±

    ¡°There are close to two hundred orcs, many of who are as well armed as we are. They are dumb brutes and it pains me to share lineage with such foul cretins, but they¡¯re surprisingly capable with a firearm.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re part orc?¡± asked Jack in surprise and Julie shot him a look, but the king was unphased.

    ¡°An eighth,¡± said Obsidian, smiling and baring his sharper-than-normal teeth. ¡°And it makes me despise them all the more, young man. It¡¯s a part of me that I cannot separate from my being, but I¡¯ll use the strengths it gives me to crush the rest of them in the name of my true people; the people of Cliff Town.¡±

    Arc didn¡¯t care about the king¡¯s lineage and was more interested in the job. ¡°You say you don¡¯t need me to kill orcs, but for another purpose. What is that purpose?¡±

    The king held up his right hand. ¡°The Right Hand of Obsidian has five members that make up a fist of elite warriors who serve Cliff Town,¡± he clenched his fist and stood up proudly. ¡°They are the best of us and they have served both me and my people well. Lancelot, you have already met, but that leaves four others who you do not know.¡±

    Arc¡¯s mind was turning over theory after theory. Had they betrayed the king and he had to kill them for their powerful weapons? Were they currently in the clutches of the orcs and needed to be broken free to wage war?

    ¡°They are currently on a scavenging run to New Carlington and I had expected them back a week ago. I initially feared that the worst had come to pass and they perished but two days ago, I received a broken radio transmission from one of the Right Hand, Charlemagne. He requested backup, but he was cut off and we¡¯ve not been able to contact him since. As much as I wanted to put together a rescue team, I cannot afford to leave my town without a few guards. I would send Lancelot alone, but he¡¯s easily worth ten guards. My hands were tied¡­until you walked into Cliff Town, Arc. A spellslinger? You¡¯re worth ten guards yourself, my friend.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the mission, then?¡± asked Arc. ¡°Go to New Carlington and bring back your crew? Sounds straightforward enough.¡±

    ¡°Lancelot,¡± said King Obsidian with a nod.

    The hulking man with the claymore stepped forward and walked between the king and the trio. His stoic face remained unchanged, but Arc could have sworn there was a spark of anger in his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak.

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    ¡°New Carlington was once a beacon of a city before the Arcanaclysm. A shining gem in the region we know as Nuvaria. That beacon remains after the fall of our world because of the number of resources that survived the fall and remain there to this day. Sadly for us, monsters were drawn towards this beacon like moths to a flame. If you want the resources of Carlington, you have to brave the horrors that stand in your way.

    ¡°The Right Hand are no slouches when it comes to dealing with monsters, but that does not mean we cannot be taken by surprise, especially when we are not the complete fist of might that we need to be. If you are to have any hope of finding my companions, you¡¯ll need to be armed to the teeth, you¡¯ll need a vehicle, and you¡¯ll need to know the sorts of creatures that you¡¯ll face there. I can help you with this.¡±

    ¡°Armed to the teeth, eh?¡± asked Arc, twirling his gun in his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve had the chance to sift through my possessions. I¡¯m a spellslinger with two spellcasters, but I¡¯m down to my last four cartridges. Seeing as we¡¯re such good friends now, Lancelot, would you be so kind as to have someone check the town¡¯s reserves. I get the feeling I¡¯ll need a few more if I¡¯m to return alive.¡±

    Lancelot looked over to his shoulder and King Obsidian gave a nod of approval. ¡°Yes, I can check the reserves and give provide you some of what we have. You will also be rewarded monetarily for your efforts.¡±

    ¡°As an insurance policy,¡± said the king, ¡°I¡¯m going to hang onto that second spellcaster of yours until you return.¡±

    Arc shrugged. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s the one I took from Colt the Scourge. I have no personal attachment to that one and using two spellcasters at once isn¡¯t my style.¡±

    ¡°Should you really be saying this?¡± muttered Jack.

    ¡°Jacky Boy, it¡¯s best that we¡¯re as upfront and honest as we can be from here on out. We got burned for it before and I¡¯d prefer not to again.¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°Shush, boy.¡±

    ¡°Might I ask who you are?¡± the king asked the twins. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Arc the Hawk, of course, but I do not know of either of you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re his bounty hunting partners, Julie and Jack,¡± said Julie proudly. ¡°Colt the Scourge? I killed a few of his men.¡±

    ¡°You bring children with you on your missions?¡± asked Obsidian in bemusement.

    ¡°Not until recently,¡± grumbled Arc before giving a gruff laugh. ¡°They¡¯re capable, rest assured.¡±

    ¡°I will take your word for it,¡± said the king, rising to his feet. ¡°Now, there is precious little time to waste. Every minute we delay is a minute more my people have to suffer because of the orcs. Lancelot, if you will show them to the armoury.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sire,¡± said the swordsman.

    ¡°I wish you luck.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, King Obsidian,¡± said Arc, giving a small bow. ¡°We¡¯ll see your people returned to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jack and Julie together, mimicking Arc¡¯s bow.

    The trio followed Lancelot from the king¡¯s chamber and he led them through the not-quite-a-castle. Arc enjoyed making conversation with people, but he thought it best to let Lancelot do the talking. Once he was stocked up, if the swordsman hadn¡¯t covered any of the information he needed, he would question him until he was satisfied that he wasn¡¯t driving into New Carlington blind.

    Lancelot stopped outside a door guarded by two armed men who saluted upon seeing the burly swordsman. The door itself was made of thick steel and had a heavy-duty lock as well as a keypad built into the wall. Lancelot covered his hand as he entered a code into the number pad, which flashed green after six digits were entered. He then took out a key from one of his many trouser pockets and twisted it in the door, releasing the lock. He gave the heavy door a light push and then turned to the guards.

    ¡°They¡¯re permitted to enter,¡± he told them. ¡°Do not disturb us unless it is crucial.¡± Lancelot led the way inside and waited until Arc, Jack, and Julie were through the door before closing it.

    As Arc looked around the armoury filled with metal shelves and cabinets, he was surprised to see just how sparsely stocked it was. Most of the shelves were bare or had only a handful of guns or boxes of ammo on them. The rails that should have housed body armour held hangers that hung empty. It was clearer than ever to him how dire the situation was in Cliff Town. Two hundred orcs; it was no small force. If the entirety of the Iron Axe Clan were as well equipped as the ones that killed Hogg, the town would struggle to hold them back.

    ¡°Spellcaster cartridges,¡± said Lancelot pointedly before walking over to one of the cabinets. He entered a combination into the padlock and it clicked open. He returned to Arc a second later with a small box, which the spellslinger graciously accepted.

    ¡°Arcane Shot, my favourite,¡± he said upon laying eyes on five of the red bullets. ¡°Two other reds, three blues, a purple, and¡­oh, interesting, a yellow cartridge. You don¡¯t see those often. Much obliged, Lancelot, these will be very helpful.¡±

    ¡°As you can see, the loss of the trading routes has hit us hard and dealing with various assaults from the orcs has been equally crippling. The king will not mind if you take more bullets for your weapons, but please do not drain what little we have left.¡±

    ¡°Before we go on our way, we¡¯ll leave you a couple of weapons and some bullets we picked up on the way here that we have no use for. Hopefully it¡¯ll arm another couple of your people.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Arc the Hawk,¡± said Lancelot with his lip curling ever so slightly.

    Arc looked to Jack and Julie. ¡°Would you look at that, we¡¯re all friends now.¡±

    Lancelot¡¯s smile vanished and he glared at Arc.

    *

    ¡°This one¡¯s a beauty,¡± said Arc, tapping the pickup truck¡¯s bonnet with his knuckles. ¡°A Chrysalis Carrier, Mark Seven. She¡¯s a very smooth ride.¡±

    ¡°We expect it returned with no damage. However, I am a realist, so I¡¯ll say a few scratches is not the end of the world.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± said Arc, putting two fingers to his forehead and giving Lancelot a small salute. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to keep this baby pristine.¡±

    ¡°Everything you need is in the pack,¡± said Lancelot, pointing to the bag he¡¯d given Arc. ¡°Make sure you give them the ring so they know I sent you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll memorise every inch of the map,¡± replied the spellslinger as he hopped into the pickup truck.

    ¡°Remembering the faces of the Right Hand is more important. Do not let imposters fool you should they be wearing my friends¡¯ clothes and wielding their weapons.¡±

    ¡°Is that likely?¡± asked Arc with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Sadly so,¡± replied Lancelot without a hint of emotion.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find them,¡± piped up Julie.

    ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± said Jack, prompting a scowl from his sister. ¡°What? I¡¯m a realist too.¡±

    ¡°I wish you safe travels,¡± said Lancelot as he closed the vehicle door after the twins. ¡°You should have sufficient fuel to get you there and back, plus some extra. I need not tell you the danger you¡¯re heading towards, Arc, but I urge you to emphasise that to the children. Remember to be merciless with your enemies, for they will show you not an ounce.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be safe with me,¡± said Arc, turning the key in the ignition.

    The car rumbled to a start and Arc took the leather steering wheel in his hands. It felt good to be sitting behind the wheel again and he was looking forward to the journey before the hardship began. He was confident, however, that he would find the four members of the Right Hand. He was less confident, however, that they would still be alive when he found them.

    ¡°You two ready?¡± he asked the twins.

    ¡°Ready,¡± they confirmed.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get a move on.¡±

    Arc shifted the truck into first gear and pressed on the accelerator. The vehicle started moving through the carpark and the guards opened the gates to let him through. He drove through the streets of Cliff Town, making his way to the exit, with all eyes on him and the twins. The people were amazed that he was being hauled in as a prisoner barely an hour earlier and now he was driving out of town in one of King Obsidian¡¯s transports.

    ¡°Look at them staring at us in awe,¡± said the spellslinger. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve earned some respect now. That¡¯s what the power of a silver tongue can get you, you two. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    ¡°Pure luck,¡± said Jack. ¡°If King Obsidian hadn¡¯t needed help, we¡¯d still be rotting in that jail cell. We¡¯d probably still be in it a month from now.¡±

    ¡°Ever the naysayer, Jacky Boy,¡± lamented Arc. ¡°How about you Julie? Was it luck or skill that got us out of there?¡±

    ¡°A little of both,¡± she shrugged, trying to not get dragged into the argument.

    ¡°Get off that fence, young lady,¡± said Arc, elbowing her lightly. ¡°And don¡¯t pick Jack¡¯s side just because he¡¯s your brother.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if we¡¯re going in the right direction,¡± she said, unfolding the map. Arc scoffed because they¡¯d yet to drive through the gates of Cliff Town.

 Book 2, Chapter 9 - Take the Shot

    Arc kept the windows rolled down as he drove across Nuvaria in one of King Obsidian¡¯s pickup trucks. The breeze blowed in, cooling him nicely and Julie was leaning out the window and taking it all in as Jack navigated; this was not something Arc was enjoying, having taken two wrong turns already.

    ¡°I think we take the next left,¡± he said, putting the map close to his face. ¡°Yes, definitely the next left.¡±

    ¡°One more mistake and you¡¯re sitting in the back,¡± Arc warned him. ¡°Julie will be the navigator for the rest of the journey.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t like doing it,¡± said Julie.

    As mature as the twins could be, he had to regularly remind himself that they were children. ¡°No, but you¡¯re at least good at it.¡± He took the map from Jack and passed it to her. ¡°Change of plans, I¡¯m not risking wasting more diesel when I¡¯m not sure how much of a surplus we¡¯re supposed to have.¡±

    ¡°Arc!¡± cried Julie.

    ¡°Nope, end of discussion. And if there¡¯s any more whining about it, you¡¯re switching seats again and Jack gets to enjoy the refreshing sensation of wind in his face.¡±

    ¡°Go on, Julie,¡± said Jack with a smirk. ¡°Keep complaining about it.¡±

    ¡°My gosh, you¡¯re a nuisance sometimes,¡± she said. She stuck her tongue out and looked back and forth between the road and the map, trying to work out where they were.

    ¡°Heh,¡± chuckled Arc.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°There was a time when I used to bicker with a friend of mine just like the two of you do. In fact, I remember one time when we had to decide who would shoot our master.¡±

    The twins looked to each other and then back to Arc. ¡°If you don¡¯t elaborate on that, I¡¯m walking back to Cliff Town by myself,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± said the spellslinger. ¡°A fair few years ago, I studied under a man named Dusk¡­¡±

    *

    The man with the grey hair and thick beard sat on the ground with his legs folded. His back was straight and his chest was bare as the harsh desert sun beat down upon him. He was completely unmoving and his hands were clasped together as he watched the two young men standing thirty feet away engaging in conversation.

    There was no question what they were discussing as they clutched their guns, but he wished they would get a move on. If they didn¡¯t act soon, he would have to force their hands. He didn¡¯t know who would have the stones to make the first move, but he had the sneaking suspicion that it would be Arc, so foolhardy was he.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be the one who kills Master Dusk,¡± protested Arc, clutching his iron-grey spellslinger in his right hand. ¡°I don¡¯t care how much he wants us to shoot him, I¡¯m not doing it, Valen.¡±

    ¡°And you want me to do it?¡± decried Valen, his arm bent upwards and resting his spellslinger on his shoulder. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you¡¯d still be sniffing into holes for foxes to eat. You owe me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the one who walks back to base and tells the rest of the guys I just murdered the man who taught us everything.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be murder,¡± said Valen, smirking. ¡°He chose this, did he not?¡±

    ¡°Boys!¡± roared Dusk. ¡°Would the pair of you stop being whiny children and shoot me. The time to discuss was ten minutes ago. If you talk, talk and then talk some more then we¡¯re simply wasting time. Do you like wasting time, Arc? How about you, Valen?¡±

    ¡°No, Master Dusk,¡± said both of the young men, snapping to alert and turning to look at the burly old man who remained fixed in his position.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± sighed Valen, giving Arc a shove on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯d miss anyway.¡±

    In stark contrast to his friend, Valen was a young man with hair as black as night that ran just past his shoulders, but he bore similarly blue eyes to Arc. Many had often asked if they were related when they saw the two standing side by side, and they would always say they were not. Family, they may not be, but they were certainly brothers.

    ¡°Good,¡± muttered Dusk before speaking so subtly and lowly that neither of the two young men even noticed his lips moving.

    Valen breathed in deeply as he held out his spellcaster and stared down the barrel, looking straight at his master¡¯s head. He was already feeling the familiar heat of the desert, but he could have sworn that someone had turned the sun up a couple of degrees at that very moment. The young man¡¯s finger trembled as he placed it to the trigger.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said before doing absolutely nothing.

    ¡°Alright?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush me!¡± snapped Valen, looking over his shoulder.

    Arc walked over to him and nudged his friend aside. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he said, holding up his own spellslinger. ¡°I owe you after all.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Valen, turning around and kicking sand as he breathed a sigh of relief.

    Arc held his gun firmly and had to force his eyes open. Dusk was staring straight at his young apprentice and giving nothing away. Was the old man afraid? Relieved? It was impossible to say, for his expression was calm and neutral.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Good luck,¡± muttered Valen.

    Arc squeezed the trigger and an Arcane Shot burst from the muzzle and soared straight towards the old man. The two young men felt their hearts jump into their throats as they watched the man that they respected so greatly facing imminent death.

    As the sphere of arcane power whizzed towards Dusk, a sudden eruption of energy erupted from the master. It formed a circular shield in front of him, distorting everything behind it as though it was a bubble. The Arcane Shot collided with the protective barrier and zapped out of existence, taking the shield with it and leaving Master Dusk unharmed.

    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± whispered Arc in relief as the old man climbed to his feet.

    Valen¡¯s gun thudded onto the sand as his mouth hung open upon seeing what his master had done. ¡°M-master Dusk¡­how?¡± he stammered.

    ¡°You think that I¡¯ve shown you all my tricks, boys?¡± asked the old man as he approached his two students with a smug grin upon his wrinkled face. ¡°Not every spell is cast from a spellcaster, you know?¡±

    Arc and Valen looked at each other and then back to Dusk.

    ¡°You¡¯re a mage?¡± asked Arc in a state of utter disbelief. ¡°All this time and you never told us?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Dusk. ¡°Out of all of my students, I trust you two the most. I thought it was time that I revealed my true nature to you.¡±

    ¡°We thought you were insane when you asked us to shoot you,¡± said Valen, sweeping his hair back and wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°I was trying to come up with a way to explain this to the others.¡±

    ¡°And you still were prepared to shoot me?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought so before buckling.¡±

    ¡°You were prepared Arc?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to,¡± replied Arc, ¡°but this morning you told us to trust you no matter what happened today. Even still, I was terrified you didn¡¯t have some sort of truck up your sleeve.¡±

    ¡°Why all the secrecy, Master?¡± asked Valen.

    ¡°I was seventeen years old, about your ages, when the Arcanaclysm took place,¡± said Dusk, putting a hand on a shoulder of each of his favourite students. ¡°I was barely out of my training when the dust settled and all manner of magic-users were hunted down as vengeance for the old world. There was confusion, chaos and all manner of hell unleashed. Anything you can imagine¡­it was worse than that.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea,¡± said Valen. ¡°You hear all these things throughout your life about the worst years after the apocalypse, but to have lived it through it? You¡¯re right, Master, I can¡¯t imagine. How did you survive when they were killing mages?¡±

    Dusk shook his head sombrely. ¡°I did what I was supposed to and hid my abilities well. I dedicated my life to bringing magic back in the most subtle of ways. Ways not tied directly to the caster; ways that were more expendable. Magic was feared and for reasons both good and bad, but I knew from early on that it was magic that would let us forge a new world from these ruins for humanity to thrive and prosper in.¡±

    ¡°And this is where spellcaster guns come in,¡± remarked Arc.

    ¡°Exactly. This determination of mine led me to researching a forgotten technique from a few centuries ago in some of the last remaining texts; the art of spellslinging.¡±

    Arc pulled a red cartridge from his pocket and held it up to Master Dusk. ¡°These cartridges you gave us¡­you created them, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°As I said, the concept of magic guns and bullets is not mine, but this particular cartridge is one of my creation,¡± said Dusk proudly. ¡°Any wizard with an ounce of wit, which is most of us, can do it if we know where to begin. I know you¡¯ve grown quite fond of this particular spell, Arc. Would you like to see something special?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master Dusk,¡± said Arc breathlessly, in awe of just how powerful his spellslinging teacher was.

    The old man walked over to the dry husk of a tree that stood upon the wiry grass on the hill. He held his hands together and began to chant an incantation aloud. What he was saying, neither Arc or Valen could tell, so incomprehensible were the words of their master.

    From the old man¡¯s hands, erupted an Arcane Sphere identical to one that a spellslinger could shoot from a gun. It streaked through the air, sending the sand whooshing aside, and struck the tree precisely where Master Dusk had aimed. The tree was torn in two and the top half broke into a dozen pieces before it hit the sand and slid down the far side of the hill, leaving only the stump intact.

    Valen looked to his gun and then to Arc. ¡°He can do that with mere words and we need these hunks of metal,¡± he said breathlessly while Arc continued to stare in disbelief at what he had seen.

    ¡°You can wipe those ridiculous expressions off your face, boys,¡± said Dusk with a chuckle. ¡°Now that you know what I can do, we will be training differently. When I train you personally, it will no longer be spellslinger versus spellslinger, it will be spellslinger versus wizard.¡±

    ¡°Can you do it again?¡± asked Arc, eager to see the stump uprooted.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Arc,¡± said Dusk. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the incantation.¡±

    Valen started laughing, but Dusk raised an eyebrow an eyebrow at him and he fell silent.

    ¡°When a wizard uses a spell, it takes a piece of his memory with it. Specifically, the memory of the spell itself. With enough power, you can withstand the erasure and cast the same spell multiple times, but eventually, you will forget and have to learn the spell all over again. And this is where a spell cartridge is an advantage for you boys.¡±

    ¡°We can just keep going,¡± said Arc, understanding what his master had meant. ¡°As long as there¡¯s a cartridge in the gun, the spell does what it¡¯s meant to and doesn¡¯t affect us.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± said Dusk, turning to look at the stump. ¡°When the others are ready, I¡¯ll show my abilities to them. For now, you two are sworn to secrecy. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master Dusk,¡± said Arc and Valen together.

    ¡°Shall we head back home, gentlemen?¡± asked Dusk, not waiting for an answer before he strode across the sand.

    Valen spun his spellcaster in his hand. ¡°Master Dusk makes this thing look obsolete, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I disagree,¡± said Arc, tapping his own gun. ¡°Not everyone cares for spellslinging, but nobody hunts us down. Wizards are still in hiding even today, right? This keeps us safe.¡±

    ¡°When all the wizards eventually die out, my friend, what are you going to do for new cartridges? Hell, what are you going to do if Master Dusk kicks the bucket?¡±

    Arc contemplated this for a second and realised that Valen had a point, but he also knew that his master was smart enough to have some sort of contingency in place in the event of his demise. Surely, the art of creating spell cartridges would live on in others and so too would the mages themselves. All it would take is someone with the right aptitude to be taught by the right teacher.

    ¡°Come on, chum,¡± said Valen, holstering his gun and slapping Arc on the back. ¡°I bet Evie¡¯s waiting for you with a hopeless smile on her face.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± said Arc with a chuckle, elbowing his friend in the ribs.

    ¡°Ah, you bastard,¡± laughed Valen. ¡°I bet you¡¯re itching to tell her all about the master¡¯s powers, aren¡¯t you? Get yourself some points there, eh?¡±

    ¡°Master Dusk said we¡¯re sworn to secrecy and that means that I won¡¯t tell a single soul, bud.¡±

    ¡°Good man,¡± said Valen. He started to run after the master who was quickly fading into the distance.

    With a last look at the tree stump on the hill, Arc hurried to catch up with Valen and Master Dusk.

    *

    Arc finished his tale while the twins, who had been listening intently the entire time, sat in silent awe. Julie was the first to speak.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Evie?¡± she asked, attracting a frown from her brother.

    ¡°Never mind that,¡± he said, putting his hand over his sister¡¯s face to shush her. ¡°You mean to tell me that you were trained by a real-life wizard?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Arc.

    ¡°Did he ever teach you magic?¡±

    ¡°Not beyond using spell cartridges.¡±

    ¡°Why did you tell us when you promised not to?¡±

    ¡°The secret came out long ago.¡±

    ¡°And did he¡ª¡±

    ¡°Time to reminisce is over, Jack,¡± said Arc, looking to the road ahead. ¡°If you dwell on the past too long, you¡¯ll forget where you¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­speaking of,¡± said Julie, looking to the map. ¡°I was so busy listening I think I forgot to tell you about a turn.¡±

    ¡°Not the end of the world,¡± shrugged Arc.

 Book 2, Chapter 10 - The Middle of Auriga

    Arc drove the pickup truck into the small town of Rye as the sky turned a deep purple, revealing the watchful stars that twinkled overhead. Jack was looking out the window and Julie was asleep with her mouth hanging open. Her head rested uncomfortable on the dashboard, using the map as a pillow.

    ¡°Wakey wakey,¡± said Arc, giving her a gentle prod in the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can rest in town tonight and get back on the road to New Carlington first thing in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± groaned Julie, sitting up and then rubbing her dry eyes. ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°Late,¡± said Jack, looking to the built-in clock on the car¡¯s dashboard. ¡°Although this tells me it¡¯s very early. Twelve past five? I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s said that since we left Cliff Town,¡± said Arc as he slowly applied the brake. ¡°It hasn¡¯t budged a minute.¡±

    He parked up beside a small building with a sign outside that read ¡®Red Whiskey Inn¡¯ and then hopped out of the driver¡¯s seat. He reached into the back of the truck and hauled out his bag.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave anything in the car that you can¡¯t afford to lose,¡± he warned the two. ¡°If it isn¡¯t nailed down, you likely won¡¯t see it again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± said Jack, grabbing the remaining two bags and carrying them both as Julie stood sleepily by. ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re not better camping out under the stars?¡±

    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say yes,¡± said Arc, looking around the quiet frontier town, ¡°but we¡¯re in the middle of Auriga¡ªslime territory¡ªand the last thing we want is to take up with the vehicle half-eaten by one of those disgusting oozes.¡±

    ¡°Or our legs.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯d notice if it started eating our legs, Jack. Be realistic.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Arc, beckoning over his shoulder, ¡°let¡¯s go get ourselves a couple of rooms.¡±

    The bounty hunter led the way inside the small inn and Jack followed last, closing the door. The three stood inside a small bar with a large display of alcohol spread out behind the counter. To the right was a rickety wooden staircase leading up to a balcony where a handful of doors lay and a further darker corridor leading on into the building.

    There were precious few people here with two old men playing a round of cards and drinking from bottles in the corner while a bartender was drumming his fingers on the counter out of boredom. He gave a small nod to Arc, Jack, and Julie, hoping they would save him from nodding off.

    ¡°Evenin¡¯, all,¡± said the bartender. ¡°Just so we know, we don¡¯t officially serve alcohol to children, but a beer won¡¯t kill either of you if you can keep it quiet.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not here for booze,¡± said Arc. ¡°You got any rooms to spare for the night?¡±

    ¡°Rooms?¡± said the man with a dry laugh. ¡°You¡¯d be hard pressed to find a day where we have more than one room occupied. Yeah, we got rooms. How many you want?¡±

    ¡°Two will do just fine,¡± taking out a handful of coins. ¡°One for me and one for this pair here. How much will it be?¡±

    The bartender leaned forward and skimmed a few silvers from the top of Arc¡¯s palm and set them behind the counter. ¡°That much,¡± he said as he retrieved two keys and set them on the countertop. ¡°Rooms three and four. Food doesn¡¯t come as standard with a stay, but our chef will make you a mean breakfast when he¡¯s on duty in the morning. Nice and cheap too, might I add.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Arc, throwing Jack one of the keys. ¡°Sleep with one eye open and keep your guns no more than a foot from you, alright?¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± said Jack. ¡°Are you going to bed or staying down here for a while?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I had a whiskey.¡±

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    With that, Jack marched upstairs and Julie slumped along behind him, leaving Arc down by the bar. He pointed out the whiskey that had caught his eye to the bartender, a rare bottle that he had once tried several years ago called Red Rust and the lingering sting of it hitting the back of his throat had stuck with him to this day. It was exactly what he needed to take the edge off for the evening.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the price,¡± said Arc. ¡°I¡¯ll take a single glass. With ice.¡±

    ¡°No sweat,¡± said the bartender, fetching a glass. He opened a trunk freezer underneath the bar and used a small hammer to break off a chunk of the merged ice before scooping it into the glass. He retrieved the bottle, poured the whiskey, and then carefully slid the glass over to Arc.

    ¡°Here¡¯s to an old friend,¡± said Arc, holding up his glass.

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    The bartender gave a nod and Arc took a drink of the whiskey. He winced as the alcohol stung his throat and ran down into his stomach. In its wake, it left a raw warmness that was both a mixture of painful and pleasant.

    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± said the bounty hunter through gritted teeth. ¡°A full bottle will put you to sleep for a week.¡±

    ¡°First time in a while anybody¡¯s asked for that brand,¡± said the bartender. ¡°Last person who did bought a round for his friends and then swiftly moved along. I remember the day; pale fellow with sharp eyes and one of his friends was a beautiful girl with curly red hair. She¡¯d knock your socks off, let me tell you.¡±

    Arc froze for a second and then his hand started to shake. The pale man, the girl with red hair¡­surely not? It couldn¡¯t possibly be the same people he knew all the way out here. No, they normally hung their hats pasts the western reaches of Nuvaria, not out here in Auriga. There had to be a mistake and he did not want to think about them anymore.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked upon regaining his composure. ¡°I don¡¯t have a thing for red heads anymore.¡±

    ¡°Some bitch give you a hard time?¡±

    ¡°She had quite the mark on her. A real sharp one.¡±

    Arc took finished the rest of his whiskey in a single swig and bid the bartender goodnight before heading over the stairs. As he placed his foot on the bottom step, the door swung open and a man in a wide-brimmed hat and a black trench coat walked through the door.

    The barman smirked. ¡°A lot of strangers in Rye tonight,¡± he said. ¡°What can I do you for?¡±

    The man in the trench coat walked over to the bar and sat down. He removed his hat and set it on the counter. He had long auburn hair that swept back over his ears and a thick handlebar moustache that made him look notably older than he was. As serious as his face was, he did not look hostile; at least, not to the barman.

    ¡°I¡¯m just passing through,¡± said the stranger. ¡°I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t mind giving me some information. Naturally, I don¡¯t expect this to be a freebie.¡±

    The man reached into his pocket and pulled out seven silver ounces that he stacked neatly before the barman. The barman reached for the silver and the stranger didn¡¯t stop him. Arc wanted to go upstairs and sleep, but his curiosity was piqued. The gun the man had hidden inside his coat was peeking out and it was no shabby piece. The glistening silver of the barrel and the black leather of the handle told the spellslinger that this man was no slouch.

    ¡°I¡¯m an open book,¡± said the barman, placing the silvers in his pocket. ¡°If I can help you, stranger, I will.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard this little section of Auriga is home to many a slime,¡± stranger coolly. ¡°I would like you to tell me where the nearest den is.¡±

    ¡°The nearest den, huh? As far as I know, that would be the black bubbler pit about three miles to the south and just off the main road. They¡¯re foul bastards, so you may want to try further afield where the slimes are less vicious.¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± said the stranger holding up a hand. ¡°A black bubbler is exactly what I seek and I¡¯m glad it¡¯s close because I¡¯m on a strict deadline.¡±

    ¡°Need a lift?¡± asked Arc, taking out his keys and jangling them.

    ¡°That¡¯s your fancy ride out front?¡± asked the stranger. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose a kind fella like you has a name he¡¯d share?¡±

    ¡°Name¡¯s Arc the Hawk. And you?¡±

    ¡°Phantom Joyce,¡± said the man, pivoting in his chair. ¡°You¡¯d offer me a lift. What do you want in return, Arc the Hawk?¡±

    ¡°Going after black bubblers in darkness is a fool¡¯s errand. I¡¯d prefer not to see a fellow bounty hunter die, especially if he¡¯s going to be doing some cleanup duty against the wasteland nasties.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t really answer my question, Arc.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I? What I want in return is assurance that those monsters are dead.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s your game, that¡¯s your game,¡± said Phantom Joyce, picking up his hat and sitting it on his head. He held an arm out and gestured towards the door. ¡°After you.¡±

    Arc signalled to the barman and then pointed up the stairs. ¡°If those two ask, I¡¯m stepping out for a bit. I¡¯ll fill them in on the details later.¡±

    ¡°Got it, boss,¡± said the barman.

    Arc thanked him and then led the way outside with Phantom Joyce following him. There was a black horse with a white mane tied up outside the Red Whiskey Inn not half a dozen yards from the pickup truck. He unlocked his vehicle and hopped into the driver¡¯s seat while the man in the wide-brimmed hat climbed into the passenger¡¯s seat.

    ¡°That your ride?¡± asked Arc, indicating the horse.

    ¡°Her name¡¯s East Wind,¡± said Joyce. ¡°Reliable gal, she is. Carried me for more miles than I can count on an abacus.¡±

    Arc presumed that was far, having never used an abacus. A calculator was more his favoured machine when the mathematics went beyond the capabilities of his head. He fired up the engine, reversed the car and then started driving along the road heading south while humming a pleasant tune.

    ¡°Bounty hunter?¡± he asked Joyce.

    Arc¡¯s passenger smiled. ¡°No siree, I¡¯m a seeker. If there¡¯s something you want, I¡¯m the man who can get it.¡±

    ¡°Or you¡¯ll die trying?¡±

    ¡°Or I¡¯ll die trying. Hasn¡¯t happened to me yet, much to my delight. How about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bounty hunter.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see that spellcaster on your belt. Trust me, I could sniff out the magic coming from it even if I hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse.¡±

    Arc laughed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a spellslinger. Using the human-forged tool of the arcane realm to smite evil, whether that be human or beastie.¡±

    Joyce nodded. ¡°You¡¯re a do-gooder as long as the price is right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a do-gooder regardless, the money just helps keep me fed. Even if my regular rates were tenfold, I wouldn¡¯t murder an innocent man. It¡¯s not my game.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to say, Arc, that men like you tend not to last too long out here. It¡¯s the sin of the world, my friend. The ones with the best intentions are the ones who suffer the most.¡±

    Arc gave response. Part of him knew this was true and he had no desire to say it aloud, but he continually clung to the hope that there was good in the world worth fighting for and his deeds would inspire more of it. If his time to die came early, he would succumb to his fated eternity knowing that he spent his final years fighting for good.

    ¡°Black bubblers, eh?¡± asked Arc, breaking the silence and changing the topic.

    ¡°Black bubblers,¡± said Phantom Joyce with a cock of the head.

    ¡°You¡¯re a seeker, right? What is it that you¡¯re seeking from our slimy friends.¡±

    Joyce reached into his coat and pulled out a couple of glass bottles that clinked together. ¡°Ooze,¡± he said. ¡°My client is an alchemist and he wants samples of ooze and he¡¯s paying a tidy sum for it, Arc. Dead or alive, the state of the ooze makes no difference to me, but seeing as you were kind enough to give me a ride, I¡¯ll ensure their deaths before we depart. A fair exchange, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll agree.¡±

    ¡°Fully,¡± said Arc with a grin.

    He pressed more firmly on the pedal and sped down the road, guided by the headlights that lit the dusty asphalt before him. He had kept an eye on the dashboard and watched as the mile counter ticked over. When it reached the third mile, he slowed the car down and steered it offroad before coming to a stop.

 Book 2, Chapter 11 - Fire in the Pit

    The dark night was still once Arc killed his engine, bringing the rumbling engine to a halt and the beams from the headlights fading rapidly. He climbed from the car and looked around, making sure that nothing was lurking nearby, for nearby was all he could see.

    Phantom Joyce

    The seeker sniffed the air. ¡°It smells like vinegar.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯re close,¡± said Arc, drawing his spellcaster and ensuring he had a couple of cartridges loaded. ¡°How well do you know black bubblers?¡±

    ¡°Well enough to know that they¡¯re immune to several elements and their bodies will melt your flesh on contact.¡±

    ¡°As long as you¡¯ve got a plan for if they sneak up on you,¡± said Arc. He looked around in the darkness. ¡°Which will be easily done when we can¡¯t see much.¡±

    Joyce put a hand in his coat pocket and pulled out a small glass sphere. He held it to his mouth and blew gently on it. From within the sphere came a warm glowing light that swirled around within the glass like a serpent, leaving a trail of sparkling dust in its wake as it moved within the confines of the sphere.

    ¡°Fancy,¡± said Arc and Joyce smirked, shifting his handlebar moustache up. ¡°Where¡¯d you find a device like that?¡±

    ¡°Bought it from a junk vendor,¡± replied Joyce. ¡°He thought it was a mere ornament, but I knew there was more to it. It had a whiff of magic about it.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me you can smell magic?¡±

    ¡°Almost as well as we can smell the slimes from here. It leaves a sweet scent in the air that I¡¯ve attuned myself to picking up on.¡±

    Joyce walked into the wilderness with his light guiding him. As the man moved along, Arc kept close behind and constantly shifted his eyes from left to right, watching their surroundings. For Phantom Joyce to be so calm and collected told Arc that the man did not know the extent of the creatures he was dealing with. Black bubblers were no mere oozes; they were among the deadliest of the lot, able to detect faint movements in the soil with no need to see or hear. Not only did their bodies burn to the touch, they packed a hefty punch when they shaped their bodies into solid objects and lashed out.

    Arc was far from an expert when it came to knowledge of the oozes, slimes, and jellies of the world of Maestria, but he had come across enough of them lurking in the dark corners of ruins that he had little trouble disposing of them. A single Arcane Shot was enough to take out the lesser ones, but the black bubblers often took a couple of hits to fell.

    Joyce stopped and smelled the air. ¡°We¡¯re a little off the mark,¡± he said and then turned thirty degrees to his left. After taking a couple more steps he nodded. ¡°Yes, this is the way.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re like a hound with that nose of yours,¡± said Arc, looking over his shoulder to where he believed the truck was. ¡°Is it a natural gift or¡­¡±

    ¡°Or is it training? Cybernetics? Magic?¡± said the seeker with a low laugh. ¡°It is what it is, my friend. It is what it is.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Arc. It was far from a satisfactory answer but he knew it was in bad taste to continue probing a stranger who did not want to answer him.

    As the duo walked along, the acidic smell of vinegar grew stronger and Arc didn¡¯t need Joyce to tell him they were going the right direction. The faint sound of fizzing reached their ears, occasionally joined by the popping of bubbles. Arc looked ahead and saw a sheer drop leading into a pit. The oozes lay somewhere down below and it did not seem as though they were aware of the humans just yet.

    Before Arc could tell him not to, Joyce flicked his wrist and tossed his glowing sphere into the pit. Arc was aghast as the stranger walked forward and surveyed the pit below as the fizzing and popping grew louder and louder. Arc ran towards the pit and looked inside. Climbing up the stone were a dozen black bubblers.

    They were as thick, viscous organisms that moved wholly unnaturally with their jerking lunges and rolls. They had no eyes, no ears, no mouth, and just enough sentience to know they had to feed. Not a thought coursed through the minds of the disgusting blobs of living acid; they were creatures of pure instinct.

    Arc pointed his gun at the nearest of his foes and fired an Arcane Shot into it, blowing off a chunk of its body, but the bubbler continued to ascend to the surface alongside its fellow oozes, barely phased by the magical attack. A small speck of goo flew up and past Arc, singing a couple of hairs sticking out from the side of his head.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to waste a shot,¡± said Phantom Joyce calmly.

    ¡°It seems like I did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly capable of disposing of these creatures by myself. I¡¯m waiting for them to get to the appropriate position before killing them.¡±

    ¡°Make it quick then because they¡¯re not slowing down,¡± said Arc, keeping his gun pointed at the closest of the slimes. If the seeker did not get a move on, he would blast one of the bubblers to pieces and then head for the car.

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    As the slimes came within a dozen yards of the two men, Joyce retrieved a bubbling orange potion from a flask within his jacket. He uncorked it and drank it whole, shuddering as the liquid burned his throat like the whiskey had burned Arc¡¯s not half an hour ago. The moustached stranger took a deep breath and then exhaled a billowing jet of flame from his mouth, lighting up the pit and burning the flailing oozes as they kept trying to climb. Had they lungs, they¡¯d have been screaming in agony.

    Arc sniffed and then shook his head. ¡°Got this job from an alchemist indeed,¡± he muttered as Joyce continued to breathe fire over the oozes, burning them and sending a mixture of smoke and stream into the air as the black bubblers shrunk from the moisture leaving their body.

    The black bubblers withered into small rubbery lumps before falling from the side of the pit and tumbling down, landing beside the glass sphere that continued to shine its radiant light. Arc let out a whistle, impressed by the potion Joyce had used and how effectively the seeker had used it. Still, he much preferred the versatility of his spellcaster.

    ¡°Not bad at all,¡± said Arc, holstering his gun. ¡°Although a head¡¯s up about your plan would have been nice.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Arc the Hawk,¡± said Joyce, tipping his hat. ¡°Sometimes I play my cards close to my chest.¡±

    ¡°You and me both, Joyce.¡±

    Joyce climbed onto the steep slope leading into the pit. ¡°This will only take a moment,¡± he said before cautiously trudged down into the pit.

    If there were any slimes remaining, they had hidden themselves very well for the light revealed everything save for the smallest of cracks. Joyce walked over to a puddle of still moist ooze lying on the ground and started scooping it into his vials, being careful not to let it touch his hand. Once he had filled all but one of the vials, he took out a nice and hacked a chunk off the rubbery remains of an ooze by his orb and put it into the final vial. With a last look around, he retrieved his orb of light and carefully climbed back out of the pit.

    The seeker dusted himself off. ¡°That should be plenty to keep the client happy,¡± he said with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s over with and you¡¯ve got what you need, shall we head back to town?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m heading on down the road. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have any trouble making your own way back to the inn.¡±

    Arc was confused. ¡°What about your horse?¡±

    Joyce smiled and then put a finger and thumb in his mouth. He blew a loud whistle the echoed out into the night. Arc looked around, not sure what to expect. Surely, the seeker could not have called his horse all the way from the Red Whiskey Inn? He listened and the sound of galloping soon reached his ears. He peered into the darkness and a faint silhouette, blacker than its surroundings, came into view. East Wind sped towards the humans and then skidded to a halt, rearing up beside her master.

    ¡°Am I right in assuming there¡¯s trickery afoot?¡± asked Arc with a chuckle. ¡°She was tied up last I saw her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a sharp fella, Arc,¡± said Joyce, ¡°but I¡¯m going to keep that card close to my chest too.¡±

    He extended a hand and Arc shook it. ¡°I won¡¯t pry further,¡± said the spellslinger.

    The moustached man put his hands on his horse¡¯s back vaulted over her, landing neatly on the saddle. ¡°I¡¯d better make haste if I¡¯m to get these back before they spoil.¡±

    ¡°I know I said I wouldn¡¯t pry further, but I have to ask¡­you never needed a ride in my truck, did you?¡±

    Joyce shook his head. ¡°Not really, but I reached the conclusion a long time ago that it¡¯s always a good idea to accept a helping hand when it¡¯s offered so rarely. Make no mistake, I do appreciate your kind gesture and I do not forget graciousness.¡± Joyce took out a small gold piece and flipped it to Arc, who caught it between two fingers. ¡°For the spell bullet you wasted. I know they¡¯re pricey and this should more than cover the cost.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Arc, putting two fingers to his head and giving a small salute. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Phantom Joyce.¡±

    ¡°And you Arc the Hawk. May our paths cross again one day. Safe travels.¡±

    Joyce slapped East Wind on the side and she burst into a gallop. Arc watched as the two vanished from his sight, disappearing from sight and leaving only the fading sound of hooves on the soil behind. Even those vanished in less than a minute. Arc¡¯s newfound friend was a curious man and he wondered if the two ever would cross paths again. If he was to place a bet on it, he would say not, but stranger things had happened in this fallen world.

    He walked back to his pickup truck and checked around it to make sure the lingering acidic smell was coming from the pit and not from a hidden bubbler feeding on his car. Once he assured himself that he was safe and the car was intact, he hopped inside and turned the key in the ignition. He turned the vehicle around before driving back onto the road. As he drove, the dim lights of Rye came back into view and he felt an unexpected relief. He could not explain why he was comforted by returning to the town, having spent many a night out alone in the wilderness little concern.

    He drove through the streets and quickly arrived at the inn. He parked the truck neatly outside and then strolled back through the doorway. The two old men were still playing cards, but their eyes were more bloodshot than before and they had taken the company of a couple of new empty bottles.

    The bored bartender had slumped himself over the counter and was resting his head on his arms. As Arc headed for the stairs, he could hear the faint snoring of the bartender. He thought about how easy it would be for any scumbag to walk in and rob the place, but perhaps the people of Rye were very trusting of each other. Still, there would be nothing stopping him from looting the inn once the old men passed out¡ªnot that he had any intention of doing so.

    Upon reaching the upstairs walkway, the door to room three creaked open and a sliver of Jack¡¯s face appeared in the crack.

    ¡°Everything all right?¡± he asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Peachy, Jacky Boy,¡± said Arc with a smile. ¡°I went for a short drive with a new friend and took care of a couple of nasties. Cost me a spell cartridge, but I made back the gold with a little extra change so it seems like I¡¯m blessed with good fortune tonight. Have you slept at all?¡±

    ¡°No. I heard the truck starting up and I was worried something had happened. I knocked on your door and when you didn¡¯t answer, I thought I should stay up to make sure you came back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all good, my friend,¡± said Arc, giving the young man a nod. ¡°I appreciate your concern but you don¡¯t need to worry about me. Get some rest because tomorrow will be another long day.¡±

    ¡°I will. Goodnight.¡±

    Jack closed the door and Arc stood there quietly. He now realised why he was comforted by returning to town. It was stupid of him to go out and leave Jack and Julie here alone when they had no means of getting back to Pembroke without him. They were two youngsters and, capable as they were proving themselves, they depended on him.

    Ashamed of his recklessness, he walked over to room four. He turned the key, headed inside and then locked the door. Without even bothering to turn on a light, Arc threw his bag and jacket on the floor, kicked off his boots, and then carefully placed his scarf and belt on the small silhouette that was the side table before flopping onto the bed. Seconds later, he was asleep.

 Announcement - Arcane Shot on Amazon!

    Good day, my wonderful readers!

    I''m stopping by to make a quick announcement about Arcane Shot coming to Amazon. It will be released as an ebook and paperback on 17th March 2025 and can be pre-ordered here</a>. If you really like the story, please pick up a copy because it really helps me out and tells me you want me to keep writing the series.

    What does this mean for the Royal Road version? Absolutely nothing! Arcane Shot, for now, will not be on Kindle Unlimited, meaning that the story can remain available on Royal Road without needing to stub it. The Amazon version is freshly edited, but the changes are minimal, and is mostly being made available for those who want to support me or to own your own copy.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Chapters will continue as normal and I''m currently writing Book 3 for your reading pleasure. If you''re still following along, please leave a rating or review here on Royal Road. It helps me out so much and only takes a few seconds.

    All the best!

 Book 2, Chapter 12 - Whatéˆ¥æªš Left of the City

    The sky was overcast this tired day and Arc, Jack, and Julie rumbled along the road in the pickup truck. Arc had been keeping a close eye on the fuel metre as he drove, noting that it was now sitting just above half of what it was when they departed from Cliff Town. The trio would be at the city at any moment and Lancelot¡¯s estimation of having enough to get to New Carlington and back, plus some extra, looked to be right on the money.

    ¡°Would you look at that¡­¡± uttered Jack in awe as they reached the top of a hill and Arc slowed the truck to a halt. Julie clutched her brother¡¯s arm and gasped, marvelling at the sight before her.

    Over the concrete bridge suspended above the barren river, a dozen towering skyscrapers stood tall above the land, watching over the lesser buildings and the other half dozen skyscrapers which had collapsed decades ago. The paintwork had been largely stripped away and what may once have been roads, squares, and parks was now covered in a thin layer of sand with the occasional remnant of the old world creeping through from underneath, but what was had no chance of reemerging anytime soon.

    A large metal frame sat near the edge of the city with the concrete bricks beneath still maintaining small scraps of white paint. Jack had once seen a structure like this in an old book and he knew it immediately from its ovular shape; it was a stadium. A sporting arena where humans competed, striving to be the best in all manner of athletic competitions.

    New Carlington was a sight of great beauty and great tragedy. A testament to both a magnificent achievement of human engineering and the death that was brought about during the fall. The Arcanaclysm had torn not just the world asunder, but the population too. How many bones were buried in the rubble left behind after Maestria¡¯s greatest disaster? How many bones were obliterated entirely, leaving not as much as a fragment of the people who once were.

    ¡°Look upon this place, but be aware of what our approach means,¡± said Arc. ¡°There was no shortage of death in the before times, but there is plenty to go around now. If you want to see monsters, the ruins of a city is where you would go. Even I have no idea what lurks in the shadows of New Carlington.¡±

    ¡°It looks quiet,¡± said Julie.

    ¡°It always does from a distance. It¡¯s only when we walk through it that we¡¯ll see the horrors it truly holds. Never take your hand off your guns, alright?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said the twins.

    ¡°We¡¯ll head down to the bridge and then walk through the city on foot. Vehicles were once the way to travel in the cities, but not anymore. We need maximum manoeuvrability and this cumbersome hunk of metal won¡¯t grant us that.¡±

    ¡°The plan remains the same?¡± asked Julie.

    ¡°If we find the bodies of two fingers of the Right Hand, we turn tail and get the hell out of the city.¡±

    ¡°I still hate the plan,¡± said Jack heavily.

    ¡°I know you think it feels like giving up,¡± said Arc sympathetically. ¡°And in a sense, you¡¯re right, but two dead means the others are likely dead too. Sometimes you have to work with probabilities even if it leaves a foul taste in your mouth.¡±

    Jack did not respond and Arc pressed the pedal, following the sorry excuse for a road until he reached the bridge. Before stopping, he turned the truck around so that it faced the hill. This would make for an easier escape should they be chased from the city by a horde of monsters or some sort of pursuing behemoth.

    The trio climbed out and emptied the few possessions they wouldn¡¯t need into the front of the truck and stowing them underneath the seats. As they turned towards the bridge, something caught the corner of Arc¡¯s eye and his heart sank. In the dried-up riverbed lay an overturned pickup truck; one suspiciously similar in model to the one not even three feet behind him.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± gasped Julie, clasping a hand to her mouth while her gun-hand fell limply by her side.

    ¡°Chrysalis Carrier,¡± said Jack, grimacing. ¡°Watch over me.¡±

    ¡°I can do it,¡± said Arc, moving towards the edge of the river, but Jack ran in front of him.

    ¡°No. I want to be useful.¡±

    Arc held up his hands in acceptance and then gestured towards the river bed. Jack sat down by the edge and lowered himself down. He skidded down the slope and ran several yards along before crouching low to inspect the truck. He lay flat on his stomach, looking through the broken windows and then reached a hand inside. He pulled out a small radio and then held it up. The young man knew better than to call out for he had no idea what else was lurking close by. Instead, he scrambled back up to the ledge, pulled himself free of the river bed, and hurried over to Arc and Julie who stood by the bridge.

    ¡°No bodies, no blood,¡± said Jack, handing Arc the radio. ¡°There was a bag inside too, but it was empty.¡±

    Arc flicking a switch on the side of the radio turning it on. It started buzzing faintly. It was not quite a static, more of a hum that told him the radio was working and that there was another one out there somewhere within range. That range, however, could have been days away if the Right Hand had been able to reach Cliff Town from here.

    ¡°Hello?¡± said Arc while pressing a large button on the side of the radio. ¡°My name is Arc the Hawk and I¡¯m looking for the Right Hand of Obsidian. Over.¡±

    ¡°Should you say your name?¡± asked Jack, looking around nervously. ¡°We don¡¯t know who¡¯s on the other end of this thing.¡±

    ¡°A name is a mark of trust. If I don¡¯t identify myself, then I could be anyone.¡±

    ¡°You still could be anyone.¡±

    ¡°Granted, but it¡¯s a necessary mark of respect.¡±

    The trio waited for a minute before Arc repeated the message, but no response came. The green light indicated to Arc that there was enough battery power left for him to keep the radio on, so he stashed it in his jacket pocket just in case he received a transmission while wandering through the city.

    ¡°Nothing else for it then,¡± he said, taking his first step onto the bridge. He strolled forward with the Golden Hawk in-hand. ¡°Come on, my brave apprentices. Let us venture into the dragon¡¯s lair and rescue the captives.¡±

    Jack and Julie followed, holding their handguns in both hands while looking around fervently. There were too many buildings nearby for them to get a clear view of anything other than sand and stone. Every alley led to potential danger; every doorway concealed a phantom threat. They were truly terrified, but they swallowed their fear and kept walking. This was the life they signed up for when they asked to accompany Arc. The twins were determined to prove to him beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had what it took to not just survive, but to contribute.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Arc led the way forward, leaving footprints in the sand. He could feel the hard surface of the road with each step. The sand was not that deep here, but he could see much larger piles of it resting against buildings and a few heaps scattered intermittently along the path. He wasn¡¯t sure where to even start the search, even though he had given it many hours of thoughts. He had tried to put himself into the scavenger¡¯s mindset, thinking about what he would prioritise first, but the problem was that there were too many options to choose from. Canned food, medicine, weaponry, technology. So many things of these things would be useful in Cliff Town and the Right Hand were seeking all of them, but with their vehicle upended and likely unfixable, they had no means of transporting anything large.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start with ammo,¡± he said to Jack and Julie, finally making a decision. ¡°The map said there¡¯s a gun shop on Eagle Avenue. It should be only a few streets away.¡±

    ¡°Fourth street on our left and then take a right,¡± said Julie. As mind-numbing as she found it, she had studied the map more thoroughly than any of them during the long journey to New Carlington and retained the finer details well. The further into the city, the less she knew and the changed landscape from when the map was created would have sealed off a few pathways, but she had wanted to make sure her, Jack, and Arc could escape the city as quickly as they could should the worst come to pass.

    Arc smiled at her proudly. ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll keep us right, Julie.¡±

    Following Julie¡¯s directions, Arc led them to a narrow street flanked by large apartment blocks on either side. Their original inhabitants had long since died or fled, leaving them staring down ominously at the travellers. A short way down the street lay a dishevelled shop with broken shutter that was halfway thrown up.

    ¡°Sergeant Star¡¯s Munitions,¡± said Arc, surveying it. He peered inside the dark window where the empty weapon racks lay. ¡°It¡¯s mostly ransacked. With any luck, it¡¯ll be the Right Hand that have visited it most recently and they¡¯ll have left some indication of their presence.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stand on guard,¡± said Jack, leaning against the wall beside the door so he could see as much of the street as possible. His eyes darted up to the windows, many of which were broken, wondering if there was anything watching him from the eerie comfort of the apartments.

    ¡°No, we stick together,¡± said Arc. ¡°I appreciate your willingness to volunteer, Jacky Boy, but if something scoops you up before you have the chance to call out, I¡¯m afraid it would be a death sentence.¡±

    ¡°Scoops me up?¡± asked Jack, his eyes widening as he thought about what sort of creature could do such a thing. In his mind, whatever monsters lurked in the city were strong, but slow and lumbering. ¡°Alright, yes. Let¡¯s stick together.¡±

    Arc pushed open the door and a small bell rang above his head. He slinked inside with Jack following. Julie had a minor panic as she looked over her shoulder, fearing that she had seen a shadow, but it was just a bird flying past and landing on a broken balcony railing across the street.

    The inside of the gun shop was in a sorry state. The shelves were falling apart, largely stripped of anything useful with only the empty ammo boxes and minor trinkets like keyrings and belts remaining. The glass of the weapon cabinets had been smashed to pieces except for a single large one that had been heavily beaten and bore the mark of a couple of bullet impacts, but it remained unshattered. Instead, someone had found a key and opened it using that, following which they had stripped it bare.

    Arc plodded across the strewn floor, keeping low and looking for any sign of the Right Hand. Jack stood and watched from the window, worried that something would follow them inside. At least from this side of the glass, he wouldn¡¯t be easily scooped up. Julie kept close to Arc with her hands firmly wrapped around the handle of her gun. She was trembling, but she did not complain, knowing that she was being depended on and had to keep her cool. She continually told herself that it was just like in Colt¡¯s factory base; another rescue mission with unknown hostiles. Things would be just fine if she followed Arc¡¯s lead.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± said Arc, looking pleased. He put his arm up against a cabinet and shoved it a few inches to the side before picking something up. He held up a box to Julie and shook it. ¡°Unclaimed revolver rounds. Hopefully a sign of things to come.¡±

    ¡°At least this trip wasn¡¯t wasted,¡± said Jack sarcastically from over by the window. He continued squinting out while looking up and down the street.

    ¡°Take the good when it comes,¡± said Arc with a shrug before getting back to his search.

    After spending a few more minutes scouring the shop floor, the back rooms, and a small bedroom upstairs, Arc had found a few handgun bullets that he split amongst the twins, a torch¡ªwithout batteries¡ªthat he gave to Julie, and slightly rusty multi-tool that he gave to Jack. The young man remarked without sarcasm that the trip was indeed worthwhile upon receiving his scavenged gift.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arc, heading for the door. ¡°No sign of Obsidian¡¯s crew here, so we¡¯ll move along to our next stop.¡±

    ¡°Which is where?¡± asked Julie, quickly whipping out the map and scanning it to refresh her memory.

    ¡°You tell me, scout. Where do you think is close by that may prove fruitful?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a supermarket a few streets away,¡± said Julie, folding the map back up and putting it in her backpack. ¡°I can¡¯t think of a better place to search for food than there.¡±

    ¡°Works for me.¡±

    Arc walked out the door with the twins following and started walking down the street. His head suddenly jerked to the right, looking up to where the bird Julie had spied sat watching.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he said, whipping out his revolver and aiming at the creature that batted its wings and took flight. Arc shot at it three times and the third shot hit it in the wing, sending it spiralling to the ground. It landed with a thump in a pile of sand and slid onto the road.

    ¡°Why did you shoot the bird?¡± asked Julie, looking around. She was terrified that something would have heard the gunshots. They were far from subtle, having echoed throughout the quiet street.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bird,¡± said Arc, running towards it and beckoning the twins to follow.

    Upon seeing the creature up close, the twins recoiled. From a distance, it had indeed looked like a bird. It had a rounded brown body and spindly feet with two wings protruding from its sides, but it hadn¡¯t a single feather, nor did it have a head, unless you counted its body as its head. For within its body sat an eyeball, staring out lifelessly at Arc who was kneeling beside it. He prodded it with his gun and then picked it up by one of its wings.

    ¡°An eye fiend,¡± he said, looking up and down the street, his keen eyes darting to every nook and cranny where another could have been hiding.

    ¡°What¡¯s an eye fiend?¡± asked Jack, looking upon the little beast with disgust.

    ¡°An aberration,¡± said Arc, dropping the creature on the ground and shoving sand over it to hide its corpse. ¡°A spy for a much greater and far more deadly creature. Keep your wits about you, kids, because there will be more of these in the city. If we see its master, we run and don¡¯t look back, regardless of whether or not we find the Right Hand.¡±

    Jack gulped. ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°An Eye of Gra¡¯shiya. It¡¯s a malevolent being created and named after one of the forgotten gods of the world.¡±

    ¡°Gra¡¯shiya?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Picture this little guy, expand him fiftyfold and give him a whole host of magical powers that you¡¯d rather not be on the receiving end of. His minion saw us and no doubt telepathically passed the message back to its master.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve fought one before?¡±

    ¡°No. But I knew a few who tried and didn¡¯t live to tell the tale. They¡¯re among the most deadly beings you can imagine and they¡¯re no mindless beast. They¡¯re intelligent; very intelligent. Killing one of them is a tall order, I assure you.¡±

    Julie was shaking almost uncontrollably. Jack put his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. ¡°Jule,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be okay, you hear? Arc won¡¯t let anything bad happen to us.¡±

    ¡°And on that note,¡± said the spellslinger. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving before something wicked comes our way. We make for the supermarket, alright?¡±

    ¡°R-r-right,¡± said Julie, her eyes welling up. She rubbed them with her t-shirt and then shook her head, trying to snap herself out of her terror.

    Arc led the way along, keeping as vigilant as he could. His hawk-like eyes scanned every little detail before him, expecting to see the worst. He had a sinking feeling that was starting to congeal inside him. If there was an Eye of Gra¡¯shiya in this city and the Right Hand of Obsidian had come across it, they were either dead or were currently suffering a fate much, much worse.

 Book 2, Chapter 13 - Enthralled

    Arc, Jack, and Julie climbed out of the broken window of the supermarket and back into the alleyway they had entered from. As tempting as it had been, they had not taken any of the few remaining cans of food, fearing that they would need to run at a moment¡¯s notice and the excess weight would be the different between life and death.

    Much to Arc¡¯s relief, there had been no further sign of the eye fiends. He prayed that it was a lone actor, separated from whatever master it once had. Even though he knew that was a foolish nothing to entertain, he nonetheless hoped it to be true. As well as seeing no further fiends, the group hadn¡¯t seen head nor tail of the Right Hand of Obsidian.

    Arc took the radio from his pocket and pressed the button on its side. ¡°My name is Arc the Hawk and I¡¯m looking for the Right Hand of Obsidian. Over.¡±

    He had repeated this message before entering the supermarket and again halfway through the search, once he was certain that he and the twins were alone in the sprawling shop. There had been no response, only the faint hum that said the radio was working. He couldn¡¯t help but picture a radio lying beside a pile of bloody bodies in some dark hole somewhere he would never find. It was a grim thought, but it was one he could not shake. He hated cities, it brought out the morbidity in him.

    ¡°Cross that off our checklist,¡± said Jack, looking across the car park. Through the metal fence stood yet more apartments and the young man couldn¡¯t help but wonder about them. ¡°Will we get to the point of searching through each of these one by one?¡±

    ¡°If we remain undisturbed, sure,¡± said Arc.

    Jack folded his arms. ¡°You told us about the dangers of cities like this the entire way here, yet we¡¯ve seen nothing except that eye bat.¡±

    ¡°Eye fiend.¡±

    ¡°Sure. My point is that there¡¯s been almost no sign of life here. Who¡¯s to say that the monsters that might once have lived here haven¡¯t left? If people are too scared to come here, they might have run out of food and ventured out into the Auriga, seeking a meal in the wasteland.¡±

    ¡°While that is a possibility, I would say the odds of you being correct are less than one percent.¡±

    ¡°Less than?¡± asked Julie, resting a hand on her hip. ¡°I trust you, Arc. You¡¯ve steered us well so far, but Jack¡¯s right. We¡¯ve seen nothing except for that lone eye.¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten why we¡¯re here?¡± asked Arc. ¡°A skilled group of scavengers like the Right Hand don¡¯t just vanish. Their car doesn¡¯t just wind up flipped over in the riverbed.¡±

    Jack and Julie looked to each other, trying to think of a counterargument. ¡°What if the vehicle flip was an accident and they¡¯re hot footing it back home?¡± asked Jack. ¡°We didn¡¯t see them on the road because they went cross-country.¡±

    Arc was growing frustrated with the pair. They meant well in trying to reassure themselves and Arc, but they were much too na?ve to the way of the world. ¡°Just remember when something bad happens that I tried to warn you.¡±

    He walked away, not giving the two teens a chance to argue further. If their misplaced confidence kept them calm for a short while, he would permit it. He climbed through the hole in the chain link fence that granted him the easiest path back onto the street. Taking the route leading towards the city centre, Arc continually watched his surroundings. The twins were doing the same, knowing that it was common sense and not letting themselves slack too much.

    The three had a short discussion about where to go next and Arc decided that their first two guesses hadn¡¯t paid off in the least, so they would start in the city centre and work their way outwards. It meant that rather than walking into danger as they searched, they would be continually moving to the edge of the city.

    After finding a collapsed building in their way, they took a staircase to the east. It was quite the climb and a slick oily substance that had pooled itself on a dozen of the steps greased their boots, leaving the three holding onto the handrail to avoid a nasty fall back down to the bottom. Once they reached the top, they spied a beautiful building waiting to greet them.

    The exterior was of weathered brown stone and although it was chipped and bore many cracks, it was holding together, showing much more strength than many of the other structures in the city. There were intricate carvings of gargoyles lining arched doorway and many more perched around the corners of the roof, which sloped high above them and ended in a broken spire. The doors were of a dark oak, embossed with many celestial beings that hailed from the heavens themselves. Simply looking upon this building filled the trio with a calmness.

    ¡°A House of Anateer,¡± said Arc breathlessly. He was awestruck by its majesty. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one so intact before, at least not a post-Arcanaclysm one.¡±

    Anateer was one of the revered gods, dedicated to the domain of justice. His followers, fewer than they were five decades prior, were dedicated to helping the needy and purging evil wherever it tried to take root. The clerics and paladins in service to him were granted holy magic that could heal wounds, purge poisons, and even turn many of the lesser undead to dust with a simple prayer spoken aloud. They were rare individuals to come across, feared as mages were, but Arc had met a couple of priests in his time and they were good men who he had the utmost respect for.

    ¡°It¡¯s magnificent,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°It is,¡± said Julie. ¡°Can we go inside?¡±

    ¡°On the way back,¡± said Arc, also curious as to why the church was left standing while many other buildings had crumbled. ¡°We stick to the plan.¡±

    He walked along, holding a hand over his shoulder and flicking his palm up to make the twins follow. Once they tore their eyes away from the House of Anateer, they scrambled after him, not wanting to be left too far behind. They did not think they were in much danger, but they were more comfortable in Arc¡¯s immediate presence than they were at a distance.

    Heading on their westward detour, the three found a zigzagging road leading back down to the main street. The sand was piled in much larger mounds, almost dunes, and Jack ascended one of them to get a better look at the surrounding area. He let out an unwilling yelp and stumbled backwards, falling down the hill. Before Arc could ask his friend what was wrong, an eye fiend flew over the hill and darted downwards.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Arc whipped up his gun and fired a shot at the creature, piercing its eyeball and sending a cascade of purple blood onto the sand. The creature dropped and rolled down after Jack, thumping into his back as he tried to crawl away. With another yelp, Jack leapt to his feet and then brushed the sand off himself.

    ¡°We are not alone,¡± said Arc, pointing at the twins in turn. ¡°Got it?¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± they said, their confidence melting away and giving way to fear once more.

    There came a beating from behind one of the towering buildings and a dark cloud of bat-like creatures bearing a single large eye within their core flew into sight. They soared up high, dozens of them, and then descended upon the humans.

    Arc immediately raised his gun and started firing round after round into them. He reloaded as Jack and Julie finally took their first shots in the city. Thud after thud came as the eye fiends dropped one by one to the sand, soaking it with their spewing blood. They made not a single screech or scream, for they had no mouths from which to cry out in pain.

    As all three stopped to reload together, one of the fiends sank its talons into Julie¡¯s shoulders and gazed deep into her eyes. She tried to shove it away, but it dug deeper. Arc leapt to her aid and thudded his unloaded gun into its back, but it still would not release her. He hurriedly drew his knife from his belt and placed a hand atop the creature, pulling it back. He thrust the blade deep down, piercing the pupil with a gruesome pop. Without no strength left, Arc pulled the eye fiend away and flung it into the air, where it smacked another of its kin out of the sky.

    Jack had finished reloading his gun and with rapidly successive bangs, felled another ten of the creatures, leaving their numbers massively thinned. Arc spun around, placed six bullets into his gun and clicked the cylinder back into place. With the silvery revolver catching the light of the overhead sun, he shot the final four flyers, adding their corpses to the pile.

    ¡°Keep watch,¡± said Arc, pointing a firm finger at Jack. He turned to Julie who was standing there with her eyes vacant as though in a daze. ¡°Julie? Talk to me, are you alright?¡±

    Julie said nothing, simply staring through him as though he was not even there. Her mouth was slightly ajar and her arms slacked by her sides, barely holding onto her gun. Arc reached down and flicked it from her hand before shoving it in his pocket, fearing that whatever had taken hold of her would use it for its nefarious purposes.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± asked Jack, the anguish seeping out in his voice. ¡°Is she¡­dead?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Arc, tapping Julie on the face to try and snap her back to awareness. ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s been hypnotised; enthralled by the eye fiend.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s dead!¡±

    ¡°But who does it serve?¡±

    Jack dragged a hand across his face and shook his head. ¡°An Eye of Gra¡¯shiya,¡± he said. The young man ran to the top of the mound of sand and surveyed the broken city before him. ¡°Where this hell is it? Come out you piece of shit! You¡¯re going to die for harming my sister!¡±

    ¡°Get down!¡± barked Arc, exploding to the top of the hill and pulling Jack down by the corner. ¡°When Julie¡¯s in this state, the last thing we need is something we can¡¯t kill hunting us. I know you¡¯re emotional right now, but use your damn brain, boy.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my sister!¡±

    ¡°And when Colt was beating the living daylights out of you, she kept her cool. She helped how she had to and didn¡¯t fly off the handle, drawing in more foes.¡±

    Jack¡¯s chest was heaving up and down. The young man¡¯s face was red and there was a fury in his eyes that Arc had never seen before. His jaw was clenched tightly, but his breathing started to slow and he gave a subtle nod. He knew Arc was right and, had he listened before, they may have been better prepared to deal with the swarm of eye fiends.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get ourselves to the church,¡± said Arc, walking over to Julie. He threw her over his arm and switched out his revolver for his spellcaster. If the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya or any of its stronger minions were to rear their eyeballs, he would need something much more versatile than metal and gunpowder.

    Arc hurried away with Jack following him. Julie bounced limply as the spellslinger ran, her eyes looking through the sand and seeing to the centre of the world, her awareness of her surroundings non-existent. Jack looked to her, wishing he could do something but he put his trust in Arc, knowing that the bounty hunter would find a way to bring her mind back from where it was locked deep inside her.

    With their legs burning from the climb, the two ran through the open gates and up to the door of the House of Anateer. Arc shoved the door, only to find that it was locked.

    ¡°Not now,¡± he sighed, looking over his shoulder to make sure nothing was following them. ¡°We¡¯ll see if there¡¯s a back door somewhere. There must be.¡±

    Arc led the way around the church, trying to find another way inside.

    ¡°How many more of them are out there?¡± asked Jack nervously.

    ¡°Who knows. But I suspect they¡¯ve been watching us for much longer than we first realised. They didn¡¯t strike until we were deep in the city. I reckon if we tried to flee, we¡¯d have a much harder time getting out of New Carlington than we did waltzing in.¡±

    ¡°The Eye of Gra¡¯shiya wanted our guard lowered, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt in my mind now.¡±

    At the back of the church, the sand was piled high, blocking a small protruding wing that likely held the second doorway. There would be no easy way of clearing it, at least not without spending hours trying. The two ran back around to the front of the church and Arc spied another eye fiend sitting on the upper floor of a six-storey carpark. So raised were they that the fiend was sitting level with them as it watched the trio.

    ¡°It knows we¡¯re here,¡± groaned Jack, wishing he was anywhere else. Now that he knew he was being watched constantly, he felt this overbearing weight that made him sick to his stomach. He was a rat in a cage being toyed with and he loathed it.

    Arc¡¯s ears pricked up at a low drone from behind the thick doors. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± he asked Jack and the droning stopped.

    ¡°No,¡± said Jack, looking around to try and see what Arc was talking about.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone inside,¡± he said. He held up a fist and thumped the oak. ¡°Open up!¡±

    No response came, not even in the form of the low drone he had heard. For all he knew, it was a trapped animal or monster that someone had locked inside.

    ¡°I think we should leave,¡± said Jack, looking at the eye fiend. He averted his gaze, fearing that he too would be enthralled by its intruding stare. He tugged on Arc¡¯s jacket. ¡°Please, let¡¯s get out of here. If anybody is inside, they¡¯re not going to help us.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Jacky Boy, but we¡¯re going inside even if he was to blow the door up.¡±

    Arc raised the Golden Hawk and called aloud. ¡°Three. Two. One. Fi¡ª¡±

    A muffled static ceased the bend of his finger. It was coming from his pocket.

    ¡°If you blow up our door, I¡¯ll blow you up in retaliation,¡± came a man¡¯s voice from Arc¡¯s pocket.

    He carefully set Julie down and pulled out the radio. ¡°Who am I speaking to?¡± asked Arc. ¡°Charlemagne? Alfonso? Logain? You certainly don¡¯t sound like an Isabella.¡±

    ¡°You know the names of my crew, do you?¡±

    ¡°If you heard my earlier messages, you know why I¡¯m here. King Obsidian sent me. Now open up or I swear to Anateer, I¡¯m going to blow this door to smithereens.¡±

    There came the grinding of something heavy being shifted away from the door. There were several things being moved out of the way. A clicking followed and the door swung open. From inside the church emerged a man. He was short, standing no more than five feet and six inches tall. He had red hair shaved into a floppy mohawk and wore a sleeveless leather jacket. Strapped to his waist was a belt with holsters containing six handguns, all of which were the same model.

    ¡°You must be Charlemagne,¡± said Arc, scooping Julie into his arms. There was not a lick of doubt, the man was one of the Right Hand. He fit Lancelot¡¯s description perfectly and was not a man easily impersonated.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± he said, sidestepping Arc and shoving the roaming trio inside. ¡°The last place you want to be is outside.¡±

    He whipped out one of his many guns and unleashed a bullet that flew through the air and ran straight through the eye fiend watching the church. He walked backwards as his eyes drew an arc across the land. Once inside, he closed the door of the church and turned the key.

 Book 2, Chapter 14 - In the House of Anateer

    The House of Anateer was more magnificent inside than it was outside. The sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows depicting an armoured man with flowing blonde hair and a clean, sharp face. From the back of his armour, sprouted wings, and each window showed him partaking in various activities from praying to thrusting his mighty sword to the sky. This was none other than Anateer himself, taking human form.

    At the top of the church stood a stone statue of Anateer with his feathered wings unfurled while being worshipped by two dozen men, women, and children. He looked upon them with kindness while they clung to him. The large sun emblem emblazed on his armour was radiant, even in pristine marble that emitted no light of its own. The holiness of the statue was unmistakable, having a presence of its own.

    The many benches of the church were either piled up near the door or shoved to the sides of the room, keeping the floor clear. There was no shortage of bloodstains across the floor, indicating many a battle had taken place here since the Arcanaclysm, but it was strange that the structure of the church was untainted as it was. The top of the spire had been broken, yet every window remained intact? That was a peculiarity that Arc could not explain, nor did he think he would easily find an answer.

    Standing watching him was a woman who matched Lancelot¡¯s description of Isabella, down to her bustiness. She was a blonde woman with bushy hair that ran down to her midback. She wore a red and white leather biker suit that clung tightly to her slender and curvaceous body. Much like Charlemagne, she carried duplicate guns, however she had opted for three revolvers over six handguns. One was holstered by her waist and two more were strapped either side of her chest. Her expression was sharp as she stared at the spellslinger carrying the limp girl who watched the ceiling.

    ¡°Give me a hand,¡± Charlemagne said to Jack.

    The two pushed a half dozen benches up against the door, reinforcing it against anything that may try and break through. Arc looked to the door and then to the windows. With a frown, Isabella drew the revolver by her waist and shot one of the windows, making Jack call out in shock. The bullet bounced off Anateer¡¯s glass form and rebounded to the ground.

    ¡°Unbreakable,¡± said Isabella. She had a stern voice that hid a natural softness.

    ¡°That answers that question,¡± muttered Arc.

    ¡°Did you need to shoot?¡± asked Charlemagne in exasperation. He was tense enough with these strangers here and his comrade¡¯s willingness to waste bullets irked him.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my radio messages?¡± asked Arc, not caring for any disputes between these two strangers.

    ¡°You could have been anyone,¡± said Charlemagne, walked over to stand beside Isabella. He gave her a berth of a few feet. ¡°What if you were some bandit who found half of our stuff we left lying throughout the city? What if you were a minion of the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya?¡±

    ¡°Gra¡¯shiya,¡± muttered Julie, alarming Arc. It was the first sign of life she had exhibited since falling into this state.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± asked Isabella, looking to Julie.

    ¡°One of the eye fiends latched onto her and looked into her eyes,¡± said Arc, looking sorrowfully at the enthralled Julie. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to bring her back to her normal self.¡±

    ¡°Get her out of here,¡± said Isabella, raising her gun to point at Arc, but he was quick off the mark and had raised his spellcaster.

    ¡°No,¡± he said.

    ¡°Spellslinger,¡± mumbled Charlemagne, rolling his eyes. ¡°You think your flashy magic is quicker than a regular old bullet?¡±

    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve got a much faster finger and you don¡¯t know what cartridge I¡¯ve got loaded. Even if you put a hole in my head, this entire church could be filled with poison gas. Do you think you can clear the door before you choke to death on your own blood?¡±

    Charlemagne bit his lower lip while Isabella stared coldly at Arc. The mohawked man walked over to his companion and pushed her gun down. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about everything calmly, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Arc, holstering the Golden Hawk. ¡°King Obsidian sent me to come and find you. He needs you back in Cliff Town to help him deal with the Iron Axe Clan.¡±

    ¡°You said on the radio your name was Arc the Hawk, right?¡± Arc nodded. ¡°Well, Arc, we would love to go home, but we find ourselves in a little predicament we¡¯re having trouble getting out of. If you hadn¡¯t noticed, New Carlington is the territory of an Eye of Gra¡¯shiya.¡±

    ¡°Gra¡¯shiya,¡± whispered Julie, making Jack wince.

    ¡°Funnily enough, I did notice,¡± said Arc coldly. ¡°I also noticed that there are only two of you. Where¡¯s Alfonso? How about Logain?¡±

    Charlemagne sighed and held his face in his hands. ¡°Our time here had been¡­an ordeal.¡±

    ¡°Bring me and my good friend Jack up to speed. We¡¯re here to help and we can only do that if we know everything you know.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± said Isabella quietly to Charlemagne. She looked him dead in the eyes. ¡°You ignored me when I told you not to let them inside. Don¡¯t do it again. I don¡¯t trust them.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± asked Jack, growing annoyed with her.

    Arc walked over to one of the benches and set Julie down. He spun his bag over his shoulder and opened the front pocket. From within, he pulled out a small golden ring with a black gem embedded within. He tossed it to Charlemagne, who snatched it out of the air and held it up to his face. After twirling it around in his fingers, he held it out to Isabella.

    ¡°Satisfied?¡± he asked her. ¡°There isn¡¯t the faintest chance they would have this without Lance handing it over willingly.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Isabella, putting her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest. ¡°If Lancelot trusted you enough to give you this, we¡¯ll take what you say at face value.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Arc, closing his bag. Before he could walk back over, Lancelot held up a hand.

    ¡°Take that scarf of yours and wrap it around the girl¡¯s eyes and ears. We likely have an unwilling spy in our midst.¡±

    Reluctant as he was to remove his scarf in the light, Arc complied. He carefully lifted Julie¡¯s head and wrapped the scarf around her eyes and ears a few times over until there was no more orange fabric left. He, Jack, Charlemagne, and Isabella then retreated to the far end of the church, standing before the grand statue of Anateer and his worshippers.

    ¡°Will she be alright?¡± asked Jack weakly as he looked to his twin sister.

    ¡°Hear me out and we can talk about her after,¡± said Charlemagne. He sighed and then drew in a breath. ¡°As you no doubt know, we came here to scavenge anything useful we could find and then haul it back to Cliff Town. We rolled into town, parked up by the bridge and dove deep into shops, apartments, and whatever else we could find. We noticed right away just how quiet things were and he wondered if we¡¯d missed something, but it was only when we returned to our vehicle that we spotted the first of the eye fiends. It was on the pickup truck watching us intently and it send a bloody chill down my spine, I¡¯ll tell you that much. It was then and there that I knew things were about to turn south.¡±

    ¡°And turn south they did,¡± said Isabella out of the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°Too right,¡± agreed Charlemagne, shaking his head despondently. ¡°No doubt they had been watching us for hours, but the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya himself showed up. Let me tell you, this creature¡­this thing¡­it¡¯s a being like no other. It grabbed our truck with its tail and threw the damned thing into the riverbed like it was nothing. We open fired at it, but it was barely phased by our bullets. Alfonso shot the bastard with his shotgun and pellets all bounced off it as easily as Izzy¡¯s bullet rebounded off that window above us right now.¡±

    ¡°Protective spells,¡± said Arc. ¡°The Eye is like five wizards combined.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Charlemagne. ¡°We sprinted for dear life, seeking somewhere to hide, but Logain had one of his arms melted by the creature.¡±

    ¡°Melted?¡± asked Jack, his eyes so wide they could have fallen from their sockets.

    ¡°Melted. We managed to escape, but we¡¯ve talked at length since and realised that it let us escape. The Eye was playing with us; torturing us. Sure, three of us were left physically whole, but the mental toll this has taken is something else. We moved around the city, finding various places to hide, before we wound up here. Logain was in a bad way, as you can imagine, and it became clear a couple of days ago that his stump was infected.

    ¡°We made a few attempted escapes, but each time we get close to an exit, the fiends swarm and the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya appears shortly after. On one occasion, a fiend did exactly what it did to your friend and put some sort of enchantment on Logain that left him catatonic. It made it difficult to gauge how bad his infection was and we came up with a plan to get him to a hospital we found in the hopes that there was enough medicine left behind that he could be treated.

    ¡°To get him there, we came up with a plan. Izzy and I served as decoys, drawing as much attention from the Eye and its fiends as we could, leaving Alfonso to bring Logain to the hospital. He made contact with us via radio confirming he had made it inside, but his battery was staring to run dry and we haven¡¯t heard from him since. That was yesterday morning. We were planning our method of entry when we heard the radio crackle. Naturally, we thought it was Alfonso and he¡¯d found himself a battery until your voice reached our ears. A couple hours later and¡­here you are.¡±

    ¡°Here we are,¡± said Arc. ¡°You didn¡¯t reach out to the king? Lancelot said he got a transmission for you asking for backup.¡±

    ¡°That got through, did it?¡± said Charlemagne with a smirk. ¡°That must have been the only one that did because we¡¯ve heard nothing but static. I think the Eye is using its psychic powers to mess with our signal. Crafty beast, ain¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Deadly and not to be underestimated,¡± said Isabella. ¡°It¡¯s feeding off of us. Our worries, our fears, our hopelessness; all a feast for the aberration from the God of Eyes.¡±

    ¡°What about my sister?¡± asked Jack.

    Charlemagne looked at the young man resolutely. ¡°We get our men and then we all get the hell out of here. Once we¡¯re free of New Carlington, we can find a way to break the thrall. As powerful as an Eye of Gra¡¯shiya is, it is not itself a god.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Arc. ¡°But until then, we make sure Julie¡¯s safe. We¡¯ve got transport and we¡¯ve got firepower. If we have to, we¡¯ll blast our way to the truck and drive full-pelt until we¡¯re safe. All we need to do is retrieve your men.¡±

    Charlemagne and Isabella looked to each other and then gave a nod. ¡°We¡¯re in,¡± said Charlemagne.

    ¡°And there¡¯s no time like the present,¡± said Isabella. ¡°I¡¯ll carry the girl. We¡¯re keeping the scarf on her so the Eye doesn¡¯t see through her eyes.¡±

    ¡°As if it matters with all the eye fiends watching the city,¡± muttered Charlemagne.

    ¡°How many do you reckon there are?¡± asked Arc. ¡°We took out several dozen.¡±

    ¡°I figured those were your gunshots. We must have taken three hundred of them since we arrived and, still, more continue to show up.¡±

    ¡°Then we take out only what¡¯s necessary and save our ammo for our grand escape. Are we ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready,¡± said Isabella, walking away to pick up Julie. Charlemagne followed and started unbarricading the door, leaving Arc and Jack standing by the statue.

    ¡°How you doing, Jacky Boy?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°Better now that we¡¯ve got some help.¡±

    ¡°Good. Truth be told, me too. We¡¯ll get this done good and quick and get out of the city before nightfall.¡±

    Jack smiled weakly, still worried about Julie. His brow suddenly furrowed as he looked to Arc. ¡°What are those?¡± he asked, nodding to the pair of small, rounded scars on Arc¡¯s neck.

    ¡°An old war wound,¡± said Arc, dismissing him and turning to walk around.

    ¡°It looks like a bite.¡±

    ¡°It is a bite.¡±

    ¡°What bit you?¡±

    ¡°An old flame got a bit rowdy,¡± said Arc, growing irritated. ¡°Priorities, boy. Priorities.¡±

    The two headed over to help Charlemagne and they quickly cleared the benches. Isabella joined them with Julie over her shoulder, secured by one hand, while in her other hand she carried one of her guns. Charlemagne took a deep breath and turned the key in the hole. The lock clicked as it opened and Charlemagne slid a wooden bar aside, removing the final security measure for the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s the quiet that I can¡¯t stand out here,¡± he said as he reached for the handle. ¡°Knowing that they¡¯re out there watching us and doing nothing about it.¡±

    ¡°Time¡¯s a¡¯wasting,¡± said Arc.

    The scavenger opened the door and whipped out two pistols as he stepped outside. He looked around for any eye fiends, but he couldn¡¯t see a single one.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Charlemagne. ¡°Follow me and stay close.¡±

    He hurried along, his head twitching wildly as he tried to look for any stealthily positioned fiends that watched from the shadows. Arc followed closely, keeping his revolver in one hand and the Golden Hawk in the other; the former for lesser threats and the latter for the Eye of Gra¡¯shiyra, should it show its eyeball. Jack stayed beside Isabella, worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to carry Julie for long, something that the blonde scavenger noticed.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine with me,¡± said Isabella. ¡°I¡¯ve carried much heavier for much longer.¡±

    ¡°How far away is the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do not say it. It¡¯s listening through her. We must be cautious with our words.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack. ¡°Please take good care of her. She¡¯s the most important person in my world.¡±

    ¡°You have my word, Jack,¡± said Isabella, smiling. So far, she¡¯d exuded nothing but coldness, but this smile was different. It was warm; it was caring. With that simple movement of her facial muscles, Jack was assured that his sister was in good hands.

    ¡°Charlemagne,¡± said Arc. ¡°Give me the directions and do so quietly.¡±

    ¡°What are you up to?¡±

    Arc glanced at the Golden Hawk. ¡°I¡¯m going to put a spin on your previous plan.¡±

 Arcane Shot, Book 1 Out Now!

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 Book 2, Chapter 15 - Summon the Swarm

    The scattered horde of the dead eye fiends had vanished from where Julie had first been enthralled. It had not even been an hour and there was not a body to be found, only the lingering blood that stained the sand.

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen this before,¡± said Charlemagne, bending down and dragging a finger through the bloodstained sand. ¡°More eye fiends show up and carry away their dead.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°We¡¯ll ask the big eye when we see him,¡± said Arc, ascending the tallest of the mounds. ¡°No doubt he¡¯s watching us right now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to go through with the plan?¡± asked Isabella, looking up to him with Julie still hanging limply over her shoulder.

    ¡°I trust you¡¯ll keep them safe. I have a rough idea of where I¡¯m going.¡±

    Arc shot one of the few remaining nearby windows, smashing its glass to a thousand pieces. Many of them fell inside the building, while others tinkled down, bouncing off the outcropping ledges before settling atop the sand. With a wink to the others, Arc drew in a breath.

    ¡°Eye of Gra¡¯shiya!¡± he roared out. ¡°My name is Arc the Hawk and I demand you face me.¡±

    ¡°I hate this plan,¡± muttered Jack.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan either,¡± said Charlemagne, reaching up adjusting his red mohawk so that it sat perfectly straight, only for it to fall down again seconds later. ¡°But we¡¯ll see how things play out. Something tells me that friend of your is cunning.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a great shot, he¡¯s fast, and he¡¯s got the brains to go along with it¡­usually. That doesn¡¯t mean I want him baiting the lion within the lion¡¯s own den. We¡¯re stronger together.¡±

    ¡°How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Thirteen.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± said Charlemagne, scratching his stubbled face. ¡°And he still lets you accompany him through the hellscape that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Eye of Gra¡¯shiya!¡± called Arc once again. ¡°You are a spineless coward, you bloated extraction of a whore. If you are too afraid to face me, I understand.¡±

    From within one of the collapsed skyscrapers flew an eye fiend that flapped straight towards Arc. The spellslinger let out a sly smile. So far, so good. As the fiend came within a few yards of the spellslinger, he raised his revolver and shot it, felling it instantly and sending it tumbling to the bottom of the mound.

    ¡°Whoops,¡± said Arc, spinning his revolver around in his hand. ¡°My finger slipped.¡±

    With the death of the eye fiend, the batting of leathery wings welled up and dozens of the flying watchers appeared. The swooped down from out of the buildings, took off from the rooftops, and curled around the rubble, all aiming for the one standing atop the mountain of sand.

    ¡°All eyes on me,¡± muttered Arc with a small smirk. He shot his remaining five rounds, taking out just as many fiends and then reloaded his gun. He sprinted down the hill, leaving the others¡¯ sight while drawing the eye fiends away.

    Fearing Julie would be able to relay their words to the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya, Charlemagne silently signalled to Jack and Isabella to follow him. He ran away from Arc, leaving him to distract the fiends while he guided the others towards the hospital.

    He charged into an alleyway, deliberately taking the slower, but less-open, route in case the Eye had left a few lingering spies. Jack kept to the rear, letting Isabella carry his sister on ahead. The young man looked over his shoulder and saw nothing following him. He prayed Arc would be alright, but he had faith that the spellslinger would find a way to escape and would meet them as the hospital before long.

    The three hurried along, seeking as much cover as they could along the way. Charlemagne charged through a door, knocking it off its hingers and then stormed through the back room of a shop before emerging onto a main street. He led the way into a largely sand-filled underpass with just enough room to walk through while crouched. Isabella was feeling the strain of carrying Julie, but she dug deep and didn¡¯t utter as much as a grunt, determined to get the young girl to safety.

    Not long after, Charlemagne pointed up ahead at a building with a large sign out the front that read ¡®New Carlington General Hospital¡¯ and then led the way up the road. There was no sign of the eye fiends, nor the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya. As far as they could tell, they had made it without the lord of the city knowing where they were. Now, they had to find out what happened to Alfonso and Logain.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Charlemagne stepped through the broken glass door and looked over to the reception desk. Above it hung a sign that showed the main wards nearby and the ways to follow to reach each of the wings. Deciding it was useless, he hopped over the desk and searched for a map of some kind that would give him a better lay of the land.

    ¡°Charlie,¡± said Isabella, pointing to the elevator a little way into the corridor.

    ¡°As insightful as you are beautiful,¡± Charlemagne replied as he walked around the desk and headed for the elevator.

    Beside it was a map of the floor. Its colour was faded, but it was legible enough that he could make out ninety percent of the text and only a little less of the layout.

    ¡°Where are we looking first?¡± asked Jack, keeping an eye on the door for any eye fiends.

    ¡°There¡¯s a list,¡± said Charlemagne, looking to Julie and then lowering his voice. ¡°We start with the pharmacy, followed by the intensive care unit, and then we search the surgery department. If all of those prove to be a bust, we go room by room until we find a sign of either Alfonso or Logain.¡±

    ¡°Not to be morbid, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, if we find their bodies then we¡¯ll wait for Arc and make for Cliff Town. You don¡¯t need to tell either of us how dire the situation is, Jack.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Charlemagne. ¡°Let¡¯s get cracking or we¡¯ll still be looking this time tomorrow.¡±

    *

    Arc sprinted for dear life through the streets with at least a hundred eye fiends following him. The Eye of Gra¡¯shiya had taken his bait and he couldn¡¯t have been more pleased. Well, he wouldn¡¯t have minded if the fiends would spontaneously drop dead and saved him the hassle of killing them, but he would take what he could get.

    He knew it was only a matter of time before the Eye realised he was bait. Perhaps it already knew and didn¡¯t care, but he would have to face the swarm before long. The Golden Hawk was in his hand and its cylinder was loaded with a spell cartridge that he knew all about, but had never used. He hoped his inexperience wouldn¡¯t be his undoing.

    Glancing over his shoulder, he could see how spread out his foes were. He needed them to group together or he was in trouble. He darted for a side street that funnelled them closer together, but it was still not enough. He needed them as close to being in a row as he could manage. His lung were burning as he ran and his muscles felt like they could explode at any moment. He had no more time to waste. He needed a destination.

    ¡°There,¡± he thought to himself, seeing an old railway tunnel over a wall.

    He leapt over the wall and landed on the platform before dropping onto the buried rails. He ran inside the tunnel and found a rust-eaten train lying here, not having been used for decades. This was good, the train cut down the amount of empty space nearby. Arc ran until he reached the end of the train and spun around with the Golden Hawk raised.

    ¡°One hundred feet,¡± he said as the swarm sped towards him, much more tightly knit than they had been outside. ¡°Come on. Come on. Go!¡±

    He pressed his finger on the trigger and the cylinder glowed blew as the spell exploded down the barrel. A crackling stream of lightning erupted from the muzzle, fizzling through the air and frying eye fiend after eye fiend as it shot in a perfectly straight line. As it moved, the fiends just outside of it were struck by small offshoots of electricity, zapping them and either killing them or dazing them to the point of falling to the ground. The bolt petered out after one hundred feet, leaving no fewer than sixty of the fiends dead and another two-dozen twitching on the ground, clinging to life. The ones left were now a much more manageable number of around thirty.

    Arc shot six times with his revolver, killing more foolish fiends that continued to pursue him. ¡°I can keep going,¡± he told them, knowing that their master would hear his words. ¡°You think that was my only spell? You utter imbecile, servant of Gra¡¯shiyra. I¡¯m coming for you and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. Count your remaining hours because I will find you and make you pay for your atrocities.¡±

    The fiends faltered just long enough for Arc to reload his revolver. Deciding that they had not been punished enough, they lunged for him, talon-first, aiming to stared deep into his eyes and bring him under the thrall of their master. With a wink, Arc shot another six and then switched his gun for a knife.

    He ran towards the lingering remnants of the eye fiends and stabbed each of them in the air. They were scattered and separated enough that he made quick work of them and did not suffer as much as a single cut. Once he was through with them, he patrolled the tunnel and squashed the last of his living foes on the ground underneath his boot.

    ¡°Good riddance, you vermin,¡± he said scornfully. He pulled out his spellcaster and loaded another cartridge into the sole empty chamber.

    The Lightning Strike spell he used was the only cartridge of its kind he had possessed, so he hoped that any further eye fiends sent his way were in much smaller groups. While it was not a devastating spell in terms of the damage it could do to a single opponent, often struggling to fell anything sturdier than a human, it was hard to beat for crowd control. The remaining spells in Arc¡¯s arsenal were ones that would be much more useful against lone foes or smaller groups.

    Hoping that the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya had believed his bluff that he was going to hunt for it, he walked from the tunnel with a smile on his face. He now had to try and find his way to the hospital, but that first meant finding his way back to where he had first come from; no easy task as Arc had paid little attention to where he was going, running with the express purpose of giving Jack, Julie, Charlemagne, and Isabella a clear path to the hospital.

    ¡°No matter,¡± said Arc, hoisting himself onto the station platform and then climbing over the wall to reach the street. ¡°A walk through the city will give me the chance to see if any more fiends are keeping an eye on me. I suspect the answer to that is yes.¡±

 Book 2, Chapter 16 - No Way Out

    Jack could not believe the situation he was in. He was patrolling an abandoned hospital in a sand-swallowed city ruin with two strangers and his enthralled sister, while Arc was outside somewhere being chased by winged eyes. Had he not been so aware of his surroundings, he would have presumed himself in some sort of fever dream.

    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± asked Isabella as she set Julie on a hospital bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­coping,¡± said Jack with a weak smile.

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°Does it scare you? Thinking that we may not make it out of here alive.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Isabella, yet she did not sound afraid. Her tone was remarkably casual. ¡°But there¡¯s no point in breaking down and hurting our chances of escape, is there?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I think too,¡± said Jack, walking over to Julie and adjusting Arc¡¯s scarf that still covered her eyes and ears. ¡°At the same time, it¡¯s hard. I can¡¯t help but worry that she¡¯s lost forever.¡±

    Isabella put her hand on Jack¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She isn¡¯t. If you want, you can wait with her while we search the rest of the department?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Jack. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I want to help. The sooner we find your friends, the sooner we can leave.¡±

    Isabella smiled at him and beckoned him to follow. The two separated and moved from room to room within the ICU, searching for any sign that Alfonso or Logain had been there. Charlemagne was searching the furthest reaches of the department and met up with Jack shortly after.

    ¡°Not a trace,¡± he said despondently. ¡°But the search continues, young Jack. We can¡¯t give up hope just yet.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to convince me or yourself?¡± asked Jack.

    ¡°Definitely the latter,¡± said Charlemagne with a grim smile. ¡°New Carlington isn¡¯t exactly known for being a beacon of light, as you¡¯ve seen yourself.¡±

    ¡°I thought there would be more carnage, if I¡¯m honest.¡±

    ¡°Once upon a time there would have been. All manner of monsters have taken this place as their home and they¡¯ve cycled between dominance. Lately, it¡¯s the big eyeball that calls this place its kingdom and he isn¡¯t keen on sharing.¡±

    ¡°Guys!¡± called Isabella. Her voice had trembled, even in the singe syllable she shouted.

    Jack and Charlemagne hurried to find her. She was in one of the surgery rooms standing beside a bell and surrounded by wheeled tables filled with metal tools. Even in the low light, it was clear she was deathly pale as she looked at something on the bed.

    She slowly stepped aside, revealing a corpse on the bed. He was red-headed with a thick beard and wore a leather jacket with a tattered vest underneath. His expression in death was that of a wide smile, as though he had welcomed its sweet release. Jack¡¯s eyes drifted to the man¡¯s missing arm. The stump left behind was swollen, pus-filled and positioned above a pool of dried blood. The dead man was Logain.

    ¡°Shit,¡± grunted Charlemagne, kicking one of the tables over. ¡°Shit! Where the hell is Alfonso?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Isabella, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Jack walked around the room, looking from scalpel to curtain, trying to find a sign of the last remaining member of the Right Hand of Obsidian. Once Alfonso had been found, that was the job done. They could focus on getting out of here. He felt pity for Charlemagne and Isabella who had lost someone close, but there was someone close to him that he wanted to make sure he didn¡¯t lose.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said as Isabella stood by with tears in her eyes. She was finally starting to break.

    ¡°We need to bury him,¡± she croaked.

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing carrying Julie around, but Logain¡¯s bigger than any of us,¡± said Charlemagne. ¡°I understand, Izzy, believe me, but we can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°He deserves better than being left here to decay.¡±

    ¡°Of course he does,¡± said Jack, wanting to hurry them along without seeming callous. ¡°We¡¯ll wrap him up and say a few words. It¡¯s the best we can do given the situation.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­alright,¡± said Isabella.

    Charlemagne and Jack grabbed a few sheets from nearby and hoisted Logain¡¯s body onto them. They wrapped him up tightly and then lifted him back onto the bed as carefully as they could. Feeling how heavy the man was, Jack knew there was no easy way of carrying him outside short of rolling him out on a stretched, but the sand would have stopped them going too far. Isabella said a short eulogy for Logain and Charlemagne chipped in a few words of his own.

    ¡°May he rest in peace,¡± said Jack sincerely, at which Charlemagne gently clapped him on the back.

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    ¡°Back to it then, eh?¡± grunted the scavenger, looking understandably unenthusiastic. He dragged his heels as he departed from the room with Jack, leaving Isabella standing over Logain¡¯s wrapped body.

    Jack walked back towards Julie and his heart stopped for a second. He looked around fervently. She was missing and Arc¡¯s scarf was lying discarded on the floor beside the bed. He sprinted to the bed and then ran through the doors of the ward, looking up and down the corridor to see where his sister could possibly be.

    ¡°No¡­no, no no!¡± he cried out. He ran back into the room and checked behind every table, feeling like an idiot. He should have waited. Why didn¡¯t he wait? Even if they had found both Alfonso and Logain, they couldn¡¯t go anywhere without Arc.

    ¡°Calm down!¡± said Charlemagne, grabbing Jack by the arms. ¡°I know every instinct you have is telling you to panic, but that¡¯s not going to help right now. We¡¯ll search for her quietly because the last thing we want to do is attract any fiends.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± asked Isabella, having left Logain¡¯s side. She looked to the bed and gasped. ¡°Your sister.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Charlemagne, quick-footing it out of the room with two of his pistols drawn.

    Jack hurriedly retrieved Arc¡¯s scarf, wrapping it around his own neck and then followed with Isabella by his side. His sister was still in the building somewhere, she wouldn¡¯t have had time to escape. He would find her; he had to.

    *

    Arc strolled down the street, keeping scrutinising every inch of it. He was on the right track because he recognised one of the taller still-standing skyscrapers, but had he previously seen it from this angle? He thought so, but he couldn¡¯t be certain. Even in its state of decay, New Carlington was a big place. He strained to remember the map and wished Julie where here because she¡¯d committed damn near the entire thing to memory.

    He climbed over a few hills and did a double take as he saw what sat in the middle of street, several yards from the bottom of the hills. The object was large, almost as large as he was, and sandy in colour. From the top of it, sprouted three sharp spikes¡ªthe centre straight and the side ones gently curved. It bore two large holes just below that and two further holes near the end of its snout, below which was a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. It was a dragon¡¯s skull, no mistaking it.

    ¡°What in the world¡­¡± muttered Arc, walking over to it and taking a closer look. ¡°Huh. Odd.¡±

    He squatted and then ran his hand over the skull, feeling bumps, grooves and ridges. He had long heard the rumours of the last living dragons and even once seen what he was told was a dragon¡¯s nail, but an entire skull was another story entirely. He and his former companions were convinced that Master Dusk had met one because he always had a faint smile on his face at the utterance of the word dragon.

    What struck him as the most peculiar element of the skull was its freshness. While he was no archaeologist, this couldn¡¯t have been here for more than a year. Was New Carlington this dragon¡¯s den? It could perch on the highest rooftop of hide within the ruins, safe from whatever may have hunted it. In the remnants of a city like this, there would even be plenty of silver, gold, and other valuables to compile into a hoard.

    Arc patted the dragon¡¯s forehead. ¡°I hope whatever did this to you isn¡¯t the same being that I had a few choice words for not an hour ago. I think I¡¯ve pissed him off rightly and I don¡¯t want to share your fate.¡±

    Laughing quietly to himself, Arc stood up and walked on down the road, only for a flittering shadow to catch his eye. His gaze followed the shadow and he spied a lone eye fiend fleeing on down the street.

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± said the spellslinger, checking which cartridge he had in his spellcaster and then making sure his revolver was fully loaded.

    He was a good shot, but the fiend was much too far away for him to hit without a few wasted bullets, and he didn¡¯t know how many he would need before the day was done. No, it was best to save them and be prepared for anything that came closer.

    Arc weaved between the streets, trying to mask his location from the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya as best as he could, but he suspected it was fruitless. It would be smart enough to know by now that the previous chase he encouraged was a distraction.

    He wondered how Jack¡¯s search was going. He hadn¡¯t said it to the young man, but he was impressed with how he was handling Julie¡¯s current situation. When they first met, even though it wasn¡¯t even two months ago, Jack would have lost his temper, but he managed to keep a level head. Arc himself had been hot-headed at that age, so it was good to see how he was passing on the lessons he had learned over the years.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± came a voice from inside a window, startling Arc. He whipped around with both his guns pointed towards the man who had spoken. ¡°Please, do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm.¡±

    He held up his hands and stepped forward, letting the light reveal him. The man was taller than Arc by almost a foot, but much skinnier, and he had not a single hair upon him¡ªnot even an eyelash. He wore a suit of black leather armour over his clothing and a pair of garish tan gloves. Around his neck hung a golden chain that bore a deep red ruby that rested upon his chest. He was armed with a shotgun that he had strapped to his waist. Disconcerting as the man¡¯s appearance was, he bore a pleasant smile as he gave a friendly nod to Arc.

    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself,¡± said the man. ¡°My name is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alfonso,¡± said Arc, lowering his weapons.

    ¡°How do you know me?¡± asked the Right Hand member, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

    ¡°It just so happens that you¡¯re one of the people I came here looking for. King Obsidian sent me to rescue you and your crew.¡±

    Alfonso dragged one of his pale hands across his face and sighed in relief. ¡°That is very good news,¡± he said. ¡°But I do not believe there is further need to endanger yourself. I am on my way back to them now and we can finally escape from this miserable place.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on your way to the House of Anateer?¡± asked Arc.

    ¡°I was, but I have been trying to give the eye fiends the slip. I do not see many of them, which is peculiar. That suggests they are watching silently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain that later,¡± said Arc. ¡°Long story short, I killed a solid hundred of them and thinned their numbers. More importantly, your friends aren¡¯t at the church, they sought you and your friend Logain out in the hospital. I drew the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya¡¯s focus away to let them get in quickly.¡±

    Alfonso, who was pale enough as it was, lost what little colour he had left in his face. ¡°To the¡­hospital?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Arc, getting a sinking feeling. He gulped ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re about to blow your brains out with that shotgun?¡±

    ¡°We must go to the hospital at once,¡± said Alfonso, climbing through the window.

    ¡°My friends are at the hospital looking for you. Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°The underground carpark of the hospital is where the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya¡¯s lair lies. Both your friends and my friends are in grave danger. We must get to them before they reach the hospital as fear that once they are inside, there will be no way out.¡±

 Book 2, Chapter 17 - Beneath the Surface

    Jack, Charlemagne, and Isabella heard the echoing footsteps running through the hallway, followed by the whoosh of a heavy door flopping closed.

    ¡°Stairwell!¡± said Charlemagne, sprinting on ahead with the others following close behind.

    They reached just as the door settled closed and then shoved their way through. Jack leaned over the railing and could see Julie down below. She did not look up at him, even when he called her name.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get her,¡± said Isabella, vaulting over the ledge and throwing herself onto the stairs below.

    She hopped onto the railing and then jumped between the gaps, letting herself drop from floor to floor while grabbing the railings each time to save herself from a broken neck. It wasn¡¯t long before she had outpaced Julie and then swung herself back onto the staircase in front of the enthralled girl.

    ¡°You¡¯re going no further,¡± said Isabella, lunging for Julie and restraining her.

    Julie struggled, desperately trying to escape the leather clad blonde¡¯s grasp. She kicked, she scratched, and she bit, but Isabella did not falter. By the time Jack and Charlemagne made their way down the stairs, Julie¡¯s struggling had eased off.

    ¡°What happened, Jule?¡± Jack asked, looking at her pleadingly.

    Julie¡¯s vacant expression returned and Jack decided chose to use the one word he knew would get a response from his sister, longing to hear her voice.

    ¡°What does the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya want with you?¡±

    ¡°Gra¡¯shiya,¡± she said, her vacant expression turning briefly manic before settling. It was the same look that Logain bore in death. ¡°Gra¡¯shiya¡­Gra¡¯shiya¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it coming for us? Where is it?¡±

    Julie¡¯s eyes flickered towards the door. ¡°He¡¯s been here the whole time,¡± she said with a giggle. ¡°He wants to meet met, his loyal servant. O, Eye of Gra¡¯shiya. Guide me to you, my master.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here,¡± said Charlemagne sternly. ¡°Wherever Alfonso is, he¡¯s not here. Not if the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya is too. Are we agreed?¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Isabella, turning around while keeping her arms interlocked around Julie. Jack grabbed her feet and the two carried her up the stairs while Charlemagne watched the rear.

    ¡°I hate to say it,¡± said Jack, ¡°but we can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t,¡± said Charlemagne, pulling out the radio and pressing the push-to-talk button. ¡°Arc, do you hear me? Over.¡±

    A loud high-pitched static burst out and Charlemagne recoiled, almost dropping it. It started growing louder and louder, forcing him to turn it off to silence it.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he said, shoving the radio in his pocket. ¡°I get the feeling the Eye knew what Arc was planning. He wasn¡¯t distracting it; it was distracting him. We¡¯ll have to take our chances on the street.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave without him!¡± barked Jack.

    ¡°Easy there, fella. I didn¡¯t say anything about leaving him behind. Same way I didn¡¯t say anything about leaving Alfonso behind. But we do need to get away from this hospital if that bastard eye is in here with us.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s coming,¡± said Julie breathlessly. ¡°He knows you¡¯re taking me away. He won¡¯t let you.¡±

    Jack wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°He can try and stop us, but he won¡¯t. We¡¯re getting out of here and we¡¯ll rip your mind from his clutches.¡±

    The door at the bottom of the stairwell burst open and the familiar sound of wildly flapping wings called upwards as a host of eye fiends flew upwards. Charlemagne aimed downwards, shooting rapidly and sending the aberrations plummeting to their deaths as Jack and Isabella picked up the pace.

    ¡°Through the next door,¡± called Charlemagne. ¡°We¡¯re almost at ground level.¡±

    A sudden crash and the door below was flung from its hinges and half the wall was sent flying with it. Something much more malicious than the flying minions was stalking the four, seeking to impede their escape, and they all knew what it was.

    ¡°He wants me to join him,¡± said Julie with glee.

    ¡°Shut up, Jule!¡± demanded Jack, sick of listening to her possessed nonsense.

    Isabella threw open the door and everyone hurried into the corridor. They knew where they were within the hospital, having passed this way recently, but they had to get to the entrance or they¡¯d be running through the streets blind.

    High-tailing it through the hospital, another swarm of eye fiends flew at them from the front, trying to block their escape. Jack released Julie¡¯s feet and Isabella continued restraining her with one hand, leaving all three of them to unleash a barrage of bullets at the fiends. One of them reached Jack and was inches from sinking its claws into him when he smacked it in the eye with the heel of his gun, making it recoil and giving Charlemagne the chance to perforate its body with a well-placed bullet.

    The door further down the corridor was thrown from its frame and it smashed to pieces against the wall as a huge shadow was cast. With the eye fiends dead, the trio sprinted for dear life with Isabella carrying Julie over her shoulder once again.

    As they rounded the corner, a droplet of acid singed Charlemagne¡¯s mohawk while the rest of the splash struck the wall and began quickly burning through it. To the group¡¯s great relief, the front door was in sight, but their relief was short-lived as another wave of eye fiends soared down another corridor, making for them.

    ¡°Eyeballs be damned, don¡¯t stop running!¡± ordered Charlemagne, shooting into the swarm to slow them.

    So exhausted were they from their escape, the trio were not moving as quickly as they wanted to and the bat-like eyeballs were closing in on them. They refused to resign themselves to being caught, but they knew they were in a precarious situation.

    ¡°Split up outside,¡± said Charlemagne. ¡°I¡¯ll stall them for as long as I can.¡±

    As nearby window smashed and two figures leapt inside.

    ¡°Surprise, freaks,¡± said Alfonso, whipping his shotgun out and blowing half a dozen of the eye fiends to pieces.

    ¡°Good timing, baldie,¡± said Charlemagne in relief. ¡°I was just about ready to sacrifice myself.¡±

    ¡°Eye of Gra¡¯shiya!¡± called Jack, looking to Arc and pointing to the acid.

    ¡°Get behind me!¡± Arc ordered, holding his spellcaster high as the Right Hand of Obsidian gunned down the charging eye fiends in a flashing storm of unrepentant bullets.

    The five waited with bated breath as the shadow of the Eye appeared on the ground. Slowly, it came into view, floating around the corner. Unlike its minions, it possessed no wings. Rather, it was a hovering orb as large as a pickup truck. Its fleshy body was covered in veins and pulsated intermittently while its large tendril-like tail followed it, swaying erratically. Its giant eye was heavily bloodshot with a pupil as black as night. Its lidless stare permeated the hallway, fixing its gaze on the five who stood before it.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    As it unleashed a burst of acid from its eye, Arc pulled the trigger on his spellcaster and his Minor Shield spell formed an arcane barrier that protected him and everyone behind him from the acid which fizzled and bubbled against the surface.

    ¡°I told you I was coming for you,¡± said Arc as the barrier faded. He reached into his pocket and tossed the keys to the pickup truck to Alfonso. ¡°Get out of here now.¡±

    A deep, warbling voice spoke called out from the mouthless eye. ¡°You think I will let you leave without consequence? I must feast.¡±

    ¡°Go,¡± said Arc to the others.

    ¡°But¡ª¡± began Jack, only to be cut off.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    The five fled with Charlemagne forcing Jack along, the young man not wanting to leave his friend behind. The ravenous eye, hungry for fear, unleashed an Arcane Shot from within, aiming straight for Arc. He raised the Golden Hawk to his head and pulled the trigger while closing his eyes tightly.

    The Arcane Shot struck Arc square in the chest, however, when the light faded, he stood still standing. But something about him had changed. He was no longer a man of flesh, but one of stone. The blue cartridge within his gun had cast the alteration spell, Stoneskin, granting him that very boon and letting him weather the powerful spell.

    ¡°You are no mage,¡± boomed the eye, shaking the room. ¡°You are a but an imitator, possessing only a fraction of my power.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Arc, pressing his trigger four times and unleashing a flurry of successive Arcane Shots. All four struck the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya, leaving burning sores across its eyeball, but it still stood strong. ¡°Ah¡­I thought that would be more effective.¡±

    ¡°I feel your fear,¡± said the Eye, its emitted voice revelling as though intoxicated. ¡°I want more of it.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy it because it¡¯s your last meal,¡± said Arc, casually reloading his spellcaster.

    The Eye of Gra¡¯shiya launched itself towards him. Arc dove out of the way, but took the brunt of its whipping tail and was thrown into the front desk and smashing through it. He was unharmed thanks to his Stoneskin spell, but he knew it would not last forever and even before that, he was only stronger rather than invincible.

    He leapt over the remains of the desk and found himself face to face with the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya. He pressed the Golden Hawk to its eye and pulled the trigger. The point-blank Arcane Shot petered out immediately, having been repelled by a magical shield of the Eye¡¯s own.

    ¡°More fear,¡± said the eye gleefully, relishing the moment.

    ¡°Not quite,¡± said Arc, leaping aside and storming through the front door and into the streets while the Eye pursued him, in no rush to apprehend him. It wanted to feed off him for as long as it could and then it would come for the others. No matter the distance, it would catch them, for nobody knew this city like it did.

    Arc hurried back the way he and Alfonso had come, knowing that he was not going towards the bridge where he had parked. No, he had to buy as much time for the others as he could. This time, the Eye¡¯s gaze was truly fixed on him.

    Taking a chance, Arc flipped his revolver underneath his arm and shot at the Eye. He heard a distinct squelch and a groan as his shot penetrated the creature¡¯s flesh. He leapt onto the ground as a wave of acid came for him, soaring over him and landing a dozen yards in front of him.

    As he climbed to his feet, he saw that his hands were quickly changing back from stone to flesh, leaving him unprotected. He scrambled to the top of a hill and peeked over at the Eye slowly coming after him. He shot another round at it, but the bullet bounced away as though it was nothing. This gave him an idea that may just save his skin and, thus, save the others. He headed for the nearest pile of rubble and scooped up a brick. The second the Eye ascended the hill, he tossed it, only for the malevolent being to obliterate it with an Arcane Shot and then shoot another at Arc, who dove behind the pile of stone and narrowly avoided being blasted to pieces.

    He shot himself with his spellcaster once again, activating a new Stoneskin spell and taking a wave of acid to the back. While it would have killed him instantly a second prior, it merely stung under the effects of the protective spell.

    Arc rolled aside and shot the Eye with his revolver, only for the bullet to bounce away again. As he leapt to his feet, he was thrown into a nearby brick wall by an Arcane Shot courtesy of the fixated Eye of Gra¡¯shiya. He was feeling the strain, but he knew that the eye could not protect itself and attack him forever, for it was a mage. Much like Master Dusk, it could only commit so many spells to memory before its mind went blank. At least, he hoped so; he wasn¡¯t certain.

    ¡°I felt that last thought,¡± said the Eye. ¡°A spike in fear for a moment. I demand more.¡±

    It unleashed five Arcane Shots in a row, each of them pummelling Arc and forcing him through the brick wall. He grunted in agony, the mighty of the magic breaking beyond the limits of the spell¡¯s armour.

    He shakily raised his arm and shot at the eye, piercing its sclera and sending a burst of blood across the sand. The Eye winced but it continued to encroach upon the spellslinger, confident in its victory. It could have protected itself from that, but it didn¡¯t. While another thirty bullet may not have been enough, Arc had something that may do just the trick.

    He raised the Golden Hawk, but his arm was struck by another Arcane Shot that almost snapped his wrist. The force sent his gun flying into the building and he twisted to crawl after it. If his spell wore off before he could reach it, he was a dead man.

    A heavy bang filled the air and a warbling groan called out as the back of the eye was struck by a dozen pellets courtesy of Alfonso, who stood at the base of the pile of sand. So focused was the Eye that it had not seen him coming, but it knew he was here now and it also knew he did not share the mage-imitator¡¯s powers.

    As an arrow-like blast of acid flew from its eye, Alfonso ducked and his armour was grazed. The Eye of Gra¡¯shiya was about to unleash another attack when it groaned from being struck by another bullet in the side. Charlemagne stood holding dual pistols. With a smirk, he emptied his magazines into the beast who turned to him. Isabella and Jack joined the fray, shooting at the terrifying beast, who was now surrounded and out of ways to defend itself.

    When they expended their bullets, Charlemagne grabbed two more of his guns and joined Alfonso in pummelling the Eye with firepower, yet the sturdy beast would still not fall. No matter how many rounds pierced it, it continued to hover before the humans, grunting as more and more bullet holes dripped blood onto the ground. There was a veritable pool of beneath it when it finally spoke.

    ¡°It was foolish of you to return, but I am so grateful that you did. I feel the fear in each of you; it¡¯s growing with each passing second that I live, but you also know that you are moments from dying. Ah, how I love it. I will miss it.¡±

    A high-pitched whistle called out from behind it and the Eye spun around. Arc was standing in the flesh, clutching his side while pointing the Golden Hawk at it.

    ¡°We¡¯re not finished yet,¡± he said, his voice strained from the pain.

    The Eye realised that he was no longer afraid and could not as much as twitch before the spellslinger pulled the trigger. A fireball erupted from the golden gun, aiming straight for the Eye. It hurled acid at the billowing flames, but it could not overwhelm the power of Arc¡¯s spell. For a split second, the Eye of Gra¡¯shiya felt fear and the fireball exploded on contact. The flames coursed through the bullet holes in its eye and incinerated it from the outside in as the evil aberration was blown into a hundred chunks that rained down upon the street, soaking both stone and sand with purple blood.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± cried Charlemagne, unwittingly dropping his guns.

    Jack bolted through the flaming rain of eye. ¡°Arc!¡± he called out, unable to see the spellslinger.

    ¡°In here,¡± grunted Arc from inside the building he¡¯d been forced through.

    Jack rushed inside and saw Arc lying on the rotted wooden floor, looking exhausted and more than a little singed. The young man grabbed Arc¡¯s arms and sat him up.

    ¡°I thought you were half the chunks of flesh out there,¡± said Jack, falling back and joining Arc on the ground.

    ¡°I always find a way to pull through,¡± said Arc with a side smile. He held up his hand and pointed to Jack¡¯s neck. ¡°Nice scarf, by the way. Looks better on me though, boy.¡±

    Jack couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he unwrapped the scarf and threw it over to Arc. ¡°It¡¯s not my colour.¡±

    He stood up, helped Arc to his feet, and then put his arm around his friend to help him outside. Arc batted him away, insisting that he was fine.

    ¡°You¡¯re a madman,¡± said Charlemagne, retrieving all six of his guns and holstering them. ¡°Took out a bloody Eye of Gra¡¯shiya? That¡¯s one to tell Lancelot.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t believe us,¡± said Isabella.

    ¡°He will,¡± said Alfonso pleasantly.

    ¡°Julie?¡± asked Arc, looking around for her.

    ¡°Julie!¡± wailed Jack, running over the hill and looking for his sister. She was lying motionless on the street where Isabella had left her.

    As Jack shook her, she groaned. ¡°Stop it¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank Anateer,¡± said Jack, unable to think of who else to pay reverence to than the god whose church had given them brief refuge. ¡°She¡¯s okay!¡± he shouted at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Arc, as he and the others passed over the hill. ¡°Can we get out of this hellscape? There¡¯s an army of orcs just waiting for us back in Nuvaria and it would be nice if we could reach Cliff Town before they slaughter everyone.¡±

    ¡°You make a good case,¡± said Charlemagne, picking up Julie. ¡°I¡¯ll carry her this time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Thanks for the rescue.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± said Isabella, kissing Arc on the cheek and then doing the same to Jack, who turned beetroot red.

    ¡°A-all¡­all in a day¡¯s work,¡± he said, avoiding eye contact with her.

    ¡°I will drive,¡± said Alfonso.

    ¡°Nice try,¡± said Arc, holding out his hand. ¡°Give me back my keys.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± said Alfonso, passing them over. ¡°But you are in no fit state¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t argue with him,¡± said Jack. ¡°You¡¯d have a better chance wining a fight with another Eye of Gra¡¯shiya than you would convincing him to let you drive.¡±

    ¡°Too right,¡± said Arc with a grin.