Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Dynamite Entertainment, etc.
Guest: Glad you're enjoying the stories. I'd never actually heard of that show but I might just give it a look on the off chance I actually manage to find some free time. Which for me, sadly, is about as rare as common sense is these days. Thank you for the suggestion in any case.
This is a Motely Crue song because I don't think I've used one of theirs yet. Also, if for some reason me using Stratego in the last chapter convinced you to listen to Senjutsu, I'm sorry because that was a terrible album.
Once Upon A Time In Hyboria
Chapter 8: Looks That Kill
Sonja stayed out of sight as she watched the group depart from Krughor's house, Walker amongst them. The Hyrkanian could not discern the group's purpose as they passed by and continued down the road out of town. Pursing her lips, the Swordswoman pondered her next step before deciding that she would do as Walker suggested and wait for him at Lokaar's brothel. Spending more time in that wretched place was a notion that Sonja did not relish.
That put her in a foul mood as she turned towards the brothel and began retracing her steps. Now alone and with no pressing matters, her mind could wander, and Sonja was surprised at just where it wandered to. The previous night, after having so many drinks she had lost count, the sleep that had followed brought something with it that Sonja remembered far more than the last events of her waking hours. A dream, no, a vision of her goddess, Scáthach, had come to her, the ghost like figure of the blond woman had delivered a message to her champion, one that Sonja still heard, despite it never reaching her ears.
"To see my champion laid low. What a toll this trivial failure hath taken on her. She has tasted defeat for the first time and found it not to her liking," declared the goddess as she gazed upon the Hyrkanian. But Sonja had found herself unable to reply, not that she needed to in the presence of the Red Goddess. "Fear not Warrior, I have not forsaken you," soothed Scáthach, "My blessings are still yours to wield, Joshua Walker besting you in fair combat has not shaken my faith in you, in the same way your faith in me has not been shaken."
Even now, those words offered an untold measure of relief to the Swordswoman, but at the time, being told by her goddess she had lost an honorable contest to the Bounty Hunter had been a shock. "Do not be afraid My Champion, you have more in common with this Outworlder than you think. He is your match in combat, he has proven himself worthy of you, and you shall not lose my blessing should you lay with him. You already know this to be true Sonja, but yet you would deny that truth. Should you continue, it will not be because you fear your goddess."
Scáthach had a knowing look on her almost angelic face while she spoke to Sonja. That too was ingrained into the Hyrkanian's memory. "Do not let this man bring you fear where it is not deserved. Do not let him cause you to falter when you might otherwise be poised. With your goal so close at hand, why would you let this mere man be the root of failure when he pursues the same goal?"
It had been those words that had spurred Sonja to go along with Walker's proposal, despite her misgivings, and now she was committed to this endeavor. Staying on the path, it was no longer that aspect of her goddess' words that the Swordswoman pondered, but rather the phrase she focused on now was, "…He has proven himself worthy of you, and you shall not lose my blessing should you lay with him."
Sonja had never experienced the 'pleasures of the flesh' since she had taken up arms and sworn her oath. Did she wish too now that she could? Did she wish to lay with Joshua Walker?
Sonja could not deny that thoughts of the man in that way stirred… something deep inside her. But with her inexperience, she did not know if these feelings were lust and desire, shame and discomfort, or some combination of all of those.
Turning the corner, Sonja neared the brothel but came to a stop, something was clearly underway. All of the scantly clad women were milling about outside the brothel, some were speaking to passersby, no doubt attempting to offer their services. Others were conversing amongst themselves, and Sonja moved towards one such group. "What is happening here?" inquired the Hyrkanian.
"You don't know She-Devil?" returned one, a blonde with a pair of breasts that rivaled Sonja's own. "I would have thought that you would be a part of what's happening. Or could our lord not afford you?" wondered the woman. "I could always do something to take your mind off such things. It's not often I get the chance to please a beautiful woman instead of the foul brutes I normally have."
While her mind wished to ask about what was happening inside, Sonja's mouth did not comply, instead asking, "Are all men truly so wretched?"
That earned her a questioning look before the girls began to giggle. "So, the rumors are true then. You've never had a man, have you She-Devil?" The glowering expression Sonja replied with was answer enough. "You poor thing, to not know how good it can be if the right one satisfies you. We don't get many of those sadly."
But doubt still lingered in the Swordswoman's mind. About what, Sonja did not know, at least not for certain. She was certain it pertained to Walker, though she did not know what her doubts were, or if they were about the Bounty Hunter, or herself.
Before she could figure that out, the Hyrkanian spotted the doors of the brothel open and watched the band of fighters Lokaar had gathered begin to emerge, each armed to his own taste. There was a motley mix of swords, clubs, maces, axes, torches, and other weapons, all brazenly displayed as the men began to march down the street, Lord Lokaar emerging after them and following his men.
"I must go now. While you wet the swords of men, I need to a man to wet mine," said Sonja as she wrapped her hand around the handle of her blade. Seeing the change in her demeanor, the other women stepped back and let her pass through. Snatching a cloak up from a fencepost and covering herself, Sonja moved into the street, her disguise preventing her from being noticed. Striding purposely forwards, the She-Devil with a Sword set off after Lokaar and his group, and was quickly able to determine where they were going. "What you become so desperate Lokaar, that you would confront Krughor directly?" wondered Sonja quietly. The answer came to her lips as quickly as the question had. "You have lost much gold, not only to Krughor, but in hiring so many sellswords."
Her thoughts went back to his hesitance in paying either Walker or herself. Such parsimonious behavior was unlike the ostentatious displays he'd demonstrated. Another sign of how desperate the man had become, perhaps? This was the move of a desperate man, not one of sound judgement. The Hyrkanian could sense the atmosphere, the anger in the air, the bloodlust radiating off the armed men as they headed down the street.
Sonja felt afeared of how things were developing, not for herself, or even for Krughor, but for how the situation could spiral beyond control. She had seen how men like these could behave if they felt they had been justly compensated. If Krughor's belongings were of insufficient value to satisfy his band of mercenaries, the mob would just as quickly turn on Lokaar or the girls who worked at his brothel and cause more violence.
Instead of continuing to follow, the Hyrkanian peeled off and ducked into an alleyway, cutting through the tightly packed buildings to move faster and more directly than the armed group. Sonja did not wish to intervene on behalf of Krughor, but the She-Devil did not want to miss out on the fight if one did break out.
As Sonja shadowed the mob, she couldn't help but wonder if Walker had foreseen this, or if he had some design for her that he had been unable to convey. The Hyrkanian began to wonder just how far the man's cunning extended. But Sonja rid herself of these musings, the Bounty Hunter was not here, she was, and she was his partner, not his slave. She would act how she saw best.
With that decision made, the She-Devil moved with decisiveness, ascending the building next to Krughor's house to gain a vantage point over the group of strongmen gathering below. Lokaar, the oaf that he was, took several minutes to make his way to the head of the mob, standing tall and proud at his imminent triumph. Straightening his robes, the brothel owner yelled at the house of his foe, silencing those gathered behind him. "Krughor! I have come to reclaim what is rightfully mine. I will not be swindled by you any longer! Come out and face me!"
His words carried across the space, Sonja watching silently and narrowing her eyes at the home of Lord Krughor, searching for any hint of a response. After some minutes, it was clear that Lokaar had become impatient and would no longer wait for an answer but would act. "If you will not face me willingly, then you shall do so by force."
Sonja could see the men at arms shuffle, hefting their weapons in anticipation. They knew they had the numbers, and their confidence told them they would survive the day in defiance of what the experienced Hyrkanian could see. Krughor's home was no mighty castle, but it was still of stout construction, and any attackers would be funneled through one of the few entry points available, all of which would have spears waiting on the other side.
When the assembled sellswords strode, with chests puffed and weapons drawn, to the main entrance, the She-Devil's intuition was proven accurate. She watched as Lokaar's men beat on the heavy wooden door to no avail. While the group focused their efforts on brute forcing their way inside, they failed to notice the windows of the upper floors open to reveal archers, arrows nocked and ready. The first shots picked off several of the attacking mercenaries with the same effectiveness that Sonja had seen earlier in the day.
The effects were immediate, what little cohesion the amassed men had disintegrated immediately, with Lokaar fleeing when the first arrows flew. Their lord gone, the group morphed into a mob before Sonja's eyes, each man acting in his own best interests. Some fled, most went back to pounding on the door in an effort to escape the next round of arrows, but a small number hurled torchers they were carrying up at the windows. A seemingly desperate gamble, it had unanticipated consequences.
From her vantage, the torch arcing through the window was plain to see, Sonja could also see how it landed on the fine drapes inside the window and immediately set the tapestry alight. The flames began to spread, leaping to the nearby rugs and curtains, quickly engulfing a corner of Krughor's house. The fire did drive back the archers, but that did not mean it was viewed favorably.
Lokaar had come back out into the open and gazed upon the flames with a look of dread and horror upon his face. Multiple chins hung in defeat as he knew, like Sonja, that his intentions to use the valuables inside building to pay the men were about to go up in smoke.
Sonja stepped back, keeping her hood down and obscuring her face as she went towards the other side of her rooftop. Peering down, the She-Devil spotted a door on Krughor's house open and watched three men come out. Lokaar's sole sellsword was cut down before he could even shout an alert and then Krughor emerged.
Immediately, Sonja knew what she had to do, Lokaar could not be allowed to capture the Lord. He knew that Joshua Walker had betrayed Lokaar, and Sonja could not allow the brothel owner to know of this. Eschewing her cloak, the Hyrkanian jumped from the roof, leaping across the gap to the opposite building, grabbing a window ledge before dropping down in front of the fleeing Lord Krughor.
His eyes widended at the sight of the Hyrkanian as she narrowed her eyes at him. "You cannot flee from me Scoundrel," snarled Sonja as she drew her blade and slashed the closest guard across the chest in a single fluid motion. The sharpened steel sliced through his gambeson armor and carved through his stomach and up along his chest, leaving a profusely bleeding gash in its wake. As that man collapsed to the ground, the other two came at her simultaneously, one swinging high, the other low. The woman stepped forwards and ducked the high strike while bringing her sword down to parry the blade coming at her legs. Deflecting the weapon with the clang of steel, Sonja swung her sword, cleaving the edge through the man's gut, tearing out his entrails.
The final guard swung his sword again, but not before Sonja brought her blade up to defend herself, forcing both combatants into the 'bind.' They did not remain there for long, the She-Devil lashed out with a swift kick to the man's knee, causing it to buckle and pull his blade back. Seizing the opening, Sonja brought her weapon down, driving it into his skull and cleaving the bone open.
"Wait!" Sonja heard Krughor cry before she spun, extending her arms and sword as she did. With a single stroke, the redhead lopped off the Lord's head, decapitating him. Both his head and body landed on the ground with a splat, blood pouring from the wound.
Flicking the blood off her blade before sheathing, the Hyrkanian looked down at the body, content that she had rid the land of one blight upon it. She had no time to relish in her victory however, a shout quickly got her attention. "You there! Halt!" shouted somebody, and the Hyrkanian looked up to see one of Lokaar's men pointing at her.
"She killed Krughor!" shouted another as more men rounded the corner. "Bring her to Lokaar."
Lokaar's men held the numbers advantage, one too great for Sonja to simply carve her way through. So the woman turned and ran, not wanting to be target of the wrath of the mob as her mind raced for what to do next. Once she shook her pursuers, Sonja would need to find Walker, but knew that that his original instruction of Lokaar's brothel was out of the question, so she decided to head for the inn.
Part of her wondered if the man would have a plan for this situation.
Since he had taken great care to guide the cart he was driving through areas with low traffic, Walker had gotten lost once or twice, but eventually did manage to arrive at the inn where Sonja and he were staying. It was late afternoon now, and he did notice the obvious column of smoke in the distance, but he was more concerned with the significant quantity of gold he was transporting. It had been a good day's work, and Tombstone was content with how things had turned out, Sonja's debt to the barkeep would be handled and they would be able to get back on the trail of Kulan Gath.
The fact that two 'Lords' were probably going to be ruined was just a bonus.
"Ah, Stranger, where did you get the wagon?" asked the barkeep.
The man had come out the back door of his establishment just as Walker brought the cart to a stop and jumped down. Smirking, the Bounty Hunter clapped a hand down on the older man's shoulder, "Sir, I'll give you a piece of advice. Don't ask questions you don't wanna know the answers to." With that, the Gunslinger turned towards the back of the cart and gestured to the chest in the back. "I could use a hand with this, if you' be so kind."
With considerable effort, the two men got the heavy chest out of the wagon and into the inn, setting it down with an echoing 'thud.' There was no lock, and so Walker simply kicked the lid open to reveal the heavy cloth sacks inside, gold coins spilling out of them. "Where did you…" blurted the barkeep as he looked to Walker and then fell silent. "I don't want to know," he finally said.
"Good man," answered the Bounty Hunter, "Take what Sonja owes you, and a little extra to keep an eye on this while I go find Calamity Dame so we can get the hell out of dodge."
"You don't know?" asked the innkeeper. Walker raised an eyebrow and shook his head slowly before turning to face the older man and leveling an intense look at him, the obvious question unspoken. "Krughor's dead, killed by Sonja's hand, or so claims Lokaar. He has his men searching the city for her, offering a reward for her to be brought to him alive. He's also telling anyone who'll listen that she set the fire that reduced Krughor's home to ashes. So nobody is stopping him."
Joshua grimaced, brow furrowing as his mind went to how to handle this development. "God damnit," he cursed, rubbing the back of his neck in what he knew was a tell of his. Before he could think through this further, there was a knock on the back door that caused both men to look up. They shared a worried glance as Walker's hand slowly drew one of his pistols and used it to gesture to the door.
The Barkeeper hesitated, but eventually swallowed his fear and cracked the door open to reveal the stunning, scantly clad redheaded form of Red Sonja on the other side. Before the Barkeep could get a word out, the She-Devil shoved the door open the rest of the way and bolted inside, slamming the door behind her. She clearly had seen a bit of action, judging by the flicks of red on her pale skin. And the way her impressive breasts heaved and strained against the little bits of clothing that valiantly contained them told Joshua that she had been n the run. "Have fun without me Calamity Dame?"
"And what… have you… been doing?" she asked, still breathing heavily.
Walker tapped his boot against the chest, "I was solving our little money problem," he drawled as he holstered the Number 3, not needing the gun. "But you really do live up to your name, don't you? Getting yourself into even more trouble when I'm not here to keep an eye on you." Making a show of looking her over from head to toe, partially as a joke, and because the woman was a work of art. "But we don't have to deal with this one. Our debt is paid, we got some cash, I say we get while the getting's good."
"No, I will not allow it." The ferocity with which Sonja snapped at him caught the Bounty Hunter off guard. "I will not run from that pig with my tail between my legs. Just as my blade removed Krughor's head from his body, it will taste the blood of Lokaar before we depart. You can help me Joshua Walker, or you too will face my wrath, but you will not stand in my way."
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," muttered Walker under his breath before meeting the She-Devil's gaze. Seeing the fire burning in her eyes, he made no attempt to steer her from her set path. "If that's how it's going to be, then I'll help," he replied.
She seemed genuinely taken aback by that. "You will?"
The Bounty Hunter nodded slowly, "You're my partner, I got your back," he affirmed, "You got a plan?"
"Lokaar has undoubtedly returned to his place of debauchery. It was his men who burned down Krughor's home, but it will be I who puts the torch to that wretched place," stated the Hyrkanian.
"Uh huh," replied Joshua, rubbing his hand along the stubble of his chin. "You want the two of us, one of which has the whole town looking for her, to walk straight to Lokaar's business and burn it down, do I have that right?"
The nod he got back from Sonja prompted the Gunslinger to shake his head exasperatedly. "Do you have a better idea?" challenged the Swordswoman.
Walker grinned a little bit, "Since you asked Calamity Dame, I do. If I got this right, the problem we got is that somebody put a bounty on your head. Now, where I'm from, you can deal with that in a couple of ways. You could just hit the trail and leave their jurisdiction. Though if you do that you're hoping that a bounty hunter doesn't come after you."
"A bounty hunter like you?" asked Sonja, crossing her arms and sticking her hip out in a standoffish manner.
"That's right Calamity Dame," confirmed Walker. "And since we don't want that, you're in luck. Because the best way to get this bounty off your back is to kill whoever put that price on your head. Just be thankful that Lokaar ain't a Marshall or nothing, that would make this really hard. As it is, all we have to worry about is the 40 or 50 guys he's got workin' for him. But we don't have to kill them, we just have to get past them you see."
Puasing, Walker felt like he had an epiphany as a plan took shape. Snapping his fingers, the Bounty Hunter announced, "I've got an idea. A way to get us past all those guys and get to Lokaar." He then frowned, "I don't think you're gonna like it Calamity Dame."
One of her eyebrows raised and head tiled, "Why?"
"Because you're going to have to trust me, Sonja. Completely," he said. "I give you my word that I will help you do this, and I will not abandon you. Do you understand?" he asked, surprising himself with how sincere the words were.
"I do," said Sonja after a moment of thought. "This plan of yours, what is it?"
"To get what we want, we're going to have to make it look like Lokaar will get what he wants," explained Joshua cryptically. "Barkeep, I'm going to need some rope."
Closing Notes: There will be one more chapter in this arc, and that should come out in a month or so? No promises, but that is the hope.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.