Chapter 7: Pursuers
A large group of riders set up camp under the hot Arizona sun. Many coarse-looking men hid in the shade of their tents, anxious to relieve their accumulated hunger and thirst. To the outside of camp, the horses were also being given a quick drink.
Two men stood apart from the group of ruffians, fully exposed to the scorching sun. Unlike the droves below, they seemed unaffected by the heat. One was a thick, muscular man with short blonde hair and scars all over his body. The other was relatively tall and thin with gray hair. Most notably, his features were impossible to make out as he was covered head to toe with tattoos of human bones. His face would be easier to describe as a human skull.
The tattooed man stood at the edge of the cliff, staring toward the western horizon. “Why does he keep turning?” He muttered. “Does he have no sense of direction? He’ll go in circles at this rate.”
“No matter how lost he is, the kid travels fast.” The muscular man said. “To think we would still be chasing him after a week. The men are starting to get restless.”
“Oh? How far has it gotten? Do you think I should worry?” The tattooed man asked in amusement.
“As if they could make you worry. However, there are some whose loyalty is wavering. Many have begun to wonder if your decision to chase them down is really the best course of action.”
“After only a week? I didn’t realize I had such low charisma. Are you sure that’s what their thinking? I have a suspicion that’s what you want them to think. Tell me, which is it?” The tattooed man asked with a smirk.
The muscular man smiled nastily. “Yes.”
“I see. Well, no matter how dissatisfied they are they won’t act on it. You’ve had too much fun lately. Anyone who dares to be insubordinate would have to know they’ve forfeited their own life.” The tattooed man stated confidently. “There’s no need for reminders. If they forget their place you are free to educate them as you choose.”
“I’ll happily oblige.” The muscular man replied without hesitation.
The tattooed man looked back over the desert. “Its been a while since a rogue aberrant has shown up like this, hasn’t it? I’d thought that woman had finally collected them all, but then a powerful soul beast shows up out of the blue. What are the chances?”
“Why question it?” The muscular man asked. “Its our fortune. Since he’s come along, we might as well enjoy it. I’ve been itching to fight another aberrant for a long time. I can hardly wait to meet him.”
“Your love for violence frightens me sometimes.”
“When all I’ve been able to fight are beasts and insubordinate trash, how can I feel any different. You should just be happy I haven’t run off to fight him already.”
“I’m glad you’re so enthusiastic, but don’t jump the gun. This one is different from the others.” The tattooed man warned. “He’s still lucid. He has potential that can be harnessed if we approach this right.”
The muscular man’s smile faltered. “You intend to recruit him. I won’t get to kill him, then.”
“He’s more valuable alive. Don’t worry, you’ll still get to fight. You could use a sparring partner, couldn’t you?”
“Well, yes. But he killed one of us. I doubt this will go over too well with the men.”
“He killed a deserter. Even if that man came back to camp, we would have killed him.”
“But still…”
“Unless you plan on rejecting him, what can the others possibly do?” The tattooed man smiled. “Strength like his at such a young age is almost unheard of. If we can wield him, that woman won’t be able to act so arrogantly. Once he grows, his strength will be invaluable.”
“What if he chooses to fight us instead? Even if we manage to convince him, what do we do if we can’t wield him? If he chooses to rebel?” There was an excited look in the man’s eye. The tattooed man knew there was only one answer his subordinate would accept.
“If he proves impossible, then we simply need to kill him. I trust you can handle that?”
The muscular man smiled viciously. His eyes began to glow with an eerie yellow light. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Glad to hear it.” The tattooed man said with satisfaction. “Rally the men and pack up camp. We catch this kid today.”
* * *
Caleb bounced up and down on top of the horse, looking sick to his stomach. The act of riding a horse was a lot more trouble than he’d originally thought.
After chasing down the horses, he’d decided keeping one for transportation would be more . One horse had provided him with plenty for a time, so he had no need to overload on meat unnecessarily.
Though he’d never ridden a horse but he’d met many people who did, and a few places he’d stayed had allowed him to take care of them for a time, so he was relatively confident. A little bit of practice and he’d be riding like an expert.
Sadly, reality had a tendency not to live up to expectations.
Given the horse was originally terrified of him, it was a miracle he was even able to make it submit. Compared to the one he slaughtered immediately, trying to capture a live creature was simply an exhausting endeavor. He couldn’t stop wondering whether riding the beast was more trouble than it was worth.
Eventually, he managed to get it under control. Though it did panic every now and then, it had clear benefits. The horse could carry his supplies and travel had become three times quicker. For the first time in a month, Caleb could enjoy travel without the looming shadows of vultures overhead.
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The drawback was that since he hadn’t ridden a horse before, his control over its pace was almost nonexistent. The rough ride had left him sore and in a constant state of nausea. He had nearly thrown up six times since he began his horseback journey. He swore that as soon as this stupid desert ended, he would eat this horse and never ride such a creature ever again.
The world had no intention of granting his wish. The desert just went on and on. It seemed no matter how far they traveled, there was no change in this landscape. He swore he’d seen the same cactus three different times already. He began leaving gashes in any cactus he passed by, just to make sure. Adding to the issue, he’d run out of water. The amount he’d stolen from the raiders was barely enough to last a few days out here. They clearly hadn’t intended to stray far from their camp.
The sun began to fall from its peak, signifying the hottest part of the day. As both him and the horse became dehydrated, he was forced to replenish his stock from the surrounding cactus.
He jumped off the horse and tied it to the arm of a saguaro. Being careful of the needles, he ripped a chunk out. After removing the needles, he split the chunk of cactus between himself and the horse. The horse greedily accepted, then forgot its manners and tried to eat Caleb’s too. Caleb gave it a slightly enhanced flick to the nose to remember whose boss.
They’d stopped at a good place. Some cactus fruits were budding, providing an added bonus to their water stop. The fruits had yet to ripen, but it was hard to be picky with so few supplies available.
He took a bite of the sour fruit, leaning against the cactus. The horse nibbled at the remaining fruits while Caleb rested, staring off into the seemingly endless desert. He couldn’t see far, thanks to the heat waves obstructing his vision, but it didn’t matter to him. He never came across anything interesting anyway.
At least, not until ten minutes later.
Caleb sensed something and looked back the way he came. The previously still horizon now had dust rising into the air. His interest piqued, he looked closer. The dust cloud was quickly becoming larger. Caleb had no doubts something was approaching. At that speed, probably another horse?
When the shape of a rider on horseback finally became visible, the stolen horse whinnied. Even after sensing the unknown newcomer, it seemed to be at ease. Caleb could guess the reason for its reaction. It was most likely familiar with the approaching animal. The raider’s friends had come after all.
“Huh. Guess that guy was telling the truth.” Caleb muttered. He’d been under the impression all of them would be like the one he’d killed, shameless cowards. Even thieves have some form of familial bond, eh?
That single figure became two, then three. The closer the cloud came, the more silhouettes appeared within. Soon there were a horde of silhouettes coming towards them. Caleb casually finished eating, paying it no mind. He tossed the waste to the side, jumped back on the horse, and trotted off as he would have done anyway.
He had no reason to fear these men. Compared to him, they were nothing. If they were stupid enough to make trouble, then they would regret it. The thought of a fight awakened a dangerous part of his mind, filling his head with faint bloodlust. For an instant, his eyes flickered from green to purple.
He shook it off. It’s just self-defense. No reason to get excited. He told himself. Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he was thinking sometimes.
Caleb’s trot made it easy for the horseman to catch up. The bandits galloped around him, trapping him in an encirclement. Caleb’s horse whinnied and reared up on two legs, nearly throwing him off. With a flash of annoyance, he jumped off the steed.
It seemed they wanted trouble after all. Since he was already surrounded, there was no reason for him to ride the horse any longer.
Caleb took a look around. There were more than he expected, not to mention, every one of them was already armed and on guard. This wouldn’t be quite as easy as last time. He circulated a small portion of his power, bringing out the claws on his right hand.
“Now, now, don’t be too hasty to fight with us kid.” An authoritative voice spoke up at the front. “I’d rather talk about a few things first.”
The horses in front made way, and a tall man with shoulder length hair rode forward on a white horse. Caleb couldn’t help but be surprised by the man’s appearance. His body was entirely clad in tattoos, coming together to give the appearance of a living skeleton.
“Not interested.” Caleb growled. “I have places to be.”
The tattooed man smirked. “You’ve been hooking right for the last ten miles. At this rate you’re chances of making it out of the desert are slim.”
“Not your problem, is it?”
“It is when your riding on one of my horses. Those aren’t cheap, you know.”
Caleb gave an indifferent shrug. “An idiot left it out in the middle of the desert. Seemed like a waste to leave it there.”
“Tell me, did that ‘idiot’ leave the horse by choice, or did he have it removed from his possession?”
Caleb stayed silent. He didn’t have a good response to that one.
“You left survivors, kid. You can’t expect me not to know what happened. Honestly speaking, I don’t even think your actions were wrong. Cowards who abandon their comrades deserve death.”
“Then why follow me out here?”
“Because you overstepped. I might agree with your way of thinking, but don’t assume that makes you blameless. It’s my right to exact justice on my men, not yours. Not to mention you stole supplies, horses, and left the other two for dead. If I just let you go after that, how could I face my men?
Caleb’s purple eyes brightened as the fighting spirit inside him began to boil. The horses surrounding him began to whinny nervously. “People like you don’t get to complain. Don’t think I don’t know what people like you do to others.” He sneered.
The tattooed man was hardly phased by the comment. “We don’t live in a world of right and wrong, kid. We live in a world where power decides who’s in charge. The weak are the only ones who have no rights.”
“Well then, I haven’t done anything wrong have I?”
“Not as long as you can beat us, no. Are you confident that you can take us on?”
“You want to fight?” Caleb snarled. “If you really know what happened to your men, then you know what a bad idea that is.”
The ring of bandits was getting more and more uneasy. It felt as if an invisible pressure was being emitted from the twelve-year-old, crushing them where they sat. It was all they could do to keep their horses under control. In contrast, the tattooed man simply laughed.
“You think I’m afraid of you simply because you’re an aberrant?” He challenged. “You’re just an upstart with a bit of strength. If you think you can beat me so easily, you’re in for a world of hurt.”
“Get out of my way.” Caleb threatened. “If you don’t, I don’t mind taking the time to make sure none of you leave this desert.”
Another voice from behind began to laugh. “I told you he’d be like this! What do you say, Hurst? Shall I kill him?”
A muscular man with short blonde hair and a nasty smile rode forward. Caleb’s skin broke out in goosebumps. His eyes turned toward the man, and an unfamiliar feeling spread through him. For the first time in years, his instincts were screaming at him to retreat.
Dangerous. This man was dangerous.
“Stand down. Its too early to decide anything.” The tattooed man, apparently named Hurst, ordered. He then looked back to Caleb. “How about this kid? I’ll take you on. Show me this strength that makes you so confident.”
“By yourself?” Caleb asked quizzically, not taking his eyes off the muscular man behind him. “Do you really think you have the capability?”
Hurst jumped off his horse and walked forward. The atmosphere around him changed, sending a chill up Caleb’s spine. He finally took his eyes off the man at his back, realizing that the one in front of him was even more dangerous. The look in this bandit leader’s eyes had become serious and cold, as if looking at a corpse.
“Now show me what you can do, insolent brat.” Hurst sneered. “And I’ll show you just how far you still have to go.”