Canyons of Steel – Valley of the Damned Pt. 4

The bullets were starting to pile up. Walker and Annie were hunkered down behind a makeshift bunker as they were forced to retreat into a small storage area. However, they managed to push back the largest wave of soldiers and keep firing. Every so often, one soldier would become brave enough to try and come up to an area close to their flank. This only served to be a futile effort, as Annie’s keen sights always managed to find the target. This also added to the growing stockpile of weapons and ammunition that Walker and Annie were using. As John would often say there’s no such thing as a Hollywood clip, but there’s unlimited resources b’hind enemy lines.

Annie looked to Walker as the gun fire from the opposite side was starting to lessen. Not that they weren’t being effective, but Annie could sense a retreat. Walker popped up just enough to see soldiers crawling back deeper into the sewers. “What the hell’s goin’ on?”

“No idea, Sir.”

And suddenly, the gun fire ended completely. If there were crickets, they would be the loudest thing in those sewers. Neither of them moved, sensing that someone or something was soon to make an appearance. And they weren’t disappointed.

From the safety of the bunker, the pair could hear the struggles of a person being held firmly as they attempted to escape. There was a soft laugh and what sounded like a whisper followed by a grunt of pain. Walker reloaded his rifle and began to climb out from behind the safety of the bunker. And came face to face with the Hauptmann herself. But this was different. They’d expected a fight, but not hostages. Hauptmann Yar’ow held a small figure in a tight grip, her arm around the smaller woman’s throat. Walker could tell this woman was not from anywhere he’d ever been before. She had similar features to Yar’ow, the elven tipped ears, the tight muscle frame in a lithe body. But he also knew she was not a vampire like Yar’ow was either. And Alow had her in a locked grip, weilding a knife next to the woman’s temple.

Annie followed suit, holding up her Berrettas on the elven vampire. This could get ugly.

“Comin’ out nice an’ easy, aye,” the elf laughed. “Good, I wanna see yer eyes.” She grinned maniacally as her fangs hung low and menacing, close to the woman’s neck. “Ye’ve been a Weaver in the side o’ the Heritage Front since ye took up in Palo Duro. Stoppin’ shipments, takin’ out soldiers. Shame, they were well trained men an’ a loss fer the ‘Ighest.”

“Well, I ain’t been one ta abide by the Highest’s so called doctrine,” Walker replied as he trained the rifle on the elf. She was starting to back up, dragging the smaller woman with her.

“I’d put down the ordinance if I were ye,” Yar’ow instructed as she ran the tip of the blade she held along the woman’s abdomen. In a quick gesture, she laughed and ran her tongue along the woman’s neck. “Tastey. Ye know what it’s like. Need ta feed e’ery so often. An’ elven blood makes fer a good mix. Never know, I may turn this one. But no’ yet. Right now, she’s a bargainin’ chip.”

“You mean a shield,” Annie spoke up. Walker could sense her ire rising inside his partner. She was none too pleased with the display, and could see how hard she gripped her pistols.

“Annie,” Walker warned, then turned back to the elf. Her eyes danced with a chaotic madness that could only mean how deranged she truly was. “Deal,’ he said to her as he lowered his rifle.

“Smart man,” Yar’ow replied with a psychotic grin, her fangs only making the look more menacing. “Little Aelrindel ‘ere’s gonna acc’mp’ny me. She me reassurance that I get out safely. No’ tha’ I cannu shrug off whate’er bullets ye vomit outta those pea shooters, but I’d rather no’ ‘aveta take a coupla days ta repair the damage.”

“An’ what happens ta her?”

“She lives,” Yar’ow replied with an even tone, her features almost softening. “Fer now.” As she spoke the last two words her face returned to it’s usual maniacal appearance. A sneer and a growl came out of her lips as she saw Annie step closer, pistols still raised. A quick stab, and the knife plunged into Aelrindel’s shoulder. The smaller elf gave a cry of pain, and seemed to growl to the vampire in anger as Yar’ow ran her tongue around the newly created wound, breathing deeply from the aroma the fresh blood gave her.

“You truly are a sick fuck, Yar’ow,” Walker sneered.

“The deal,” she repeated as she roughly kept A’mael in front of her. “Drop yer weapons an’ dunna follow.” Walker never took his eyes off Yar’ow, but motioned for Annie to lower her weapons. His partner gave a grunt of protest, but he snapped his fingers, showing just how serious the situation was.

“Can’t do it now, Annie,” he said quietly. “Ain’t gonna risk the life o’ someone over the quick draw o’ tryin’ ta take out some scumbag who’s just gonna keep comin’.”

Yar’ow laughed aloud as Walker voiced his opinion. “I knew there were a ‘eart o’ gold underneath that full metal jacket.” She kept a trained eye on the pair as she backed up toward the exit, a transport pulling up ready to take them both to their destination. “Now, if ye two will excuse me, I’ve go’ ta make meself more intimate with me new playmate.” In one last display of defiance to Walker and Annie, the elven vampire, began clutching at Aelrindel, running her tongue along the woman’s neck, letting her cold breath flow over exposed skin. As they entered the transport, Yar’ow’s laughter filled the sewers with an eerie echo, never fading until the transport disappeared from view.

“Sir?” Annie asked as she retrieved her weapons.

“Start the hunt, Annie,” Walker said as he shouldered the rifle. “Back ta base an’ start trackin’ through the GPS. We’ll find ‘er. We’ll find that bitch an’ give ‘er what for.”

 

Canyons of Steel – Valley of the Damned Pt. 3

The pair wadded through the sludge of the sewers slowly. Dealing with Gangers, Cultists and Mutties had worn thin on both of them, but Annie reminded Walker that they were closing in on the target. As she inspected a hand held GPS her eyes narrowed. Wordlessly, she showed the display to Walker. He nodded and began checking the ammo situation, loading his rifle with a fresh clip. Annie packed away the GPS and took out a pair of semi-automatice Berrettas. Walker listened for a moment, and finally could hear the sound of jack boots walking on metal grating. This was it.

“Objective, Sir?”

“Heritage Front,” Walker simply stated. “Everythin’s a target, unless we can identify it as a hostage. Really ain’t too concerned ’bout the Fed’s policy on capture. It always did seem more like catch an’ release.” Annie nodded in reply and the pair continued forward again. Walker eased open a door, staying back to the shadows. And there they saw it. It looked like hundreds were packed into one of the large junction stations of the sewers.

“Question, Sir?”

“Go ‘head.”

“Why is it every organization such as the Heritage Front deems it necessary to pack themselves into a mudhole like the sewers?”

Walker smirked underneath the mask. “Ain’t no tellin’ in the mind o’ a buncha Nazis like these.” He looked over to her for a moment. “All set, Annie.”

“Affirmative, Sir.”

The waiting was over, they could watch the jack boots walk all they wanted to. Each one was merely a target in the grand scheme. Join the Heritage Front, here’s your bullseye. Walker started the volley off, taking the group by surprise as he ran for cover inside the room. Six fell to the floor, only one from serious injury. The others, well, there was no need to worry about the other five anymore. As the agents began shouting, grabbing weapons and searching the area where Walker dove to, a second volley from a pair of pistols took down six more.

Annie ran into the middle of the room, firing at random targets, dodging with a cat like grace, and lashing out at anyone nearby. She took up position in another secure spot of the room. And Walker and Annie had them right where they wanted them.

The first step was achieving a secure location in the room, and that was by utilizing the element of surprise. Thus, Walker’s action. The second step was confusion. As the soldiers attention was taken by Walker, this allowed Annie to attack and find cover. Now there were two targets. And the soldiers could think all they wanted to about there being a third and a fourth. But with the positioning Walker and Annie had placed themselves, the Heritage Front soldiers were now caught in a crossfire. In the centre of the room, the only cover they had was the bodies of their comrades as they fell to the ground. And once the barrage was done, there was one hundred dead and wounded laying on the ground.

Walker only needed one anyway.

The pair left the security of their positions and found one soldiers crawling along the metal grating. Walker grabbed him by the back of the jacket and flipped him over. The soldier cried out in pain as he was manhandled. “Sorry, son,” Walker said in a gruff drawl. “But I ain’t one ta ‘pologize fer droppin’ the hammer on the likes o’ you. Now, boy, what gives? Ya goin’ through my sector. Why all the ordinance?”

“…escorting…escorting Haupt.. Hauptmann…” The soldier coughed and spat up blood. The look in Walker’s eyes told the soldier to elaborate. “Hauptmann…Yar’ow.”

Walker looked back to Annie. They’d heard the name before, a very familiar one indeed. An elven vampire who came to Earth from another plane of exsistance. And they knew it, because they helped bring it here. “What ya make o’ it, Annie?”

“Only one way to find out, Sir,” she stated as she looked to Walker. He nodded in silent reply. Walker knew what had to be done. Search and destroy. Because if the rumours were true, Hauptmann Yar’ow was more dangerous than any Heritage Front Undead before her.

He moved on quickly as Annie looked to the soldier. Wordlessly, she took up one Berretta and placed a slug between his eyes before following Walker.

 

The Hard Road: Step Right In

It’s hard to walk this path alone
Hard to know which way to go
Will I ever save this day
Will it ever change

lyrics from Open Your Eyes as performed by Alter Bridge

The three watched as the mages set things in motion. For all the excitement and electricity that was in the air, the paladins’ mounts seemed to take it all in stride. Energy washed over everything in the room as mages chanted in unison. At the peek of their chanting, the air seemed to grow sharp and heavy with the scent of ozone. The center of the room seemed to implode and then explode, forcing those who watched to cover their eyes with the flash of bright light.

When their eyes adjusted, before them rested a portal. Not the interdimensional gateways that the three had been used to seeing, but one that would shorten the length of their journey a great deal. On the other side of the portal was a road that lead to Black Dragon Gate entrance to Baldur’s Gate. The high walls of the city were broken up by tall guard towers. The Duchal Palace sat in the middle of the city and soared over the city itself.

“Thank you for doing this Sophitia,” Lyssa said in a tight voice as she removed her coin purse. “It means alot to me.”

“Yes, I understand, dear. Shall I send mother your well wishes?” Sophitia asked, placing her hand on Leonid’s arm for support. The tall silent man moved to stand behind her protectively. Sophitia was more of a prisioner then Lyssa could even begin to imagine. She would never be able to see anything but her visions.

“So long as you don’t tell Grandmother that I’m still alive, I suppose it will be alright. Perhaps next time she visits you, I’ll come to see her.” Lyssa replied. She didn’t want to drag the conversation out, she knew how much the portal was draining her sister. Quickly she went over to Sophitia and hugged her tightly.

“Your father resides in Suzail, Anarar’ithil.” Sophitia whispered to her sister. The color drained from Lyssa’s face as she backed away from her sister. “He’ll want to meet his daughter, Ana. You know this. Promise me you’ll seek him out.”

“I make no such promises, he could have come to find me at any time.” She said shouted venomously. Sophitia’s face fell into a disappointed expression. “I can’t promise that Sophitia… But I’ll try”

“M’lady, we cannot hold the portal much longer.” One of the mages said in a strained voice.

Lyssa nodded and took Triumph’s reigns. She moved to the portal. “His name is Beriothien Feredir,” Sophitia shouted as Lyssa made her way through the portal, she only lifted her hand in acknowledgement and didn’t look back.

Ari perked an eyebrow to Lyssa as she head off through the portal. What was that all about? He then looked up to Shani with a smile, then to the horse. “Got room for two up there?”

Shani put on her dark stetson and tilted it down as she smiled. “Well sure. Hop on, pardner!”

He chuckled softly, climbing into the back of the saddle with little difficulty, then wrapped his arms around her waist, allowing the pale elf to lean comfortably against him.

The trio moved forward, each horse tentatively looking to the portal and making the decision to step through. All three knew what it was like to walk through the planes, to move through the portals that connected dimensions together. Each one had a different feel. And for each person, there were still differences. But this was not an extradimensional portal, but instead, merely a shortcut to aid them in their goal.

Lyssa looked around the area quietly before she looked back into the portal. She stared directly at her sister before she sighed and let go of Triumph’s reigns. Moving back a bit, she got a starting run and vaulted herself into the saddle gracefully.

“You know horse, you aren’t too bad. Least you listen and don’t make yourself to be a burden.” She said as she petted the horse’s mane. Lyssa had changed, she had become more thoughtful, quiet even. The news that her sister had given her didn’t help this, only causing her feelings to burrow further inside. She showed little sign that she was as outward as before.

When they arrived, Lyssa never even batted an eye. Nothing to let the others know anything of the journey she had just made. Shani, on the other hand…

“Yeee-Haw! Dang, a trip like thet do wonders fer the soul!” she shouted as Callipso’s hooves landed on the cobblestones of the road leading into the city of Baldur’s Gate.

“I don’t think I could ever get used to that,” Ari muttered, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. Even through all the trips he had taken through Sigil, the experience always left him a bit sick. “Are we on solid ground, yet?” he asked, holding onto Shani tightly.

“Yeah, darlin’,” Shani grinned as she looked back, still feeling Ari’s arms around her waist as she patted his cheek. “Th’ ride’s over. ‘Least fer now.” She stole a quick kiss, more a peck to snap him out of his seeming stunned trance, and she removed the stetson from her head and placed it on his. Ari offered a soft grin back Shani, reaching a hand up to adjust the hat.

“Get a room.” Lyssa said with a roll of her eyes. “Ya’ll two get lovey dovey on me in battle and I will drown you both. I promise.”

“But we just left that room,” Ari answered, his grin still lingering upon his face.

“Ew. Too much information.” Lyssa responded dryly.

“C’mon, darlin’,” Shani said as she slid out of the saddle. “Let’s find us a tavern an’ make with the magic.”

“No,” Lyssa growled. “Ya’ll two can wait until later dammit, we’ve got more pressing things to take care of.”

“I weren’t talkin’ ’bout thet,” Shani replied as she began to lead the horse. As she did, she pointed to the ring on Lyssa’s finger. “Y’all gimme thet an’ we’ll start searchin’. Gotta find us a quiet spot, an’ ‘way from pryin’ eyes.”

“Try searching for him first and not the ring.” She replied possessively.

“Right now?”

“No, whenever you feel that you are ready to do it.” Lyssa snapped nastily.

“Well let’s git us settled first,” she said in a huff. “I’d like ta be outta sight o’ them thet might wanna suddenly take innerest in what we doin’.” She pulled lightly on the reigns and began leading the horse through the massive Black Dragon gates. The guards casually inspected them, but did not stop them from their forward progression. Within a few minutes they stood before the doors of The Helm and Cloak.

Shani waved over a boy and paid him to tend to the horses, giving warning that the pair of mounts not be harmed in anyway. Once the parking detail was finished, they walked inside. “Find us a nice, dark corner o’ the place an’ set ‘rselves up with some ales. Then I kin start.”

“One room please with a working lock. As well as a pitcher of the house special ale.” Lyssa said, as she approached the innkeeper, tossing down a few silver coins. A well dressed gentleman, even for a simple innkeeper, inspected the coin carefully, holding it up to the light to ensure the authenticity.

“We don’t have ale or anything of the like here miss.” He said, satisfied with the inspection, he bowed graciously to the three and waved over a servant girl.

“Then send up whatever, wine, milk, I don’t care.” Lyssa said with a snobbish ring to her voice. “Just make sure we aren’t disturbed.”

“Julia will show ye to ye rooms,” he said as the girl, plain of dress, but seemingly well mannered, curtsied and began to lead them to the stairs. As they walked up to the third floor, Julia chatted politely, as she always would.

“It isn’t often that travelers such as yourselves appear here,” she said in perfectly ennunciated common. “Might I inquire as to where you are from?”

“Jist come in from Evermeet,” Shani quickly stated without showing signs of hesitation. “I sent word out ta a coupla friends o’ mine thet there were some thing’s needin’ transport. We’re inta trade an’ such. An’, o’ course, the odd ennertainment from time ta time.” Lyssa remained silent as Shani spun the tale. She’d rather not have many people know. Word might spread and inform Andar’s captors, that would be the last thing they needed.

“Oh?” Julia said enthusiastically as she unlocked a door to a lavish room. “I’ve not met any bards recently that deal in matters of commerce.”

“Whole world’s full o’ surprises,” Shani replied as Ari and Lyssa quietly entered the room. Shani reached into her belt pouch and tipped the young girl, offering her a kind smile. Julia bowed graciously and left them to themselves. Lyssa positioned herself near the window, looking out over the street. She sighed softly but said nothing. She looked as though she was fighting internally, something that only she alone could handle.

My father… alive. Does he even know I exist? Bastard ain’t worth the air I breathe. Why did she tell me this? Damn you Sophitia, damn you to hell and back several times over.

Ari slinked over to the bed, sitting on the edge quietly. He glanced over at Lyssa for a moment in thought. What’s got her down? he thought to himself.

As the girl disappeared down the stairs, Shani closed the door and her mood turned much more serious. “Let’s git ta work.” She moved over to a table and dropped the satchel she carried with her always on top of it. Removing her leather jacket easily, she tossed it onto the closest bed, the tassels that strung along the arms rustling through the air only to rest where the jacket landed. She opened the satchel and searched for a moment, concentrating on finding one item. It didn’t take long, she kept the satchel which contained scrolls, potions and components rather organized.

She placed the bloodhound fur in the middle of the table and closed up her satchel, sitting as she gently placed it on the floor. Using the somantic motions combined with the verbal incantation, the component began to glow slightly, until it vanished into thin air, succumbing to the necessity of the spell being cast.

Shani concentrated, furrowing her brow slightly as she seemed to be looking for something.

…a valley…a mountain…a river…

The pale elf took a deep breath and cocked her head.

…something’s not right…feel like I’m bein’ blocked…

Physically, she seemed to push at something, but nothing all at once.

…can’t see past it…

Shani took another deep breath as if she were about to take a running leap at the obstacle in her way.

…it’s all a blur…

Lyssa looked over to Shani for a moment, watching the pale elf as she worked. Something didn’t sit well with Lyssa as she observed from her perch, she moved silently across the floor until she was practically hovering over Shani. She slid her wedding ring off, it was the twin of the one Andar had, carefully she set it on the table in front of Shani and then allowed the waiting game to start again.

Shani waved a hand as if to end the spell, sighing heavily. A spell of this type took it’s toll and she would need a small rest before continuing again. When she spied the ring, she knew that she wouldn’t have much time. But at least she could rest for a few minutes.

“Git me a forked twig,” she said as she picked up the ring and studied it. The familiar band had been in her possession while Lyssa was trapped in the blade that Haley carried. From what she had been told, it was an exact twin to the one Andar had.

Lyssa looked to Ari before she swept from the room. Her eyes had darken dramatically. The door to the room practically slammed behind her. She moved quickly through the inn, the sun streamed through the many windows, making candles something only used at night. As she stepped into the street she looked left and right for a tree that was close. Not seeing any, she turned down the cobblestone street, searching the ground. Eventually, she found a tree and shimmied her way up it.

“Wut you doin’ up there Lady?” A small boy shouted up to her. Lyssa wasn’t really in the mood to deal with the child and attempted to ignore him. “‘ey Lady, I asked you a question, you not ‘ear me ‘r sumthin’?”

“I’m learning to fly, now bugger off you whiney sot.” She said tersely. The boy blew raspberries at her then scampered off as she gracefully pulled a Y shaped twig off the limb of the tree. Deftly she jumped from the tree, landing on the ground with ease before she set off in a quick run back to the inn.

As Lyssa brought the component to Shani, the pale elf again went through the motions of performing the spell. The twig vanished, as did the fur before, as the spell was set in motion. But unlike the confusion and disappointment from before, Shani had a very different reaction.

“Git a map!” she called out as she reached for her satchel and produced a writing implement. As Ari laid a map out on the table, Shani began to draw out a small route, based on the direction that the spell had given her. As she finished, the spell ended. She grinned and nodded triumphantly. “We got us a headin’.”