King of Ends

by Sam Ryder

  God, the tongue on her. It was painfully attractive. I said nothing, just focused straight ahead, marching. Carefully, I retracted Belenie’s hand from my behind and pulled my own away too. Lest I be unhinged.

  “When we get to Paris, Gehn and Belenie are in charge,” I said. “They’ll fit in where Hannah and I will be outsiders.”

  Gehn and Hannah agreed. “What is our immediate aim?” Gehn asked. Thankfully, she didn’t try to tempt me into a romp in the undergrowth like her sister. I appreciated that.

  “We need an army. The Rising will act quickly, especially now that Atticus is worried about ‘the Three’ getting the jump on him.”

  “Little does he know we’re ‘the Four’ now,” Hannah said.

  “Little does he know I’m going to cut off his tiny cock and feed it to him,” I said, remembering what Belenie said about the attempted rape.

  Belenie grinned a dark grin at that, her horns radiating crimson once more.

  Gehn cut in. “The Enders are a patient people, long-suffering. They won’t be quick to join an army led by a human guy they don’t know. We need to take our time, work our way in. If we can successfully build this army and conquer Rome, we can establish peace in The Ends,” Gehn said. “That has to be the overarching message behind everything we do. We come in peace. We look to establish peace. Don’t walk in there threatening anyone. You risk angering someone, and then we have a fight on our hands.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “We’ll lead off with peace. Let’s find a way to earn their trust, and then we can approach the subject of building an army together. If we can unite with the Enders, maybe we can charge into Rome and use enough brute force to take down Atticus.”

  I saw Gehn’s eyes glaze over. She was thinking about her vision. The blood was flowing again. I could tell when her emotions got the best of her. This was one of those moments. She was afraid of the violence inside her. That’s why she was pushing peace so hard.

  Unfortunately, sometimes establishing peace meant bathing the world in blood first.

  Chapter 3

  Paris

  To call Paris a “city” was generous.

  We reached the Parisian limits the next afternoon, and it stunned me to see how primitive the Enders lived. They’d built most of the buildings from fallen trees and logs. There were no buildings over one story. It was like a blast from the past, when log cabins were the settlers solution to riding out harsh winters.

  “Wow, I guess I was expecting more,” I said as we approached the city.

  “You forget that the Rising hoards all the technology,” Gehn said. “You need equipment and tools to build taller buildings. Enders don’t have access to anything but their own hands.”

  It showed. The buildings were clearly handmade; strong, but not much to look at. They cut open-air windows out of rows of logs stacked on top of each other. Uneven doorways offered glimpses into simple houses.

  “Are we ready for this?” Hannah asked as we entered the “city”.

  “Relax,” I said. “Just let Gehn and Belenie lead us through. Keep your head on a swivel to avoid surprises.”

  I checked my holster. Both my girls were ready.

  We stepped into the cluster of buildings where female Enders milled about. Their beauty struck me as hard as Gehn’s and Belenie’s had. Back in the old world, they would’ve all been supermodels. I didn’t know if that was part of the transformation process, or if the radiation just targeted beautiful women. Regardless of the reason, I didn’t mind the view at all.

  One thing I questioned, however, was the lack of male Enders in the area. I entered the city with my testosterone pumping, figuring a fight was just around the corner. Male Enders were notoriously aggressive, and if they got possessive about their territory, I was ready to kick a few asses to send a strong message.

  “Where are the guys?” I asked Gehn.

  “The men are probably hunting,” she said. “Remember, the men no longer possess the ability to empathize with their women. They have no libidos. So they work as much as possible to use up the rage inside of them. It’s how they’ve learned to cope.”

  What a life. Still, it made me wonder what kind of warriors they would be if only we could harness that rage and energy in a direction that led to the Rising’s doorstep.

  Nearly every Ender woman stared at us as we made our way through the streets. Though their beauty eclipsed all else, I started looking for their mutations. A tail here, horns all over the place, one with scaly skin, another with a—I kid you not—fishtail that was swimming around a large wooden water bath. She flipped her large dolphin-like tail as we passed, sending a wave of water in our direction and forcing us to dance out of the way. Playful, I thought. Then she hissed at me, showcasing twin fangs. I looked away, not wanting to challenge her in her domain.

  Hannah chuckled nervously. “Bitch has a chip on her shoulder,” she said. I was guessing jokes were her defense mechanism. As a human in the Ender capital, I was certain she felt as uncomfortable as me.

  I stopped. No. That wasn’t how we should feel. That was Rising shit. They were still people. Different in appearance to some degree, but still the same in many ways. There was no reason humans couldn’t co-exist with them.

  “Cutter, you okay?” Gehn asked, having stopped when I did. “I’m not getting any bad vibes here.”

  “I’m good,” I said, starting off again.

  Still, the tension hung in the air. Both of the Enders leading the way were dealing with it in their own fashions.

  Gehn seemed to know the city well. She’d lived here for a time. Because she was returning to a familiar place, she wore an expression of relaxed confidence, smiling at those who bothered to make eye contact with us for any extended period of time. Gehn’s only problem? Her reputation might precede her. Enders would not trust an Ender traveling with two humans.

  Belenie on the other hand, looked anxious and skittish. She took my “keep your head on a swivel” almost too literally, turning her head back and forth to capture every stare. It was beginning to make me nervous.

  “See?” I said, trying to calm everyone the hell down. “This isn’t so bad. It’s just a little uncomfortable, that’s all.”

  “Let’s get to work,” Belenie said. “No sense in wasting time.”

  “I agree,” I said. “Gehn, where can we find the Ender leaders. We may as well talk to them first.”

  Gehn scanned the area until her eyes stopped on a medium-sized house off in the near-distance. The logs had been whitewashed somehow, giving it a refined-yet-weathered look.

  “There,” she said.

  “Okay. Let’s start there. But first, how do things work here?” I asked. “Do they vote on their leaders? Do they even have a leader?”

  She looked at me as though I just asked her if the sky was green. “Yes, they have leaders,” she said. “Sierra, the female leader of the Enders, acts as a sort of queen over her kingdom here. She is the most powerful Ender around.”

  “How did she rise to power?” I asked.

  “You’d have to ask her,” Gehn admitted. “I have no clue. But I will tell you that she’s held the power for a long time. I will tell you there was no kind of vote, no democracy. The strongest, smartest rule.”

  I didn’t exactly understand the rules of the society here, but it wasn’t my job to understand their rules, either. It was my job to earn their trust and forge an alliance. That’s exactly what I intended to do.

  “You can’t bull-rush these people,” Gehn said. “Remember, cut deals. Make concessions. Be patient.”

  “I’ll try,” I said. We approached the whitewashed building, where I spotted the first two male Enders guarding the joint. They were big, ugly and looked mean as hell.

  I stepped forward until before the two guards.

  “I come in peace,” I announced. “I want to meet with Sierra.”

  The big ogre on the left held a hammer up. “No,” he said.

  “Maybe you s
hould ask Sierra what she thinks.”

  The guy on the right snorted. “No, thanks.” He wielded a sizable axe.

  Jesus, these two guys are full of personality. “Look, I’m not here to hurt the Enders. Hell, if you hadn’t noticed, I’m traveling with Enders. You may have heard some bad shit about me, but those are just rumors. I’m on your side in all this.”

  I never took my hand away from my holster, ready to draw Alpha if necessary. I wasn’t a fool, not after my last male Ender run in, which had almost killed me.

  And judging by the size of those two ogres, I assumed that I would need that protection sooner rather than later.

  “You need to leave,” the other guard ordered. ‘Humans are not welcome here.”

  “I’m not leaving until you pass along my request for a meeting,” I said.

  “I don’t know what we have to do to make this clearer for you,” the second guard said. “You will walk away right now, or in three seconds, I will knock your head off your shoulders.”

  I didn’t move. Here we go.

  “One.”

  I stared him down. It wasn’t going as Gehn wanted, but I hadn’t expected anything less.

  “Two.”

  Fuck, this guy was for real. I might be able to win this fight, but it wasn’t a sure thing given the sheer size of the two meatheads threatening me. This wasn’t the time or place to start a fight. Maybe later, but for now I’d listen to Gehn’s advice.

  So I took a few steps back until I was out of the guards’ reach. “I’ll be seeing you later,” I said.

  “Watch your ass,” the second guard said. “If I were you, I’d leave the city right now.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement.”

  We headed away. Gehn said, “That was the right play.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “It was…hard.”

  She chuckled. “I know. I wanted to claw out their eyes.” She covered her mouth as if surprised at the words that had slipped free.

  It was my turn to chuckle. “Maybe you’ll eventually get your chance. Now, is there any place to get a few drinks in this town?”

  “You want Weston’s,” Gehn said. “But it might not be friendly in there either.”

  “I’ll risk it,” I said. “We need to start to assimilate or we’ll never get anywhere.”

  Gehn led us to a ramshackle cabin with a swinging front door, like an old time saloon. Inside, the clientele appeared to be mostly women, I assumed because the men were off hunting or whatever. When we entered, everything stopped for a second as numerous sets of rather striking eyes fell on us, but then they quickly looked away, resuming quiet discussions. There was no noise, no merriment, just drinking and soft discussions.

  I liked it.

  We sat at the bar and ordered some drinks. The first drink was good. The second was even better.

  “How are you keeping this cold?” I asked, wondering myself.

  “I’ve got an underground cooler,” the bartender said. She was a female Ender but didn’t seem to have any hair on her. Bony ridges covered her scalp rather than horns. Her knuckles had the strange bony protrusions as well, and I was assuming they appeared on other parts of her body too.

  The underground cooler was a genius move, especially given how cool it seemed to keep the drinks.

  “I feel like we’re on display,” I said, sipping the third drink after having thrown the first two back.

  “We are,” Gehn replied. “This is a rare sight to behold. You and Hannah are human.”

  We sat quietly, keeping to ourselves as we sipped on our drinks.

  Then, a big, blue ogre entered the joint, his eyes casting about until they landed on us. “Motherfuckers,” he muttered, stomping in our direction with intent and purpose. Someone had clearly clued him into our presence and he’d come here specifically looking for us. Great, I thought. Even when I’m trying my best not to look for trouble, it finds me anyway. Story of my life.

  “Stay seated,” I said to the others as I stood.

  “Cutter,” Gehn warned.

  “I know, I know, patience and all that shit.” I faced the raging rhino bearing down on me. “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah,” he snorted. “You can help me by getting your Rising ass out of Paris. We don’t want you here.”

  “Yeah, you do,” I replied. “Trust me. You want me here. You’re in a bad way. I am here to help. And, to set the record straight, I’m not Rising.”

  “You’re human, same thing,” he said.

  “That’s the thinking that’ll get you fucked in the ass.”

  “You’ve got a mouth on you. I should shove my fist down it.”

  I raised my hands, which made me feel naked given the distance from my weapons. Still, it felt like the right move if I was going to keep the peace. “I don’t want to fight.”

  “Then you came to the wrong place.”

  Damn, these guys had hot tempers. Again, I thought of what they might be capable of in battle. “Look, I want to forge a human/Ender alliance. That’s the only way to defeat the Rising.”

  He scoffed. “Fuck the rising. They can have Rome. We’re good here.”

  “Until they come and massacre you.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  Dammit. It was coming out all wrong, although I wasn’t sure there was a right way to explain things to the male Enders, who were so quick to violence.

  “No. Look, I’m just trying to explain that whether you like it or not, war is coming to your doorstep.”

  The man slid a huge hunting knife from his waistband. “Yeah, well, guess what? I’m not falling for nothing. You’ll kill us in your sleep if we’re not careful. Which means you gotta die.”

  I dropped my hand to Alpha, feeling the comfort she always gave me right away. It was time to party again, even if I didn’t want to this time.

  Chapter 4

  Royal rumble

  In retrospect, picking a fight with an Ender in the middle of an Ender bar in the capital city of Enders was probably not the smartest move.

  But this big dumb ox insisted on fighting me. I had no choice but to defend myself.

  “Don’t,” Gehn warned, seeing my hand on my holster.

  “Listen to her,” the Ender said, brandishing his knife threateningly. “This won’t end well for you.”

  I smiled. “Then I better get off to a good start.”

  With that, I shoved him with both hands, throwing all my strength behind the move. Male Enders were massive beasts, and it was difficult to get any momentum when pushing them. I was successful, though, probably because I’d surprised him. His body flew backwards, crashing onto the top of a table and flipping it back over his head.

  He crashed to the floor as wood splintered. Drinks went flying, glass shattered, and irritated Enders looked up from their conversations to see what had caused the commotion.

  I immediately slipped Alpha out of her holster and held her at the ready. This guy didn’t deserve a fighting chance, so I figured I would take him out quickly.

  Of course, an Ender in the middle of an Ender bar would have a few allies. Before I realized it, a huge fist flew past my face and cracked down on my hand, sending Alpha to the floor. My bones crunched as I groaned in pain. I cringed, managing to murmur, “Hey, did anyone get the license plate on that truck?”

  I turned to see who had hit me. I barely made out the shape of another male Ender who’d apparently come barreling through the swinging door, before he launched an uppercut that rattled my jaws shut and nearly popped me out of my boots. The heavy blow lifted me into the air and then gravity took over, sending me crashing down on the top of the bar and sliding back until I tumbled over the other side. The bartender scurried away, trying to avoid getting involved in the conflict.

  Spots danced in my vision while I tried to regain my composure. I still had Beta in her holster, so I pulled her out and peered over the top of the bar. I stood just on the other side of the three women, all of whom looked shocked
by the speed with which the violence had erupted.

  “Duck!” I shouted.

  They complied, hitting the floor quickly. Once they were clear, I unleashed a few bullets at the Ender that sent me sprawling behind the bar. I caught him in the hip on my second shot, penetrating the bone and knocking him off his feet. The floor thundered when he hit the floor, his massive frame denting the wood. I steadied myself, hoping to get in a killshot. But before I could, Gehn stood up, standing between me and the Ender.

  “Don’t!” she ordered.

  “He’ll kill me if I don’t!” I replied.

  But she didn’t budge.

  Dammit. Get out of the way so I can finish the job! What are you doing?

  Before I could do much else, the first Ender had regrouped without me noticing. I turned my head slightly to the right to see his hulking blue frame soaring over the bar top.

  He came crashing down on top of me, sending me back and knocking me off my feet. My head bounced hard off the wood floor.

  My vision went blurry, and my hearing dulled for a short time. Everything felt fuzzy. I was no doctor, but I later figured the shot to my head caused a concussion.

  It’s hard to fight when you’ve had your bell rung, but I did the best I could. Because that fall was so hard, I dropped Beta down onto the floor next to me. The Ender wanted fisticuffs, and I followed suit.

  Unfortunately, the punching power of an Ender was nearly four times that of the average human before being mutated. Their super strength was one of the hallmarks of the male Enders. But even so, I ignored all common sense and put up my dukes.

  He hit hard, but he hit slowly. I ducked his first swing and delivered five knuckles to his jaw. It felt like punching a brick wall. There was no give, and it lacked any satisfying feeling of connecting with an actual face.

  I stumbled a bit, still woozy, which gave him an advantage. He punched me in the midsection so hard I wasn’t sure I would ever breathe again. Then he rocked my head with another punch to the side of my skull. Now it really did feel like I’d been hit by a truck.

  This brought me to my knees. He lifted one knee and connected between my eyes. I flopped backwards onto the floor, looking up at the towering beast who stared down his nose at me, preparing to finish the job.