All Properties are the rights of their respective owners, Dynamite Entertainment, etc.
Bladewolf101: Glad to see you like it, you'll see more of that interaction between Sonja and Walker in this chapter.
Sonja is based on the version in the only comics of hers that I've read, that being the 2005 series before Gail Simone got her hands on Sonja. It's not exact, Gath is different in that he's merely a powerful mortal sorcerer rather than a god or anything, but I'm still using that as general inspiration. As for your exact question, it may or may not be a plot point, so I don't want it to revealed up front here.
Jamal rarick: Thankfully, there isn't much to know. I'll be doing my best to explain her to people who aren't familiar with her backstory as this story progresses. Hope you continue to enjoy.
Abyss Trinity: I was surprised at how little there was, and doing something different appealed to me, hence why I wanted to try this.
Once Upon a Time in Hyboria
Chapter 3: Be Quick or Be Dead
Dismounting her horse, Red Sonja threw off her cloak and threw it over her steed before looking over the castle she knew that Kulan Gath was cowering in, hoping to avoid her wrath. It would do him no good, there was no corner of the earth that the sorcerer could flee to that she would not pursue him to. He was a vile and evil plague on Hyboria and her people, one that Sonja was more than keen to remove as retribution for a fateful day many years ago….
But as she pushed that thought from her mind and focused on her surroundings, Sonja noted she was surrounded with silence, none of the thunder that had echoed across the sky moments ago could be heard. Even though she had approached the main gate at the center of the stone wall of the castle, no guard had hailed her. The torches and full moon that provided light showed that no men manned the ramparts, and there was neither sound nor movement on the grounds beyond the wall.
Wary, the She Devil with a Sword passed through the gate, hand resting on the bloody pommel of her blade. Her caution was soon met with confirmation, as she saw three bodies laying face down, blood oozing from holes in their backs. Years of fighting as a sellsword meant Sonja could tell that they were dead, and that up until very recently, they had not been. The manner of their wounds was unlike anything that she had ever seen, like a tiny arrow, but there was no sign of any shaft from an arrow.
Sorcery, that was the only explanation that came to Sonja, nothing else, no other weapon forged by human hands could be responsible for the grisly sight before her. Eyes snapping back up, the Warrior Woman looked around for any sign of her quarry, but could only see more bodies and the large fire bit burning brightly at the center of the castle courtyard. "Kulan Gath! Will you be a spineless worm, or will you come and face me yourself!"
After a moment of quiet, Sonja's keen green eyes picked up the outline of a man emerging around the fire from the other side of the courtyard. At first glance she thought it was Gath, but quickly eschewed that assessment. This man was not the Sorcerer, his face did not have the wrinkles of Gath, but rather the chiseled features of one about her own age, punctuated by cold blue eyes.
But the rest of his appearance was foreign to Sonja, his head was covered with a hat of an unusual style, high crowned with a valley between two ridges, and with a wide brim that flared up on the sides, made of a grey fabric. His frame was tall and wide shouldered, but otherwise hidden under a loose fitting coat of darker brown fabric that went down to his shins. It was not a robe like a sorcerer might wear, for it was open in front to reveal the blue shirt he wore, which was of a most strange design with a column of buttons that trailed down the middle of it. Around his neck was a small bit of loose fabric, knotted at the front in such a way that he might pull it up to cover his face in the style of some horse mounted couriers. Across his chest was a leather belt that held several objects that Sonja had heretofore never encountered, and a second leather belt was fastened about his waist with more of the strange items. His pants were brown, of seemingly sturdy construction, offering no protection other than from the elements. The dark cherry leather boots he wore were of fine make, but deceptively simple without the adornments or embellishments most of such quality had. There was only one oddity about them, the strange metal construction affixed to them, which seemed to make a strange 'clink' with each step the stranger took.
There was something undeniably off about this man, something that struck a chord deep within the redheaded woman. His clothing was of high quality, quality enough to befit a king, but it was seemingly simple, almost practical in a way that did not match her expectations. It covered him from head to toe, seemingly doing its best to hide the body of a strong man, who usually were the type to put their strength on display. Each stride he took, along with the odd chime that came with it, was taken with poise and confidence, the same type that Sonja carried herself with. As he came to a stop, squaring up to face her, the Hyrkanian looked back to the only part of his skin that was exposed, his face. Those blue eyes were narrowed in a squint that bore into her as he looked her over in the same way she was him. His features, while strong, were not perfect, there was the shaggy beginnings of a beard on his chin, broken up by a small scar on his lower jaw. The cloth around his neck also served to partially cover a second scar that trailed up it. Her suspicions were proven when she looked back to his eyes and saw they were not focused on her body, but the sword on her hip.
This man was a warrior, a dangerous one. Of that, Sonja was certain.
"I'm afraid you won't find Kulan Gath here, miss. He got outta dodge not long after I got here," he spoke. Although his words were in the common tongue, there was a strange accent to them, one that Sonja could not place in his short and clipped delivery. He was a foreigner then, from some faraway land to which the She Devil had not yet traveled, but the object he idly tossed was of greater import. "And I already took care of the rest."
That idol, the symbol of the Sorcerer that Sonja was hunting, was not carried by those who did not know its importance. There was no excuse for him to have it. "Who are you? Do you serve Kulan Gath?"
No matter what he might say, Sonja knew the truth, only her sworn foes would desecrate themselves with that symbol.
Yet he made an attempt at denial as he shook his head. "Nah, he offered, but I prefer to do my own thing, so I had to decline."
Sonja would not allow this mockery to continue, would not allow him to get away with such a brazen lie. Snarling, the redhead drew her blade, which gleamed in the firelight as it prepared to taste flesh yet again. "Then why do you carry his totem? You would not carry his totem if you did not serve him," countered the woman. Foreign or not, her soul demanded a single course of action, to whet the bloodthirst that would not be sated until Kulan Gath and his ilk were slain. "And like all others who serve him, you will perish by my hand!"
"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." His words were calm, features unmoved, her declaration had not shaken him like so many before him. "So why don't you stow your steel, and we hash this out like civil folk?"
Sonja spread her feet, praring to charge him down, his words would do him no good and there were no weapons within his hands. Once she struck, there would be nothing he could do to stop her. "I will not be civil with the likes of you."
"I'm sorry to hear that," replied the stranger as he slipped the totem into a pocket on his coat with his left hand while his right pulled back on that side of his coat to reveal the small sheath high on his right leg. It carried no sword; indeed, it was only long enough to hold a small dagger, one which evidently had an odd, curved grip that his hand rested on. Dagger or not, it would make no difference to the She Devil. His eyes narrowed and the corner of his lips crept up, "But I'm going to have to insist."
Those words ignited a spark of fury deep within Sonja as she stepped forwards, raising her sword so that she could end the fight with a single strike. But before she could even take her second step, the stranger reacted, his hand moving faster than any Sonja had ever seen as he produced some bizarre contraption from the leather. He brought his left hand down and depressed some lever with his palm before the hole at the end of its length erupted in an unbelievable display of fire and thunder, echoing all around them off the castle walls. That was not the most terrifying aspect, the feeling of her sword being ripped from her hands and sent clattering across the ground was. By the time Sonja realized her hands were empty, she had taken two more steps, well out of reach of her blade.
The Warrior Woman stared at the smoking hole of the device with wide eyes, unable to keep the shock from her face as her heart pounded in her chest and mind raced. What he had in his hand was a weapon, a weapon unlike any that Sonja had ever seen, and it was still pointed right at her as its wielder spoke again. "I can draw faster than you can run, miss." His tone was dry, and his expression hadn't changed, while Sonja was forced to admit, at least to herself, that he was correct.
That did not mean she would be backing down from him however, "If you think your wizardry will save you, then you are gravely mistaken," snarled Sonja. With no more words for this man, the redhead acted, suddenly springing off one leg and ducking her shoulder down to dodge and roll away from whatever his strange weapon was. Moving with all the speed and fury her body could muster, it wasn't enough when the man's weapon thundered again. A sting of pain struck her leg, burning fiercely as she gritted her teeth and pushed through it, rolling before coming back up to her feet, having closed the distance as she looked at her foe.
Surprisingly, he had sheathed his weapon for whatever reason, spreading his feet and raising his hands. Smirk still on his face, he curled his fingers, seemingly beckoning her to make the first move. Grinning, and respecting the man's confidence, Sonja leapt forwards to punish him for it as she swung at him, only for his arm to come up and block her punch before he moved in a way she had never seen. Grabbing her arm with both hands, he turned around and pulled her into his back before she was lifted from her feet and thrown over his shoulder. Her feet kicked but only hit air until she impacted the ground and found herself looking up at the oddly dressed stranger.
Anger at being made to look like such a fool drove Sonja to roll over and launch herself at the man, letting out a war cry as she pushed him back, ignoring the pain from the elbow that he rammed down into her back. Valiantly, he dug in his heels and tried to resist her divine strength, but she only stopped when she slammed him into the stone wall, knocking the air from his lungs. Though she had knocked the wind from him, the foreigner still had his fight in him as he brought his knee up, slamming it into her stomach. A hand grabbed the straps of her bikini top to yank her up as his other struck, a punch slamming into her face as she felt the warm, irony taste of blood on her tongue.
Crying out, Sonja shook off the blow and renewed her assault with even more fury. But her first blow did not meet flesh, but the stone of the wall as her foe released her and stepped aside. His footwork, like the rest of his techniques, were foreign to her, but practiced and effective. He danced around her as she threw a powerful punch that only connected with thin air when the stranger sidestepped and lashed out in a practiced move, hooking he leg with his while his hand shoved her in the back. The simultaneous actions sent Sonja stumbling forwards and onto the ground as she heard the clanking of the man's feet behind her.
Rolling onto her back, the Hyrkanian woman lashed out with her foot, putting it in his leg, causing him to fall on her as they struggled. But Sonja was the stronger of the two, and she was keen to use that advantage against him. Grabbing the man by his coat, Sonja threw the man off her, sending him tumbling across the ground while Sonja got to her feet. The stranger was doing the same, but Sonja had no intention of letting up on him and rushed him, but he looked up at her before rolling away and transitioning into a crouch. The redhead swung her leg in a knockout kick for his head. Responding instantly, the man raised both his arms, using his forearms to block her strike, but she had enough strength in it to elicit a hiss of pain from the man.
Before she could follow up, the man planted one hand on her navel and shoved her back, putting her off balance and forcing her to retreat unless she wanted to be forced to the ground again. The Stranger got back up to his feet and straightened his hat as he spread his feet. Sonja barred her teeth and narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him as the two began to circle each other. It was the redhead's patience that ran out first and she charged forwards, only she didn't go directly at the oddly dressed stranger. Feigning a blow with her right fist, she then threw an uppercut with her left that he tried to block the feint and dodge the actual blow, but she had finally gained the upper hand.
It was satisfying to see the man stagger back from her punch as she leapt at him, driving him to the ground as she pressed her forearm across his throat and threw a punch into his face that his hat partially absorbed before it was knocked away. One of her knees dug into his stomach as he threw a weak punch that Sonja caught in her smaller hand before she slammed it back into the ground, pinning it down as she continued to throttle the life out of him.
He struggled and thrashed beneath her, but Sonja felt her bloody lips curl up at her impending victory before something jabbed into her calf, digging into her flesh and surprising her, causing her to let up and look back over her shoulder. The stranger had slammed the heel of his boot down on her calf, and the strange metal construction was what was digging into her flesh as she tried to get her leg free, only the stranger dug in deeper with his metal.
Sonja, snarling in anger, turned back to face him only for him to throw a handful of dust into her face, some of it getting into her mouth and eyes that she reflexively slammed shut while she coughed and brought her hands to her face. Still stunned by his audacity, the redhead was defenseless as she felt a strike that hit the base of her neck that caused her left arm to go numb for a moment before it was grabbed by the man and used to throw her off of him. Sonja tumbled across the ground, still dazed until she came to a stop and pushed herself up onto one knee, spitting the dust from her mouth and looking up at the stranger through blurry vision.
"I don't think I've ever been hit like…" began the stranger before he coughed suddenly and spit out a glob of blood that instilled Sonja with a bit of satisfaction, "Been hit like that. And never from no woman either," he admitted. His blue eyes narrowed at her before he shook his head. "You must be some sort of goddamn Calamity Dame."
Sonja did not know the meaning of those last two words, but the Hyrkanian got the sense they were directed at her, and she was not flattered as she forced herself up to her feet. She watched him reach inside his coat and come back holding some wound-up length of rope that he let go of, letting some oddly tied loop at the end rest against the ground. "If you think me beaten," replied Sonja as she looked around and spied her sword, not ten paces away, "Then you are greatly mistaken."
With that, the Warrior Woman turned and made a break for her blade, looking over the shoulder to see that the man was twirling the rope above his head before he released the rope, the loop sailing through the air towards her. Sonja dove for her blade, seeing it there as her arm was outstretched, reaching for it, but just as she was about to land she felt the rope ensnare her leg and pull tight just below her knee. The rope went taut, and Sonja's momentum stopped and she dropped straight down to the ground, arm still reaching out as the tips of her fingers grazed the handle, but only for a second.
The stranger pulled on the rope wrapped around Sonja's leg, yanking the redhead along the ground as she rolled onto her back. Roaring in anger, the She Devil threw a punch as the man leaned over her, only for him to wrap the rope around her wrist as she tried to wrench her hand free, bringing up her other one to try and unwrap her arm. With practiced ease, the man wrapped up her other hand, tying them together as she kicked up with her leg that hit his flank, only for him to wrap a powerful arm around it and hold it against him as he wrapped it in the rope as well. "Release me!" screamed Sonja, but it was no use as he pressed the tied leg to the ground and tied it to the loop already around her other one.
Powerful muscles in her arms and legs found themselves contained by the rope that went taut, but refused to give as she fought against the bindings. Anger prompted her to continue trying to free herself as her arms and legs worked against each other until both began to tire and chafe, the coarse rope burning her skin, turning it red until she finally ceased her struggles and lay still.
Looking up, she saw the man with one of his strange weapons in hand, seemingly broken open before he spun some cylindrical part of it and the closed the gun, Sonja hearing a metallic 'click' as he did. "You done?"
"I will not be done until I am freed of this rope and run you through!" yelled back the woman as she lay on the ground, but any thrashing was preempted by Walker leveling the Schofield. The woman was a fighter, and a damn good one too, which was only backed up by the fact that his back felt like one big bruise and he could taste his own blood on his tongue. The last time he had been thrown around like that was by 'Jim the Giant', a near seven foot tall monster of a man wanted for killing four in a train robbery gone wrong. That had been a near thing too, only it was a very different feeling to have gotten a licking from Jim as opposed to the beautiful woman that was still staring at him with enough fury to cow most men.
But that had given credence to Gath claiming that she was the one hunting him, and he understood why he might fear her. Part of him also realized how he had been played by the Sorcerer, he had kept that idol because Gath made it seem like he had to, and that was all it took to put him at odds with this woman, almost as if that was by design. It was clear that she wanted Gath, same as him, and so he would have to use that, and so he crouched down on one knee, Schofield still ready, and spoke. "If you do that miss, you won't find Kulan Gath. Before you arrived, and before our… disagreement, he told me where he intended to go."
The woman did not respond, but the anger in her green eyes faded, and so Walker kept talking. "I have unfinished business with the sumbitch. He owes me for bringing he here and so I'm going to collect, but I got one problem…."
"You are a foreigner to these lands," said the woman with calm certainty. Beauty, brawn, and even a bit of brains too it seemed, Walker was quickly revising his earlier estimation of the woman upwards as he nodded an affirmative. "In all of my travels, I have never met someone who dressed in the manner you do."
"I could say the same thing," muttered Joshua under his breath, causing the redhead to scowl a bit, but Walker had more pressing thoughts than her wardrobe… though not by much. "I'm from the New Mexico territory," he said, only seeing that the woman's face was still blank, "It's out west. Right on the Mexico-American border," he tried, but her expression didn't change. "Let me ask a question. Where are we? This is the Oregon territory, right?" he ventured. He'd heard about the forests farther north, even if he had never seen them.
But the redheaded woman shook her head, "This is the kingdom of Kush," she said. Walker cocked an eyebrow as his mind went back to the lessons he received as a boy but couldn't ever recall of a country by that name.
"What continent?" he tried. It was unfathomable that he had been whisked away to Oregon Territory, would it really be that much worse if he had wound up in another continent altogether? The woman however, only stared blankly at him. "Europe? Africa?" he ventured.
"Hyboria, on the border of the Western Sea," she answered.
"God damnit," ground out Walker. He was really up shit creek now, even more than he already thought. "But that doesn't change the fact of the matter. I know where to go, but not how to get there. You can help with that. So, this is my proposal: We help each other get there, I conclude my business with Gath, and then he's all yours."
The woman's answer was less than encouraging, "I work alone."
"So do I," retorted Walker as his eyes narrowed. "But I'm just going to have to make an exception for this trip, so you will too. Considering how bad you seem to want this Gath fellow; I'd say a bit of mutual cooperation is a price worth paying to have him delivered to you on a silver platter."
"Why don't you tell me where the vermin hides. I will deal with him myself," asserted the woman. And despite the fact that she was still tied up and staring up at the muzzle of his revolver, Walker believed her.
That didn't stop him from shaking his head, "But then I don't get to go home. See the problem miss?"
"And if you get killed on the way, then I will lose him for good," replied the woman.
"I think I can handle myself," assured Walker. "I took care of you well enough."
That caused her scowl to return, even deeper than before, as if being reminded of the fact that she had lost was more important than what he was offering instead. "Yes, you did," she finally admitted through grit teeth. "You bested me in combat when no man ever has before, you should be able to survive the hunt for Kulan Gath." There was another pause again as her face returned to a neutral position and she met his eyes, "And who be you who would best me and then aid in my pursuit of Gath?"
"I'm Walker, Joshua Walker," revealed the Bounty Hunter as he spun his Scofield around and then slid it into its holster. "Who might you be miss?"
"My name is Red Sonja of Hyrkania," returned the woman with what pride she could muster before her expression became stern once more. "Say I believe you Joshua Walker," began Sonja, struggling a bit with his name in her odd accent, "How do I know that what you say is true? That you will do as you have proposed?"
Tombstone thought for a second before speaking. "Because I can give you a fair word or a fair fight," he said as he started to loosen the ropes. "We can ride together, hunt what we seek, not let man or beast stand in our way. We will fight together, against whatever might dare stand against us, and we may emerge victorious. That is my word of life."
The redhead cocked an eyebrow, "And your word of death?"
Walking forwards and straight past Sonja, the Bounty Hunter picked up the woman's sword and offered it to her, grip first. Surprised, the woman took the blade as Walker stepped away and pulled back his duster. "It's here in my pistols and there in your blade. I'm here for either one."
Green eyes flickered from the sword to the Schofield, "These things you say we will have, I already have."
Joshua nodded, "That's true. I ain't promising you nothing extra. I'm just giving you a chance same as you'd be giving me one. And I'm saying that warriors can work together without butchering one another."
"It is sad that many speak with a double tongue. There is iron in your words of death, and so there is iron in your words of life. No signed parchment or royal seal can hold the iron, it must come from those who would fight for their word. Trust me Joshua Walker when I say that my words carry the same iron of life or death. It is good that warriors such as we meet in the struggle of life… or death." Sonja then lowered and sheathed her sword before extending her gloved hand, "It shall be life." Accepting the offer, Walker removed his hand from his pistol and shook, "So will it be."
"I reckon so," agreed Tombstone. Offering her a tip of his hat, he removed his second revolver and began reloading it.
Meanwhile, Sonja turned and went towards the gate, giving the Bounty Hunter a good look at her barely covered backside as he followed her all the way. Of everything about this situation that made it less desirable than having to see his father again, Walker was still above snakes and working with a beautiful dame.
Emphasizing that point, the redhead climbed up onto a horse that was waiting for her outside before turning to look back at Tombstone. "Where are we going Walker?"
"Meroe, at least at first," he replied as he slid the sixth round into place and snapped the gun shut and holstering it, "You know where that is."
Sonja nodded, "It is a day's ride from here, to the northwest," she replied. "You will need a horse."
"Don't worry Calamity Dame, I'm way ahead of you," he replied before whistling. A second later, the trotting of Shelby preceded the Thoroughbred's appearance. Tombstone stuck a boot in the stirrup and swung himself up into the saddle. "Sonja," began Joshua as the woman turned to face him, "You lead, I'll follow. Don't bake the horses now, ya hear?"
"I will not," she assured, "Our pace will be slow until we are off of the mountains, the trails will be treacherous until we reach the plains. Be wary, bandits inhabit these woods and, dressed as you are, you make an appealing target."
"Well, for their sake," replied Joshua as he tapped the Winchester repeater holstered on Shelby's flank, "I hope not."
Closing Notes: Hopefully this was fun to read as it was to right. The ending conversation took some cues from The Outlaw Josey Wales. Next time, our duo will ride onto the first stop on their trip.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.