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Once Upon a Time in Hyboria
Chapter 2: Stranger in a Strange Land
The sound of a branch snapping as it was trodden upon caused a pair of bleary green eyes to flutter open and then slam back shut from the assault of light from the small fire ahead of them. Groaning lowly, the redheaded woman forced herself to throw off the yoke of her hangover and sober up quickly as she heard a shocked gasp from behind where she had laid down to sleep off the ale she had earlier that night. Knowing that she had undoubtedly been spotted, the woman waited a beat before she heard a few whispers and shuffling feet as the bandits came closer.
"If you touch my horse or my sword, you will die," spoke the sobering up redhead before opening her eyes and turning her head to look at the six men that emerged from the trees at the edge of the clearing where she had set up her camp, "If you touch me, then you will die screaming." The silence in the air was only broken by the crackling of the fire that illuminated the shocked expressions of the men as they stood frozen for a second, indecisive.
But finally, one of them regained their bravery and called back, "There are six of us, and one of you!" That wasn't of much worry to the redhead, she had faced much worse odds before. "And your sword isn't even in reach! It will do you no good!"
"True," admitted the woman as the cloak she was using as a blanket to ward off the chill of the night concealed her hand reaching down to withdraw her dagger from its sheath. "But that doesn't mean I'm unarmed. Are you a gambling lot?"
"If you are armed lass, then why have you not killed us already?" asked one of the bandits with brash confidence. The woman could see him take a defiant step closer, arms crossed, not even reaching for his sword as he leered down at her, no doubt imaging what she looked like beneath the cloak. After the passing of a few heartbeats, he began to step forward again, "Nothing to say to that, hm?" The Bandit hovered over her and said, "I'm calling your bluff because we are going to take what we please and there is nothing that yahhh!"
When he had reached out to touch her, the woman had rolled away and drawn her dagger before driving the blade through the man's hand and pinning it to the ground. While his screams continued to drown out the shocked expressions of the other bandits, the woman threw off the cloak and got to her feet before ripping the man's sword from its sheath and summarily bringing it down on his neck, lopping off his head with a single stroke. Twirling the bloodied blade in her hand to get a feel for its weight, the woman turned to face the remaining five and raised the sword, ready for a fight.
Despite having the numbers advantage, the five men stared slack jawed at the woman who now stood at her full six foot height. The fire illuminated her mane of flowing blood red hair that contrasted with her pale skin that was only blemished by the scars of those lucky enough to land a blow against her in combat. That skin did little to conceal the corded muscle beneath, a product of her experience as a swordswoman and pay soldier. And there was a lot of that skin showing, since she was wearing only a very light set of scalemail armor that only concealed her breasts and pelvis, boots that went up to just below her knees, and gloves that stopped short of her elbows. The image was one that was unique, and certainly recognized by the five men arrayed around her as they stood slack jawed, "It's Red Sonja!"
The anticipation of a fight had her blood pumping, causing the She-Devil with a Sword to grip her blade tightly before lunging at the closest man. With a mighty battle cry, the flame haired woman thrust her sword in the man's gut, impaling the bandit in one thrust. The man's screams filled the air, his eyes bulging out as his mouth tried to form words but failed.
In the corner of Sonja's vision, a flash of movement caused her to wheel around to put the man at the edge of her blade between her and the aggressor as another bandit swung his sword. When it came down on the collarbone of the impaled bandit, his neck erupted in a gruesome geyser of blood that sprayed all across his compatriot. Sonja raised her leg and planted a boot on the impaled bandit's hip and kicked him off the sword, sending him stumbling back into the one who had tried to come to his aid, sending both to the dirt.
Having withdrawn the bloody blade, the redheaded Hyrkanian spun around and swung the sword again as a fourth bandit dove at her with dagger in hand. Hopes for a surprise attack dashed, the Bandit tried to hold up his dagger in defense, but Sonja redirected her strike to the arm that held the dagger and sliced it clean off. The severed arm landed on the ground with a 'thud' as Sonja lowered her shoulder and launched herself into the one armed bandit, tackling him to the ground. Moving swiftly, the Swordswoman got onto her knees and drove the sword down through his chest until the blade had passed through him and was buried deep in the dirt.
While the third man spent his dying breaths shaking around the sword in his chest, the last three living bandits charged at the She Devil. Reflexively, Sonja reached back for the sword buried in the ground, but the glint of an axe made the Swordswoman recoil back as the axe was swung down past her face. Rolling away onto her back, Sonja saw another man bearing down on her, his own axe held high. Right as it started to come down at her, the flame haired woman lashed out with her leg, striking the man in the knee and throwing him off balance as he swung, the momentum causing him to fall to the ground.
Scampering away, Red Sonja got to her feet and reached down, hand finding purchase on the leather wrapped grip of her own sword as she pulled it free from the ground. When the meter-long weapon was free, the She-Devil couldn't shake the notion she had ben reunited with an old friend. A double-sided blade of the finest steel in the land mated to a long two-handed grip by a jutting cross guard and counterbalanced by a heavy pommel, it was the blade with which Red Sonja had earned her name. It had drunk the blood of hundreds, if not thousands, of men, and it would taste the blood of three more soon enough.
"You'll pay for that whore!" shouted the one with the sword as he swung sloppily at her. Sonja raised her own and expertly parried the strike, causing the man to spin around and open up his back. It was not an opportunity the Hyrkanian was going to pass up as she swung her sword back across her body, slashing the bandit.
The other two came in together, trying to bracket the red-haired woman while she backed away, looking for an opening. One shabby axe slashed close by as Sonja stepped back and took advantage of the opening, swinging her blade around and hitting the side of the man's stomach, just above the waist. Steel cleaved through flesh, sending blood and guts flying as the man dropped his axe and fell to his knees as he desperately tried to hold his intestines in his stomach.
When the last man came at her, Red Sonja raised her sword, one hand grabbing the blade to catch and parry the axe. Following up that move, Sonja threw the pommel of her longsword into the bandit's face and was met with the crunch of his nose breaking as he threw his head back and stumbled away. Instead of pursuing this man, the Swordswoman turned back to the other man who was still on his knees and grabbed the blade of her sword with both hands. Swinging her longsword like an axe, the She-Devil slammed the pommel down onto his head, caving his skull in as he fell over, dead.
Heavy footsteps had the Swordswoman looking over her shoulder to see the last man standing charge at her as she grabbed the leather wrapped handle once more. In a single, brutal stroke, Sonja spun and thrust the tip of her blade through his guts. Even as his quivering fingers couldn't hold onto his own axe, his other hand came up, falling weakly on her shoulder as Sonja pushed the blade in that much deeper. "I said if you touch me, then you will die screaming," reminded the She Devil as she leaned in a little bit closer, "And so you shall."
Ripping the blade out, Sonja swung the hilt up in an uppercut that struck the man's chin before slashing him across the stomach and then thrusting the tip up, piercing his stomach and driving it up through his lungs. The bandit fell onto his back, the sword still lodged in his chest, while Sonja stepped over his shoulder and began pulling on the handle of the weapon. Screams filled the air as steel sliced through flesh until it met bone until Sonja yanked, hearing the bones crack as some of the sword came out, a second pull broke more ribs and caused more screams, and then a third finally yanked the sword completely free. A moment later, the loudest sound in the night was the smoldering campfire as Sonja looked down at the dead man, his ribcage ripped open to reveal the butchery that had occurred to what was inside.
Bending over, the She-Devil with a sword removed the tattered remains of one of the bandit's shirts along with his wineskin. The shirt was used to wipe the blood that had sullied her blade as she walked back to where she had been sleeping. Satisfied that her weapon was as it should be, Sonja picked up its sheath and slid the steel into place before securing the weapon around her waist and opening the bandit's wineskin and dumping the contents on the campfire to douse it. Now with naught but the little moonlight that made it through the dark clouds to illuminate the forest, Red Sonja donned her cloak and mounted her horse to resume her journey towards whatever hole Kulan Garth had crawled into.
After some time riding, one of the few beams of light from the full that made it through those thick clouds fell on what the Swordswoman knew to be that hole, a decrepit old castle less than a mile from where she was. Nearby townsfolk had said the wretched sorcerer had seized the castle not three moons ago, still on the run from his hunter, a hunter that had just about caught up. Her steed moving once again, the sound of sharp thunder filled the air, though there was no lightning with it to light up the night.
With a flick of the reins, Sonja put her horse into a gallop, there was magic afoot, and she had to make haste.
With his vision blurry and head spinning, Joshua Walker fought to stay atop his horse while, incredibly, the thoroughbred seemed to be handling whatever just happened a lot better than he was. Shelby remained still and calm as his rider was focused most pressingly on keeping his breakfast down while hunched over and letting out a pitiful groan. After a moment that felt like it lasted an hour, the Bounty Hunter was finally able to muster the strength to sit up straight in his saddle and take in his surroundings.
Narrowing his eyes, Walker looked at the dark stone wall around him, illuminated by the fire in the center of the circular area as well as the torches mounted to it, it was easy to see that it was unlike anything Tombstone had seen in his time roaming the frontier territories. The walls were high, must've been as big as the buildings back east at least, but the night sky was still visible overhead. The Gunslinger didn't have the faintest notion what might've been beyond those walls, and it didn't matter, he had to stay focused and get some answers. But answers weren't his biggest concern as he saw the men around the room.
Strangely, despite being a surly looking bunch, there wasn't a pistol, rifle, or shotgun between them. They were dressed in loose fitting clothes and all had a manner of sword, axe, or shield while eying him with dangerous intent that had Walker slowly reach back for the Winchester to his right. Even as his hand hovered over the wood stock of the repeater, a man emerged from behind the fire garbed in strange flowing robes with a peculiar brimless hat. His face was that of an old man with as many wrinkles as years on it with some of the deadest black eyes Walker had ever seen staring back at the Bounty Hunter. Slowly, a smile appeared on those wrinkly features as the man spoke, "Peace Joshua Walker, I assure you that you are amongst friends here."
"You seem to have me at a disadvantage stranger," replied Walker as he reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a cigarillo and match. Placing the tobacco between his lips, the Bounty Hunter continued, "You know who I am, but I don't know you." Striking the match against the leather of his saddle, the Gunslinger brought the small flame up to light the tobacco before blowing out a puff of smoke. "Care to fix that?"
The smile became strained as those cold eyes narrowed for a moment, "I am Kulan Gath! Prime Sorcerer of Hyboria!" announced the old man with an air of grandiosity. "It was I who summoned you here, for I have need of a man of your talents. When I saw you through the eyes of my totem I acted with haste, using it to bring you here from your world. And have no fear, Kulan Gath is a man of great means, but I now have need of you Joshua Walker and I have called you to serve."
"I don't serve anyone but me. I want to go back," growled Walker through clenched teeth, cutting off Gath, much to the man's surprise. "I want to go back to the New Mexico Territory."
Gath regained his composure and addressed the Gunslinger again. "I am saddened to hear that Joshua Walker. But that…can be arranged. Come, we shall discuss terms. Your belongings shall not be disturbed." His voice had the weight of a command with the confidence that it would be followed, and a look at the other men in the room seemed to indicate that such traits were not without merit. With surprisingly spry steps for a man with such a frail appearance, Gath turned and walked through a narrow-arched passageway, out of the central circular space.
Grunting and letting out another puff of smoke from his Cigarillo, Walker dismounted his horse and strode after the sorcerer, confident that, should this go bad, he had he familiar weight of his Schofields on his gun belt. The Bounty Hunter could feel the eyes on him as his bootsteps echoed off the stone, overshading the sound of his spurs, which he noted that none of the other men had. Heading into the hallway, illuminated by torch and not lamp, Walker's face was stoic, but he was frantically trying to piece together the mystery of where he was and what manner of man this Kulan Gath was.
What the Gunslinger knew for sure was that he was weary of Gath, but he continued after the robed man, nonetheless, determined to get out of wherever he had found himself. At the moment, that meant he had to follow Gath when the 'Sorcerer' rounded a corner to reveal a sturdy wooden door with a guard either side, both men with swords who opened the door for the pair and the followed them through. That door led to an exterior overlook that revealed that the stone structure was situated at the top of high ground, surrounded by forest as far as the Gunslinger's eyes could see, a sight unlike any he had ever seen in his life.
Joshua was so overwhelmed, he couldn't form a coherent thought, subconsciously shifting the cigarillo around before blowing out a long puff of smoke. His awestruck expression didn't go unnoticed by Gath, who looked at him smugly, "Hopefully now you understand the breadth of my powers Joshua Walker. You are no longer in your world, for I have brought you to mine, and I have brought you here to accomplish a task of great import. You do that, and you will be at my side when I take my rightful place."
Finally, Tombstone shook himself from his stupor as he looked at the cold eyes of Garth, "And what…" began the Bounty Hunter as he removed the Cigarillo from his lips, "Would that be?"
The Sorcerer's face twisted into a sickening smile, "You are a hunter of men, yes?" he asked, and Walker held his gaze as he put the tobacco back in his mouth before nodding. "Then you should have no trouble hunting down a woman for me. She is a Hyrkanian warrior with hair as red as the blood she has spilled, her prowess is considerable and reputation formidable. Do not be misled by her appearance."
Puffing on his cigarillo, Walker then dropped the spent tobacco to the floor and stepped on it, snuffing the flame by squishing it with the heel of his boot. "She must be something else if you can't deal with her yourself," he mused, but this didn't draw a response from Gath. Letting out a breath, the Bounty Hunter tilted his head and asked his next question, "Say I go out and get this woman, then what? I bring her here?"
"No, you will not," replied Kulan Gath, seemingly perking up at how Walker was coming around to his wishes. "This castle has served me well, but I am soon to depart. You can find me in Aigaion." Walker stared at the Sorcerer blankly before the older man placed his hands behind his back and elaborated. "Go to the nearest town, Meroe," began Gath as he pointed out towards the forest. "From there, you must venture north and brave the deserts of Stygia on your way to the city of Shumir. Following that, take the road west to Argos, and then north on to Schondara. Travel east to Galparan from there, and Aigaion lays a day's ride north. Arrive there with proof of the She-Devil's demise and the idol you found, and you will be rewarded handsomely before being sent back to where my idol first lay eyes on you."
Walker pulled out the odd stone statue he had found and cursed his curiosity before pocketing it. "Is that all?" drawled the Gunslinger dryly, "What do you have to go all the way there for?"
Gath scowled, "While you remove the only person who can challenge my ascendency, I shall be preparing the spell that will bring the realm to its knees so that I may climb to my rightful place atop it. To do that I must go to Aigaion."
"I have a better idea," countered Walker, "You see, I don't take too kindly to people who tell me what I can do. I just want to get back to my life in the territories, not get involved in whatever you're up to, either you can oblige me or not." Flicking his coat back, Joshua slowly drew the Schofield on his right hip as he continued, "I'm going to give you a choice Mr. Gath, either you send me back right now," demanded Tombstone calmly as he raised his revolver, "Or I kill you where you stand. What'll it be?"
Kulan Gath snarled at the Bounty Hunter with a look of disgust and contempt, "You dare defy the will of Kulan Gath?" The only answer Tombstone gave was to thumb the hammer of his Smith and Wesson back.
In reply, the Sorcerer flicked a finger towards the Gunslinger, what looked like a bolt of lightning discharging from the tip. Before Walker could contemplate pulling the trigger, the attack landed right on his chest, knocking him off his feet and sending him skidding across the stone floor as the gun fell from his hand and his hat from his head.
"Kill him! He isn't to leave this place alive!" commanded Gath before there was a blinding flash of light that forced Walker to squeeze his eyes shut, though they still watered despite his best efforts. Blinking away the circles that filled his view, Jacob saw the two men with swords draw their blades and come at him.
While one Schofield lay on the ground in front of him, the other was still in its holster on his lift hip. Rolling onto his right side, Walker drew the seconded ivory handled revolver with his left hand before sitting up and fanning the hammer with his right hand, firing off three shots in quick succession. All three of the .44 caliber slugs hit the man's torso, causing him to stop dead in his tracks as his body convulsed with each impact, blood flying from each of the new holes. The second guard looked to be in a state of shock as Walker pushed himself up to his feet and leveled the Schofield at the cowering man. "Please, have mercy!" he begged.
But the only response was for Tombstone to pull the trigger once, putting a singular slug through his head and causing him to drop dead. Stepping over the two bodies, the Bounty Hunter broke the Schofield open and replaced the spent cartridges before giving the gun a spin on its way back to its holster. Knowing that the rest of the castle must've heard those shots, the Gunslinger picked up the weapon he had dropped and gave it a once over. Satisfied that the gun was undamaged, Walker picked up his hat and calmly placed it on his head while he held the revolver at the ready.
Throwing the door open, the Bounty Hunter stepped into the torchlight hallway and began to retrace his steps back towards his horse. Proceeding with the confidence that came when he had a gun in his hand, Walker didn't hesitate when he saw a human shape emerge from around the corner ahead of him. Snapping off a shot from the hip, the thunderous report of the wheelgun echoed off the stone walls as the man who had been hit spun and collapsed, his sword clattering to the floor.
"Erlik's hell!" shouted another voice from behind Walker as he spun around and sent three shots downrange, fanning the hammer to cut down the two men that had emerged behind him. Then, seeing the man he had just shot crawl for his dropped sword, Walker pointed the gun behind him and fired again, and could hear the pained groan of a dying man as soon as the report from the gunshot died down.
Removing the spent brass from the cylinder and placing them in his gun belt, Walker reloaded his Schofield before turning and continuing back towards the open area he had arrived in. If he was going to survive, and have any hope of tracking down Gath, then he was going to need Shelby. His stocks of ammunition, food, and other supplies were all with the thoroughbred. He had to get to the horse, no matter what got in his way.
Able to see the fire still burning at the center of the outdoor circular area ahead of him, Walker knew he was getting close, so close that he could see the reception that was waiting for him. There were ten men, all with their blades at the ready, standing in a loose semi-circle around the exit of the hallway. Reaching down, Walker drew his second Schofield and held both weapons at the ready when he emerged. One of the waiting me shouted, "You are outnumbered! Surrender! And we will grant you the mercy of a swift death!"
Walker's eyes narrowed as he shook his head, "I don't agree. You see, the way I figure it, there are only ten of you," explained Tombstone as he thumbed back both hammers, "And I got twelve bullets." One after the other, the Bounty Hunter fired both pistols, putting a .44 caliber slug into two different men that fell in quick succession. Head swiveling as he cocked the guns again, Walker saw one man reacting quicker than his fellows on his right and raised one gun at him, sending a bullet into the top of his head that sent brain matter flying as he fell to the ground face first. His foes, awestruck by the pistols, were frozen in fright at the mere as he chambered the next round and fired the gun in his right hand again, killing a fourth man in as many seconds.
Whipping around, Walker fired his left Schofield and then right, putting a bullet into the chest of two men that seemed to have gathered their wits and attempt the cross the 20 yards that separated them. The remaining four were mostly straight ahead of him, and Tombstone turned to see them start to back away only to raise his left arm and fire again, shooting down the one farthest from him. With their numbers advantage having been shredded, the last three turned and fled, one shouting incoherently.
But they had come after him, wanted to kill him, and Tombstone wasn't keen on giving them the chance to try again. There more gunshots echoed off the stone around the Gunslinger as he put a bullet in the back of each man, killing them before they could escape. Lowering the smoking pistol in his left hand and letting out a breath, Joshua looked around for any sign that any of the bodies around him were still breathing. Satisfied that the area was safe, Walker holstered his weapons and brought his right hand up, putting his finger and thumb in his mouth before letting out a short whistle that got the attention of Shelby.
While the horse trotted towards him, the Bounty Hunter took a knee next to one of the men he had killed and noted that he had an idol like the one Walker had found hanging from his neck. Taking out his own to confirm it, Joshua examined them closely. They were the same basic shape, but unlike his, the one the dead man had lacked stones for eyes and the intricate gold inlays. Hopefully that means mine's special, or at least special enough that it can get me back mused Walker internally.
Shaking his head and standing back to his full height, Joshua looked over at his trusty mount and gave the horse a pat before he heard a voice, a woman's voice, echo around the room. "Kulan Gath! Will you be a spineless worm, or will you come and face me yourself?"
"Stay here Shelby," instructed Walker quietly before turning towards the source and strode toward a large open gate that seemingly had no walls beyond it. Standing in the middle of that gate was a woman, and she was quite unlike any woman he had ever seen before. The woman stood tall at what looked to Walker like six feet, taller than most women and many men. She was more muscular than most men too, with lean arms and long legs comprised solely of hard muscle, her left thigh bearing the scar of an arrow wound. That wound wasn't a one off either, there was another long scar diagonally across her stomach. The defined muscle all across her abdomen that were connected to those toned legs by a pair of flaring womanly hips. Even more womanly than that was the pair of large breasts that stood proudly on her chest, the soft mounds of flesh a stark contrast to the rest of her hardened body. He could see so much of her because of what she was wearing, or rather what she was not. The only clothing she wore covered less of her pale skin than most lady's undergarments he had seen. With only a triangular piece of scale like material pulled so tightly over each breast that they took the shape of the flesh they were covering. A third triangle that hung from a leather belt that was wrapped around her thin waist, the triangle of scales covering her womanhood so as to conceal her modesty, though only just. She had a pair of knee high boots, fur lined and made of leather, to protect her feet from the elements, while a pair of brown gloves went up to her elbows. Most striking of all however, was her face. It was, in a word, gorgeous, with full lips, high cheekbones, strikingly bright green eyes, and a flowing head of red hair that went halfway down her back.
But even after taking all of that in, Walker's eyes settled on her hips, mainly to the sheathed sword on her right one, even as those green eyes bore into him. "I'm afraid you won't find Kulan Gath here, miss. He got outta dodge not long after I got here," informed Tombstone as he came to a stop, idly tossing the idol he found with his left hand. Pointing over his shoulder, the Bounty Hunter offered a small grin, "And I already took care of the rest."
The redheaded woman narrowed her eyes, "Who are you? Do you serve Kulan Garth?" she asked.
Joshua shook his head, "Nah, he offered, but I prefer to do my own thing, so I had to decline."
His words didn't seem placated by the reply, showing her displeasure by barring her teeth and drawing her sword, a massive blade that she handled with startling ease. "Then why do you carry his totem? You would not carry his totem if you did not serve him," she asserted firmly, "And like all others who serve him, you will perish by my hand!"
Realization dawned on Walker, this was the woman Gath had wanted him to kill, she was probably the only person that wanted to find the Sorcerer as much as he did. This wasn't an opportunity he could let slip away, he had to get her onto his side. "Now, Miss, I ain't serving nobody, in fact I want to find that sonkey and give him a piece of my mind for puttin' me in this godawful mess. So why don't you stow your steel, and we hash this out like civil folk?"
"I will not be civil with the likes of you," spat the woman angrily.
"I'm sorry to hear that miss," drawled Walker as he pocketed the idol and drew his duster back before setting his right hand on the pearl grip of the Schofield that still had two bullets left, "But I'm going to have to insist."
Unfazed, the woman took a step forward and raised her sword just as Walker yanked out his Schofield to snap off a single, decisive shot.
Closing Notes: Yes, I am ending this on that cliffhanger, and yes, I am a bastard. If you want to see what happens next then show a bit of support and I'll see what I can do.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.