Desert Runner

by Dawn Chapman

  Then I noticed he had pulled out a small box from his pocket. I swallowed remembering the box. “Dail.” I tried to stall, but he opened it, revealing the stunning pink gem inside.

  “Maddie, I’m not taking no for an answer this time. You love me, I love you. Accept it.”

  The last few years flittered through my mind, all the times I’d just plain avoided him. Yet the day I’d heard about his mistake out on the desert plains, I had rushed to his hospital bedside. “Xia told you, didn’t he? That I’d been to see you.”

  Dail nodded, holding the box up to the light, and the ring it glinted around the room.

  I reached out, touching the pink stone, feeling its warmth as we connected. It had magical enhancements, its stats flashing up.

  STRENGTH + 5

  INTELLIGENCE + 10

  CONSTANT HEALTH BONUS + 10

  EXTRA BONUS – HEALTH BOOST + 10 –

  To activate, twist the ring twice

  I’d not seen this when he first tried to propose to me. The fact was, that day I’d just turned and ran. Ran away from the only man who I knew cared about me.

  Now I noted its potential. What it actually might mean for me, especially out there on the plains. My thoughts were purely selfish, though. I pulled back.

  “I can’t.”

  Val brought over two steaming plates of food and then two tankards of beer he brewed himself. The fresh smelling bread he’d plonked with the food had my mouth watering.

  Dail picked up a fork, tucking in. I could see how hungry he was. Heck, my own stomach was growling. My mouth watered beyond measure. The ring sat between us now, like a glass wall. I couldn’t bring myself to push it away further or ask Dail to pack it away once more.

  The more I stared at it through my mouthfuls of food and contemplation, the more I realised I wanted it, but it was for all the wrong reasons.

  The food tasted a lot better than I remembered from just a few weeks ago, so I mostly ate it without talking. I listened to Dail chatter about his healing costs. I wondered if offering to pay it off was another reason to bring out the ring.

  The beer slid down, and without a thought, I picked out the ring from the box. When I met his gaze with my own, I licked the beer foam from my lip. The words tumbled out before I even realised. “If I make it back alive,” I stuttered. “I’ll marry you.”

  Chapter 2

  I hadn’t quite expected his response, but he grabbed me, pulling me to him for a kiss. I’d almost forgotten how muscular and yet vulnerable he’d become.

  His kiss was just as I remembered. It wasn’t sweet or romantic—it was sloppy. A few claps and whoops came from the patrons of the bar. I grinned at them. I could be a badass runner and love someone, right?

  Dail took the ring from my now shaking hand, placing it on my finger. The instant boost to my energy levels was intense. I knew he saw it.

  HEALTH – 75%

  “I’ve been having it enhanced. Knowing your line of work, it only seemed right.”

  When the ring was on, he leaned in, kissing me again. “Come back to me, won’t you?”

  I wanted him to go with me, but the thought of putting his life in that amount of danger so soon after the injury was a definite no.

  Pushing myself up, I tapped the side of my head. “If I don’t go now, I’ll never leave.”

  Dail nodded. “I understand.” He stood with me, but I strode to the door alone. I was never good at saying goodbye. I didn’t want to say it now. Awkwardly, I opened it, the heat slapping me in the face. “I’ll call you from Trox,” I said as I walked away and never looked back.

  I knew he watched me, but I couldn’t do it. The pain now in my chest was for different reasons, the aching of our past relationship, the reasons why it went wrong. Survival and love.

  Whatever this darned package was, I’d better go fetch it.

  The water tanks and internal battery systems needed a good overhaul, so that meant at least a short trip to the garage while it was in there for a check I could possibly see the local wares of the market.

  Walking down the main street, I was greeted with sellers galore. It was a beautiful day. Many of the stalls were decorated in fantastic summer shawls and clothing, all handmade and stitched by the town’s local crafters. I didn’t have much in the clothing department, but I hung back after I’d spotted a new jacket. The one I wore had far too many patched holes. I smiled at the stallholder, who smiled back. Picking up the jacket, I tried it on. Perfect fit.

  “Suits you,” he said. “Be good out in the desert.”

  I shrugged it off. “How do you know where I’m going?” I asked, instantly worried someone else knew the plans for my run. Then I shook off the concern. He couldn’t know anything. The visitors here called us NPCs. Non Player Characters. I hated the term. They laughed at us, used us. We were programs to them, nothing more. Knowing I was programmed, I fought every day to go against it. That included the ‘falling for everyone I meet’ trope.

  The man tried to smile at me, adding, “Just see it in your face, miss.”

  “Oh, really?” I clung to the jacket. “How much?”

  He grinned. I wasn’t usually so great at knocking these guys down a peg or two, but I apparently wanted it.

  “Make me an offer.” His toothy grin gleamed gold. No wonder he could afford teeth like that with such high-quality items. So I looked at the tag, seventy-five silver, and then offered him fifteen less.

  “Make it sixty-five, and you can have the gauntlets to cover your arm tags.”

  I looked at where he now pointed. There were indeed two gauntlets to match. I held out my arm for the transfer of the silver. “Pleasure doing business.”

  I had all my other gear stored in the boot. There wasn’t much—spare boots, underwear, tops. I’d never needed them, never been stuck bar that one terrible year. No matter the water or the stores I’d kept as backups, there would never be enough, hence my fight with the Tromoal. I wanted what it had, food. It wanted to eat me as well. I was lucky to get away.

  My internal clock pinged. The Hog would be ready to go. I made my way back to the garage, checking over their work just once before I paid and drove out. The Hog always got stares as we made our way out of town. After I made a quick turn, I stopped by the main food store, loaded up and packed tight into the boot. There wasn’t going to be much room for anything else.

  Whatever happened, this might be the only time I’d see Alstead Village and its fascinating ways. Onwards to Trox and to the mayor’s home.

  As the setting sun moved its way through its cycles, I found the roads narrowing and the terrain becoming more uneven. There was a time I’d never thought of going off road to where I needed to, but with the AI system I’d enhanced the Hog with, I found tracks easy to store and use. Of course, sometimes I’d have to backtrack. They were the runs I really needed my wits about me. Doing quests that were time restricted were tough. I knew all the areas around Trox, the villages and through the desert cave systems to Port Troli. If there were a better one, I would dare anyone else to find it. I’d spent years getting to know every nook and cranny of this land. As treacherous as it was, I knew almost every danger, every lurking creature from the ground to the skies. It was the Tromoal that were worst. They came every year from faraway lands to breed, the cave systems ripe with their fighting, gorging on the local animals, and generally causing mayhem.

  Some hunters tried to tame them, but so far, no Tromoal had ever been caged, tamed or otherwise. They were creatures that no one should have control over. Especially us. Or the ‘visitors’ we had now and then.

  The visitors were people just like us, but then they weren’t. There were a few who we’d crossed paths with over the years. Dail especially. The visitors came, asked for quests or to be taught skills. They caused mayhem in local towns, taverns, and brothels then went off on some quest, and mostly, we never saw them again.

  It was something I’d never gotten used to. I’d met many visitors along the
way, but the only one that meant anything was called Leon Boki, a young man who vanished from our town after going out hunting the Tromoal during their breeding season.

  My problem… programming, I’d fallen in love with him. Not only that, I was besotted. More than besotted. Afterwards, I’d questioned all of this. It was in my programming, right? To fall in love than to lose them. I could see it. I couldn’t, however, change it. It frustrated me to no end.

  So Leon managed to convince a few others to join him, but no one had returned. It was after that I vowed never to get involved with any of them again. They seemed to just breed distrust amongst the locals and death among everyone else.

  I flicked the low headlights on, steadily increasing my pace through the night. The creatures that roamed the world at night always made me shiver. They were mutated, horrific, and even made me cringe. It was tough to do as I’d seen everything Maicreol had to offer. Not many creatures would be attracted to the lights from the Hog. If they were, I could soon stop and take them out with the external harpoon.

  Fighting the draw of the night sky, I forced myself to keep awake. Driving always made me sleepy, and thinking about the journey ahead of me to Port Troli made me want to sleep even more. I’d not had a decent sleep for days. The idea I might be able to get a bed in a charming inn before picking up the package actually made my day.

  Twisting the ring on my finger, I felt the renewed energy it lent me.

  HEALTH – 85%

  The boost to my overall health and well-being despite feeling so run down was worth saying yes to even if I felt guilty. Would I actually go through with it if I returned alive and well? I didn’t honestly know the answer to that. I did still love him, I always would.

  Steel gates twinkled ahead from my view, and with a ka-thump, the Hog touched the gravel pathway leading to the vast city of Trox. I’d been here many a time, but each time I came, it actually made my skin crawl. It was nothing like the homey area of Alstead village and its local towns. I rolled up the window, not wanting to smell the dank waters of their moat as we crossed it.

  The wooden decking creaked. I saw its supports and metallic systems and cringed as the Hog drove on in. The guards at the gate moved up the portcullis. Either they recognised the Hog or the mayor had sent them.

  Once nearer to see the guards, I rolled down the window again, settling back while the shorter one with a red helmet approached me. “The mayor’s got you a room in the Scoth hole. You’ll be well fed and watered for tonight, miss.”

  Relief washed over me. I knew the inn well. I’d had a room there once before a few years back. I looked forward to seeing the innkeeper and his wife again. Plus, they had a bathing area inside the ground that ran from a natural spring. It was incredible. I had never felt so clean afterwards.

  I looked forward to it as I slowly drove past the guards into the main road systems of the city. I took the roads to the left, heading to where the inn used to be. It was lovely to see people still milling about and the late night not scaring them all off. The walls were protecting them. The drinking inns stayed open until the last person fell out, no matter who or how smashed they were. I’d always made them stay open till dawn for me, even if I couldn’t walk out. I wanted to know I’d been up all night, safe somewhere, not where the dreams would haunt me, where the pain hurt more than the physical.

  I shuddered, hoping there was a bar tab as well as food. I would love to sleep in a bed for the night, but I also wanted to keep the pain at bay without the need for using potions. Before going for the Mayor’s package, I would pick some up from the alchemists in the morning.

  Parking the Hog, I found the inn easily enough. There were a couple of people outside, drinking and chatting. I walked past them, putting on a brave face It was important I didn’t show any signs of weakness, even if I was curling up inside, wanting to just hide from them all. After concentrating on getting over here, all I wanted was a few drinks, some food, and a bath.

  The place hadn’t changed much from my last visit, apart from the décor. It was bouncier—at least that was the only word I could come up with. The seating areas were the same, and the bar curved into both rooms of those who were staying overnight and those who were just regular drinkers.

  I didn’t see anyone I recognised, but I moved to the other room, waiting for the waitress to notice me. “Miss,” she said. “Miss Vies?”

  I nodded.

  “There’s a room with an open tab for you. What would you like this evening?”

  “The strongest beer you have. A plate of the local specials an’ a quiet table, please.”

  She pointed me towards a table in the corner of the room, and I took a seat. A couple sat at the other end of the chamber. Four guys at the bar were being served drinks by another barman. Again, I didn’t recognise anyone, but that might have been a good thing. Sometimes, it’s best to leave old memories in the past.

  Within a moment, the waitress returned with my beer, a large jug, and a glass. A little posher than I was used to, but I thanked her.

  Contemplating my next few days, the beer slid down well enough while I listened to the conversations. A couple was discussing moving into the city. This was an exploration for them. It was nice to hear some of the good sides this huge place offered. I only knew the bad sides, the seedy underworld of trafficking, and of course, the drugs. I wouldn’t be where I am without them as far as the pain I live with is concerned. As much magic as there was in this world, no one wanted to live in constant pain. No amount of magic could have put me back together, though they tried.

  Scraping my plate and polishing off the beer, I was ready to retire, wanting to avoid the guy at the bar who had been eyeing me for a few minutes. I didn’t move fast enough. He sat across from me. I was about to slip my knife from its sheath when I noticed a small tattoo on the side of his wrist. It was an older mark, but still one of a Runner.

  “I’m Kraal,” he said. When he spoke, I’d half expected slurred words, but there was none. “I was polite enough to wait for you to finish your dinner. Hear me out, Maddie.”

  I let the knife slip back into its sheath, placing my hands on the table with a nod. To him, a sign of trust. For me, a sign I wasn’t going to take him out—yet.

  “You’ve taken the quest for the mayor, right?”

  I never answered, so he continued. “I knew there would only be one person willing to do it. I hoped you wouldn’t, though.”

  “Why? What is it to you what I do?”

  “This is a political game, Maddie. One you’re not fully aware of.”

  I smiled, knowing this would end badly. I neither wanted to know or to understand their politics. All I knew was whatever their agendas were, they didn’t involve real people, those who suffered on a daily basis.

  “Look.” I started, “I am going to bed. I’m a light sleeper.” I warned, but I doubt he needed it. “I don’t have time to get caught up in your politics here. I’m doing a quest, and that’s all there is to it.”

  He looked back to the others at the bar. I really didn’t want to fight, especially against four men, but if they came at me, I would.

  “You’re an old-school runner like me. Whatever it is, let it go,” I said, moving my hands to my lap.

  “I know Dail. He asked me to come see you. Tell you the finer details. It was offered to me, but I turned it down.”

  That surprised me, but I couldn’t back out now even if I wanted to. I’d end up in jail for breach of contract.

  “Give me the run down.”

  I listened while Kraal gave me the information on the quest. It wasn’t a regular package I’d be taking to Port Troli. It was a person. This individual held vital information about the local lands, layouts, and all trading routes. It was a plan of action between the mayor and the Port’s lord to negotiate better passing trades. It seemed not only would I have the Tromoal to get around, but there might be other bounty hunters on our asses, trying to get the information I’d be carrying. This mig
ht be one fascinating trip for sure, and in a brief flash of regret, I wish I’d let Dail come with me. The backup might be nice right about now.

  It wasn’t that Krall wanted to put me off the quest. It was a warning. A fair one. I thanked him, and he left with his friends. Knowing they wouldn’t bother me, I made my way to my room. Dreams of my coming days haunted me, though, along with my hip pain. First thing on the agenda for the morning was getting some much-needed pain relief.

  Chapter 3

  Brightly coloured jars and vials adorned every nook. The alchemist’s store was fit to bursting, and I loved the place. There were many treasures to be found within these walls. It was a great place to nosey around with money to burn.

  The owner, Miss Curthao, had let me in at first light, something she would only do for those returning customers who paid out a lot for regular potions, even if they didn’t always visit. Miss Curthao would deliver, for a price.

  I picked up several potions I knew would be useful for general healing, some fire wards to hopefully stop the Hog getting burned, and one more expensive healing mix. I was hoping I could keep off the main desert paths. Sometimes, the younger Tromoal couples stayed away from the main breeding zones. Heck, if I was a Tromoal, I think I would too. I wouldn’t want my head bitten off by one of the larger groupings, stay away... simple really.

  I placed the products on the counter, lining them up in order of how much I needed them. Miss Curthao pulled out a set of silver flasks. These held the product I really wanted, the pain relief I was so addicted to.

  “How is the pain?” she asked as I picked up the first flask.

  I tried to feign a smile, but she saw through it right away. “You’ve no need to lie to me, child.”

  How I hated that she still called me a child. “Sylvie,” I replied, “I’m twenty-four suns past. Not really a child anymore.”