Chapter 1

The sun hangs high in the sky as my blood-covered vehicle speeds across the open Wasteland. Strong desert winds push against the car, forcing me to constantly wrestle for control on the loose ground. Feels like it could whip up into a sandstorm at any minute - not an uncommon occurrence in the flatter parts of the Wastes. The sheltered, rocky cliffs of Eden are already far behind me.

I breathe a small sigh of relief, glad to be officially out of the Goddess Anuket's territory. Not even the seemingly endless supply of water is worth the paranoia, distrust, and strict rules - not to mention Anuket's absolute power. As much as I hate the heat, the never-ending sand, and the constant fear of being attacked, I actually feel a little better now that I'm out of the city. In there, it's all bodies and mouths. Pushing and talking. I don't like doing either of those. Out here is familiar. Nothing is expected of me; there are no rules. I make deals with bullets, not words. It's simpler that way.

My mission, on the other hand, isn't so simple. Anuket's runaway Handmaiden, Trace, vanished without leaving any trail to follow. Thanks to a tip from the remaining Handmaidens and some information from the merchant Yale, I'm on my way to the city of Ares. But it's a long shot at best. All I know is that my target might be looking for a Historyman - someone who has books and a lot of pre-Fall knowledge. I don't know why Trace would risk her life for something like that; then again, I don't really know Trace at all. She acted nice to me in Eden, and I got it in my head that she saw something in me. Something more than just another brutal Road Warrior. But now she's gone, and I'm supposed to hunt her down for her Goddess. Just another bounty, yeah? Part of me isn't so sure, but I'll save that decision for when - if I find her.

I have two days of barren nothingness ahead. Tribune Khopesh, former Blackthumb of Eden, is also headed to Ares. The young Road Warrior has a few hours' head start on me, but I don't know if he'll risk going through the Graveyard of Giants. Khopesh is injured and inexperienced, but he's also eager to prove himself among other Road Warriors. If the Tribune has learned anything from his first Road War, though, he'll take the long way around and avoid trouble. Guess that means I haven't learned anything. But if I make it to Ares before Khopesh, I may be able to find Trace and get out before he even knows I was there. He claims not to be interested in the bounty, but something tells me he'd change his mind if the opportunity presented itself. One wish granted by a Goddess is a hard reward to pass up.

At some point, I'll hit the Graveyard, whatever it is. Till then, I have nothing to do but sit and think. On drives like these, I don't usually have much on my mind. Now I have too much, and all I want to do is ignore it.

"How you doing, Jaw?" I ask, trying to distract myself by talking to my companion.

The thin, sand-colored canine looks at me and tilts his bloodstained head. He's not much for conversation since he can't answer, of course, but it's nice to have someone to talk to besides my car. Who would have thought I would ever be in a conversation where I'm the talkative one?

"Think we'll run into Khopesh in Ares?" I continue. "Maybe we'll get to see his new arm. I wonder what it'll be like. The city, I mean - not Khopesh's arm. What do you think?"

Time passes slowly. The sun barely seems to move in the sky. All around my vehicle, the wind whips through the sand. Jaw falls asleep at some point, but that doesn't stop me from saying something to him every now and then. Commenting on the weather, wishing chicken wire were better at keeping out dust, recalling the look on Vates's face when Jaw ripped his throat to shreds...

The wind suddenly picks up, howling wildly and drowning out my voice. Even more sand flies into the cab, stinging my eyes. Outside, the world turns yellow, making it nearly impossible to see what's ahead. A true sandstorm. To make matters worse, I feel myself going downward. The previously level terrain becomes a steep slope, and I have to press the brakes to keep from picking up too much speed as I race blindly into some kind of valley.

"Shit," I say, but all that does is let sand into my mouth. I spit it out and cover the lower half of my face with my scarf.

Jaw wakes up and looks around nervously, blinking back the dust that tries to blow into his eyes. Maybe I should get a scarf for him, too. And a set of goggles. Wouldn't mind a pair of those for myself, either.

I narrow my eyes and peer ahead, trying to make out my surroundings through the whirling sands. Finally, the ground levels out again. Piles of scrap appear out of the dust, and I swerve to avoid them. My foot eases off the gas a little, giving me more time to dodge anything else that might get in my way. I can't completely stop to wait out the storm; it would just bury me in sand. Gotta keep moving.

More and more scrap heaps materialize. Lots of metal and many vehicles lie unclaimed here. Could this be the Graveyard? If it is, maybe the sandstorm will hide me from the tribals I was warned about. Or they could be used to this weather, which means they'd have me right where they want me. I take out my pistol and set it in my lap.

The storm gets worse, screaming in my good ear and embedding grit in my exposed skin. Jaw buries his head in his paws, trying desperately to avoid the sand. I focus on driving, constantly twisting the wheel to avoid chunks of metal. Out of the corner of my eye, massive grey shapes come into view through the dust. They are so big that the sand struggles to hide them completely, only obscuring their true size and form. Buildings, maybe? Ruins? Whatever they are, they don't seem to be moving; this is the resting place for these Giants.

Suddenly, my car lurches, and I hear metal scraping metal over the sound of the storm. Must have finally hit a piece of scrap. I can hardly see anything through the storm now, but that doesn't stop my eyes from darting back and forth, seeing things that might not even be there. My fingers grip the wheel so tightly that they hurt. No sane person would drive in this weather in unknown, hostile territory. Yet here I am.

Another sound emerges through the howling. More metal? Sand blasting against something nearby? No, this new noise is unmistakable: an engine. Not mine. Closeby. Then it vanishes. I don't hear or see any vehicle, but I know I'm not alone out here.

Deep breaths. Focus. But it's impossible to get enough air through the scarf and the grit. I feel closed in. Stuck. Nowhere to go. Like in that hallway in Anuket's palace. Maybe it's just another lone Road Warrior just trying to make it through the storm. Maybe it's Khopesh. No, I'd never be that lucky.

There it is again! This time, the engine growl remains steady. I can still hardly hear it over the storm, but I think it's getting louder. Closer. Then, on my driver side, the vehicle finally appears. I can just barely make out the vague shape and size through the yellow haze. The machine is only slightly bigger than my ride, which is a relief after facing Vates's enormous War Rig. But that's where the good news ends. The mysterious vehicle stays at that distance - just far enough away to render any shots from me nearly useless. The driver and any possible passengers are obscured by dust. They are experienced, perfectly keeping pace with me and never moving close enough for me to get a better look.

While I'm distracted by the stranger, my car suddenly jolts to the side. Metal on metal again, this time much louder. Something hit me. On the passenger side, another vehicle scrapes against my ride before putting some distance between us, matching the car on the other side. A glance in my rearview mirror reveals another car close behind me. Trapped.

I continue driving, trying to come up with a plan. If I stop, they have me. I could try to ram one of them out of the way, but there's a risk I'd spin out in the sand. Speeding up means potentially running into something I can't see. Before I can think for very long, the vehicle on the right swerves close and nudges my ride, forcing me to veer left a little. After a few moments, it happens again. Then again. They're leading me somewhere.

Jaw snaps his head up and growls every time one of the cars bumps into us. I resist the urge to do the same.

"I know, buddy," I mumble behind the scarf. "We're in trouble, yeah?"

Can't breathe, can't see, can't escape. But there is one thing I can do: get ready for a fight. Pistol in my lap; rifle leaning against my leg; revolver, crossbow, and ammo in the passenger seat with Jaw, who sits protectively next to them. Everything in place, everything reloaded, everything ready. Doesn't do much to ease my nerves, though. Sand whips through the window and sticks to the cold sweat on my forehead and hands. I hope more than ever that Khopesh didn't decide to go this way.

My pursuers continue to herd me for what feels like a very long time. Whenever one gets close, I try to get a better look at the driver, but the windows are tinted. I've seen a lot of excellent drivers in the Wastes, but I've never known drivers capable of cooperating well enough to corral a Road Warrior through a sandstorm. Not a single shot fired, and no obvious attempts to murder me. They want me alive for now. That makes me more nervous than gunshots.

Finally, a large mass of metal takes form directly before me. I step on the brakes, but the vehicle behind me rams my rear bumper, forcing me forward. I try to swerve, but the flanking cars close in together to keep me in place. Helpless, I take my hands off the wheel and cover my head, preparing to crash.

Everything goes dark, but I don't hit anything. I look up to find myself speeding through a narrow, metal tunnel. I grab the wheel again, steadying the tires on the sand that covers the half-buried pipe. The winds slam against the outside of the tube, but the air inside is still. I blink the grit out of my eyes and let them adjust to the low light. The cylinder is long, narrow, and completely empty save for some infrastructure holding up the round shape. Suddenly, the back wall looms up out of the darkness. I slam on the brakes, barely avoiding a collision.

I yank the scarf away from my face and take a few deep breaths of the relatively clean air. Jaw stands up and shakes the sand out of his fur, sneezing a couple times. The noise echoes around the inside of the tube. After that, everything goes quiet except the wind outside and my engine in front of me. The vehicles didn't follow me in here, but that doesn't make me feel any safer. I'm sure they have something planned for me in this steel trap. They could have easily forced me to crash into some debris out in the storm. Maybe they didn't want to damage my car. Maybe they're like the Mozzies, taking people alive so they can eat them.

I get the canteen from under the seat and take a couple gulps, washing the rest of the dust down my throat. I pour some in my hand for Jaw, who laps it up in seconds.

It's dark in here. And cramped. Worse than any palace hallway. I don't know what to do. Sitting here feels like a bad idea, but I don't want to leave my car. It's the only shred of cover I have against an attack, and all my weapons are ready. Beside me, Jaw whines.

"Should have taken the long way around, yeah?" I mutter.

I turn the car around to face the tunnel entrance. At least this way I can watch for any activity. I may be on their turf, but they have to come in here to get me first. At the far end, yellow light flickers in through the raging storm. I slide my seat back and move to the floor, peeking up from behind the cover of the dashboard. Jaw stirs anxiously in his seat, sniffing the stale air. There is no gunfire, no foreign engines, nothing. I don't know what to expect.

"What is your name?"

The deep, strong voice echoes through the tunnel, overpowering the noise of the sandstorm. Sounds like it's coming from the entrance, but I don't see anything through the dust. A quick scan of the rest of the tunnel reveals nothing. Where are they?

"And don't try anything," the booming voice continues. "You are cornered, outnumbered, and outgunned. Just cooperate."


Author's Note: Thanks as always to everyone reading this story. Welcome to Book Two!