The Wastelander

by Tipsy Wanderer

  One of them separated from the rest, dragging the leader of Roste’s followers along with him. He fired a few rounds into the air and then spoke to everyone through a loudspeaker, “We are the Opposition, and currently, our highest ranking leader is Hellflower. Roste was a narrow-minded, power-hungry despot who, over the years, has done much to harm our base. He has been removed through the efforts of Lady Hellflower at the behest of the people’s wishes, for this will be beneficial to all of us. Starting today, Hellflower is our new leader, and anyone who disagrees is welcome to stand up and say so!”

  The head of the mob whimpered in the man’s grip, “Please don’t kill me!”

  His captor apparently did not hear. Pointing his gun at the piteous rioter, he pulled the trigger until the clip was empty. The gun’s kickback rattled against his hand again and again before abruptly stopping. Once he was finished, the man on the ground was riddled with smoking holes.

  These were the soldiers who opposed Roste, over a hundred strong. They were joined with the hundred or so creatures the Academician had tortured and prodded. Together, they formed a strange and formidable band. How could anyone stand against them?

  “Take them all away!”

  The Opposition leader’s people tied up the rioters and took them away to await sentencing. Rebellions like this had cropped up several times now, but none had lasted very long or managed to achieve much.

  Hellflower had already been a member of the Opposition for a long time. She didn’t share their mindset precisely, but it wasn’t long ago that nearly their entire leadership was wiped out during their ill-fated secret meeting. Who knew how Hellflower truly felt? Roste’s actions had saved her the work of having to deal with those old fogeys and paved the way for her to ascend as leader. Ultimately, it was thanks to him that she was now master of this base.

  The group that dispersed the crowd was not the only power the Opposition had. The organization’s reach and influence were large, and each one of those old scientists Roste had killed had a reputation and followers. With so much support, Hellflower was able to muster a team of three hundred warriors under her command.

  However, that was still not enough.

  Hyena and Hellflower came to some sort of agreement, though no one knew what it was. He gathered his former supporters and convinced them to join with Hellflower. He also organized the animals to do their bidding. In the end, with their power consolidated, those who chose to rebel were viewed as only a small and irritating part of the new climate of Blackwater Base.

  When all was said and done, it was Hellflower who gained the most.

  After stabilizing the situation, the first thing she did was break into Roste’s secret lab despite her serious injuries. She ravenously searched for every scrap of notes and data left behind and took them for her own.

  Cloudhawk saw how she managed the situation and found her to be both capable and moderate. It eased his heart, and he felt that Blackwater Base was in good hands. However, he felt a wisp of concern when he saw how covetously she gathered Roste’s work.

  The Academician’s research was vast and far-reaching, detailing the workings of various medicines as well as biological mutations. This body of work included his ultimate project that he spent his life on.

  Although Hellflower had pilfered and translated the key parts of his research, it still wasn’t enough for her to grasp the bulk of Roste’s technique. She needed to study all of the Academician’s notes to acquire whatever secrets he’d uncovered.

  “Hey, Hellflower. I’m tellin’ you, this stuff just doesn’t seem right.” Without any particular reason, Roste’s final words echoed in Cloudhawk’s mind. “I really don’t think keepin’ it will bring about anything good. Better to just burn all this shit up.”

  “Now you’re on about this, too?” She chuckled at him with a charming laugh. She was, as ever, a beauty that was inexplicable and just out of reach, always leaving people guessing. “I assume Roste said something to you before he died?”

  Cloudhawk was insistent. “All I’m sayin’ is this stuff was created by taking countless lives and spilling a lot of blood. None of this is any good!”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. In fact, in my eyes, knowledge is neither good nor evil. Since this research has taken so many lives, don’t we have an even greater responsibility to protect it? Otherwise, won’t all those sacrifices have been in vain? One day, there will be someone else like Roste. And then another.”

  Cloudhawk was silent as he considered her words. They weren’t entirely without merit.

  “In this world, every eventuality will come to pass. It’s inevitable.” Hellflower pushed her goggles higher on the bridge of her nose. This simple motion made her seem both erudite and beautiful at the same time. “Mankind’s knowledge is the fuel that feeds the fires of civilization. It is our responsibility to pass on what we learn so that there is always progress. The destitution of today is because that lineage was broken. We lost our history and all the knowledge that came before us. I refuse to cast away the knowledge we’ve worked so hard to scrape together. It’s work that must continue.”

  Cloudhawk wasn’t much interested in Roste’s warning before, and after Hellflower’s lofty argument, he paid them even less mind.

  “Alright, enough about that. We have someone to send off. Hyena’s ready to leave.”

  “Hyena’s leaving? Why?”

  “The beasts he commands have harmed people since they were released. You know they’re wild animals, even if they’re smarter than normal. They can’t constrain their wild nature forever, and the people of the base won’t tolerate them staying. I can’t put them back in cages, so the only option is to let them leave.”

  She spoke calmly, but Cloudhawk suspected her intentions.

  Hyena was popular in the base, and the animals he commanded were a staggering force. If he remained at Blackwater Base, he would enjoy a high position. However, the wolf matriarch’s death showed him that he was no longer a man. He could not control his wild brethren, and sooner or later, their feral nature would cause a disaster. He made the decision to lead the intelligent animals into the wilds once he helped Hellflower take control.

  “Is it safe for him to just go like this?”

  “There are conditions, of course.” She shrugged and spoke nonchalantly, “They wanted the notes related to Roste’s mutation process. I’d already studied it, so I let them have what they wanted.”

  This was unsettling news for Cloudhawk. She gave them this precious and dangerous material so readily?

  Cloudhawk finally understood the difference between Roste and Hellflower. The Academician was responsible for incredible things, but he never released his findings into the world, not even to Hellflower or Chimp. It wasn’t that he was covetous of what he learned, but rather that he knew knowledge could be dangerous. He did not want to pass on that power to those who did not understand its implications.

  For Hellflower, things were different. She believed the further knowledge spread, the more meaningful it became. She felt that wider dissemination was integral. But, giving this away to Hyena… somehow, this felt wrong.

  A hundred figures hovered around the gates to Blackwater Base. Hyena stood in the center of the crowd, his body half man and half beast. Among the beasts, he did not seem the slightest bit out of place. Be it in bearing or in countenance, he was just the same as the mutated beastmen around him.

  Hellflower strode forward, her silvery hair dancing in the breeze. Her mouth was arched in a crescent smirk. “Where are you going to go? Is there some way I can help?”

  “Thank you for your kindness, but no.” Hyena had no kind feelings towards this woman. He knew her gentle smile was just a mask. Her heart could be as black and malicious as Roste’s, and if he had any other choice, Hyena would rather have nothing to do with the likes of her. “All of the wastelands are our home. I’m ready to lead my people out to create our own history.”

  Hellflower nodded. “Then go w
ith my blessing.”

  Hyena nodded, and then turned and led his people out of the gates.

  Hellflower watched them go with that smile still on her face. “Interesting… very interesting. They were never completed, but maybe if they were, there’d be another race. A fourth race along with the gods, demons, and humans… the werebeasts!”

  Cloudhawk’s face turned into a slight scowl.

  Hellflower always knew the possible consequences.

  He thought again about Roste’s second request: find a way to destroy all of his sordid creations. All of a sudden, Cloudhawk felt like he had released a danger into the world, but how could he accomplish Roste’s task on his own? He posed no threat to this new race.

  However, he saw it clearly. This species of intelligent beast-human hybrids was a danger to the wastelands. They would grow and multiply, proliferating until some years later, a new society with its own history and goals would emerge.

  The scene today at the gates of Blackwater Base would one day find its way into the annals of history. Its long-term implications, however, were hard to determine. At least as far as Roste had been concerned, this was a mistake that would lead to terrible suffering.

  Hyena galloped off on all fours. He and his people disappeared into the marshes.

  Cloudhawk didn’t know if he’d run into Hyena again one day. If he did in some distant future, he wasn’t sure whether they would meet as friends or foes.

  But for now, this possibility wasn’t important.

  He remembered something the old man had once said. Here, beneath the stars, men were naught but dust. However much he tried, a man could only control his own life. In this twisted era, no one cared about what was right or wrong.

  “Come on, let’s head back.”

  Hellflower lightly clapped her hand on Cloudhawk’s shoulder. She kept it there as the two walked back inside.

  128 The Caliph's Warning

  Several days had passed since the big conflict.

  Hellflower appeared in Roste’s laboratory – though now, of course, it was called Hellflower’s laboratory.

  She was clad in short leather shorts and a jacket that clung tightly to her figure and put her curves on full display, especially the proud swell of her chest. A gunslinger’s belt was slung around her waist where her custom-made guns and several lines of bullets were holstered. It was perched on the pert apex of her long, shapely legs. Over it all was a snow-white lab coat that merged her wild wastelander appearance with that of a studious erudite. On her, the dual styles did not clash.

  After many setbacks, she ultimately succeeded. Roste’s secrets were within her grasp.

  Hellflower had begun wandering the wastelands when she was a teenager. Throughout her travels, she had visited more than ten Seeker crews, sometimes staying only a few months while the longest was for a few years. Her goal had always been to learn everything she could.

  Her time in Blackwater Base was the longest and also the most dangerous. She’d almost lost her life, but the risks were worth it. She’d gained more here than she had ever expected. It would take years of meditating on the knowledge to truly understand it all.

  “Exalted leader.” A scientist respectfully intruded, “Cloudhawk’s blood sample has been collected.”

  She lifted her head from the piles of data before her. She found Cloudhawk to be a very interesting young man, not only because he’d saved her on several occasions, but also because there was a lot about him that piqued her interest.

  Lately, he’d seen a great deal of trouble. He claimed to have been bitten by Roste as the old man lost his mind, which infected him with something. However, none of their checks or scans revealed the presence of any toxins. Moreover, no symptoms had manifested since then, but, to be on the safe side, she’d had some of his blood drawn to see if they could find anything.

  She stretched out her long, delicate fingers and took the vial of blood from her assistant. She moved as though to do something but paused. Something flashed behind her beautiful eyes. “How is his recovery coming along? Has there been anything noteworthy?”

  The scientist found it difficult to stare at his leader’s bright eyes directly. He was jealous of that vulgar boy and the care he got from this beautiful woman. He truthfully reported what he knew, “None of his injuries were serious. They’re mostly healed by now. He certainly eats and drinks a lot. Only… he’s always asking to leave.”

  “Asking to leave? Why?!”

  “I’m uncertain. He’s become more irritable lately as if he’s displeased with this place. He is preparing his things now preparing to go.”

  This revelation clearly bothered her. What was going through this kid’s brain? The whole base belonged to her now, and Cloudhawk was one of her most cherished people. As long as she was here, what could he be lacking? She simply couldn’t understand. Were the Elysian lands really so appealing?

  No matter what, Cloudhawk couldn’t leave.

  Hellflower needed his help to translate Roste’s notes, and he still had more to learn about Elysian language and culture. That should be enough to pacify his wanderlust, at least for a while. They’ll take it one day at a time.

  In the end, she hoped he might choose to remain here and help her. He was young but was full of potential. He was also the only person in the wastelands she could rely on. She would be much more at ease if he stayed.

  When she thought about it, Hellflower recalled that she was already past thirty. In all those years, no one had made her feel comfortable. She’d only known Cloudhawk for a short time, though, so where did this assuredness come from?

  “Exalted leader, someone is asking to see you.”

  “Who is it?” She was busy analyzing Cloudhawk’s blood sample and didn’t look up. Everything else had been put to the side. Her first inclination was to dismiss whoever it was.

  “Someone from outside. A stranger. He’s very tall… much taller than a normal man. Maybe a representative from the sweepers.” The guard could tell from her body language that Hellflower was uninterested. He bowed and said, “If your Excellency is busy, I can tell him you aren’t interested in visitors right now.”

  “Wait a moment!” Hellflower stopped what she was doing, shut her eyes, and thought for a moment. “Let him in.”

  Several minutes later…

  The sounds of heavy and determined footsteps came from the hallway. Each step was like a battering ram, every thud rattling deep into the depths of her heart. The sound made her body shake ever so slightly, and the air grew oppressively heavy.

  She could feel the pressure on her chest and thought she could smell the scent of carnage in the air. Even before she could see his likeness, Hellflower knew this man was more powerful than anything she’d encountered before.

  The visitor entered, revealing his strange physique. His whole body was wrapped up tightly as though hiding some unpresentable reality beneath. From beneath the shadows of his cowl, a pair of blood red eyes glowed like embers. They pierced her like bloody daggers.

  Hellflower felt as though the tip of an ice-cold blade was running along her spine, and her hand went instinctively to the handle of her gun. However, she quickly caught herself and forced her hand to relax. Drawing her weapon or leaving it holstered, the end result would be the same. Making a show would only reveal her fear to this stranger. It was better to remain calm and collected. She turned to address her subordinates, “Leave us, and do not let anyone in without my explicit instruction.”

  Her guards left the room. She and the mysterious stranger were the only ones remaining.

  “How did you get here?” She stared at the man in front of her. “The word is you’re dead. What’s the meaning of this? I’ve told you that I will no longer work for you!”

  “Heheheh…” The slithering laughter was uncomfortable on the ears, like the croaking of a frog. He removed his hood to reveal his face, or rather, something like a mask where his face should be. His head was covered in white hair, and he
stared at her with burning red orbs that served as eyes. “You killed Roste? Such a pity.”

  The Caliph of the Sands! The apex power of the wastelands!

  He belonged to the world’s most mysterious race, those who were blamed for the destruction and turmoil that tore society apart. He was a demon.

  After the war with the gods, there were few of his kind left in the world. Those that remained hid on distant islands or in the depths below mountains. Those who forsook hermitage and chose to live in the wastelands or near the Elysian lands were particularly scarce. The Caliph of the Sands was one of the more famous.

  Terror hung over demons like a fog and infected any human that came close. It was the sort of terror that sheep feel when the wolf creeps into their midst, or the worm feels when the shadow of a bird passes overhead. Without reason or embellishment, that fear seeped into the core of one’s soul.

  It was said that the fall of civilization was directly connected to demons. Their arrival brought about the slaughter of billions and caused mankind’s collapse. Those places destroyed by demons became the wastelands, a barren hellscape where hardly anything grew.

  If not for the arrival of the gods, demons would have conquered the whole world.

  The flood of trepidation Hellflower felt upon facing the demon almost paralyzed her. Sweat had begun to collect on her brow. She did not know why this dangerous being was visiting her now.

  Were there really those so stupid to believe Cloudhawk could defeat the likes of the Caliph? Hellflower hadn’t believed it from the first moment she heard the news. She was intimately familiar with the Caliph’s terrible power as well as his cunning and acumen. He was older than anyone knew, and for a young demon hunter and her pet to kill him… it was absolutely laughable.

  The Caliph’s strange and sinister voice slithered through the room, “If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead. Do not fear. I am here so that we might work together.”