King Obsidian calmly sat on his throne with Arc’s golden spellslinger pointed straight at the bounty hunter while Jack and Julie looked on in disbelief. Lancelot remained quietly at the back of the room, but nobody other than the king could see his unphased expression.

“Depends on what?” asked Arc.

“Your next course of action,” said the king, rising to his feet and smiling a sharp grin at the spellslinger.

King Obsidian walked across the room, stopping in front of Arc while continuing to point the Golden Hawk at him. Suddenly, he spun the gun around and held the handle to Arc. In relief, the spellslinger took his weapon and the king calmly returned to his throne.

“If you want to shoot me, go right ahead,” said Obsidian. “Lancelot is here to bear witness to the fact that if you do so, you’ll be allowed to leave Cliff Town without repercussion on the condition that you never return. Isn’t that right, brother?”

“Yes, my liege,” said Lancelot.

“However,” said the king, clasping his hands together and leaning forward. “If you are willing to hear a counter-offer, I would suggest that you do not pull the trigger.”

Arc glanced at his gun and could see that his Arcane Shot remained in the cylinder. It would indeed be launched at the king with a simple squeeze of the trigger. Having gotten what he wanted, Arc holstered his weapon and then scratched his chin.

“I’m all ears,” he said as Jack and Julie both breathed sighs of relief.

“Good,” said Obsidian as he sat back in his chair. “I’m glad that money speaks to you.”

“Not exclusively,” said Arc. “I wasn’t going to kill you even before you suggested a counter-offer.”

“Is that so?”

“Tell the man, kids.”

“He told us days ago that he had a backup plan for if you didn’t deserve to be killed,” said Julie while Jack nodded.

“Then my counter-offer should sound even sweeter to you if you would like to do some good.”

“Sounds sweet already,” remarked Arc.

“As you have heard from Briggs, a clan of orcs has been attacking our supply lines. Caravans have not been bringing us goods and the population of Cliff Town is too large to be self-sustaining right now. Normally, we would send people out to scavenge or bring back goods ourselves, but the orcs are just waiting for a group of our able-bodied men to leave town before launching an assault. Do you see where I’m going with this, Arc the Hawk?”

“Arc is fine,” said the spellslinger. “And yes, I do. These orcs wouldn’t happen to be from the Iron Axe Clan, would they?”

“They would.”

“And you knew that I already had a run-in with six orcs, didn’t you?”

“I did. Briggs said as much.”

“I’m just making sure you’re up to date,” said Arc, flashing a grin. “Now that we’re all on the same page. You want us to go kill the orcs for you, is that it?”

“Not quite,” said Obsidian. “I need you for another task that will mean there’s no need for you to bother yourself with the orcs. They will get what’s coming to them in due time, provided we can hold out for a little while longer.”

“Interesting,” said Arc, raising an eyebrow. “Out of curiosity, how many orcs are there in that clan?”

“There are close to two hundred orcs, many of who are as well armed as we are. They are dumb brutes and it pains me to share lineage with such foul cretins, but they’re surprisingly capable with a firearm.”

“You’re part orc?” asked Jack in surprise and Julie shot him a look, but the king was unphased.

“An eighth,” said Obsidian, smiling and baring his sharper-than-normal teeth. “And it makes me despise them all the more, young man. It’s a part of me that I cannot separate from my being, but I’ll use the strengths it gives me to crush the rest of them in the name of my true people; the people of Cliff Town.”

Arc didn’t care about the king’s lineage and was more interested in the job. “You say you don’t need me to kill orcs, but for another purpose. What is that purpose?”

The king held up his right hand. “The Right Hand of Obsidian has five members that make up a fist of elite warriors who serve Cliff Town,” he clenched his fist and stood up proudly. “They are the best of us and they have served both me and my people well. Lancelot, you have already met, but that leaves four others who you do not know.”

Arc’s mind was turning over theory after theory. Had they betrayed the king and he had to kill them for their powerful weapons? Were they currently in the clutches of the orcs and needed to be broken free to wage war?

“They are currently on a scavenging run to New Carlington and I had expected them back a week ago. I initially feared that the worst had come to pass and they perished but two days ago, I received a broken radio transmission from one of the Right Hand, Charlemagne. He requested backup, but he was cut off and we’ve not been able to contact him since. As much as I wanted to put together a rescue team, I cannot afford to leave my town without a few guards. I would send Lancelot alone, but he’s easily worth ten guards. My hands were tied…until you walked into Cliff Town, Arc. A spellslinger? You’re worth ten guards yourself, my friend.”

“That’s the mission, then?” asked Arc. “Go to New Carlington and bring back your crew? Sounds straightforward enough.”

“Lancelot,” said King Obsidian with a nod.

The hulking man with the claymore stepped forward and walked between the king and the trio. His stoic face remained unchanged, but Arc could have sworn there was a spark of anger in his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“New Carlington was once a beacon of a city before the Arcanaclysm. A shining gem in the region we know as Nuvaria. That beacon remains after the fall of our world because of the number of resources that survived the fall and remain there to this day. Sadly for us, monsters were drawn towards this beacon like moths to a flame. If you want the resources of Carlington, you have to brave the horrors that stand in your way.

“The Right Hand are no slouches when it comes to dealing with monsters, but that does not mean we cannot be taken by surprise, especially when we are not the complete fist of might that we need to be. If you are to have any hope of finding my companions, you’ll need to be armed to the teeth, you’ll need a vehicle, and you’ll need to know the sorts of creatures that you’ll face there. I can help you with this.”

“Armed to the teeth, eh?” asked Arc, twirling his gun in his hand. “You’ve had the chance to sift through my possessions. I’m a spellslinger with two spellcasters, but I’m down to my last four cartridges. Seeing as we’re such good friends now, Lancelot, would you be so kind as to have someone check the town’s reserves. I get the feeling I’ll need a few more if I’m to return alive.”

Lancelot looked over to his shoulder and King Obsidian gave a nod of approval. “Yes, I can check the reserves and give provide you some of what we have. You will also be rewarded monetarily for your efforts.”

“As an insurance policy,” said the king, “I’m going to hang onto that second spellcaster of yours until you return.”

Arc shrugged. “Alright, it’s the one I took from Colt the Scourge. I have no personal attachment to that one and using two spellcasters at once isn’t my style.”

“Should you really be saying this?” muttered Jack.

“Jacky Boy, it’s best that we’re as upfront and honest as we can be from here on out. We got burned for it before and I’d prefer not to again.”

“We?”

“Shush, boy.”

“Might I ask who you are?” the king asked the twins. “I’ve heard of Arc the Hawk, of course, but I do not know of either of you.”

“We’re his bounty hunting partners, Julie and Jack,” said Julie proudly. “Colt the Scourge? I killed a few of his men.”

“You bring children with you on your missions?” asked Obsidian in bemusement.

“Not until recently,” grumbled Arc before giving a gruff laugh. “They’re capable, rest assured.”

“I will take your word for it,” said the king, rising to his feet. “Now, there is precious little time to waste. Every minute we delay is a minute more my people have to suffer because of the orcs. Lancelot, if you will show them to the armoury.”

“Yes, sire,” said the swordsman.

“I wish you luck.”

“Thank you, King Obsidian,” said Arc, giving a small bow. “We’ll see your people returned to you.”

“Thank you,” said Jack and Julie together, mimicking Arc’s bow.

The trio followed Lancelot from the king’s chamber and he led them through the not-quite-a-castle. Arc enjoyed making conversation with people, but he thought it best to let Lancelot do the talking. Once he was stocked up, if the swordsman hadn’t covered any of the information he needed, he would question him until he was satisfied that he wasn’t driving into New Carlington blind.

Lancelot stopped outside a door guarded by two armed men who saluted upon seeing the burly swordsman. The door itself was made of thick steel and had a heavy-duty lock as well as a keypad built into the wall. Lancelot covered his hand as he entered a code into the number pad, which flashed green after six digits were entered. He then took out a key from one of his many trouser pockets and twisted it in the door, releasing the lock. He gave the heavy door a light push and then turned to the guards.

“They’re permitted to enter,” he told them. “Do not disturb us unless it is crucial.” Lancelot led the way inside and waited until Arc, Jack, and Julie were through the door before closing it.

As Arc looked around the armoury filled with metal shelves and cabinets, he was surprised to see just how sparsely stocked it was. Most of the shelves were bare or had only a handful of guns or boxes of ammo on them. The rails that should have housed body armour held hangers that hung empty. It was clearer than ever to him how dire the situation was in Cliff Town. Two hundred orcs; it was no small force. If the entirety of the Iron Axe Clan were as well equipped as the ones that killed Hogg, the town would struggle to hold them back.

“Spellcaster cartridges,” said Lancelot pointedly before walking over to one of the cabinets. He entered a combination into the padlock and it clicked open. He returned to Arc a second later with a small box, which the spellslinger graciously accepted.

“Arcane Shot, my favourite,” he said upon laying eyes on five of the red bullets. “Two other reds, three blues, a purple, and…oh, interesting, a yellow cartridge. You don’t see those often. Much obliged, Lancelot, these will be very helpful.”

“As you can see, the loss of the trading routes has hit us hard and dealing with various assaults from the orcs has been equally crippling. The king will not mind if you take more bullets for your weapons, but please do not drain what little we have left.”

“Before we go on our way, we’ll leave you a couple of weapons and some bullets we picked up on the way here that we have no use for. Hopefully it’ll arm another couple of your people.”

“Thank you, Arc the Hawk,” said Lancelot with his lip curling ever so slightly.

Arc looked to Jack and Julie. “Would you look at that, we’re all friends now.”

Lancelot’s smile vanished and he glared at Arc.

*

“This one’s a beauty,” said Arc, tapping the pickup truck’s bonnet with his knuckles. “A Chrysalis Carrier, Mark Seven. She’s a very smooth ride.”

“We expect it returned with no damage. However, I am a realist, so I’ll say a few scratches is not the end of the world.”

“Understood,” said Arc, putting two fingers to his forehead and giving Lancelot a small salute. “I’ll do what I can to keep this baby pristine.”

“Everything you need is in the pack,” said Lancelot, pointing to the bag he’d given Arc. “Make sure you give them the ring so they know I sent you.”

“We’ll memorise every inch of the map,” replied the spellslinger as he hopped into the pickup truck.

“Remembering the faces of the Right Hand is more important. Do not let imposters fool you should they be wearing my friends’ clothes and wielding their weapons.”

“Is that likely?” asked Arc with a raised eyebrow.

“Sadly so,” replied Lancelot without a hint of emotion.

“We’ll find them,” piped up Julie.

“We’ll try,” said Jack, prompting a scowl from his sister. “What? I’m a realist too.”

“I wish you safe travels,” said Lancelot as he closed the vehicle door after the twins. “You should have sufficient fuel to get you there and back, plus some extra. I need not tell you the danger you’re heading towards, Arc, but I urge you to emphasise that to the children. Remember to be merciless with your enemies, for they will show you not an ounce.”

“They’ll be safe with me,” said Arc, turning the key in the ignition.

The car rumbled to a start and Arc took the leather steering wheel in his hands. It felt good to be sitting behind the wheel again and he was looking forward to the journey before the hardship began. He was confident, however, that he would find the four members of the Right Hand. He was less confident, however, that they would still be alive when he found them.

“You two ready?” he asked the twins.

“Ready,” they confirmed.

“Alright, let’s get a move on.”

Arc shifted the truck into first gear and pressed on the accelerator. The vehicle started moving through the carpark and the guards opened the gates to let him through. He drove through the streets of Cliff Town, making his way to the exit, with all eyes on him and the twins. The people were amazed that he was being hauled in as a prisoner barely an hour earlier and now he was driving out of town in one of King Obsidian’s transports.

“Look at them staring at us in awe,” said the spellslinger. “It looks like we’ve earned some respect now. That’s what the power of a silver tongue can get you, you two. Don’t forget that.”

“Pure luck,” said Jack. “If King Obsidian hadn’t needed help, we’d still be rotting in that jail cell. We’d probably still be in it a month from now.”

“Ever the naysayer, Jacky Boy,” lamented Arc. “How about you Julie? Was it luck or skill that got us out of there?”

“A little of both,” she shrugged, trying to not get dragged into the argument.

“Get off that fence, young lady,” said Arc, elbowing her lightly. “And don’t pick Jack’s side just because he’s your brother.”

“I wonder if we’re going in the right direction,” she said, unfolding the map. Arc scoffed because they’d yet to drive through the gates of Cliff Town.