Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Dynamite comics, etc. etc.

Posting this so I can go see Top Gun: Maverick soon after, I admit to being quite hyped for this film, it just feels special.

Wolfking0811: Thanks for the feedback, I was generally happy with how it turned out, but you never know what reception will be like on something you've never done before.

This is the start of another small encounter, and it will actually be the last one before the confrontation with Gath, so we are getting close to the end of this adventure. After the slight supernatural detour in the previous chapters, this one will be somewhat more conventional, but I hope everyone enjoys it just the same. The title is taken from an album called From Hell With Love by Beast in Black, on top of being a good tune, it's a cool title in its own right.

Once Upon a Time in Hyboria

Chapter 16: Sweet True Lies

Keeping her horse at a slow trot, Red Sonja felt the midday sun pour down on her, heating all of the redhead's exposed skin, but that wasn't the only source of heat the Hyrkanian felt. Following the events of two nights prior, when she and Walker had slain the werewolf, their relationship had shifted after Sonja had initiated a kiss. Looking over her shoulder, Sonja saw Walker eying her, a small smile on his typically impassive face and a warmth in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

Feeling the heat of an unfamiliar blush creep along her skin, Soja looked away, trying to pull herself together despite the strange, new sensation. In the days since, the two had been closer, but Sonja couldn't muster up the courage to repeat the act, no matter how much some part of her wanted to, and do more. For her skill in combat, this was an arena where Red Sonja was well out of her depth, and as she pondered what to do yet again, she heard Walker urge his horse forward and turned to see the man in his hat and coat riding alongside her.

"Got something to say, Calamity Dame?" asked the Bounty Hunter in his lazy drawl, "I can see that look in your eye." Sonja opened her mouth only to find no words would come out, and so she shook her head in response. "Well alright… well how 'bout we take our midday meal up here under them there trees? Get outta the sun for a bit?"

With a nod from Sonja, they booth steered their mounts off the trail and came to a stop, dismounting as Sonja took a breath. Walker had opened up some of the saddle bags on his horse and produced a handful of tins in which he preferred to store his foodstuffs. He opened one and revealed some of the carrots they had gotten from the previous town before giving some to his horse, "Atta boy Shelby," he praised, patting the creatures neck as it ate the snack. "Say Sonja, how much farther we gotta go?"

The Red Woman had removed an animal skin and took a drink of the water inside before answering. "We should be upon Galparan by nightfall, we should be able to rest and replenish our supplies there before we ride to the next town," informed Sonja, before eyeing the skin and pouring some down her burning face, shaking it off before seeing that Walker was staring at her in a way that brought the heat back. The Hyrkanian pushed past that feeling and asked, "From there, where must we go?"

"Aigaion, Gath's castle I think, he told me it was a day's ride north of this town," answered the foreign man before smiling weakly at Sonja, "We're almost there, Calamity Dame, we almost got him."

"So soon…" mused Sonja with a tinge of disappointment as she sat down, her back against a tree, "And what will you do then Joshua Walker?" she asked as the man as he removed his hat and coat, laying them on the grass before removing more tins of food and passing one to Sonja Taking it, the redhead looked up and tried to speak as he sat down against the next tree over, "I…."

When she felt her voice falter once more, Walker's reached her ears. "I've been thinking about that too," admitted the Gunslinger as before he began eating some of the salted meat they had cooked and packed back in the previous town. "Ever since I got here, I've wanted to go home," began the Bounty Hunter, "I didn't have any reason to want to be here, much less stay here. Back home… well, I didn't have much, but it was mine." There was a pause as they both ate, and then it was Walker who spoke once more. "But today, I ain't been thinking like that, I've been thinking… what do I really have to go back to?"

Sonja spoke up instantly, "Family?" she asked, it was one topic that he had never talked about.

At first, all he did was shake his head, but when he looked at her, and the Hyrkanian held his gaze, he elaborated. "I don't wanna see my old man any more than he wants to see me, I'd reckon." Sonja made to ask about this, but the way Joshua's eyes became downcast at the mere mention of family caused her to hold her tongue. "Can I ask you a question Sonja?" Taken aback, the Swordswoman nodded once, "You got many friends?"

"Comrades in arms, friends for drinking," replied Sonja quickly, "In every town, or near enough to it," she amended. Taking a breath and sip of water, the Hyrkanian looked up at Walker, "But true friends? No."

The Gunslinger smiled faintly, "Me neither," he admitted. "Hard to come by in our line of work," he drawled before going back to his food. "Now, I know about you and men," he began, "Have you ever wondered about me and women?"

Sonja blushed again, "I have seen how you handle yourself in their company Joshua Walker, you have courted others, yes?"

"I wouldn't say 'courted' Calamity Dame," replied Walker, "It didn't take that long before we were tumbling in the hay. They were good gals… fun, but they didn't make me want to change my ways."

Regarding the man, Sonja leaned forwards, reaching out to grab the man's arm. Once she had his attention, the Hyrkanian swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke, "And what about me? Would you change your ways for me?"

The response came back fast, and wasn't the one she wanted to hear, "I don't know," admitted the Gunslinger. But when his eyes came up to meet hers, Sonja looked into them and felt the mans rough hand trail up her arm, the touch warming her skin like the sun. "But I do know that a part of me wants to try. And that's never happened before."

Emboldened, the Hyrkanian pressed closer, straddling one of Walker's legs as she squared up to him, "It warms my heart to hear this Joshua Walker, for you have made me ponder a similar conundrum." Walker's hand rested on Sonja's back, its distracting touch unlike any the Swordswoman had ever felt before, but she spoke again, "I do not know what it is I want but… I have never held feelings for a man such as those I now have for you."

Sonja watched the corner of Walker's lips quirk up, "And what feelings are those, Calamity Dame?"

Instead of answering verbally, Sonja leaned in and repeated what she had done last night, only this time it was a slower, more deliberate meeting of lips that was no less exciting to the redhead. Pressing herself closer to Walker, the Hyrkanian felt the hand on her back trail down, coming to rest on her hip as she pressed her tongue past the man's lips and explored his mouth, the heat in her core spreading through her body. Despite her treipation being at odds with her eagerness, Sonja savored the exchange the more it dragged on, and while part of her wanted to go further, she instead pulled away with some reluctance.

"You have a way of making yourself understood," drawled Walker, running his finger over her hip before starting to tap against her skin, the man's brow furrowing. After a moment, a low whistle escaped from his lips, "I said I don't got many friends Calamity Dame," began the Bounty Hunter before Sonja found herself looking into his bewitching blue eyes, "But I do think I'd like you to be one… and maybe more. What was it you called it? Courting?"

"But such a thing could not happen were you to depart," countered the Warrior Woman, "And time is running short until we will confront Kulan Gath."

"Then we oughta make it count, instead of just sitting on the side of the road, don't ya think?"

Another low whistle came out of Walker's mouth when he saw the size of the walls surrounding Galaparn, wooden ramparts circled the city, manned by guards in brightly colored tunics, each wielding a sword or spear, eyeing the pair of fighters with suspicion. Sonja noticed the way Walker's hand drifted to the Schofield on his belt and hissed at him, "Do not draw a weapon on the City Watch. We are not here to upset the peace."

Narrowing his eyes and peering out from under his hat, Tombstone looked over this 'City Watch' and frowned as he reluctantly inched his hand away from the gun. If these men were to be the law, like a Marshall or Sherriff, then they didn't look the part. Their numbers were one concern for the Bounty Hunter, far exceeding those of any other town or city Walker had ever seen. What put Joshua more on edge was the way they watched him and Sonja. He expected looks, perhaps stares, as those had come with every settlement they had arrived in, but it seemed that every group of these 'Watchmen' were solely focused on nothing but Red Sonja and himself. These looks were more like bandits who meant him harm, and instilled nothing but unease within Walker. Doubled by the fact that the common folk seemed intent on ignoring the two completely. Turning on his horse, Joshua grimaced as he spoke in hushed whispers to the bikini-clad woman, "I ain't so sure about that Calamity Dame, this is enemy territory."

"All the more reason to not draw the notice of Gath," countered the Hyrkanian in the same tone. "Have you not claimed to work with Watchmen of your land? Your 'Lawmen'?"

With a grunt, Walker brought his horse to a stop and leaned close to Sonja. "That's how I know they can be paid off."

"Hey, the both of you, get over here!" beckoned one of these Watchmen, and Sonja led the way to him. "What be your purpose in Galparan She-Devil? There is no need for a Sellsword here. And you! Why do you travel with this woman?" he said, pointing at Walker.

"We wish to rest at an inn for the night, a reprieve from our travels," replied Sonja with her strange manner of speaking. She then gestured towards Walker, while the Bounty Hunter kept eying the group of men in City Watch colors. "Joshua Walker is the one who is taking me to work further north of your fair city."

The Watchman turned to his fellows, and they exchanged a look that set Walker's teeth on edge. "You two shall go to Kramers Inn. There be rooms for you there. Be sure and leaver," said the man as he pointed at the stable in question.

Walker made to say something, but a look from Sonja brought him up short. The Gunfighter held her gaze for a moment, but decided that if Sonja did not want to pick a fight here, then there was a good reason for it, even if he was still on edge. Nodding once, Joshua leaned back in his saddle and let the Hyrkanian do the talking. "Then we shall be on our way, you have our thanks," declared Sonja before deftly steering her horse up the street.

Giving the men of the City Watch one last glare, the Bounty Hunter flicked the reins of his horse, "Nice n' slow, Shell," he drawled, bringing his mount in behind his companion. Sonja steered her steed into the stable before dismounting and doing something Walker had never expected. The She-Devil with a Sword removed the scabbard from her belt and tucked it in the simple set of straps she had for a saddle, leaving her blade with her horse as she turned it over to a stable hand. Walker rode up and similarly dismounted his horse, turning around to find a Stable Hand waiting for him.

"Leave your swords with the horse," grunted the Stable Hand, "That be the law of the city, stranger. You must comply."

"I have no swords," sneered Walker as he opened his duster. Pulling a Schofield from its holster, the Bounty Hunter showed it to the man, "See? Not a sword, just a good luck charm." The Stable Hand tried to get a closer look at the revolver, but before he could, Walker flicked the Schofield around, twirling it before slipping it back into its leather holster before offering the Stable Hand Shelby's reins.

After a moment's hesitation, the man took the leather and led the Bounty Hunter's horse off, its owner watching his animal as it was led to a stall before he felt a presence at his side. "I understand your reticence Joshua Walker, but do not antagonize them so," chided Sonja as Walker turned to look at the Hyrkanian. "Our ways may seem foreign to you, but in my ventures through Galparan, I have never been troubled."

"That ain't it, Calamity Dame, I've been to towns like this. Their rules? They ain't there to keep you safe, they're there to keep the people in charge safe from you," he whispered before looking over his shoulder at the group of Watchmen standing outside the stable door. "And I don't tend to trust people who think they need to be kept safe from me."

The Hyrkanian frowned at this but didn't back down, "Do not exert yourself on this, I beg of you, we have much to concern ourselves with besides these matters." Walker felt the intensity of the pair of green eyes upon him and it was enough to get him to not press the issue further, merely holding his tongue as he looked at the warrior woman and nodded once. His reward was a small smile gracing her features before she leaned in and lightly pressed her lips to his cheek, taking him completely by surprise. "Now come, let us retire to the inn, I know where it is."

With that, Sonja turned around and began walking for the far exit that led deeper into the town. Turning back to the stunned faces of the Watchmen, Walker allowed himself a smirk before looking at the form of Sonja striding way, admiring the way her scanty attire showed off her muscular legs and back, a body that no other woman had. After spending so much time trying to deny his attraction to her, because he thought nothing would come of it, Walker faltered, "Damn it," he muttered, setting off after the woman. "Wait up Sonja!" called out the Bounty Hunter, quickly catching up. "Alrighty, I'll… try to stay calm. I won't start nothin' if no one else don't."

"Such assurance is all I ask from you on this matter, Joshua Walker," replied Sonja before her lips pressed into a thin line. "I do not wish to dwell on such things as these, perhaps you would prefer to join me for drink instead?" Breathing in deep through his nose, the Bounty Hunter tried to ignore the unease he felt before nodding.

Smiling broadly, Sonja tugged on Walker's arm, dragging the Gunslinger out of the Stable and onto the street, "I know a place, come with me." With that, Joshua found himself led down what seemed to be the town's main street. "I know you do not care for them, but that blacksmith crafts fine blades. If you purchased a sword from him, it would serve you well, and I would be willing to teach you to use it."

"I might just take you up on that offer Calamity Dame," drawled Walker before something else caught his eye. "That building up there at the corner, what is it?" It was a structure that stood out from the rest because of the large bell tower attached to it, almost like a church he might see back home.

"It's a temple to Scinfaxi, many in this region worship him as the one who raises the sun," explained the Hyrkanian. "It is currently closed, as the sun has set, but this is where many of the townsfolk will gather for public events." Walker nodded, seeing the similarities with many frontier towns he had passed through in his time.

The temple was not at a crossroads, as Tombstone had first thought, but rather a town square that was a large, wide open space. The only things there were a few wagons, most loaded with crops or other wares for sale. Crossing the open space, Walker's eyes fell on a building that had a lot of people milling about, in stark contrast to the surrounding shops. "That your watering hole, Calamity Dame?"

"Indeed it is, but there are fewer fights there than those I frequent in other towns," replied the Hyrkaninan, the implication clear.

"I hear ya Sonja, just one question," answered Walker, "How many did you start?"

Silence was the answer before the redhead finally answered, "We will not be turned away, if that is your concern." All Walker could do in response was chuckle lowly as they walked up to the entrance and made their way inside. This bar was quite different from any of the others Walker had seen in Hyboria, looking more like a German Saloon, with it being finely decorated, featuring well-crafted tables, and, shockingly, booths lining the walls, something the Bounty Hunter had only ever seen once before in his life. It was an open booth in the corner of the bar that Sonja made for, taking a seat and directing Walker to sit across the table.

Removing his hat and setting it on the table, the Bounty Hunter noticed a woman approaching; her attire reminded him of a Dancing Girl, with a short ruffled skirt and tight corset that exposed a generous amount of cleavage, the blonde wouldn't have looked out of place in New Mexico. In each hand, she carried a wooden mug, and set one done before each of them with a smile on her pretty face. After giving her a polite smile, Walker took the mug and put it to his lips, only for the ale to hit him when a part of his mind had been expecting beer, his face crinkling in reflex.

"What troubles you so?" asked Sonja, pulling Walker's mind back to his current state, "Is the ale not to your liking?"

Looking at the woman across from him and feeling a pang in his chest, the Bounty Hunter leaned back in the booth and shook his head, "Nah, that ain't it, I just… I thought I was back home for a second there. I always liked places like this one, they were only in the big cities, but they were my favorite when I found one."

"Tell me of them," replied Sonja, taking Tombstone by surprise, when he stared blankly at her, "You rarely speak of your homeland, I wish to know what it is like… if you are willing to share that is."

"I suppose I could," drawled Walker, taking a small sip of the ale before holding up the mug, "We don't serve ale in our saloons, most of the time there's beer, lager is the name I've seen around these parts, unless its an Irish saloon; they serve whiskey."

"I've never heard of such a drink," admitted Sonja, taking another healthy draught of her ale. "Is it better than this?"

"I'd say so. It's much stronger, even you'd struggle with it I'd wager," suggested the Bounty Hunter with a ghost of a smile. "Other than that? I guess it's not much different than yours, we have our outlaws, crooked politicians, decent townsfolk, the whole lot really. The difference would be more apparent back east, where they say it's 'civilized,' what, with their locomotives, factories, and big plantations, I've seen nothing like that here."

Sonja set down her empty mug, just as the serving girl arrived with two new ones, even if Walker had barely touched his drink. Taking a draught from the newly arrived mugs, Sonja then asked, "You speak of our lands as if they are so similar, yet tell of things I have never encountered in my travels. I do wish I could see these things," admitted the Hyrkanian as she went back to her ale. For a moment, with her pale skin, red hair, and appetite for drink, Walker almost thought she was Irish. "If only there were a way for you to show me them."

"If only…" agreed Walker before letting out a low breath, a part of him selfishly wanting to bring Sonja back with him, but he knew he could never ask her to do that. Instead, he would do as he had many times before, enjoy the time he had a woman and then bid her farewell. The difference this time was that he didn't want to do that.

Looking back up at Sonja, who he saw had now started on the ale meant for him, Walker looked around to signal for more, but didn't see their serving girl, but rather a different one, a brunette. "I'll see about getting us more drinks," announced Walker before grabbing his hat and slipping out of the booth, striding towards the serving girl as she turned from the table she was serving to return to the bar. When she did, the Bounty Hunter could see that, hanging from the belt around her waist, was a small, familiar, stone idol.

Eyes narrowing, Walker extended a hand and grabbed the serving girl by the wrist and steered her to the back door of the establishment, drawing a mix of hoots and jeers from the rest of the crowd. Ignoring them, the Bounty Hunter forced the woman outside before shoving her up against the wall, "Shut it," he sneered, cutting off her scream when he pressed a hand to her open mouth. The Gunslinger's other hand went to yank the stone idol off the girl, holding it up as he said, "Don't scream, just tell me where you got this."

Tentatively, the Bounty Hunter pulled his hand back and let the dancing girl speak. "A man, a preacher man arrived a moon's turn ago. He spoke of disaster arriving to our town, a woman with red hair and a man in strange garb, like… like you," she admitted, eyes going wide. Shaking uncontrollably, she attempted to worm herself free, only to get a backhanded slap across the face form Walker, "He said we had to sacrifice these demons to Scinfaxi should we ever wish to see the sun rise again and…."

"And what?" pressed Walker, "Answer me!" he shouted as the girl began to break down into tears.

"And so the Watch devised a plot, we were to poison your drinks, enable them to capture the both of you!" cried out the woman when Walker heard a crash and the shouts of men inside the tavern.

Snarling, the Bounty Hunter threw the girl to the ground, drawing a revolver as he pulled the door opened and found Sonja already up, throwing a punch at one of the Watchmen, sending him across the floor as she staggered forwards. It was clear that the Hyrkanian was not her usual self, taking a hit from the next Watchman to challenger her, causing her to stumble before lashing back out with a sloppy but still powerful roundhouse punch that sent the member of the Watch into a group of his fellows.

The Schofield came up, its hammer pulled back as the Gunslinger singled out one of the Watchmen and pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing through the tavern, eliciting a new round of screams as the bullet found its mark and killed its target. "Sonja! Run!" shouted Walker as he took aim again, but when the Hyrkanian attempted to leave, another patron swung a chair at the She-Devil, staggering her before Walker could swing the Schofield around and put a bullet in his back.

As Sonja tried to pick herself up off the floor, Walker put a bullet in the chest of a Watchmen, putting him down before yet another came to kick the red-haired woman in the stomach, and as much as Walker wanted to help, he couldn't. The shining Schofield pointed at a patron charging the Bounty Hunter and fired, causing the man to scream in pain as he fell, blood pouring from the hole in his gut. That caused more men to rush Walker, wielding whatever was within arms reach as makeshift weapons, but the assortment of mugs and candlesticks proved useless against the pair of .44 caliber slugs that shot back in reply.

With the gun empty, Walker was forced to retreat back towards the door even as members of the City Watch dragged Sonja's limp body out the front door. Instead of attempting to reload the revolver, the Schofield went back in its holster as Tombstone reached for his second gun, just as he heard the back door burst open behind him. Spinning around, the Gunfighter found himself faced with a group of men in the colors of the City Watch and leveled the Schofield from the hip, his free hand working the hammer, fanning it as he unloaded the entire cylinder into the oncoming Watchmen.

Walker seized the opportunity, and bolted over the dying Watchmen to get through the door. Coming out behind the tavern and looking down at the still crying serving girl, the Gunfighter looked for any sign of additional Watchmen as he reloaded the Schofield he had out while moving to the edge of the structure, peeking down the alleyway to look for any sign of Watchmen or Sonja. "For fuck's sake," snarled the Bounty Hunter when he saw neither, and he cautiously crept up until he saw shadows cast on the building across the way, the shapes of a mob of men.

"Shit," grunted Tombstone, reluctant to leave Sonja, he nonetheless ducked back away from the street, finding a stairway up to the roof of a nearby building and took it up. Reloading his second revolver as he watched the group of men from the City Watch below. Sonja was bound, yet still thrashed and struggled while being dragged away, Walker feeling an ache in his gut as his thumb caressed the hammer of his revolver, but he couldn't bring himself to pull it back.

Taking a breath, Walker tore his eyes away from the Hyrkanian and other Watchmen to pick out the towering steeple of the temple up the road. Knowing which way he had to go, the Bounty Hunter slipped back and dropped off the back of the building, boots crunching against the dirt as he slipped into the shadows and went towards the temple. Hearing the muffled shouts from the Watchmen who were searching for him kept Walker moving until he found himself at the edge of the center square.

Jaw set, the Bounty Hunter bounded to the first wagon, poking his head over the edge to look for any Watchmen, illuminated either by the torches they carried or from the waning moon overhead. Spying two groups of Watchmen, Walker crept across the open ground, bouncing from wagon to wagon as he retraced the path he had taken less than an hour prior.

Dashing across the last open stretch of the open square, Walker pressed himself against the brick of the temple looking about to get his bearing when he heard something that made his heart drop. "You there! Halt!" In response, the Bounty Hunter turned, raising the revolver he had drawn to point at the spear armed Watchman in his colored tunic, firing without hesitation.

The muzzle flash lit up the square, giving away any pretense at stealth the Bounty Hunter had as more shouts chased him out of the square and back to wards the stable. Running at a dead sprint down the road, Walker had to use one hand to keep his hat atop his head, the other still grasped around the grip of his Schofield. "Thank God these guys don't have guns," managed Walker between heavy, panting breaths before he reached the shadows of a tall building and used the opportunity to duck into the blacksmith shop Sonja had pointed out earlier.

Crouching down behind the furnace at the back of the shop, Walker peered across the shop, the Watchmen rushing past the entrance without even bothering to look inside. Waiting as long as he dared, the Bounty Hunter finally peered out, creeping along the street to head back to the stable at the end of the road. Slipping back inside, it didn't take long for Walker to find Shelby, throwing open the latch on the stable gate. "Good to see you too," drawled Walker as he gave the horse an affectionate pat on the muzzle before putting a boot into the stirrup and pulling himself up and into the saddle.

A sad sound emanated from Shelby and another horse, causing the Bounty Hunter to look up and see Sonja's horse just as it threw itself against the gate. "Sorry girl, she didn't make it," whispered Tombstone before opening the gate that held Sonja's mount. Joshua flicked the reins of his own mount, "Now come on Shelby, we gotta go," he encouraged. With some reluctance, the horse trotted towards the door with Sonja's following close behind when Walker saw a man step out into his path.

The Watchman leveled a spear, "Stop!" he barked, causing Shelby to recoil, rearing back as Walker drew a pistol and fired as soon as his horse came back down.

"Hiya!" snapped Walker, putting his spurs to the flanks of the horse and causing it to bolt past the other Watchmen lying in wait at full gallop, rushing straight out the gate and into the wilderness surrounding the walled city with Sonja's steed following suit. The pair of horses kicked up a cloud of dust behind them, Walker pressed his horse hard, putting as much distance as he could between himself and Galparan.

Once he was safely in a wood, Walker allowed his horse to stop running while he looked and listened for any sign of pursuit, but found none. Safe again, and with his final goal of home just a day's ride away, Walker was left with only one real question. "What am I gonna do now?"

Closing Notes: At this point, I'll put it out there and say that I believe this story will end with Chapter 20, so we are certainly getting closer to the end here. But before then there is still this little arc to get through before the final confrontation. This is obviously something a bit different than the previous arcs, which is kinda the point, hopefully everyone enjoys how this one goes.

Thoughts and feedback is welcome, if you have any then leave a review.

Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.