Chapter 3: H.O.U.N.D.S
Even though the sun was just beginning to rise in Morroc, the heat was already in the 90's. The dry desert air only served to draw moisture from its inhabitants like no other. The traders outside kept their headgear soaked in cool water from their reserves to keep as far away from heat stroke as possible, but even then, it was still a constant task to retain hydration.
The social workings of Morroc were unlike any other that existed in all of Rune Midgard. Thieves, Assassins and the most low down and dirty citizens you could ever hope to find were connected into Morroc some way. The homes were broken and torn by past events and were never bothered to be fixed. In one of the torn homes was a pair of eyes that peered out into the sandy roads, eyes that were filled with insurmountable rage and sadness.
"So then Sho, how long will you be staying this time?" An elderly woman asked the stalker while pouring a piping hot cup of tea in a broken cup.
"Not for long Dalda, I just need to get my thoughts in order. I'll be out of your hair for good this time." He said, his voice almost trembling with anger.
From outside a child ran in with a crumpled and dirty piece of paper. She ran to the elderly woman and jumped up and down in front of her.
"Grandma! Grandma! The Prontera Summer Festival is coming this weekend! Can we go!? Huh!? Can we?!" The excited tike asked over and over.
With a warm smile, Dalda nodded and took a sip of her tea while pressing her hand against the girl's head.
Sho stood from his position near the window and headed outside. More angered filled his mind as he remembered the date he had planned for the summer festival. His fist clenched hard while his footsteps were muffled in the sand. Without saying a word, he made a promise to himself that he'd find the doctor who denied his love's treatment for mere zeny.
Further out into the sands of Sograt, a lone desert wolf kept his nose to the sand as if it were searching for something. Searching and searching the wolf went until it located the origin of the scent, a boot in the sand. Furiously, it began to tug at the boot with its teeth until the boot began to move. It looked up to see a black barrel with a tiny hole in it by its face and without warning the hole released a high pitched hiss and blood sprayed across the sand from the wolf's head.
"Stupid mutt, hope he didn't give my position away…" The figure holding the smoking silenced pistol in his hand said to himself before situating himself back into the sand with a sniper rifle before him.
He watched Morroc with the scope of the rifle, searching for any sign of Sho. While the moments ticked down for him and the thought of giving up after a whole night of surveillance refreshed itself in his mind, he suddenly caught a break. A quick glimpse of a stalker caught his eye. Long black hair, low eyes, two scars on the cheek and a disposition like one legged man in a marathon, it was Sho.
Quickly he grabbed his walkie-talkie and radioed for Wolfe.
"Boss, its Serge. I've located target! Morroc town, cords are lon; 21, lat; 112. He seems to be alone, I have a clear shot, should I take it?" He came in over the walkie talkie
Wolfe sprang from his bed and snatched his walkie from the vanity with a hurry.
"Negative! Stay put until I arrive. You and the others keep tight tabs on him, if he so much as pisses I want to know where, what time and what color it was!" He ordered as he grabbed his jacket and goggles from the chair beside the bed.
Out the door he headed with great speed, but to his dismay Seban was passing by at that moment.
"….Has there been any developments Wolfe?" He asked in a monotone voice.
"Eh, none mate. Our boys are out lookin' for the bastard now. Don't worry tin man; you'll be the first to know yea?" He said while patting Seban's large shoulders.
Outside of the castle, Wolfe pulled a flute from his jacket and played a short tune which carried in the wind. Not so much as a second passed before the sound of clanging metal, claws against the street and heavy panting was heard. Wolfe smirked as his faithful companion, a giant black and white wolf, skidded to a halt. Wolfe hopped atop and grabbed the chain reins to direct the wolf towards the south exit.
"Let's go Krieg!" He commanded as the wolf took off with top speed.
Back in the sands, more men began to arrive around the outskirts of Morroc. Inside its walls, Sho headed back to Dalda's home. He stepped inside, sighing as the rickety door just barely closed because of its condition. He noticed Dalda and her three grandchildren speaking in a much more serious tone.
"What's going on?..." Sho inquired his nerves now on edge.
"The children, they say that there are men appearing in the sands. Many of them are surrounding the town now. Sho…They may be after you. I think it may be wise for you to leave!" Dalda's words came out swift and filled with concern for her only family.
Sho looked outside, his eyes scanning for any potential resistance. Nothing registered to him which triggered his body to bolt outside, leaving the door wide open while his feet kicked up sand with every step.
'I have to get somewhere not even the King will know about. It'll have to be the tomb, but I have to avoid whoever's outside first.' He thought to himself as he stopped and blended in with a group of travelers and merchants.
Using his peripheral view he spotted subtle movements outside of the town gates. They were gunslingers and snipers and they were well armed. Sho automatically knew he was the target and that he was being tracked, he could just feel it. Thinking quickly, he reached into his pocket and pulled a dusty scroll free. With a quick chant the scroll burned into nothing and the ground began to shake.
"Heaven's Drive!!" he yelled as the people around him fell to the ground just as he vanished from sight.
Out in the sands, Serge looked around, trying to keep up with everything, but soon lost Sho in the commotion.
"Aw shit and back! If I don't find 'em, boss is going to toss me to Maya!" He reminded himself as he searched for Sho again.
Out the gates Sho waltzed right by the patrolling Hound members with his footprints being covered by the gentle wind blowing the sand. A good distance out, his chase walk technique was wearing on his body, so it was time to give it up. His body came into clear view as he took a breath. Sweat poured down his face while he stopped and looked down to recover slightly.
"Ello there mate!" Wolfe's voice sounded as he too came into clear view from deactivating his camouflage.
"Shit!" Sho yelled out, starting a mad dash through the sands.
Wolfe laughed and followed behind on his wolf's back, pulling his bow free from his back. He drew the bow back, building tension in the string and wood. A smile slid onto his face like no other. He released the bow with a loud 'twang' and the arrow flew through the air with almost no resistance.
Sho ducked to the sand, just barely dodging the tip of the arrow by mere millimeters. He rolled down the dune and slid towards a pair of odd looking rocks that had an off color about them.
'There!' He thought in a hurry as he dove head first into the sands.
His body slid between the rocks and through the sand until he could be seen no more. Wolfe stopped and raised his brow, wondering where Sho had just gotten to, until it hit him. It had to be the passage to the tomb. With a grin he jumped down and sunk into the sand, but not before dawning a small face mask.
Down below, Sho landed in a pile of white sands that was teaming with all sorts of insect life. He stumbled to his feet and ran down one of the many hallways present down below. Seeing as before he could easily be lost, his previous marks were still visible, he just hoped Wolfe wouldn't pick up on them.
Wolfe followed down shortly after with a sharp blade in his hand in case of close combat. His crimson eyes scanned the area carefully until he picked up on very faint footprints with small notches of sand missing.
"He ran this-a-way." He said quietly to himself as he began to follow the prints slowly and quietly.
Further on in, Sho stumbled around, reaching new areas not even he had explored before. He remembered this part well enough though, where Sonia began to feel sick and they ended their exploration. He ran on pass, hoping to find an exit or some form of help down this path. Unfortunately for him, all that awaited him was a dead end. With his eyes on the wall ahead of him, he could hear Wolfe's feet sinking in the sand, each grain making a scraping noise on his boots.
'Dammit! This will not end here!' His thought raced through his mind over and over while he tried to drown it out and think of a plan. He couldn't chase walk for another three minutes and twenty one seconds and Wolfe was much closer than that. He looked up at the wall, searching for anything, but found nothing. With all hope seeming to escape him, he let a breath free in despair. As the air left his mouth, the dust on the wall blew away slightly, revealing words.
Sho knelt closer to see the words, but as he did, the buckle on his boot caught hold of something and pulled. The ceiling opened and sand dumped in from above him, leaving him no chance to escape. He closed his eyes tight and bit down hard as the sand came down with tremendous force.
Wolfe arrived at the dead end nearly a minute later and looked around. He took a deep whiff in and growled slightly. His new found anger of a lost target forced his fist into the side of the wall with great force. He turned and headed down the hall again, keeping his senses sharp in case Sho reared his head again.