The Tenants

They all followed the messenger through a secret passage. As they hurried along, gunfire and fighting echoed back in the great hall.

“They dare traipse across sacred ground,” Hyforian snarled.

“They do not follow the faith, old friend, but that is why we shall succeed,” Ardo said confidently, leading the way.

As they went down passage after passage, Nameless began to feel very lost. This place was a labyrinth of passages, sewers, tunnels, and more. No wonder the Guild had lasted so long down here.

Occasionally, a group of hooded bounty hunters would rush past in the opposite direction, weapons bared, their eyes full of fury. Nameless almost felt sorry for them. Was this a guild or a damn cult? He had never met anyone as religious as these people.

“Listen carefully, my boy,” Ardo said as he picked up speed, “we can get you inside the dungeons. Your friends are already at one of our safe houses. You shall rally with them and spring Professor Zion from his confinement. We shall be the distraction; with luck, Florence, and the clans will be too busy dealing with us to catch you.”

“What about the rite?” Anna asked.

“It'll have to be done here. We don’t have time for the chapel,” Ardo decided grimly.

On cue, Hyforian was about to protest but was cut off. A large rumbling shook the very walls of the tunnel, dust falling from the ceiling. The group halted.

“They can't be,” Jesse said, worried.

“They are,” Ardo replied grimly.

“What's going on?” Nameless asked nervously as the group hurried forward.

“They're collapsing sections of the city trying to get to us,” Hyforian said grimly. “High treason, shattering holy ground, I say.”

“Not treason if the Church and Lords order it,” Jessie said hotly.

“Those who would desecrate holy Oasis are no true followers of the faith nor worthy of its stewardship!” Hyforian declared angrily.

Nameless studied the high priest curiously. The pious, senile old man set in his ways, sure, but at least he had some morals. A rarity these days.

They emerged into a sewer cavern, with multiple waterfalls of sewage raining from tunnel exits into a pool far below. Metal railings, with large chambers cut into the cement lined the walls, with many ladders going up and down the massive area.

Dozens of dirty people where in each alcove. Some of the alcoves where lined with communication equipment, others were makeshift armories, or barracks. This place seemed to be some sort of hub for the Undercity.

Suddenly, bright light emerged from above. Nameless shielded his eyes; then, after removing his hand, saw long lines of rope descending from above. Soldiers where rappelling down them, shooting at the guild members.

Nameless drew his pistol, taking cover behind a cement pillar, the others doing like wise.

“Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaameless!” a familiar female voice called over a bullhorn.

His stomach dropped. It was Florence.

“Come out and plaaaaaaaaaaay!” she cackled from above.

Nameless looked out to see Florence stood above at ground level, gazing into the gaping hole. Some of her vectors had begun to crawl down the walls on all fours, inhumanly clutching the cement with their clawed hands and feet. Nameless whirled back around.

“Fuck,” he shouted.

“We all got crazy exs, man, but I think yours takes the cake!” Jesse shouted happily, firing his rifle upward.

“Eat shit! I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole!” Nameless shouted.

Screams and gunshots rang out. Nameless looked out again, to see the Vectors were grabbing people, tearing them open, then flinging them still alive into the murky water below. His stomach turned, what a way to go.

“Father! Now would be an excellent time!” Ardo roared.

Nameless saw the high priest vehemently shake his head, his pale face sweating as the corners of his mouth twitched.

“For fuck’s sake!” Nameless shouted, emerged from cover and sprinting toward the clamoring priest, bullets snapping over his head. He dove, sliding on his side besides the priest.

“Anoint me, or whatever the hell it is!” Nameless spat.

The old man shook his head, his eyes wide.

“Do it, or I fuck off and finish this holy fucking quest without your stupid word!” Nameless shouted, small spackles of his spit hitting the priest in the face.

The priest hesitantly made a holy gesture with his hands.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“By-by-by,” he stuttered.

“By, by, by my foot up your ass, old man! People are dying, let’s fucking go!”

Nameless grabbed both of the priest’s shoulders, shaking him violently.

The priest’s face contorted, his eyes glaring.

“By the holy, unnamed, silent and thirteenth god,” he whispered. “I anoint you and bind you to his tenants. Go forth, return the holy relic into the hands of the faithful. Your life shall be forfeit should it fall into the hands of the enemy. May the Thirteen judge you accordingly should you fail, and reward graciously should you succeed.” “Bout fucking time!” Nameless spat.

Nameless rose, about to bound forward to the guild master when a hand grabbed his arm, and he looked down to see the priest had grabbed him. The old man reached into his robe, producing a thermal knife.

“All anointed must bear the sacred thermal knife!”

“Already have one,” Nameless grunted pulling his arm away and showing his own.

The fear within the priest’s face melted away, his skin turning red, his eyes narrowing.

“Where did you get that?”

“We are running out of time!” Ardo snapped.

Nameless tore away, sprinting toward Ardo. As he ran, he could see more vectors crawling down the walls like giant rats. The air was a frenzied firestorm, as both sides exchanged fire. The young bounty hunter slammed into the wall next to the guild master.

“Down the hall, take the ladder, Jesse and Anna will lead you to the safe house in China town!” Ardo shouted over the gunfire.

“The fuck is a China town?!” Nameless roared.

“Go! Now!” Ardo commanded.

Nameless huffed, and racing along the wall, toward the exit hall with Anna and Jesse not far behind. They entered the hall, dust falling from the ceiling, lights flickering, as the areas shook from explosions. Up ahead, a half dozen guild members where running toward them. In the blink of an eye, the roof collapsed, killing the approaching guild members instantly beneath the rubble.

Nameless, Anna, and Jesse coughed, backing away slowly from the new dead end.

“Any other ways out of here?” Nameless barked.

Jesse nodded.

“Yeah,” Anna huffed. “But you ain’t gonna like it.”

They came back to the area they had just left. Anna pointed to the metal catwalk lining the hub wall. On the far side of the area, was another tunnel. There was no cover, they would be completely exposed. Nameless groaned. Why did everything have to be so complicated? He should have chosen unluckiest instead of Nameless.

He exhaled heavily, collecting himself. Holding the pistol in both hands, he charged out unto the catwalk. Sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him, time, sparks flying as bullets narrowly missed him.

Cackling caught his attention as he ran. A few dozen feet above, Florence was descending by rope. She had a revolver-like grenade launcher in her hand. She looked like a red painted demon; her unnatural grin stretching from ear to ear. She was manically laughing, her eyes unevenly opened, her pupils pin pricks, and her veins popping out from her throat and forehead.

Nameless put every ounce of effort into his running gate. The catwalk seemed to stretch forever, as they continued onward. An explosion erupted before them. Several people engulfed in flame, ran screaming out from the nearest alcove, jumping to their deaths below. It had to of been Florence.

Nameless shielded his faces as the group ran past the burning alcove. They continued on, as the battle raged. A vector came barreling down from above, nearly landing on top of Nameless. The horrible creature extended its claws, hulking over him.

Nameless emptied the entire pistol magazine into the creature, the bullets harmlessly ricocheting off it and bouncing on the cement and metal. Suddenly, a thermal blade emerged from its chest. The creature shrieked and turned to see that Jesse had a short sword, its blade glowing bright white.

Anna had dodged to the side, narrowly moving between the Vector and the flames, to arrive at Nameless’s side.

“Go!” Jesse shouted, his broad dark face glowing in the fire light, sweat running down his face. Anna shoved Nameless forward, as Jesse retreated, the Vector shrieking and pursuing. The two continued on nearing the exit tunnel alcove. As they came closer, another explosion erupted behind them, shoving them forward in the air.

Anna landed on Nameless’s back, pushing his face into the rusted metal catwalk. He heaved himself up, as Anna rapidly fired her rifle upward. Her shooting stopped, and Nameless turned.

Florence was balancing on the catwalk railing by the balls of her bare feet. Her bare tattooed arms extend fully forward, her long combat knife digging into Anna’s throat, pressing her against the wall. Nameless aimed his pistol as Florence’s head.

She tutted, ignoring Nameless. “What an ugly thing you are.” Florence softly giggled, studying Anna. “Why on Mars would a white women allow a negro to plant his seed into her, creating such a stupid thing like you?”

Nameless gritted his teeth. If he shot her, Florence might cut Anna’s throat.

“I mean, really, they escaped Earth, and just had to bring these filthy things with them? The gall, Nameless, I swear,” Florence mused.

Anna painfully groaned, a small trickle of blood gently winding its way down her jugular.

“Fucking shit, Florence, half your family is black,” Nameless spat, desperately trying to think of something.

Florence turned her head, cocking it like a cat as she studied him.

“Ooooooooh!” she laughed. “You mean the dirty slaves I was raised with. Silly boy, no, Nameless, you dirty little bastards where not my real family. Jockus killed my real family; you shits were just a temporary merry band that kidnapped me.”

As Florence talked, Anna’s hand slowly crept to her belt, where her pistol sat.

“I remember things differently,” Nameless spat, trying to buy Anna some time.

“Mmmmmmm. And I remember you being dear old mommy’s helper, always taking the glory, never letting poor old Florence have any of the fun. But, in a way, I guess I should be thankful for you. Had you not forced me out of the camp by being so, gooooooood, then I would have never become the stunningly bad bitch I am today.”

Anna’s hand wrapped around the handle of the pistol.

“The hell do you want?!” Nameless shouted.

“Everything,” Florence grinned.

POP.

Anna had shoved the barrel of the pistol into Florence’s stomached and fired. Time seemed to slow down as Nameless watched as blood shot out, the traitor teetering and falling back off the railing. She shrieked, grasping the railing with both hands.

“You filthy little—”

Anna cocked her arm back as far as she could, twisting her entire body, and punched Florence in the face as hard as she could. Florence let go off the railing, falling down. As she fell, several Vectors dived off the walls. Anna and Nameless leaned over the railing and saw her hit the water. Her augmented slaves not far behind, Nameless could see the wet vector hoods sticking out of the water like shark fins, pulling their master to safety.

“You good?” Nameless asked.

Anna gulped, massaging her throat.

“Yeah, yeah I’m good.”

“Let’s go.”

The two ran onward, the battle ebbing as the enemy’s momentum drained.

“I’m going to flay that evil bitch.” Anna growled.

“Get in line.”

The two dove into the exit alcove, running down the long hallway with the echoes of battle lapping at their ears.