Spires of Infinity (15 page)

Sighing, Gabriel knew it was pointless to argue, and she’d hit a very deeply

buried nerd nerve. Gabrielle was what the bullies in school called him, and he’d never really gotten over it. Being bullied before and after his father staggered drunkenly out of his life had become part of his desire to become a lawyer in the first place.

Sending all the people that had hurt him to jail was one of his early fantasies.

Years later he’d represented one of those bullies in court for the rape and murder of a hooker. Laying his grudge aside, Gabriel had gotten a not guilty verdict, though it took some doing.

While meeting with his client in jail, a hundred slipped to the guard bought him twenty unsupervised minutes to take out all his childhood anger on him. He’d been a small child, but he’d grown into a big enough man to lay some serious hurt down when he had a mind to. He’d split his knuckles bashing the bully’s face with his fist. He still had the scars, even now after being resurrected on this hellish nuclear wasteland. He wore them like badges of honor, and proof that what goes around eventually comes around.

“I guess you’re too stupid to have grown up on this world,” Sam broke the

awkward silence between them. “Maybe if you had some sorta proof it’d be easier to believe you.”

Shaking his head, Gabriel sighed, wishing she’d come put her arms around him

again. He wanted her warmth against him, and the feelings that her embrace invoked inside. They reminded him that he was still alive, and right now, that was something he needed very badly.

Losing himself in her golden eyes, for a moment they seemed to see into each

other’s souls, connecting on a level few people ever did. Despite the fact she was over a decade his junior, Gabriel found himself drawn to her, like a moth to the flame. Though she bore
many
vices, she seemed to complete a part of him he’d never realized was missing. But it could never be. He didn’t belong here, and she didn’t belong on Earth.

He couldn’t stay, and she couldn’t come with him when he finally found his way back.

Nothing could ever come of a relationship between them, except the pain of parting forever.

“I went to University too,” Mister Mittens said with a yawn, ruining the mood. “I have several degrees in various fields of study.”

Eyeing the cat, Gabriel could not stop the laugh that escaped his throat. He could imagine a cat sitting on a desk and taking notes in a lecture hall, and it was about the most hilarious mental image he’d ever had.

“What’s so funny,” the cat asked as Sam joined in.

Her laughter was carefree and musical. After hearing the story of her young life, Gabriel found it amazing that she could even laugh at all.

“Here,” Sam offered Gabriel a few chunks of charred green meat on a stick, “it’s done, eat up, and try to get some sleep during half night. We’ll never reach the Spires of Infinity if we keep having to stop early for you to sleep during daylight hours.”

Sniffing the meat, Gabriel gagged on the scent of rotten eggs. Nibbling a piece off the edge, he prayed to god that it tasted like chicken. It was overly chewy, and took a few seconds for the flavor to set in. It did
not
taste like chicken. Gagging it down despite himself, he took another bite. The taste was better than hunger, if only just.

“See? Not so bad.”

“It tastes like despair.”

“Really? That’s a step up from the moldy sewage it normally tastes like.”

Eating in silence, Gabriel thought that he might start retching if he had to talk.

Blocking out everything but the sting of pepper made it more edible, though the aftertaste was almost worse than the actual flavor of the meat. Feeling mildly sick to his stomach, Gabriel wondered if eating a handful of dirt to wash the taste away would kill him or not.

“What’s that,” he said, noticing dust on the horizon.

“Trouble,” Sam jumped to her feet, gathering her belongings.

“What kind of trouble?”

“Out here it’s either bandits or mutants. Whichever one rapes you, you’re still raped at the end of the day. And don’t think they won’t rape you because you’re a guy.”

“Lovely,” Gabriel sighed, getting to his feet. “There’s nowhere to hide. If they haven’t already seen us, they will when we start moving.”

“Yeah, but why stand in their path? They might pass us by if we’re far enough away.”

“Is that a banner,” Gabriel squinted at the incoming dust cloud.

“I think it’s the Imperial Standard,” Sam said, shielding her eyes with a hand.

Eyeing her, Gabriel waited for an explanation.

“What?
Really
! You don’t know what the Imperial Flag means?”

Gabriel shook his head.

“It means they’re soldiers or Lawmen.”

“What are soldiers doing out here?”

“Probably hunting down the Children of the Chosen, or something like that. You got your Lawman badge? They might need it as proof that we’re not bandits.”

“For the last time, I’m
not
a Lawman. How many times does something have to bash against that thick skull of yours to finally get through?”

Rolling her eyes, Sam reached into his coat, pulling out a metal plaque he hadn’t realized was there. Holding it up for him to see, she gave him a skeptical look.

“Oh really? What’s this? Looks a lot like a badge to me.”

“Is that what that is?”

Shoving the badge back at him, Sam made a frustrated noise deep in her throat.

“You’re
useless
! Let me do all the talking. Might as well unpack your bedding for half night.”

Despite only a half-hour to half night, Gabriel felt completely awake. He’d never been one for napping, though he might be able to force himself to sleep if he laid down with his eyes closed for long enough.

Four columns of men on cathorback rode side by side in straight lines. Lone men darted up and down the line, likely officers checking the progress of their troops.

When the first of the soldiers began riding past, looking at Gabriel and Sam with mild interest, it was nearly dark. They were all NVMs, with rifles slung across shoulders, and swords at their belts. Sam flagged down one of the officers, probably the widest man that Gabriel had ever seen, and he pulled his animal to a halt before them.

“Good day,” she nodded respectfully to him.

“Don’t see many travelers in the Red Zone,” the officer scratched behind one

catlike ear. “Which direction are you traveling?”

Sam pointed in the direction the troops were riding.

“You’re riding right into the Quarantine Zone,” the officer conspicuously eyed Gabriel’s weapons. “Captain Alain Maxen of his imperial highness’ cavalry corps, and you are?”

“This is Gabriel Reeve, a Lawman out of Hadrien, and I’m his guide, Samantha

Wolf. There’s some trouble near Bremain and there’s no time to skirt the radiation fields.

We’ll pass close enough to the Q Zone to see the walls, but no closer.”

“You may want to steer closer to the Spires of Infinity,” captain Maxen pointed at a slight angle from the direction his men were riding. “There’s trouble in Quarantine.”

“Trouble,” Sam’s wolflike ears tilted forward with interest. “What kinda trouble?

Are we in danger?”

“Nothing to worry yourself over. Someone is stirring up riots amongst the

mutants behind the walls, trying to get them organized. The Emperor has ordered us to help defend the walls just in case the poor wretch actually succeeds. Just steer clear of the walls and you should be fine.”

“I see. Thanks for the warning.”

Being a professional liar himself, Gabriel was a pro when it came to spotting

untruths. Maxen was lying about something. There was more to all of this. The soldiers seemed far too nervous for a simple reinforcing of the wall guards.

“I’ve heard of trouble up north,” Maxen nodded to Gabriel. “Good luck,

Lawman. I wish I could spare a squad to see you safely on your way.”

Gabriel nodded. “We’ll draw less attention alone anyway, and this is exactly the sort of place where less attention is best.”

Nudging him with a bony elbow, Sam shot him a warning look, but the captain

threw back his head and laughed. “My mother used to say that there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Be sure you’re on the right side of it, Lawman. I wish you both luck.”

With that he kicked his cathor up to a loping run, shouting orders as soon as he was off. The line of soldiers continued on for quite some time before they were gone and the dust began to settle.

“Trouble at the Quarantine Zone,” Sam moaned. “
Excellent
! And you just
had
to drag me out here for all the fun!”

“You didn’t have to take me out here,” Gabriel said.

Giving him “the look”, Sam turned toward the direction the captain had pointed.

“At least he showed us which direction the Spires of Infinity are in.”

“I thought you said you knew this area like the back of your hand!”

“No,” Sam waved an admonitory finger at him. “I said that I wasn’t exactly

certain where the Spires are, but I knew generally where to find them and we could get directions as we got closer, which we just did.”

“Whatever,” Gabriel muttered. Arguing with women was like trying to swim up a waterfall. No matter how strong you are you will
never
see the top. Thank god the cat was male. Argumentative women only got worse in pairs. In his experience women that had been enemies their entire lives would set aside their differences long enough to shout a man down before resuming their feud. They were strange and unexplainable creatures.

At first Gabriel had been certain that Sam was a man trapped in a girl’s body, but the longer he spent with her the more he saw that she was just the same as every other woman ever born. Though she had little in the way of feminine modesty or whiles, and as dirty a sense of humor as ever there was, the switch in her brain was still flipped to female.

Chapter 14: Children of the Chosen

Unable to keep himself from dozing, Gabriel slumped in his saddle. He just

couldn’t get the hang of the day and night schedule of Ethos. It was playing murder with his internal clock. Why couldn’t there just be one clear day and one clear night? Was that so much to ask?

Falling asleep in the saddle was a good way to break his neck, get trampled, or a hundred other things, but Gabriel just couldn’t keep his eyes open. He’d actually managed to get to sleep during half night, but that stupid cat climbed up on top of him and scared him half to death. Sam had taken no end of amusement from it, and

annoyingly fallen right back asleep again. Once he was awake, there was no getting back to sleep for him.

With Sam shooting him annoyed looks, Gabriel was losing the struggle to remain awake. He slumped forward in his saddle at the exact moment an arrow aimed at his temples whistled through the air. It clipped the brim of his hat, sending it flipping through the air and waking him up with an unexpected burst of adrenaline.

Reining his cathor to a stop, he scanned the flat wasteland. There was nothing in sight but red sand and purple grass in all directions.

“What is it,” Sam asked. “Why did you stop?”

When Gabriel pointed to the arrow on the ground, she bared her teeth. He’d

never noticed before but she had long, sharp fangs that any vampire would envy.

“Now what have we here,” a pasty skinned fellow with a third staring eye on his left temple said as he stood up from behind a tuft of purple grass that Gabriel would have been surprised if an ant could hide behind. The left side of his face was slack like that of a stroke victim, slurring his speech. “A savory piece of ass and a lucky as hell Lawman.”

“Shoot him, Gabriel,” Sam ordered without a second of hesitation.

Reaching for his guns, Gabriel froze when the man raised a rusty crossbow and

aimed for his head.

“I don’t think so,” the bandit warned. “How’s about you just take them gunbelts off and toss ‘em to the ground, eh sonny boy? This land belongs to the Children of the Chosen.”

“Not good,” Sam cried, flicking her throwing knife into her hand. Another arrow shot out of nowhere and pierced through the center of her palm, knocking the knife from her grip. Cursing most foully, Sam snapped the arrowhead off and yanked the shaft out, leaving a hole in her hand that poured blood.

To Gabriel’s amazement and horror, several more men stood from hiding places

all around them. They were like freaking
ninjas
! Albeit ninjas whose parents had been brother and sister. They all looked horribly inbred, and tumors or mutations deformed them to a man. Gabriel counted nine.

“Like I said. Just toss them gunbelts right on down. They belong to the Children now.”

Growling through gritted teeth, Gabriel removed the gunbelts and tossed them to the ground.

“The shotgun too, sonny boy.”

Gabriel removed the bandoleer that held the shotgun shells and holster and tossed it onto the pile.

“Now both of yous get down off them fine, tasty lookin’ animals. Be quick about it or good old Devileye here’s gonna put a barb in you.”

Dismounting, Gabriel was roughly shoved toward Sam as their cathors were led

away by the reins. Licking his lips with lewd expectation, Devileye made no attempt to hide undressing Sam with his eyes.

With nine bows and crossbows pointed at him, there was nothing Gabriel could

do. They really had them by the balls, even Sam who technically didn’t have any, though sometimes he did wonder.

Grabbing Sam’s arm, Devileye dragged her toward the Cathors. Yowling and

hissing, Mister Mittens sprang from her shoulders into his face, clawing and biting for all he was worth. Bashing at the cat until it fell away, he cursed prolifically. His bloodied face did not slow him down, as he kept dragging Sam away. When they reached where an underling with the look of a lieutenant or some such had led the cathors, her wrists were bound roughly with a length of rope.