Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Dynamite Comics, etc.
Man, that Halo TV show is somehow even worse than I expected it to be. Watch only for memes.
Trailblazer445: It'll happen sooner or later, I promise you that it will happen eventually but I'm probably going to draw it out somewhat, so don't get too anxious about it. As for ammo, he had a lot when he started, and he has been careful with it, but he is now getting low. As for rectifying that situation, last chapter should have been a hint, but you'll see for sure in this chapter.
Wolfking0811: Yeah, ammo will be solved, but Walker and Sonja? That's really just starting.
As for this? I'm trying something a bit different, vibes that I don't typically write. Feedback appreciated on it, along with some other character elements, I think it's a fun chapter.
Once Upon a Time in Hyboria
Chapter 14: Night Crawler
Sonja swirled her mug of ale under the lamplight, eyes watching her partner as the Bounty Hunter performed a most curious task. He sat across the table from her, along with an array of unusual items, a clay mixing bowl filled with coarse black powder, a complicated tool set with a function beyond the Hyrkanian's knowledge, and the brass cylinders she often saw him remove from his weapons after they were fired. Despite these items, Joshua Walker's attention lay with the pot over the fire, in which he had melted a bar of some sort of metal. Since it after dinner had been served at the inn in which they were staying there was nobody else around to question what he was doing.
While she did not wish to remain, Sonja was resigned to spending the night in the inn and setting off the following day. The reprieve from their travels was something the Hyrkanian was grateful for, and found the opportunity to spend a few quiet hours with her partner appealing. That sentiment was more than she ever thought possible when she entered into the arrangement with the Bounty Hunter. Walker was not bothered by her presence, even if he was focused on his task, and for what it was worth, Sonja was similarly interested in what the Gunslinger was doing.
Wearing a pair of riding gloves, Walker retrieved the tool from the table, squeezing the handles together as he held it steady and poured the simmering contents of the pot into a hole on the top side of the contraption. When it was full, Walker moved the tool away from the fire and held it together for some time before pulling the handles of the tool apart and letting the freshly cooled, uniquely shaped bit of metal fall on the table. Despite the excess bits of metal, Sonja recognized the semi rounded shape as being the one in his 'cartridges.' While Walker went back to pour more metal into his tool, Red Sonja examined the 'bullet' as she heard Walker refer to the tiny projectile. Despite being smaller than any arrowhead, and with an unassuming shape, Sonja had seen the results of the tiny ball of metal, barely as big around as her thumb, and did not question what Walker was doing.
"If you wanna make yourself useful, Calamity Dame," drawled the Bounty Hunter without looking up from his task, "Then shave the excess lead off the bullets."
Withdrawing a dagger from her belt, Sonja began doing just that, but couldn't help but voice a question. "You said these are made of lead? Such a soft but heavy metal, why not sturdier and lighter metals? Iron, perhaps steel?
"It's cheap for one," deadpanned Walker as he went about removing the next bullet from its mold and then pouring a third. "And it being soft is the reason, easy to mold, easy to fit in the brass. It being heavy helps too, packs more punch." Sonja nodded, understanding the reasoning behind the choice, but the concept of the weapons was still one she did not fully grasp. The Repeater and Revolvers were simply too different from her swords and bows for Sonja to apply what she knew about her own arms.
"I see," replied the Hyrkanian as she switched her attention to the second bullet, even as Walker made more using the molding tool he had. "But could you make them of a different material if you so choose?"
Sonja watched the Bounty Hunter furrow his brow, blue eyes deep in thought before answering her question. "I reckon I could, I just never saw a reason to," he said with a shrug, going back to making more bullets. In short order, twenty freshly molded projectiles were set out on the table, with Sonja having shaved the first twelve. "I'm afraid you won't be able to help much with this part, just enjoy your drink."
Doing just that, Sonja watched as Walker poured some of the powder into the brass casings, and he smirked as he noted her interest. "I suppose you want to know," began the Gunslinger as he set one down and placed one of the shaved slugs into the opening, using the same took that was a mold to clamp the projectile into place. The edges of the brass cylinder were then crimped in, holding the entire cartridge and all its elements together. "Each one's got a primer in the bottom, see?" asked Walker, holding up the next brass cylinder so Sonja could see the small patch at the center of the bottom, "That goes off when hit by the firing pin, and ignites this, Black Powder."
A small laugh escaped the Hyrkanian's lips, unbidden, but it was not something she regretted as it got Walker's eyes off his work and onto her for a brief moment. "Your people have such unimaginative names Joshua Walker. To call your black powder 'Black Powder' is not what I expected of a people who created weapons undreamt of by those of these lands."
"It's a gift," drawled Walker before returning to his task, the response getting another mirthful chuckle from the red headed Hyrkanian. Sonja continued shaving the last few bullets as Walker assembled the various pieces until he spoke again, "Speaking of gifts, what happened last night…."
Sonja felt a heat rise in her neck as her skin blushed red, matching her hair for a brief moment before she asked, "What about it?"
"Did you mean it? I don't want you to do something you'll regret." Walker looked up from his work, meeting Sonja's eyes as his hands reached out to pick up the next brass casing. "Me? I've done this dance before Calamity Dame. And it's always fun… at first, but it doesn't last, it never does. Me? I'll be fine, move on, always do. You? I don't want you to desire something I can't give you and be disappointed."
Sonja bristled at the rebuke, a feeling of rejection after having made such progress the night before. She had accepted a man in a way she never had before, and it was to flounder at this stage? It was something that Red Sonja could not abide by. "Tell me Joshua Walker," began the Hyrkanian, voice low and steady, "You say that you have 'done this dance before,' but have you ever done it with a partner like me? I am no weeping maiden, no damsel you must rescue, I am Red Sonja. I have matched you in combat, shown my skill with a blade, and have thus far fulfilled my end of our bargain, guiding you across these lands. You have proven yourself worthy of me, what must I do to prove myself worthy of you?"
"Trust me Calamity Dame…" muttered Walker as he set to work on the next cartage, "That ain't the issue."
"Then what is?" demanded Sonja, standing and slamming both hands down on the table, causing the neatly arranged casings to topple over. Walker grimaced, eyes staring forlornly at the brass before meeting her own heated gaze. "You seemed quite willing to satisfy me last night. What has changed?"
A deep breath escaped Walker's pursed lips, and the man pushed his hat up to rub his forehead, "I just had a few memories come back, waking up next to a woman again, reminded me of the last few times that happened, and how those times ended." The Bounty Hunter picked up the next cartridge and went back to work, "Sonja, those were hard goodbyes. And as much as I want you, because every time I see you in that bikini part of me does," he admitted before swallowing hard, "I am still leaving you soon, and I don't want our goodbyes to go like those."
In her chest, the Hyrkanian felt her heart flare up with conflicting emotions before unfiltered words spilled out of her mouth. "You dare?" she snapped, "You dare presume to know what I want? To determine what is in my own interest for me? What makes you believe that you possess some foresight I do not?"
"How many men have you invited to lay with you?" asked Walker. Unlike Sonja, his tone was not confrontational, but the same low, relaxed drawl he often spoke with. The tone, much like the words, struck Sonja like a punch to the gut. "That's what I thought. I do know something about this, about sneaking out before the lady wakes up if I'm lucky."
"And if you are not?" asked Sonja, her own words softer as she took a tentative step around the table.
Walker shrugged, "Then as often as not I get to see what it looks like to see that lady cry when I have to leave again." He then looked up from his work, blue eyes boring into Sonja, "I don't want to see you do that. Don't want to give you something only to then take it away from you Sonja. You don't deserve that."
They red haired Hyrkanian pursed her lips, "I do not deserve many things Joshua Walker," she replied, placing her hands on her hips and looking down at the Bounty Hunter. "But that does not mean I do not want them, consequences be damned, I wish to enjoy what time we do have. Is that so hard to understand?"
There was no reply, with the Gunslinger focused on assembling his ammunition instead of answering her, but Sonja could not miss how the 'spur' on his boot softly rang each time the heel of his boot tapped against the floor. Sonja had the patience to wait out the Bounty Hunter, and so she stood silent, awaiting an answer while pondering how else she could coax a response out of the man.
Before he broke down, the sound of footsteps had both killers turning to look across the room. "Forgive the intrusion," said a plain looking man as he ambled over to the keg of ale and helped himself to a glass, "I know better than to get between a lover's spat." Sonja crossed her arms while Walker snorted, going back to his bullets. That only caused the man to look over to the table and the arrayed cartridges. "What are you working on there? Do you intend to hunt the beast that plagues these lands?"
Taking one last look at Walker and seeing he seemed unlikely to resume their earlier conversation, Sonja decided to satisfy her curiosity. "What can you tell us of this creature?"
"Just what is believed by those who have endured its wrath for the last year. That it is a beast unlike any other, its howls fill the air when a full moon hangs in the night sky, and it attacks any creature that it encounters as it prowls the streets of town and surrounding woods," replied the man. Taking a sip of his ale, he continued, "I came to sell livestock, but on my second night here, the creature struck, slaughtering them as I slept. It is something the townsfolk have come to live with."
"Smells like bullshit to me," muttered Walker under his breath. Sonja shot him a glare, and only then did he look up, "What?" he asked as he wiped off his hands, "No creature has a pattern like that. And to come into town? Animals don't do that."
"They do when they are able to kill the dozen smallfolk who tried to drive it off," answered the farmer. "And then kill the band of mercenaries that came to claim the offered reward for slaying the beast."
"A reward you say?" asked Sonja, if anything could take her mind off the previous conversation, it was the prospect of a reward, especially if the fight could cool the blood rushing through her veins. Sonja raised an eyebrow as she looked over to Walker, who was loading his freshly made cartridges into a Schofield Revolver. The Bounty Hunter gave her a nod and flicked the weapon closed, "Then we may just collect it. For this creature has never faced the She-Devil-with-a-Sword!"
Winchester in hand, Joshua Walker surveyed the darkened streets around him, trying to make out anything but the ill-defined shapes of buildings through the moonlit mist. Seeing no signs of movement, the Bounty Hunter peeked over his shoulder to see Sonja come down the steps of the inn; once she reached the bottom, the woman drew her blade and gave him a nod before setting off down the street. The pair passed by the stable where their horses were kept, with the townsfolk warning them that it was unwise to leave them in the open once the sun set. Fortunately, the building showed no sign of the creature they were hunting, a relief for Walker.
That was also part of the reason Sonja had wanted to do this, the money they had was depleting quickly, and an infusion of cash could only be a good thing. Walker didn't object to the money either, especially if it could help him get his mind off the woman, or rather her proposition. With all the women he had spent time with, Walker had never wanted much from them, and never thought he would want more, but some piece of him had already become attached to Sonja in a way he had never imagined possible.
Being behind the woman and seeing the moonlight reflect off the odd material of her bikini bottoms only caused those thoughts to come on a bit stronger for the Bounty Hunter. No matter how much that small part of him wanted to dwell on the sight, his instincts kept his head on the swivel, looking about the ramshackle structures for anything amiss. Scanning the alleyways and rooftops, Walker still felt a seed of doubt about the stories he had heard, since none of them sounded like any animal he'd ever heard about before. It sounded more like the monster from a fairy tale to his ear, but Sonja had no such misgivings. Still, on the off chance it was true, Walker wished he still had the shotgun that he had given to Lyreen, because the twelve gauge would be a bit more reassuring to have than the Winchester.
The sound of a horse crying out into the night quickly died out before being shortly replaced with an echoing howl, something Walker could only compare to a coyote, only with a sinister undertone carrying across the village. Walker exchanged a glance with Sonja before nodding and following the Swordswoman towards the source of the noise, stock of his rifle tucked to his shoulder. If the center of village was somewhat ramshackle, then the farm just outside the village really did appear to be outright abandoned. Half collapsed collections of rotting wood were surrounded by dilapidated fences containing the decomposing corpses of slaughtered animals, cows, pigs, and horses lay sprawled out in the tall grass.
Both of them flinched, not at the sight, but the smell, which stung their nostrils and made Walker ponder just how many animals lay dead before them, likely torn open for the beast to feed on. Taking a breath, Walker could still feel the stench heavy in the air he took in, and he forced his stomach to settle before they waded into the carnage. It wasn't difficult to find a gap in the fence, and once inside the field it didn't take long to come across one of the dead animals. What Walker thought had once been a pony was missing its head and two legs, with massive gashes across the creature's torso, blood soaking the ground around it. "My god," he breathed as he looked at the damage, "What could do that? A bear?"
Sonja's eyes looked down at the corpse, her expression hidden behind the bandana, "It is unlike any bear attack I have seen, and these tracks… have you seen their like before?" Walker followed her gaze down to the imprints, and while he didn't know what a bear track looked like, what he saw looked more like a coyote, only much, much bigger. Tombstone shook his head, prompting Sonja to say, "Nor I, but they lead that way, into the forest. I will lead, you follow."
Both of them began moving again, thankfully away from the smell that permeated the farm and further out of town. Reaching the edge of the woods, their pace slowed, each mindful of their step, knowing that one foot in the wrong place could give them away. Similarly, both sought any sign of the creature but in the darkness, with the trees blocking most of the moonlight and still surrounded by mist, it was a futile effort. Still, the two pressed on, looking through the trees for even the smallest rustle of leaves or flash of movement, but Walker could barely see twenty paces ahead of him.
What unnerved Joshua was how dead the forest was. Wound as tightly as he was, where any sort of skittering would catch his eye, there was nothing at all going on around him except Sonja's measured strides. Part of him wanted to ask if there were still any tracks because he had long since lost track of where they were going, but he was too focused on looking for any sign of what they were hunting. Sonja, if she held such misgivings, did not seem to be bothered by them as she pressed onwards, weaving through the undergrowth with Walker in tow as the Bounty Hunter kept the muzzle of his gun up, just in case the creature appeared in the mist.
Stepping through the brush and following Sonja into a clearing, Walker felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up along with a gnawing in his gut just as the Swordswoman came to a stop and raised her blade. "Do you feel that as well Joshua Walker?" she asked as the Bounty Hunter swung his Winchester across the woods surrounding them.
"We're being watched," replied Walker, his finger curling around the trigger, "Where do the tracks lead?"
"They stopped, right here, in the middle," returned Sonja as she too looked about for any sign of the trail. "How could that happen?"
Looking down, Walker saw that the last tracks were deeper than the ones before them, and his mind came to an immediate conclusion. Acting instead of speaking, the Bounty Hunter turned around and dove at Sonja, knocking the woman to the ground just as he saw a blur in the corner of his eye. Rolling up onto a knee, the Winchester repeater snapped up in time to see the trees rustle whatever had just come at them vanished into the woods. "What the fuck was that thing Calamity Dame?" asked Walker through heavy breaths while keeping the gun trained on the trees.
"I do not know," rasped Sonja, adjusting her grip on her blade, "But that is no ordinary beast, it lured us here. And here is where it must be slain."
Gritting his teeth, Walker whipped around, feeling the eyes of the creature fall on him. Now back-to-back with Sonja, the Bounty Hunter muttered, "And just how the hell are we gonna do that?"
"The same as any other beast, with steel and lead," replied the Hyrkanian with fire in her tone. "When it reveals itself once more, do not allow it to escape unharmed." Clenching his jaw, Walker pulled the Winchester tight against his shoulder as he scanned the woods, his feet spread in case he had to dodge away again. "Creature! Show yourself!" challenged Sonja, full of bravado.
Walker did not share that feeling as he fought to just keep his breathing even and sights steady when his eyes saw something, the gun flicking over to see rustling leaves. His eyes roamed over the trees until he saw a pair of yellow eyes staring back at him through the foliage with an evil glow. Wrestling the Winchester into a spot just below the eyes, the Bounty Hunter pulled the trigger, the muzzle flash lighting up the night, reflected by the fog as the report echoed off the trees.
Any wonders about if that shot found its mark were answered by the pained howl that drowned out the gunshot. Snarling, Walker worked the lever action and fired again, and again, and again, each shot from the Winchester answered by a pained whimper until Walker heard nothing from his fourth shot. Upon cycling the gun, Walker held his shot, and despite his quick breaths, his eyes and hands were steady upon the spot he had fired, with Sonja alongside him, sword at the ready.
For a moment, it seemed like it was over, but then Walker heard a heavy, snorting breath from the woods ahead as a shape took form, that of a massive coyote or wolf, fur as black as coal and, incredibly, standing upright, on its hind legs, even if it was hunched over. One of its fore paws was pressed to its chest as blood dripped from the bullet wounds onto the forest floor, but this monster managed to take one step forwards, and then another, until it fully emerged from the trees. Turning its head, the creature looked at the pair with one of its wicked yellow eyes, letting out another huff through flared nostrils.
The beast collapsed onto the ground, struggling to support its own colossal weight on its four limbs as Walker shifted his point of aim, putting the front post between the creature's eyes. Without remorse, the Bounty Hunter pulled the trigger, sending a freshly made .44 caliber slug into the skull of the monstrous wolf. In the moonlight, Walker could see a spurt of blood fly out from the wolf as it dropped in a motionless heap. "God damn," remarked Walker as he cycled the Winchester again, "What the fuck is that Calamity Dame?"
"I… do not know, I have never seen nor heard of such a beast. It is almost… unnatural," remarked the Hyrkanian. Walker agreed as he took a cautious step forward, gun still trained on the corpse of the wolf as Sonja lowered her sword and moved alongside him. "Yet, you have felled the beast Joshua Walker, a most impressive feat," said the Swordswoman in a tone that pulled Walker's eyes from the beastly wolf to her as she strutted past, a small smile on her lips. "Now to claim the beast's head as our trophy, so that we may be paid for our efforts," announced the woman as she approached the creature.
Joshua couldn't help but stare, his eyes following her through the mist, down her fiery red mane to the center of her back, then over her waist and hips to her bikini covered backside as it swayed with each step. Eyes trailing further down, he watched the muscle in her legs flex with every stride until she came to a stop beside the dead creature, its chest rising rhythmically, as if it were still breathing. Blinking rapidly, Walker turned his attention from the woman to the wolf, now seeing that his eyes were not deceiving him as the beast he had pumped multiple slugs into was still breathing when one of its yellow eyes opened once more. The Hyrkanian raised her blade as Walker called out, "Sonja!"
Before the Swordswoman could react, the beast lashed out with one of its massive paws and backhanded Red Sonja. Walker watched the woman tumble across the ground and raised the Repeater and fired again, cycling the weapon as fast as he could into the stirring beast as it ignored the bullets and rose up onto its hind legs. Each impact had caused the creature to stagger, but even when Walker fired the last of the twelve rounds in the gun into the heart of the beast, blood flowing from the open wound until it seemed to heal before his eyes and the wolf let out another ear shattering howl.
Walker slung the Winchester over his shoulder as the beast turned to face him, blood still soaking its fur even if the wounds were nowhere to be seen. The Bounty Hunter reached for his revolvers as the creature made to charge, but it was abruptly interrupted by a shrieking Hyrkanian war cry as Sonja threw herself at the beast, swinging her sword with almost superhuman speed. Against a target so large, a swordswoman as skilled as Red Sonja could not miss, and she buried her blade into the creature's flank, hacking a deep gash through its hide. "Stand and face me creature!" sneered Sonja as she stared up at the beast, "For you have never faced the fury of Red Sonja before!"
Letting out a feral growl, the beast rounded on Sonja as she drew her sword back and held it out, point first, so the wolf impaled its leg on the blade. With a scream, the Hyrkanian ripped the sword through flesh, tearing the leg open as muscle was sliced from bone and left to hang uselessly, blood pouring onto the ground. The wolf responded by swiping at Sonja with its other claw, but the redhead ducked under the blow before slashing the wolf across the chest, causing more blood to gush out of the gaping wound. "Foul creature! What manner of beast are you?" shouted the warrior woman.
Walker brought up his pistols, but Sonja's proximity to the beast prevented him from getting a clean shot. "C'mon you sonuvabitch," snarled the Bounty Hunter, shuffling to his left to try and get an unobstructed line of fire. Sonja, locked in battle with the creature, was unaware of Walker's plight, and let out a roar of her own as she hacked at the beast's legs, trying to cut it down to size. She succeeded, cleaving her sword through the beast's hindquarters, causing it to drop down and swat her like an irritating fly with a freshly healed forepaw. Despite getting her sword up to block, the beast didn't seem to care, slicing its own leg open on the edge of the blade to knock it and Sonja aside, driving her to the ground with pure strength.
With the Swordswoman at its feet, the monstrous wolf raised its claw up, poised to deliver a fatal blow to Sonja. But in doing so, the wolf gave Walker the opportunity he had been waiting for. "Why! Won't! You! Just! Fucking! Die?!" shouted Walker, each word punctuated by a shot from the Schofield revolvers, alternating between each one as he pumped more lead into the seemingly unkillable beast.
Three shots expended from each gun had given Sonja enough time to scramble to her feet and clear of the creature, bringing her sword back up as she took up position beside Walker. The cut up and bullet ridden creature let out a defiant howl at pair, yellow eyes narrowing as its nostrils flared before it charged. Walker felt his survival instincts kick in, and he dove away, trying to dodge the monster like it was an oncoming bull. In contrast, Sonja made no such move, instead trying to match the beast strength for strength, cutting through one of its arms before slashing across its chest. But her strikes were unable to stop the creature as it barreled into her and trampled the Hyrkanian underfoot before stopping to stare down at the woman and let out an open-mouthed roar.
"Sonja!" bellowed Walker, feeling his heart leap up in his chest at the sight of the Monster looming over Sonja. Face in a tight snarl, Joshua raised his right revolver and fired as quickly as he could thumb back the hammer, emptying the cylinder into the beast. Pained whimpers escaped the monster with the impact of each shot, only to be drowned out by the next gunshot until there were no more cartridges in the gun. Seeing Sonja still writhing on the forest floor, Walker got up and holstered the empty gun, trading it for his Bowie Knife as he rushed the wounded monster.
The beast turned to face the oncoming Bounty Hunter, opening its mouth to roar at Walker, but the Gunslinger snapped his left Schofield up and planted a .44 caliber slug into its gaping maw, staggering the wolf. Taking that opportunity, Walker closed the distance until he was within arms reach of the beast and ducked under a swipe from its claw that came so close it knocked his hat clean off. But he was around the beast now, and jumped up, burying his heel in its back and his blade in its neck in one swift motion. Hanging onto the blade for dear life, Walker was thrashed about by the frantic beast as it howled at the moon overhead and tried to shake its rider off.
Gritting his teeth, the Bounty Hunter twisted the blade and pressed his revolver into the creature's head, pulling the trigger and spraying himself with a spurt of blood. Shaking his head, Walker thumbed the hammer back and pressed the revolver down again, only this time coming down on the softer eye of the beast before firing the last round. Now the creature became almost feral, bucking like a bronco so hard it through Walker from its back, even if his grip was tight enough on his knife to pull it from the tattered flesh.
Feeling the air get knocked from his lungs as he slammed into the ground, but he didn't stay for long, quickly sitting up to look around just in time to see the wounded creature launch itself into the jungle, towards the setting moon above them. Its blood pooled on the ground all around Walker, but that was not his main concern, first he reloaded the Revolver he still had out before dusting off his hat and putting it back atop his head and frantically searching for something, or rather, someone.
Through the mist, Walker spied the Swordswoman, still an unmoving heap on the ground alongside her sword, and moved cautiously towards her. "Calamity Dame? You hear me?" he asked, still on the lookout for that creature's return. "Sonja, wake up!" he urged as he knelt down alongside her still form. Only now did he get a good look at her, and the wounds she had received. Her left arm hung limply, likely dislocated, and she had numerous bruises and cuts along her skin, her suspect 'armor' had taken some damage too, scratched and dented, but unpierced by the wolf's claws.
Reaching down, Walker grasped the Hyrkanian's uninjured shoulder and shook the woman, "C'mon, don't you die on me now Sonja. Don't do this to me." Then, her breasts heaved up and her eyes slowly opened, "Thank the Lord," whispered Walker, "Sonja, we need to go. You know the way out of here?"
She nodded and tried to stand, but couldn't without Walker's help. Once she was up, she tried to take a step before crying out, "Tarim's blood!" The Bounty Hunter turned to look, unable to keep his concern from showing on his face, "My ankle, you must help me." Without hesitation, the Gunslinger came alongside and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull him close, her good arm draping across his shoulders. Close together, and with him supporting her, Sonja pointed in a direction, "That way."
Walker wasn't sure exactly which direction was correct, but didn't think that was it. "You sure Calamity Dame?"
"Yes, I am sure. My sword is over there. We must collect that before we return to the village," answered Sonja.
Chuckling, Walker helped the Red Woman to her blade and aided her in getting the longsword back in its sheath. Only then did they return to the village with Sonja wrapped in Walker's arm, and the Bounty Hunter slowly becoming more sure what he felt about that.
Closing Notes: I wouldn't mind some feedback on this, this is a different sort of writing for me admittedly. Next chapter will probably be a bit more conventional in any case so if this wasn't to your liking, don't worry.
That does it for this month, I'll see y'all next time.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.