The Way of the Sword and Gun

by Stuart Jaffe

  Malja's smart horse knew that the disturbing spell had vanished. The horse cut right into the path Malja had been wanting to go this whole time. As she neared Fawbry, he got to his feet and shook his body.

  "Get ready," she called out.

  Fawbry saw her, shouldered his weapon, and put out his arms. She leaned over and as the horse passed by, she swooped Fawbry up and onto the back of her horse. He was lighter than she had expected and ended up hanging off the opposite side. With her leg, she shoved him back up, keeping her hands on the reins and pushing her horse after the convoy.

  When he settled behind her, Fawbry wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thanks for getting me," he said.

  "I still need you. And that gun," she said.

  "It's amazing, isn't it?"

  As they neared the convoy, Malja got a clearer look of the set up. Lots of horses and several grounders spread out over a wide area. A handful of flyers led the group further up. In the middle of it all rode an enclosed transport with rope ladders swinging from either side. Sunlight glittered off its metal body. A flatbed of soldiers trailed behind. Tethered to the transport, three flyers pulled it like horses towing a cart. Atop the transport stood Baldy.

  "There," Malja said. "That's where Salia is."

  "Makes sense," Fawbry said. "There's faster ways to get to the Library but they're through the forests. Very narrow. If she wants all this protection, she has to cross the Great Field."

  They were close enough now that Malja could see Baldy pointing to several of his men and shouting orders. Three horsemen broke off and headed back.

  "They don't have many magicians," Fawbry said.

  "Hard to use them around here when you say you hate them so much."

  Fawbry tapped the gun. "I got a little magic right here."

  "Then use it," Malja said. "And don't fall off this time."

  Fawbry lifted the weapon as Malja loosened the reins and squeezed her heels to spur the horse on. The three horsemen closed the distance — two pulled out clean, shiny swords, and one pointed a gun.

  "Look at this," Fawbry said as a red light emitted from the gun. "It's like a pointer to wherever I aim."

  "Then aim at the enemy!"

  Malja watched the red light dance on one of the horsemen. When Fawbry pulled the trigger, the noise shattered around her. Her assault suit stretched itself from the neck up over her ears. She knew it could alter its shape — it had grown with her since she was little — but never had it reacted so fast. Flashes of gunfire continued at her side. Her horse kept steady, but she could feel its body shudder under her.

  Fawbry fired more, and one horseman fell back, blood popping out wherever the bullets struck. With the gun still spitting out, Fawbry took down the other two horsemen. In just seconds, he had cleared them out.

  Malja could see the faces of many of the soldiers in the convoy. They stared back in shock. She sympathized. Whatever this weapon was, Fawbry had shown that with it, even a weak clown could become deadly.

  "Get to Salia," Fawbry said. "I'll take care of anything that comes our way."

  Baldy sent several more waves of horsemen. Each time, Fawbry unleashed a barrage of bullets that leveled the enemy before it came close enough to engage. But Malja saw that Baldy wasn't a fool. He stopped sending men to their deaths and instead commanded most of the soldiers to break off back toward the city. They were useless now.

  The way Baldy stared at Malja as she approached told her enough. He knew she was coming for Salia. And since he couldn't stop her from reaching the transport, he might as well wait and prepare.

  Malja's horse tried to slow its gait, but Malja pressed it onward. "Almost done," she said, stroking its neck.

  Baldy climbed down the back of the wagon, reached below for a moment, and then saluted his men standing on the flatbed. At first, Malja saw nothing change, and her confusion was matched by the soldiers questioning their captain. Then the wagon continued ahead but the flatbed fell behind. Baldy had uncoupled the flatbed.

  Most of the soldiers dropped to the flooring. Any magicians onboard wouldn't have had enough time to cast a significant spell. Seven, however, lifted long-range rifles and took aim.

  "Keep going," Fawbry said. As they passed the stalled flatbed, Fawbry pulled his trigger. Once more, the weapon belched bullets with deafening bursts. Five of the seven soldiers fell. The last two fired back. Malja couldn't tell where the bullets struck, but she knew they had missed her, Fawbry, and her horse. Beyond that, she didn't care. All that remained was the transport.

  Fawbry tapped Malja on the shoulder. She turned her ear toward him. "I think I'm out of bullets," he said.

  It was a shame to lose such a great weapon, but Malja hadn't expected it to last so long. She'd never known any gun that held so much ammunition.

  "I'm going on that transport. You steer the horse," she said.

  Before Fawbry could object, Malja swung her left leg over the horse's head and stood in the right stirrup. She motioned for Fawbry to scoot onto the saddle. Though his eyes looked at her like she had lost her mind, his body did as she commanded. He inched forward until he could hold the reins and had his left foot in position. Malja then put her hands on his shoulders, shoved down hard and popped herself onto the horse's back just behind Fawbry.

  Sitting fully in the saddle now, Fawbry looked over his shoulder and said, "Don't ever do that again."

  Malja readied Viper and nodded toward the transport. "Get in as close as you can."

  Fawbry did as instructed, his hands shaking from both the galloping horse and his own nerves. Malja brought her left foot up, getting ready to jump onto the transport. Just a little closer.

  She never heard the loud twang of the crossbow. Baldy had plenty of time to set up his shot, and he hit her in the right bicep. She yelled out both her pain and aggravation. She dipped forward but Fawbry pulled her back from falling off.

  "You okay?" he called back.

  "Keep going." She glared at Baldy. He laughed and blew a kiss. As she wrapped a fist around the bolt and yanked it from her arm, she kept her eyes on him.

  Her assault suit tightened around the wound like a bandage. In seconds, the pain numbed enough to be ignored.

  Fawbry brought the horse right next to the transport, and Malja jumped onto the rope ladder hanging over the side. She looked up to see Baldy patiently waiting for her. Smart. No point in struggling to load another bolt on a bouncing transport. If he dared try to harm her on her climb, she would be on him fast and Viper's reach would cut him down. Better to take the best possible location on the roof, get balanced, and ready a sword.

  When Malja swung onto the transport's roof, Baldy made another excellent move. He attacked before she had time to gain her footing. Viper clanged with Baldy's sword, and Malja's back foot slipped. She fell back, tucking her leg underneath, saving it from twisting and herself from falling off the side.

  Baldy growled as he jumped toward her. Malja swung out with Viper, catching Baldy's sword and tearing it out of his hand. It spun off into the distance.

  And then she saw his eyes. Tight, slitted, reptilian eyes. Whatever Baldy was, he wasn't human.

  Malja rolled over and kicked out as she rose to her feet. Baldy didn't take the bait. He stood back and settled in for another bout.

  The transport jolted but Malja now had her balance. She held Viper low with both hands and measured her opponent. To go with his eyes, he had a thick hide. No tail she could see — good. Tailed creatures often had better balance. What concerned her most, though, was the fact that he hadn't produced another weapon since losing his sword. He eyed her, muscles pumped and ready, and snarled. The only possible dangers he posed besides pure strength were the metal bracers he wore on either forearm.

  She stared him down, watching his shoulders and his waist, waiting for the signs of attack. Baldy lowered slightly as if to pounce. Malja stepped in, bringing Viper forward and upward.

  Though Baldy's eyes betrayed his surprise, he react
ed well. He swung his arm into Viper, letting the bracer take the blow. Viper rang out in a sound both strange and uneasy — not the usual sword against sword sound, but a duller noise like hitting a grounder.

  Baldy followed the blow up with a backhand. Malja ducked to the left and jabbed with Viper. Again, Baldy blocked. Back and forth they attacked and dodged and blocked. Neither seemed able to hit the other with any significant force. Twice Malja thought she had him, but the transport would sway or bump and destroy her opportunities.

  Stepping wide to the edge of the transport, Baldy came in for another punch. Right before striking, he changed course and pounded her foot into the roof. As she staggered under the pain, Baldy cranked back and smashed his fist into her wounded bicep.

  Malja screamed out. The transport bumped into the air and slammed down on the ground. Malja lost her balance. She dragged her feet for friction but Baldy could not be stopped. With his foot, he kicked her over the edge.

  She rolled, trying to grab hold of the rope ladder as she dropped. She missed as the coarse rope scratched her face. Tucking her head, she prepared for a hard hit on the ground. It didn't come. She wasn't falling anymore. She looked up to find her right foot caught on one of the rope ladder rungs.

  Her body banged into the transport's side. She flipped Viper into its sheath and grabbed the ladder with both hands. Her wounded arm throbbed, but her assault suit had dulled some of the ache already. Below her head, the ground raced by.

  "Malja," Fawbry called. Despite the pain, she lifted her body enough to see Fawbry's horse keeping pace with the transport. Fawbry held his gun at his shoulder and aimed in her direction. "I think this'll be big."

  Malja put out one hand and felt the word No rising in her throat, but she didn't have time to speak. A cylinder of smoke poured out of the gun. She never saw what it shot, but she felt it.

  The transport lifted into the air, taking Malja with it. An eruption of fire and noise plumed out of the side. As it descended, it toppled over, turning the side Malja was trapped on into the roof.

  She held tight to the rope ladder while the transport dragged along the ground. The tethered flyers twisted with the turning transport. Two crashed into each other with explosive force. The third strained in a foolish attempt to keep moving until flames flared out of its engines. It plummeted to the ground, its magician pilot screaming the short way down.

  Black and gray smoke streamed out of a huge hole in the transport's side as Malja untangled from the rope ladder. She crawled toward what had been the roof only moments ago and peeked over the edge. Baldy's head rested on a few churned up stones. The rest of him had been pinned under the wagon.

  "Did you see that?" Fawbry yelled, looking around him as if searching for an audience. "Did you see what I just did?"

  Malja stood. Her legs wobbled worse than when the transport was in motion. "Korstra and Kryssta, split me in two."

  Fawbry laughed. "Never heard that one."

  "What did you do?"

  "There was a little switch on the side that seemed to suggest this gun had another shot or two in it. Didn't know it was going to launch a bomb. But by Kryssta, that sure was something." Fawbry froze as his thoughts caught up with him. "Hey, there's no way Salia survived that. I just saved us all. I'm the hero." He twirled with his gun raised in the air. "I'm the hero," he sang.

  Malja stepped to the edge of the burning hole and squinted. She fanned away the smoke. That's when she knew things had gotten far worse than she expected. "Wonderful," she said, peering into the empty transport.

  Owl

  Faster. Faster. Owl urged his horse onward, his mind calculating and re-calculating how much time they had wasted chasing the convoy. Salia could have left during the night, taken a small contingent through the forest — paralleling the Great Field but avoiding being seen — and arrived at the Library before dawn.

  No. If she had done so, and assuming she had used her contingent for the blood magic, the world would have known by now. At best, she would have risen as a goddess to rule over them. At worst, another Devastation would have swept through the lands.

  That neither of those horrible situations occurred suggested that she left at a later time. She had to be at the Library, but she hadn't completed her magic yet. There was still a chance.

  Smatterings of debris dotted the plains as he galloped through. Between the smashed grounder, the loose horses grazing in the distance, and the numerous bodies littered around, Malja had left Owl a clear path to follow. Up ahead, smoke dirtied the sky.

  When he reached the source, an upended transport with a gaping hole in the side, Owl dismounted to check it out. If Fawbry or Malja lay injured nearby, he had to help. Being quick was key. Check the transport, scan the area, and if he didn't find them, assume they had moved on to the Library.

  With his sword out, he walked the perimeter of the transport. Other than lots of ground metal, three crumpled flyers with three dead magicians, and the head of some bald creature, Owl found nothing. No evidence of Malja or Fawbry being injured or in trouble.

  "Watch over them, dear Kryssta," he said, passing his finger over his forehead, and headed to his horse.

  That's when the dead rose from the ground.

  It began with moans of pain. Whatever brought them back, and only Salia's magic made any sense at this point, the reincarnation was not easy on the body. All the dead — the magicians, the swordsmen, even the animals — stood and shuffled their way toward the Library. They limped and dragged and pulled their limbs along, wincing with each step.

  Two thoughts struck Owl: First — Salia had reached the Library and raised the dead, but she still hadn't used its full power yet. Second — if allowed to continue, these dead creatures would come upon Malja and Fawbry from behind.

  "Unless I stop them," he whispered.

  Owl sprinted ahead until he was in front of the line of the dead. He raised his sword, inhaled sharply, and settled into a fierce offensive stance. "Time to die again," he said.

  Malja and Owl

  When Malja and Fawbry reached the Library, Malja slipped off the dappled gray before it had a chance to slow down. She brought out Viper, whirling it above, and sprinted ahead. Several feet away from the wide, stone stairs of the Library, Malja skidded to a halt.

  At the top of the stairs, Salia raised her arms out to either side. The Library overshadowed her like a twisted thorn that touched the clouds. It had been constructed from scavenged ruins — concrete, wood, glass, pipes — to form a cylindrical tower with barbed spikes surrounding the top like a crown.

  Not a Library at all. More like a bizarre military post or a prison.

  Fawbry dismounted and walked up beside Malja. He inspected his weapon. "I think this thing's got one more bomb in it — maybe two."

  Malja didn't respond. Her attention was on Salia and the warped expression the Queen wore — a crazed look Malja had seen before on many magicians. "We're too late," she said.

  Salia never blinked though her eyes teared. On the left side of her face, her jaw drooped as if the skin were melted wax. Purplish bruises dotted her cheeks. She turned her head to one side, revealing the hair had been burned away. Blood stained the bottom of her gown, and she stood barefoot in the entrails of two soldiers. Their gutted bodies had been tossed behind her.

  Four more soldiers stood with her, two on each side. They didn't show any signs of life. Malja's gut told her these soldiers were controlled by Salia's magic.

  "I am the Queen of all," Salia said, her voice shivering like the tips of her fingers. "I've been given the power of the brother gods. Worship me." The four soldiers bent to their knees in praise.

  "I'm just guessing," Fawbry said, "but something tells me her magicians didn't quite decipher the code correctly. She's a mess." Aiming his gun, he added, "Stand back. I'll take care of this."

  Fawbry shot a bomb into the air. With a loud whoosh of suction, it left a smoking trail. Malja watched the bomb climb and curve back down toward Salia.
About ten feet away from the target, while still mid-air, the bomb bounced off to the side, hit the ground like a ball, and rolled away.

  Malja broke into a sprint. She wielded Viper with such deadly intention that the weapon jittered in her strong grip. Salia looked down at her, but the Queen's eyes seemed to look through her, as if she saw not with her eyes at all.

  The ground jumped. Just once, as if one of the brother gods had bumped into the countryside by accident. The full on trembling came next.

  Malja pushed forward, but every step increased the intensity of the violent shaking. About halfway up, she had to stop moving just to keep from falling. But stopping wasn't a choice. She lifted her leg, nearly fell over, but managed another step closer.

  "Worship me," Salia said and pointed a clawed hand at Malja. The stench of magic swirled around the stench of the dead. Salia motioned and Malja felt a full blast of pressure in the chest. She reeled back, fighting to keep upright.

  She spun back and pushed off the stairs. When she hit the bottom, she tucked her head and rolled. A few stairs dug into her back, but she didn't crack her neck, so Malja figured she should be thankful. She returned to Fawbry. The look on his face and the fact that the ground continued to shake told her things were about to get worse.

  Turning back toward the Library, Malja heard a sharp bang. The ground between her and the Library steps cracked open. Dirt and rock slid in like water through a hole.

  "That gun have any more to it?" Malja asked, focusing Viper on the widening hole.

  "Don't know. But I'll keep trying with it."

  Salia let out an agony-filled scream and a crimson light pulsed around her. Two of the soldiers sprinted down the stairs, and without consideration, they leaped into the widening chasm. As they dropped, Malja caught a glimpse of them changing. Limbs burst from their sides and their skin rippled and altered.

  Seconds later, two fitulags hurdled out of the hole and skidded on the ground. They had six legs, large fangs, horrible smells, and an attitude to match. They hooted at each other before facing Malja.