The Big Waste (After-Skirmish Book 1)

by C. W. Ashley

  But there was no response from it. The door didn’t open, the light in the car wasn’t even on. Iggy wondered if she could hear him with the door closed. Keeping the fight in his view he screamed again while backing closer to the car.

  “CLARISSA, KROK!”

  “Crasher you fucking idiot! I know that! I was going to sneak up on it!” Clarissa yelled emerging from the shadows with Iggy’s recently acquired 2-2 rifle trained on the scuffle.

  Iggy gasped, trying to make sense of how she got there without him noticing. Her golden eye glistened with awareness and intimidation at the massive beast.

  “Your wailing just is gonna bring the other one over, didn’t you know Kroks hunt in pai-AHHH!” Clarissa’s explanation was cut short as a black tail lashed her from her feet and sent her tumbling towards the lake. It was the thick, scaly appendage of a second Krokadilikus.

  The smaller, more agile, Krok, that was walking on all fours seemed to jump out of the shadows just like Clarissa. Snapping and hissing wildly in triumph after landing its tremendous attack. Iggy called out to Clarissa again as the predator chased her to where she landed. The now snarling vampire had drawn her pistol and let off two shots before it closed the distance between them. One bullet catching it in the shoulder and causing it to roar in pain before tumbling on top of her. The wounded animal was flailing with what seemed to be a broken limb from the gunshot. Clarissa screamed in rage as she repeatedly pistol-whipped the weakened shoulder with unnerving strength and accuracy, causing the Krok to scream even louder than Sil’s howl.

  Holy fucking shit Landlady…

  Iggy watched with fear and uncertainty as both of his companions wrestled with these rare, dangerous beasts. As a popular derby driver, he had been in the occasional bar fight, but combat outside his car was not his forte. His arm refused to stay steady as he aimed back and forth between Sil and Clarissa’s struggles, confused at where or when to fire first.

  “Crasher!!! Sil is losing her fight! Do something!” Clarissa shouted while slamming the butt of her gun into the beast for the 20th time, while narrowly avoiding it’s snapping jaw.

  Iggy stepped closer to Sil’s brawl to see her indeed getting handled with steadily greater ease by the much larger Krok. The huge monster threw her down multiple times, catching her with wild swipes of its own claws along with blunt strikes from the backhand. Sil was fighting back ferociously but with a clearly diminished amount of speed and strength.

  She isn’t fully recovered, and that thing is literally twice her size...she...she needs to...

  “Hey, Sil! You need to turn into the Fenrir, now!” Iggy desperately ordered the werewolf as her face was smacked down by another swipe of the giant

  “Need…. time…too...tired,” Sil responded with weakened barks.

  Iggy yelled out in panic as he watched her recoil under more blows from the Krok, Iggy realized the beast was not trying to kill her quickly. It was trying to dominate the fight. Breaking her will along with her body, as if it had something to prove.

  “Arrrrghhhh!!!” Clarissa screamed as the younger Krok bit down into her shoulder. She was bloodied and gasping for air as she continued to smash with her pistol, too close to the animal to shoot it.

  Do something Randall, they are going to die!

  Throwing all caution out of his mind, Iggy grit his teeth and let his instincts take over. Reaching for his barbed bat he dashed towards Sil’s opponent and began to swing into the Krok frantically. Beating as hard as he could while spitting and cursing at the beast, his spirited attacks were having almost no effect. Each time the bat made contact with the hide of the beast, it bounced off. It was a similar feeling to hitting an off-road tire, and the Krok continued to thrash Sil, paying no attention to Iggy.

  “Look at me when I’m beating you, Krok!” Iggy snarled with desperate aggression.

  He followed his demand by holstering his revolver and cocking his bat back as far as he could with both arms, (thinking briefly of the blood-toad that he burst with the same swing) as he let loose with all his might aiming for the Krok’s face. The wood shattered on impact, with parts of the rusty metal and splintered wood lodging into its mouth and eyes. With a gargled howl of shocked pain, the Krok had finally acknowledged Iggy.

  Shoving itself off of the thrashed Sil, the irritated beast turned to face Iggy as he continued to curse and taunt it. The Krok raised to its hind legs and began to tread towards him steadily but deliberately, letting the soft earth beneath it feel the powerful impact of its heavy advance. Its gaping mouth panted hungrily as it scrutinized the human in front of it with its glowing demonic eyes. Iggy threw what was left of his broken bat while skipping backward towards the Blockgain until the moment he was sure the Krok was clear of Sil.

  “Sil! Get up! Save Clarissa! I’ll handle the big one!” Iggy demanded as the big Krok began to pick up speed towards Iggy.

  Sil’s guttural screech was like the burnout of tires on the citadel asphalt as she lifted herself from the mud in response to Iggy’s cries. Fighting her animal instinct to re-engage with the hefty Krok, she turned to see the smaller beast violently overpowering the weakened vampire. Dazed, bloodied and much slower, Sil charged into the fray with a desperate roar, slamming into Clarissa’s opponent hard enough to break the snare of its bite. The two women managed to sync their assault on the monster. Stomping, slashing and beating the smaller Krok down, like a mugging victim in a Folsom alleyway. They were both wounded, so their attacks were slower, sloppier, and nastier, taking primal pleasure in returning the pain.

  Fuck yeah, girls!

  Iggy smiled at the intervention before refocusing on the ten-foot-tall fiend which was chasing him faster than he could retreat. Its face was mostly obscured by the darkness, but Iggy saw the killer intent in its illuminated eyes. Hastily drawing his elephant revolver, Iggy let off a shot at the center of the Krok’s chest, hoping to wound, or at least slow it.

  The heavy boom of the gun blast startled Iggy’s already shaky aim but the target was so big and close it was almost impossible to miss. The lead slug pierced into the thick hide of Krok with a splintering crunch but it didn’t hinder its advance at all.

  Shrugging off the gunshot wound with a moderate snarl, the bleeding reptile burst into a much higher speed and lunged at Iggy with a clawed fist, knocking him through the air in a half spin before thudding on the hood of his trusty Blockgain and dropping his not-so trusty gun in the process. The dark night was spinning around him. The audio of squelching mud footsteps, superhuman punches and kicks slamming into bodies and combined cries of living creatures fighting only added to his sensory disorientation.

  Coming to his senses just in time, Iggy rolled off the hood of the Blockgain to narrowly avoid a half-blind punch from the Krok that left a large dent into the bonnet.

  My engine! This thing needs to die!

  Roaring with pain and anger Iggy desperately scrambled to his feet and dashed to his car door reaching for the handle only to feel a wet scaly hand clasp around his ankle. He turned to see the half-smiling Krok open its terrifying jaws ready to snap-down on Iggy as he screamed.

  Then, a blistering crunch of another bullet slammed into the giant, but this time from its back. Clarissa had found a brief moment to fire the rifle at the larger Krok before the smaller one clocked her again with a lash of its powerful tail. It still very much in the fight and rising to trade blows with the exhausted Sil.

  Iggy pulled his ankle free of the recoiling Krok and scrambled into his Blockgain, knowing exactly what to do next. Gunning the ignition, the engine sputtered to life and the headlights illuminated the massive predator in all its terrifying glory. Face mutilated and heavily bleeding, it was still advancing towards Iggy. Now trying to climb on to the hood of the Blockgain, leaving large smears of blood across the paintwork.

  Get off my car, Krok.

  Iggy activated the roof-mounted harpoon and gas-powered cannon expelled the hook right at the Krok’s face. Tearing past the side of its h
ead and ripping off a large chunk of jaw, gums and its already damaged eye. The beast yowled painfully and backed up off of the car. He prepared to run right over the beast when the disfigured Krok howled at an ear-splitting volume that caused Iggy to hold his head in pain.

  Breaking into a desperately fast dash away from the car, the Big Krok surged towards its smaller partner’s fight with Sil and Clarissa, who, despite their combined assault were running on fumes. Their killer instinct faded with fatigue along with the grim realization that these Kroks were just too tough to beat up. Iggy’s headlights illuminated the looks of doom on both their faces right before the Big Krok made contact, tackling Sil into the lake with the smaller Krok jumping in right after them.

  “NOOO! Clarissa get her out of there!” Iggy yelled desperately from his car, gargling blood and tears, as he drove to the edge of the lake before climbing out.

  Clarissa shakily aimed at the water with the rifle, only seeing the torrent of splashing and sloshing where the struggle was taking place. With blood streaming down her face she turned to Iggy in desperation.

  “I-I c-can’t see shit…. I haven’t got a shot! I-Is she winning?” Clarissa stuttered with a voice of panic Iggy hadn’t heard until now.

  Iggy dropped to his knees and wailed in rage slamming his fists into the squishy mud. His mind stabbed him with images of the brutalities being inflicted on Sil under-water.

  Clarissa and Iggy both knew that as powerful the Krokadilikus is on land, their savage agility and strength in the marine is unmatched, known to casually hunt and kill schools of sharks solo. Superhuman or not, a wounded and exhausted Sil who wasn’t fully recovered was about as unfavorable as could be. Clarissa shook with angry fear, dreading facing two Kroks after they were finished with Sil.

  Turning to Iggy with tears streaming from her single eye, she dropped her rifle and walked over to him grabbing his arm.

  “Gun the Blockgain, Crasher, we have to get out of here while there is still time!!”

  “No way!! She’s still in there! We gotta kill tho-”

  A bright flash of pain jumped at Iggy’s face as Clarissa’s palm struck it forcefully.

  “She’s dead! I don’t like it any more than you do, but we are throwing our lives away waiting to be killed next. Get in your fucking car!”

  Iggy cried long and hard, choking on his own voice and slowly pulling himself to his feet. His vision completely blurred and ears ringing like bomb alarms. His guilt and despair threatening to drag him down further than the deep mud he was in ever could.

  Clarissa hoisted Iggy to his feet, trying to ignore the increased sounds of splashing and gargled pain coming from the river which signaled the last frantic signs of life. Quietly thanking the werewolf for bravely fighting alongside her.

  Then the sounds stopped, the splashing subsided and the lake was quiet. Clarissa yanked the still sobbing Iggy towards his car door, yelling and cursing him to open it before the resurfacing of the Kroks. But Iggy didn’t open the door in time.

  Bursting out of the water, the larger Krok’s face flew towards him, followed by the second. Clarissa gasped, and Iggy closed his eyes, thinking of Sil.

  But there was no biting, no attack, and no danger.

  The flying Krok’s faces were severed heads. They both bounced off the hood of the Blockgain Chaser before rolling harmlessly into the mud. Both with eyes wide with terror, brutally mangled and tongues hanging out of their gaping maws.

  Clarissa and Iggy stayed still and silent, trying to process what they saw. Eyes twitching and lips quivered. Then, the water exploded once more, a mini-wave gushed out from the lake and drenched them both completely. The beam of two glowing white eyes cut through the mist of vapor and the howl of a legendary wolf creature followed.

  “Fenrir…” Clarissa stated with disbelief.

  She did it, she turned!

  Standing on her hind legs, the Fenrir seemed much taller than when Iggy saw her running on all fours. Her shoulders looked broader and powerful. Her mane, fangs, and eyes looked majestic as ever. Stepping towards them both she growled under her breath with some half-healed scars of battle becoming more visible in the yellow-white glare from the Blockgain’s headlamps. Iggy was paralyzed by fear and happiness as the legendary werewolf approached him, finally rushing towards her with delighted relief.

  “Sil!! You made it, how di-” Iggy cried with joy before being knocked to the ground by the snarling wolf’s shoulder as she charged him with a small nudge. Dropping to all fours over his body she bared her fangs and her glowing white eyes blazed with primal savagery. Iggy heard the familiar click of Clarissa’s pistol from the right-hand side of him along with her weak hiss.

  “She’s gonna kill you, Crasher, she’s a wild animal.”

  “No…wait, if she wanted to kill us, we would have been like those two Kroks before we even saw her, she’s not doing anything.”

  Looking in the face of the snarling wolf, Iggy remained calm and still, showing no signs of fear or aggression. The Fenrir, without changing her primal expression just watched him, completely ignoring Clarissa who still had her gun trained on her. Iggy gulped softly and his mouth fell into an easy smile. The eyes of the wolf narrowed in response.

  “Sil, you did it. You saved us,” Iggy said tenderly. The Fenrir’s growls became louder but higher pitched. The harsh glare became dimmer.

  “You’re tired Sil, let’s go home...let's go home.” Iggy continued softly.

  The Fenrir dropped to her side, flopping next Iggy writhing in the mud back and forth. Her growls became higher and higher until getting closer to her humanoid tone. Clarissa pocketed her pistol and stood over them both in surprise. “She’s...changing back, Crasher.”

  Iggy looked up at the night sky and smiled wide as he lost consciousness, his lack of sleep and exhaustion finally taking its toll.

  She always comes back.

  Chapter 18: Homebody

  The screeching death of the bandits was louder than ever, matched only by their pathetic car being severed by the mighty Blockgain Chaser. This time with their faces clear as day to see. The stretched out dead faces of screaming men who were torn asunder by a vehicle collision hung in view. Joining them was the face of the nomads. The smug, reckless wife and her reluctant husband both torn in two by the Big Waste’s most dangerous werewolf.

  Laughing, drunk faces of Malkin and Nails, slurping booze and telling stories became crumpled gory meat that joined the others. Finally, two Krokadilikus heads with open mouths and hanging tongues appeared with the rest they began to shift around in dancing motion. As if they were held up as some sort of deranged puppet show. Finally, the face of Randall Gainsborough joined them, a face of clenched teeth and grim determination shifting to one of deathly fear, before corroding into a dry white skull.

  All faces then screamed at the top of their lungs.

  Iggy awoke to a thick blanket of darkness, eyes straining to make out the world around him. His sense of touch and smell quickly locating him inside his beloved vehicle. But he was in the backseat, and it was moving. Iggy scrambled around making panicked sounds until the voice box in front of him crackled on.

  “Crasher, shut up. You’re fine.” Clarissa said bluntly.

  Iggy controlled his breathing as his mind fully woke up, bringing with it the sore pain of several bruises and scratches.

  “You’re driving?! Why am I in the back?!” Iggy asked hotly.

  “Because I’ve got a damn schedule to keep and it’s still dark out, you were only out for two hours. Plus, I think Sil wanted the company, she fidgets too much to have her up in the front.”

  Iggy turned to see Sil in human form with her legs up against the front shutters, completely silent and watching Iggy with unblinking pale eyes.

  She’s okay!

  “W-what exactly happened Clarissa?” Iggy asked with a cooler tone.

  “Sil passed out right when you did, after turning back. I don’t know how she pulled it off, but considering he
r injuries and poisoning today I’m surprised she’s alive. Any living thing shifting form like that takes so much energy you usually need a day’s rest before attempting again.” Clarissa explained.

  “You seem quite knowledgeable about shapeshifting.”

  “Well, I used to turn into a vampire bat-thing.”

  Ah.

  “You can drive the Blockgain okay then?”

  “The engine is a little choppy but we are on a proper road now so it’s smooth, we are probably two-thirds of the way there now.”

  “Okay, sounds good,” Iggy said before turning to Sil to acknowledge her. “Sil, how are you feeling? Did you sleep much?” Iggy asked with concern.

  “Sil still tired,” she answered flatly.

  She was fully naked having lost her poncho. Slowly she shifted her slightly damaged body over Iggy, watching him for a moment before smelling his crotch once again. Iggy didn’t recoil this time, realizing she was brought over by his waking erection.

  “Nishin...push with Sil?” she purred eagerly while softly running her clawed hands through his hair. The affection she was showing was in much more of a ‘human’ manner than last time. It seemed as if she was making some sort of effort.

  “Hahaha, I forgot to tell you, she was saying your name in her sleep while I was dragging you both in the car. She was having a ‘Nishin’ dream, so she’s gonna need some attention, Crasher,” Clarissa chortled.

  He felt his gut turn sour at Clarissa’s voice, recalling what she said to him after their last session of intercourse.

  “You sure she wasn’t just telling me what I wanted to hear, Landlady?” Iggy snapped resentfully, not fully reciprocating Sil’s advances.

  Clarissa sighed over the voice box before responding.

  “Listen, Crasher, I can get a little ruthless when I’m buzzing off a human load. I had no intention of belittling you.”

  “I can take it, Landlady. I didn’t want to think I was overstepping with either of you.”