by Reece Dinn
Awon made his way through the rooms to the tunnel that led down to the underground. He gasped for air as he descended down, the stuffy air of the tunnels far better than that of the back rooms.
The tunnels were damp and dark. Only the main tunnel down had been properly made, the rest had clearly been hastily carved out and supported only by rotten wooden beams, and sparingly illuminated with torches. They were more like mines than anything else, or what Awon had imagined mines were like at least.
At the bottom of the main tunnel he took a right turn, then another. There was a fork. The tunnel leading right disappeared into darkness. The one to the left was narrow, but led up to the surface. He went left, squeezing his way back up above, eventually emerging into the living room of an empty house. Norox was sat on the floor, tying together two leather pads.
'Watcha doin'?' Awon asked, startling him.
Norox bleated, then, when he saw it was him, snorted. 'Armour,' he said. Several more suits of leather armour lay behind him.
'One fer me?' he asked, sitting down beside his friend.
'What do you want, Awon?' Norox asked, his tone confrontational.
'Came ter see 'ow yer doin'.'
'Was fine until you showed up.'
'Don't be that way. Not my fault yer folks kicked yer out.'
Once they'd escaped the prison and made it to Cutter's warehouse Norox had said that he was leaving, and had ran home. When he'd returned home though his mother and uncle had screamed at him to leave and never come back. That he was a criminal, and they wanted nothing to do with him. Norox had protested, tried to explain himself, but his uncle had told him that if he stayed then he'd turn him over to the Konar.
'They hadn't even cared what happened to me?' Norox had said, later. 'They didn't care. I'm scum as for as they're concerned. My mother couldn't even look at me.'
He'd returned to the Cutters the next morning and had rejoined them without saying a word, until Awon had gotten the truth out of him. Norox had barely spoken since.
'Not your fault?' snapped Norox in response, his bellowing voice vibrating throughout the room.
Two men ran into the room from out back. Both were dirty looking men, clothed in even dirtier rags. Their long, unkempt, black beards that had probably never been trimmed since they'd first grown them.
'What's goin' on?' said one, trying to make his soft voice sound firm and intimidating.
'Jus' talkin' ter my friend?' said Awon, hoping one of them would try something.
'Oh, it's you,' said the other one. Awon recognised him. He'd been forced to punch him the first day they'd arrived for insulting Ten. The man still had a faint bruise around his left eye.
'Aye,' said Awon.
The man hesitated, then disappeared back where he'd come from. The other one followed seconds later.
'Causin' trouble, as always,' muttered Norox.
'I did nothin' then.'
Norox shook his head.
'Yer gonna hide 'ere fer the rest of yer life?' asked Awon.
'Boss said to make armour. So I'm making armour.' Norox finished tying the two pads together and put it down behind him with the others. He then grabbed some more string and two more pads that were resting against the wall to his right.
'Yer not gonna fight?' asked Awon.
'I'm not fighting unless the boss makes me. As far as I'm concerned I'm done with fighting. I'm only here cos I've got nowhere else to go. Thanks to you.'
'Go find my fat man. Sure he'll put yer up if yer ask nice. Tell him it's a favour ter me. He'll 'elp. He's a soft cunt.'
Norox shook his head. 'Even if you knew where your father was I wouldn't want to be a burden to him. He's already got a prick like you for a son. He doesn't need any more trouble.'
Awon waved away the remark. 'He's probably workin' at another butchers. Says he 'as pride, but I know 'im better than that. He'd suck a guy off if he 'ad ter.'
'You're horrible. He's a good man.'
Awon sniggered. 'He's a soft, fat cunt. Wouldn' of had ter bail 'im out if he was tougher.'
Norox began tying the two pads together with the string. 'So you did all this just to get your father out of debt?'
'Not jus' that. Ain't gonna go nowhere in life workin' in a butchers for the rest of my days, like 'im. Gonna rule this city, one day. One district at a time.'
'You want to be the Tekan? Or the Saban?'
Awon laughed. 'Don't be stupid. I'm gonna be boss of the city. All the gangs will answer to me. Cutters, Drowners, Merchers, and Lurkers.'
Norox snorted, big nostrils flaring. 'Big dreams. You're going to get yourself killed.'
'Not if I kill 'em all first.'
Norox made a rumbling sound, which tickled Awon's stomach, making him laugh.
'Okay, okay, I get it. You're angry. I'll go.' Awon jumped back to his feet. 'Don't be sad. Yer folks'll come around. Yer'll see.'
Norox snorted, then returned to tying together the leather pads.
Awon left him, disappearing back down the tunnel. When he returned to the warehouse Ten was helping Red sharpen some weapons. Batterox looked at Awon's hands, then shouted at him, 'Where are my fucking cloths?'
'Calm down. I forgot. I'll get some,' said Awon, gesturing for him to lower his voice.
'Useless prick,' he bleated.
Awon went back where he'd dropped the cloths and took them out to wash them, or at least get someone else to.
Chapter Thirty Six
Awon ran ahead of the crew. There was a fire in his belly, a fire that'd been there ever since Cutter had broken him out of prison. He yearned to spill blood.
'Slow down fer fuck's sake,' shouted Red, the huge guy struggling to keep up.
'Hurry up,' he called back.
There were five others in Red's crew besides Awon; Scoten, Ekviv, Oaten, some guy with a claw instead of a right hand, and a brebuu whose name Awon had given up trying to pronounce. The Brebuu's orange skin looked ridiculous to him, as did its big floppy ears, strange skin-covered horns, and its long drooping face, but he said nothing. Antagonising this hulk of a creature was something he knew wasn't very smart.
Red had a rifle, to Awon's annoyance. The Brebuu too. Its rifle looked tiny in its huge orange hands. It seemed useless it having it since the Brebuu could kill a man with its bare hands, better to give it to someone less powerful. No one else agreed however.
The Drowner-owned warehouse lay deep in the heart of the Rudai district, central Drowner territory. 'Hit them where they'll least expect it,' Cutter had said. There were supposedly a lot of valuable goods inside, as well as yorae. Cutter had demanded that the money be taken, but everything else be burned, including the warehouse, and then they were to take only as much money as they could easily carry. 'If we steal it all they can always take it back,' Cutter had said. 'But if we destroy it, they lose it forever.' It was a plan Awon could get behind. Stealing wasn't for him, but burning things, he enjoyed that, almost as much as fighting.
He stopped at the end of the street and waited for the others to catch up. There was half a street between them, but they were coming up fast. 'Hurry the fuck up,' Awon called to the others.
Red stomped to a halt, and rested his back against the wall of the house next to them, breathing heavily, sweat soaking his clothing. 'It'll be no good getting there early if we all collapse when we arrive,' Red panted.
'Yer need more exercise I reckon,' said Awon.
The others arrived moments later, Ekviv and the Brebuu the only two not short of breath besides Awon. The Brebuu wasn't even sweating, its dark overalls as dry as when they'd left the hideout. Its big nostrils flared as it breathed, its long face wrinkled for a second, then returned to normal, the only sign of exertion that Awon could see.
'See, this guy's in shape,' Awon said, gesturing to the Brebuu.
'Humans are weaklings,' said the Brebuu, the horns on its head wobbling as it spoke. 'Back home, humans be lipcraya fodder. Shredded into little pieces, gobbled up.'
'Be the first to die. That big mouth would be target.' The Brebuu aimed the rifle at Awon's head.
Awon raised his chin. 'Go on. Right under the jaw. Do it, yer jenni.'
Scoten scratched his scarred face. 'For once will yer just shut up? Gods.'
The Brebuu exhaled sharply while rubbing its chest, the sound akin to a laugh.
'Think that lipcraya thing would get you first, with a laugh like that. The fuck was that?' said Awon.
'I killed ten lipcraya before became grown. Killed more since,' said the Brebuu, shaking its head, its horns and its long, floppy ears flapping from side to side. 'Killed bigger things since. And many smaller ones.'
'Let's not start measurin' each other's cocks just yet, eh?' said Red. 'We gotta job ter do first.'
'How far is it?' asked the guy with the claw.
'The warehouse is just the next street over.' Red peered around the corner. 'Yer can see it from 'ere.'
Awon peered around the corner. The warehouse was a good storey taller than all the other buildings around it. A big, brown stone building. Boring looking for a stone building, Awon thought, like a big square rock.
'How we gonna burn stone?' he asked.
'We ain't,' said Scoten, tapping the pack on his back with one of his knives.
'What's in that?'
'Yer'll find out.'
'I wanna know now.'
'Gods. Do yer ever stop askin' questions?' growled Oaten.
'In my village, back in my homeland, the Apochal says that he who asks questions is wise. He who accepts what is around him is the fool,' said Ekviv.
'Yer Apochal don't have ter listen to his yammerin' does he?'
Ekviv gazed up at the sky, contemplating. 'Good point.'
'Alright, enough. We're nearly there,' said Red. 'Yer all ready?'
The rest of the crew murmured assent, or simply nodded.
'Let's go.'
The sky was darkening, it wouldn't be long before the stars and moons would be making their appearance. Fighting at night suited Awon better, you could surprise a man easier in the dark, gain an advantage. They hurried along the road, then down the side street that led straight to the warehouse's east side. Cutter's crew were hitting from the west.
'In and out in ten minutes, boys,' Cutter had said. 'Take what you can. Hit and stab whoever you can. Burn everything else.'
Awon's heart beat hard with excitement. He hoped Tombu was in there, so he could finally settle the score between them. Since the fighting started he'd neither seen nor heard anything of him. He was growing impatient. He'd been tempted to just go out one night and hunt him down.
'We go in together,' Red whispered in Awon's ear, one of his big hands gripping his shoulder hard. 'Don't you go off an' do sumthin' stupid like yer always do.'
'Yes, boss,' murmured Awon.
An old woman looked down at them from out of the upstairs window of a house they passed by, eyeing them at first suspiciously, then with fear. She'd disappeared behind a curtain.
The warehouse appeared deserted. They glanced through cracks in the fence surrounding it to see if there was anyone on guard outside, but no one was around.
'We've caught 'em with there trousers around their ankles 'ere,' said Oaten.
'Only the arrogant warrior leaves his home undefended,' said Ekviv, the yellow lizard tattoo on his face moving as he spoke.
'Or the stupid one,' said Scoten, pulling out his knives.
'What wait for?' asked the Brebuu, its dark eyes suddenly alive with a hunger that Awon understood all to well. He felt the same way.
'The boss's signal,' said Red.
'Which is?'
The boom of an explosion split the air.
'That,' cried Red, throwing himself into the fence. He smashed through it, creating a gaping hole. He charged towards the big wooden doors that led inside.
Awon was second through the breach, shoving past Scoten. The Brebuu was right behind him. Awon pulled out his cleaver and the bone dagger that Ekviv had given him before they'd left. He glanced about looking for someone to stab, but there weren't any Drowners around.
The wail of Red's rifle popped his ears as the big boss shot the lock off of the warehouse doors, the rifle blast taking it out in one shot, splinters of wood flying off in different directions. Red roared as he smashed open the doors with a shoulder barge. Awon and the rest of the crew charged in after him.
Crate after crate was stacked inside the warehouse, rising high above their heads. Row after row of them filling the place.
'Stick together,' shouted Red. He pointed at Awon. 'That means you too.'
'Aye, boss.'
They hurried down one row, then took a left when they reached the end, and headed up between several rows until they reached a dead end.
'They ain't stacked in a grid,' said Red. 'Shit.'
'Where we gonna plant it?' said Scoten.
''ere's as good a place as any.'
'Where are the humans to be killed?' said the Brebuu, the skin covered horns on its orange head longer and harder now.
Cries filled the air, as if in answer to the Brebuu's question.
'Spoke too soon,' said Oaten, pulling out his weapon.
'Yer gonna hurt yerself with that,' said Awon, prodding the metal ball dangling from the chain.
'I'll hurt you if yer don't shut it,' Oaten spat back.
Guys came around the corner, cried out, and charged them. More guys followed behind.
''ere we go,' cried Awon. He met their charge, roaring like he was Red himself. His cries were quickly drowned out by the wail of rifle fire.
Two blasts shot past Awon and punched through the first few guys. They fell down like their legs had been taken from under them, large bloody holes burnt through their bodies.
Awon leapt over the falling bodies and buried his cleaver into the throat of the first guy he came upon. The guy gargled as he yanked the cleaver out. He spun around and thrust his dagger into another guy's side, pulled it out, then stabbed again and again. The guy's own knife dropped out of his hands and he fell. He glanced up at Awon just as his head hit the floor, then his eyes rolled up into the back of his head.
Something black flew past Awon's head and smashed into another guy's face, sending him crashing into the side of a crate. Awon spun on his heels to take on another guy, but as he did something struck him hard on the back of the head. Pain shot through his skull, his teeth chattering together, tears filling his eyes. He growled and lashed out with his cleaver. The cleaver connected with something wooden.
More wails of rifle fire split the air.
Awon sun around fully and came face to face with the guy who'd attacked him, a skinny lad with crooked teeth. He stabbed at the guy's throat with his dagger, but the guy twisted out of the way, and he hit only air. With surprising force the guy shoved him back and yanked his club free of the cleaver. He went to swing at Awon's head again, but Awon was too fast and stabbed the guy in the arm with his dagger, then buried the cleaver into his face.
More rifle fire.
Awon looked around for more people to fight, but everyone save for Oaten was down, covered in blood and wounds.
Back behind him the rest of the crew were finishing off other Drowners who'd attacked from the sides. He caught sight of Ekviv slicing through two men, his long curved blade a blur.
'That the best yer got, yer cunts,' Awon yelled.
'Don't think they got rifles,' said Oaten. 'Fuckin' jennis.'
'They 'ad them last time. These must be too shit for 'em.'
He and Oaten headed back to the others.
The Brebuu's rifle was caked in blood, a little bit of bone stuck to its butt. Ekviv wiped his blade clean on the back of one of the bodies.
'Plant it,' Red yelled to Scoten.
Scoten sheathed his bloodied knives and pulled the pack from his back.
'Fu
ckin' weak these lot, eh?' Awon said to Red.
'Bit too weak. Makes me wonder where the more important Drowners are.'
Rifle fire from the other side of the warehouse split the air, followed by more.
'They might jus' be on the boss's side,' said Red.
Scoten pulled several red sticks from out of the pack.
'What're they?'
'Dynamite they call it,' said Red. 'Juicy stuff. They'll blow the roof and walls off yer house, then burn everything around it. Got them from some place east. The Raginar Empire I think the merchant said. He looked foreign, Raginarsaru I think. 'ad that condescending look those cunts all 'ave.'
Scoten shoved the sticks in the gaps between crates, then attached wires to the ends of each of them.
More rifle fire came from over the other side of the warehouse, closer now.
'Sounds like Cutter is in trouble,' said Ekviv, twisting his blade around in his hand. 'Gonna go help him.'
'Yes,' said the Brebuu. 'Not enough fighting done yet,'
'I'm goin' too,' said Awon, eager to continue fighting.
'Fer fuck's sake,' growled Red. 'Fine. Go. Fuck off.'
'Yes,' cried Awon, charging off in the direction of the rifle fire. He glanced back. Ekviv and the Brebuu were following behind him.
He had no idea where he was going, every row looked the same as the other, every crate near identical. He made a left, then a right, then another right, hit a dead end, went back the other way, made a right at the end of the row, then a left.
They came up behind two guys with rifles about to open fire. Before either of the riflemen could fire again Awon stabbed his dagger through the back of one of their necks. The other guy cried out. The muzzle of his rifle glowed and it began to wail. He went to spin around and aim it at Awon, but Ekviv slammed him into a crate.
The rifle fired and the bullet beam blasted into the crate next to Awon, splinters flying off, one or two stabbing into Awon's face. He hissed, pulling the splinters out. To his relief they hadn't sank in deep. Ekviv ran his blade through the other guy and he slumped to the floor moments later.
Awon's ears rang from the rifle's wail and he didn't hear the next two guys come up behind them. The Brebuu fired its rifle. The beam blasted off one guy's leg and he toppled over, his face twisted in shock. The other guy threw a knife and it stabbed into Ekviv's shoulder, making him hiss in pain.