Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Dynamite comics, etc.
This is the end of this first arc, and it's been a long time coming. And for this final chapter, I went with a title off the soundtrack of 'The Taken King' which is packed with awesome tracks, really epic stuff, especially for a 'boss' fight type encounter, which is what this is.
Once Upon a Time in Hyboria
Chapter 9: Bow to No One
The spurs on Walker's boots jingled when he jumped down from the cart, and the Gunslinger adjusted his hat as he strode to get his cargo out of the back, keenly aware of all the eyes watching him. Pulling his Bowie knife out of its sheath, the Bounty Hunter locked eyes with the woman who sat in the cart, her hands bound behind her back by a length of rope tied into a certain knot Walker was familiar with. Picking up the scabbard that contained the redhead's sword, Joshua offered the Hyrkanian a remorseful look. "I'm sorry Calamity Dame, but this is just the way it's gotta be."
Red Sonja only replied with an even more hateful glare, evidently not sharing the same sentiment. Walker wasn't too concerned about that, she was the one who had gotten them into this situation, and so Sonja was just going to have to suck it up. "No more fight in you? I expected more," mused Joshua. The response from the redhead was to make a halfhearted attempt at shaking him off, one Walker easily wrangled in. Still, it made for a good show, which was exactly what Joshua wanted.
Sonja looked up at the Bounty Hunter, her green eyes still boring into him, and her lips curled into an unvoiced snarl. "Don't worry," said Walker as he used his knife to cut the rope that tied the cart to the knot around the Hyrkanian's wrists, to keep her from jumping out of the cart. Juggling things somewhat, Walker got his knife put away and put the scabbard with the redhead's sword over his shoulder. Finally, he wound up with a Schofield in one hand and the rope that was still tied to her binds with the other. "This'll all be over soon. Now head on in, I'll be right behind you."
His attention was mostly spent watching the growing crowd for any signs of trouble, but he stole a glance or two of Sonja as she dismounted. All around him, Walker heard the usual whispers and rumblings that came whenever he brought in a bounty and was used to it. Sonja, however, was certainly not, and Tombstone could see the flurry of emotions going on behind her eyes as she heard the same whispers, many of which were in tones of understandable shock at the sight of the formidable woman in this state.
After a moment to gather her dignity, Sonja stood straight and tall before marching purposefully towards the entrance of Lokaar's establishment with Walker a few yards behind. While Joshua would be the first to admit that he didn't particularly care for what he was doing, he would also say that he didn't mind the view of Sonja walking up the steps in front of him in her strange garments. As soon as she stepped inside, Walker could tell that everybody else was unashamedly staring where before they might have only stolen glances. Both the working girls and the men that Lokaar had hired stared open mouthed at Sonja and then Walker.
As the strange procession made their way forwards, the Bounty Hunter saw movement in the corner of his eye, the men were starting to work their way closer, and not with looks that signaled pure intentions. "So," rumbled one, "You want to make us look bad, stranger?"
"I beg your pardon?" replied Walker as he noticed that three more were blocking Sonja's path and the woman had stopped as more came on either side.
"We've been searching for her for hours," he explained, nodding towards Sonja, "And you come right in and make her put on a show for us. It gives off the wrong sort of impression, that you seem to want to curry favor with Lord Lokaar," said the sellsword before taking a step closer, "At our expense."
"I have no such intentions friend, I assure you," replied the Bounty Hunter evenly, eyes flicking between the men that surround them.
The sellsword smiled maliciously, "Well then I'm sure you won't mind letting us go ahead and take her the rest of the way then… friend."
But Walker shook his head, "I have no such intentions friend, I assure you," repeated the Bounty Hunter, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.
"Now you listen here…" growled the man as he took a step forward.
But Tombstone had his Schofield revolver up in the blink of an eye, the end of the cold steel barrel pressed against the man's forehead and pulled the hammer back. "You die first, get it," whispered Joshua lowly, staring right into the mercenary's eyes. The room went deathly silent, allowing everyone to hear what the Bounty Hunter said next. "Your friends might get me in a rush, but not before I turn your head into a canoe. You understand me?"
"He's bluffing," declared another, "Let's rush him!"
"No!" yelped the man with the gun pressed to his head, cutting off that idea. "He ain't bluffing."
"You're not as stupid as you look," drawled Walker as he looked to see that Sonja was only looking the slightest bit nervous, and had not moved during the whole exchange, only turning to watch him. "Tell them to step back," instructed Walker.
"Back off boys," said the leader of the group, "Go on now, do it. He'll kill me." After a tense few moments, one of the men flinched and took half a step back, and that was all it took. The others followed suit, each one moving away slowly until the two obstructing the way forwards stepped aside.
Sonja showed that despite her binds, she was still quite fearless, and took a long stride forwards and Walker had to move to keep up. Walker held the Schofield up, the revolver sweeping from man to man as the two made their way to the stairs. On the way up, the two passed a pair of scantly clad women, "Excuse us ladies," drawled Walker. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could y'all get the door into Lord Lokaar's chambers? Thank you."
The two made their way up past a scowling She-Devil and gave Walker and Sonja a brief second alone. "The sooner we get this started, the sooner it gets over with," drawled the Bounty Hunter.
With that, the two made their way into the room where Walker had first met the owner of the brothel to find it had three men inside. The most physically imposing strongman was on the right, the shifty looking weasel on the left, and Lokaar himself opposite the door. "By the gods! Red Sonja laid low!" bellowed the owner loudly, "You truly are an exceptional man Mr. Walker."
The weasel was clearly shocked, but the strongman was visibly cautious, only raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "How did you accomplish such a feat?" asked the big man from his chair.
Walker shrugged, "Got the drop on her. After you all telling me how good she was in a fight, I figured I wouldn't give her a chance to fight." Tombstone then turned his attention back to Lokaar, "And the bounty was for her to be brought in alive, ain't that right?"
"That's right good sir!" guffawed Lokaar as he stood and stepped forwards, grabbing Sonja by the chin to look her over even as the redhead resisted the manhandling. "When the She-Devil burned down Krughor's home she deprived me of wealth that was rightfully mine, and so now I'm going to put her to work to ensure I get what I am owed. I know men that would pay a great sum to bed the famous Red Sonja!"
But the Gunslinger kept up a straight face as he offered Lokaar Sonja's prized sword. The man took it before Walker spoke, "I don't care what you do with her so long as I get the reward you were offering. The amount I heard was 1000 gold pieces."
That caused the owner to recoil visibly, stepping back away from Walker and turning to face the Bounty Hunter. "I don't think I ever specified a price."
"Well, I just did," replied Walker, making sure to put a bit of an edge in his tone. "Pay up or make me an offer."
Lokaar took that opportunity and his lips curled into a massive grin, just like the snake oil salesman Walker pegged him as. "You my good sir, would get to be the first to sample my new merchandise, for up to a whole week, if a man of your vigor would last that long with this one."
But Walker shook his head, "I'm not going to hand her over without getting some gold for my troubles. Throw in 500 pieces."
"That's too much. What I offer is a fair trade," insisted Lokaar.
"Then it seems we're at an impasse," replied the Bounty Hunter coolly.
"How do you figure that?" asked the weasel on Walker's left. "You wouldn't be able to get anything for all your efforts anywhere else. I say you should accept sir. There are no other options."
"That's where you're wrong," drawled Walker as he took a step forward, wrapping the rope he was holding around his hand to get a good grip. "I could simply let her go. If I don't get paid, then," he began with a shrug, "There's no reason to have her trussed up like she is."
"He's bluffing!" shouted the weasel. "He wouldn't dare."
Walker didn't attempt to hide his smirk as he grabbed a bit of rope coming out of the knot that kept Sonja's hands bound and gave it the slightest tug, causing the entire knot to fall apart. It was all the help the She-Devil needed, and with a ferocious cry she yanked her arms apart, her strength undoing the rope enough for her to get her hands free. The Hyrkanian swung at Lokaar, Walker hearing the distinct sound of bone breaking as the She-Devil's punch landed squarely on the brothel owner's nose.
Lokaar let out a pained scream and brought a hand up to his bleeding nose, allowing Sonja to rip the scabbard containing her sword out of his hand. Instead of instantly drawing the blade, the Hyrkanian raised a boot and unleashed a mighty kick into the man's gut, sending him flailing back into his chair.
"Wha…" sputtered the weasel, but Walker cut him off by turning and leveling the Schofield. By doing that however, he turned his back on the strongman, and the large warrior took advantage of the distraction. Walker heard the heavy footfall of the man taking a large step towards him and tried to spin around, but found a large hand wrapped around his wrist. The Bounty Hunter failed to get his hand free and failed to sidestep the punch that rammed into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing Joshua to double over in pain.
"How did you best her? You must not be so fearsome without your magic tricks," mused the strongman. Walker grinned a bit as he drew his Bowie Knife and reached around to slice the long edge across the inside of the man's knee joint, eliciting an agonized howl from the man. But Walker wasn't through yet, standing back up, he drove the 8-inch-long blade into the strongman's abdomen. The well-crafted steel carved through human flesh without difficulty as Walker pulled it back out, blood dripping off the distinct clip point at the end.
Behind him, Sonja had unsheathed her sword and used it to remove the weasels head in a single swift strike. Then the door burst open, some of the men from downstairs came rushing in and right into the blade of the She-Devil. The first one was instantly impaled on the Hyrkanians sword, his face contorted into a visage of pain and terror as he stared down at the gaping wound he now had. But Sonja was focused on the next two men coming in as she yanked her blade back out just in time to block the attack from one and then parry the swing from the second before she slashed the second across the chest. The first came back at the Hyrkanian only for her to elegantly swipe her sword upwards and carve open his torso.
Walker wasn't worried about that; he was worried about the monster of a man he was battling. Seeing that Lokaars man was about to throw another punch, the Bounty Hunter turned to take the blow in the back, gritting his teeth when he felt the mans fist hit him. But his retaliation was far more punishing, swinging his Bowie Knife down on the man's arm that was holding Walker's gun hand, Tombstone buried the blade to the bone. This elicited a blood curdling scream as Walker cleaved through the skin and muscle until the Bounty Hunter was able to yank his hand free from the man's grip.
In contrast to Tombstone struggling to deal with this one henchmen, Sonja was carving through them as if they were chaff. Ducking one blow and shoulder checking a man who weighed twice what she did before gutting him like a pig, Sonja squared up to the next one. He fared little better, swinging an axe downwards which the Hyrkanian sidestepped before bringing her sword down, cleanly severing one of his hands and causing him to drop his weapon. Sonja seized the opening, bashing him in the face with the pommel of her sword and then stepping back to bring the blade down on his head, crushing the skull with the force of the blow more than cutting.
With his Schofield finally free, Walker snarled and set about delivering the coup de grâce, shoving the muzzle of the revolver into the strongman's open mouth and thumbing the hammer back before squeezing the trigger. The .44 caliber slug blew out the back of his skull, splattering the man's brains out on the chair he had just been seated in and the wall behind it. Pulling his knife out and spitting out the bits of blood that had gotten into his mouth, Walker let the bloody corpse fall to the floor before turning around to see Sonja's handywork.
The She-Devil with a Sword had lived up to her reputation, and she stood in the midst of a half dozen bloody, beheaded, or partly dismembered bodies with her sword as red as her hair. Walker couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the grisly scene, which only got Sonja to turn and face him. Her eyes, still burning ferociously, trailed down to the man that Walker had dispatched as she gave her own nod of approval.
Sheathing his knife, the Bounty Hunter then turned back to the only other person in the room who was still breathing. Lokaar looked like he didn't know what to do as both the Bounty Hunter and Swordswoman focused on him. His eyes darted around, looking for escape or some way to defend himself Walker supposed, but Tombstone also decided that it didn't really matter. "Sonja," said Walker coolly, prompting the redhead to look his way, "You want him?" The woman nodded once, all the affirmation he needed. Opening his duster, Walker spun his revolver around as he slid it back into his holster, "Then be my guest."
"Wha… wait! Wait!" yelped Lokaar pleadingly, his hand held up and a distinct dark spot forming on the front of his trousers as Sonja twirled her blade around, flicking off some of the blood that coated it. "I'm a reasonable man! We can come to an agreement!" he shouted stumbling towards his desk to pull out a small chest. He frantically opened it to reveal a considerable sum of gold inside. "I can pay! I'll give you…."
He was cut off when Sonja delivered a savage knee to the man's family jewels, replacing his pleas with an airless scream as his eyes seemed to bulge out of his skull. "You are no man," hissed the Hyrkanian as she shoved him down into his chair, "And as such, your blood is not worthy of sullying my blade. Your garments may only serve to clean it." With that, she ripped off his ornate coat and used it to wipe the blood and guts off her sword before sheathing the weapon and strapping the leather belt that the scabbard about her waist.
"So you'll… you'll spare me?" wheezed Lokaar, his voice at least an octave higher to Walker's ear.
"As you would have done when I was at your mercy?" sneered the She-Devil. If it were possible, Lokaar's face would have paled further. "You had to send others to try and best me, and then you would reduce me to a mere whore to satisfy your greed. But I will not do these things to you. You will only have to satisfy me."
Sonja then bent over and picked up the rope that had bound her hands together before setting about tying a knot in it over the sound of Lokaar's chattering teeth. "And how am I to do that?" stammered the brothel owner.
Walker saw the corner of the Hyrkanian's mouth creep up in a wicked smile as she finished working the rope. The Bounty Hunter tried to see what she had done with it, but before he could, Sonja darted forwards and slipped the loop in the rope around Lokaar's neck and throwing the other end up and over a beam in the ceiling. With incredible strength, the redhead pulled down on the rope and hoisted the rotund man into the air, the noose tightening under his considerable weight so that he could not slip free as his feet kicked and arms thrashed in a feeble effort at escape.
While Lokkar began to turn blue, Sonja merely strode over to the chest that contained the man's gold and slipped the end of the rope she was holding under it, the weight of the gold serving to keep the man suspended in air. Her work done, Sonja returned to Walker's side as the Bounty Hunter withdrew a cigarillo and lit a match. "How long you reckon he'll last?" asked Walker before blowing out a puff of smoke.
"Not as long as he deserves."
About a quarter of an hour later, Sonja felt no small measure of satisfaction when the brothel owner finally went still, he had been abhorrent in every respect. A greedy, envious, pig of a man who scarcely deserved to be called a 'man' in any case, at least in the eyes of the Swordswoman. His death also gave her a sense of relief from the uneasy feeling she had been harboring since she agreed to Walker's plan. Willingly placing herself in a position of helplessness and relying on another to free her was not something to which Sonja was accustomed.
And despite the fact that it had been a successful gamble, Sonja had no desire to make it again. In fact, now that Lokaar was dead, the Hyrkanian wanted little more than to move on, immediately. That meant she had to find where Joshua Walker had gone off to.
Checking the second floor, Sonja had turned up no sign of the Gunslinger and so she descended the stairs, hoping that the man was not currently engaged with one of the women there. That was a mental image that stirred multiple emotions within her, a mix of curiosity, defensiveness and jealousy. Sonja pushed all that aside, she would not hesitate to drag him out if needed, though she imagined such action would strain their relationship.
But as she entered the main room, Sonja was thankful to see that she would not have to do that because Walker was leaning against a pillar, his strange choice of tobacco hanging from the corner of his mouth. He wasn't standing alone however, there were four women surrounding him, each one wearing scarcely more than Sonja herself. Interestingly, one of them was wearing Walker's distinctive hat. They all seemed to be taking a keen interest in Walker as he showed off one of his magnificent, seemingly magical weapons he called 'pistols.'
"So you know how to handle a powerful weapon then?" asked the girl wearing his hat, prompting the others to titter and giggle.
Walker smiled before he began twirling about his weapon in a way that bespoke both experience and a skilled hand. The flipping and twirling wasn't as impressive to Sonja as it was to the other girls, but the She-Devil couldn't help but watch. With a final flick of his wrist, Walker spun his gun around before slipping it back into its sheath, getting a chorus of 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' in reply. Grinning, the Bounty Hunter reached out and plucked his hat off the woman's head and set it back on his own, "The question miss, is can you?"
Sonja chose that moment to clear her throat and get their attention, causing the women to look at Sonja with a mixture of contempt and disappointment. But the She-Devil wasn't intimidated, she simply cocked her hip out and crossed her arms under her breasts while fixing them with a look that said she would not be tolerating any disagreement. "It is time for us to go Joshua Walker," announced the Hyrkanian, eyes narrowing at the women. "Our work here is done."
"Alright," he replied in his distinct drawl before turning to the women gathered around him, "Let's go."
As one, Walker and the four whores made for the door, the Bounty Hunter with his coat flowing and spurs chiming as he went, followed by the women with hips swaying. The group made their way outside and Sonja shoved her way past the whores to get into the cart alongside Walker, who took up the reins. "What are you doing?" hissed the Hyrkanian lowly while the other women got into the back of the cart.
"Taking us back to the inn," he replied as if it were obvious. He looked over his shoulder and asked, "Y'all ready?" Sonja saw all of them nod before Walker flicked the reins, prompting the horse to pull them along.
Mercifully, the ride was short and without any sort of conversation, for which Sonja thanked the gods. This excursion had already cost them more than a days travel and the She-Devil was keen to begin making up for this lost time. So when Walker brought the cart to a halt, Sonja was quick to dismount and head inside to find Dominic at his bar, cleaning mugs and preparing to reopen that evening. "Dominic, you still have our gold?"
"Right over there in the corner," answered the barkeep before noticing the others come into his establishment. "Making more friends Sonja?"
"No," answered the Hyrkanian tersely before striding over to the chest and opening it to reveal that it was as full as they had left it. Letting out a breath, Sonja turned to see that Walker was standing alongside her and the women just behind him. "How shall we do this?"
"I say we keep it simple Calamity Dame. A bag for you and a bag for me," suggested the Bounty Hunter. Sonja pondered it for just a second before nodding her ascent. "Well, ladies first."
The redhead selected a bag, and then Walker, and they repeated the process until all of the bags had been removed from the chest and evenly divided between them. "Well that's that," drawled Walker before picking up one of his bags and opening it to withdraw a trio of gold coins, "Barkeep, c'mere." Dominic arrived soon enough and was given the three coins. "For keeping an eye on it, and your hospitality," said Walker with a tip of his hat.
"My thanks friend. You are welcome here anytime," replied the barkeep with his eyes shining like the gold in his hand, thinking he had ensnared another heavy tipper. He then turned towards Sonja with a malevolent gleam in his eye, "And now for your debts."
"Fine," answered Sonja with a sigh, "What do I owe you?"
The man grinned as he picked up one of Sonja's four bags and tested its heft. "About this much."
Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, the redhead said, "Very well," prompting the barkeep to head back to his bar. Turning to Walker, Sonja asked, "May we depart now?"
"Hold your horses Calamity Dame," chastised the Gunslinger lightly, "Not quite done here yet," he grunted as he put three of his bags back in the chest, removed a handful of coins from the fourth to put in a pouch of his own, and then placed that fourth bag back in the chest. Closing the lid, he turned to the four women, "That's all y'alls ladies," he said, boot tapping the side of the chest.
"You're certain?" asked one of the scantly clad women, just as surprised as Sonja was. Walker nodded, prompting the woman to ask, "And you don't want anything for it?"
Sonja was somewhat surprised when the Bounty Hunter shook his head, though the other women were totally shocked. "Are you sure?" asked one.
"Are you really sure?" purred another, stepping up and pressing herself to him. "That's more gold than we've ever been given, we'd do anything to make it seem worth it." The others nodded, somehow drawing close without moving, emphasizing their singular attributes.
Walker chuckled, "I'm sure y'all could make it worth it," he drawled, "But I'm on a job. And I don't think my partner here would be too happy if I put it off." The four women pouted and sent looks Sonja's way. "Now don't be like that, ladies. Next time I swing round these parts I'll be sure to check in on each of you," he said. But Sonja knew that he had no intention of coming back here, and he was just giving the gold the women had made for Lokaar back to them. "Just split this up among yourselves how you see fit. Don't let this money cause more problems than it already has now, ya hear?"
The the svelte, dark-skinned woman pressed against his side pulled away, stepping back, "We'd do whatever you told us to, don't worry."
"Good," replied Walker, "Come on Sonja, let's load this up for them and then we can get the hell outta Dodge."
Sonja did not correct him, for they were in Meroe, not 'Dodge,' but instead she simply nodded and complied, her mind clouded with other thoughts at what she had witnessed. The man's unexpected display of decency and generosity remained in the Hyrkanian's mind. When the She-Devil and the Bounty Hunter rode out of town a short while later, Sonja's thoughts on the man beside her were very different than those she had upon riding into town.
Closing Notes: Alright, that ends this arc. Admittedly, it took longer than expected but I think I just need to get used to writing shorter chapters. Either way, the next one is loosely plotted out so hopefully I can keep posting one of these a month.
Until then, Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.