Charlie Black-Horse, Level 4 Ghost Shaman of the Fading Light was really starting to piss me off. At first I thought we had de-fanged the bastard by shattering his summoned spirits. Unfortunately, he shared many of the same skills that Johnny had, though his abilities seemed to focus on spirits and earth. He could summon a kind of ghost armor that did wonders absorbing the impact of my guns, as well as sheath his arms in a kind of spirit energy that enhanced his strikes. Bone claws were on the menu as well. And rather than lightning storms like Johnny, Charlie could split the earth, and he could do it faster than Johnny could conjure his storm.
The area around our fight was beginning to look like one of those educational videos on plate tectonics. All cracked and broken earth as far as the eye could see. What few tall buildings remained were fractured and collapsing as the man's magic or my pistols wrecked everything for a quarter mile around us. The last remaining inmates stopped trying to intervene and I suspected the smart ones had tried to flee as quickly as they could. The local residents had also vacated the area, knowing the clash of power on display was far beyond anything they could cope with. They had little choice but to wait and see the final outcome.
Kaia and his pack mate scrambled about attempting to flank the man and gain an advantage. They weren’t any more successful than Junipher and I. Our fight slowly drifted west through a once attractive residential area. I drew the hand cannon and began aiming as he darted about. I had started to get a feel for his buff patterns and was confident I would be able to pin him down in the next few seconds.
I mentally signalled for Junipher to catch him in Seizing Roots and readied myself to put one large 20mm round in his forehead. Just as the timer wore down his speed slowed as well. Thorn covered roots snaked out of the ground to grasp his ankles. He stumbled not activating his buff in time to avoid the distraction and cursed as I pulled the trigger on the hand cannon.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooommmm!
The sound of the cannon echoed across the park we found ourselves in as the round reached out in the blink of an eye and was impossibly halted on the man’s own barrier spell. I didn’t waste time activating Mag Dump. Within seconds the magazine was spent and the erected barrier cracked and shattered to Charlie’s surprise. He managed to break free of the roots just as I activated Heart Seeking Lunge and brought both of my axes down into his upraised arms. He had created a kind of ghost armor around his body that allowed him to absorb the damage of the strike, though it still caused him pain to catch an attack backed by my ludicrous strength attribute.
“I told you, this is MY place of power. You can’t defeat me here!” He taunted as he grunted and pushed me back.
I spun around his press and brought an axe back in a backhand swipe that he barely blocked, then I finished my spin and brought the other axe around and was frustrated when he blocked that attack as well. I growled in anger and then he activated an ability he’d used before and a wave of green energy crashed out and shoved me back further. I leaned forward and dug my feet into the ground tearing up the surface of the field we fought on as I was moved back by his ability. We had already been on the receiving end of this attack combo and had planned accordingly.
Junipher dove on the infuriating man with a series of spear thrusts that caught him off guard. Much of the spectral armor deflected her attacks, but at least three new holes formed in the man’s leg, arm and shoulder, blood flowing freely. He turned his attention to Junipher while momentum briefly carried me away from the battle. He managed to press her back before I reengaged him. He caught her in a powerful backhand that sent her tumbling across the ground, with her prodigious agility she rolled onto her feet and shot the man an angry look.
Charlie was readying a spectral blast when I appeared behind him and activated Reaper’s Cleave. The attack connected against his lower back and tore a chunk of flesh from him. He spun and unleashed his already formed attack in my face. I tumbled backwards in pain, my ballistic mask absorbing a large portion of the energy.
I didn’t see what happened next as the attack had a blinding component to it when it hit you in the face, though I heard Kaia and his pack mate tear into the man. Then yelping as he fought them off. When I regained my vision Kaia was limping behind me and his packmate was bleeding out on the ground some distance away. Junipher was already singing her healing song as the Ghost Shaman gloated over us, Think’s he’s already won.
I stood and dusted myself off and the fucker began to monologue, “You see, weeks ago when you came and released us, you were the strong one. But you don’t have the spirits favor. I DO! I am the strong one now.”
Guess it’s time to really let the Reaper loose. I flexed my muscles and rolled my shoulders as I shook off the pain of his previous attack. He continued rambling about the spirits and his connection to the land and other such nonsense that I didn’t particularly give a shit about. I activated Reaper’s Fluid Grace and Heart Seeking Lunge again and appeared in front of him with both axes held high overhead.
To his credit he managed to catch the blades of my axes in a sturdy cross block. Unlike before I didn’t stop with that single attack, that was just the opener. Cheap shot, Brutal Strike! My planted the tip of my steel toed boot square between his legs and the man was launched painfully across the park and through several trees. I sprinted after him leaving large divots in the grass where my feet impacted and tore the ground as I propelled myself forward.
Suddenly pillars of green light lanced down from the sky and exploded the earth around me and I was zigzagging my way to his position. He was screening my advance with the spectral beams, preventing me from reaching him so I drew my rail pistol and aimed while I dodged the explosive light attack. Crack Shot, Vital Aim! I pulled the trigger and adjusted my running trajectory as the hypersonic round struck the Ghost Shaman in the face. His magic shield absorbed a large amount of the impact but it still stunned him out of the series of attacks he was throwing at me. I continued firing at the man. Every round from the rail pistol forced him to flinch. His armor deflected the energy into the air around him, and chunks of grass and dirt flew up with each shot.
The weapon clicked empty and I holstered it as I approached Charlie from an angle, he scowled at me as I reached him and swung my axes. He surprised me and spun away from my attack and lashed out with a glowing fist that connected with my stomach. I doubled over and felt another fist slam into my back. I started to fall to the ground and felt his leg connect with my ribs. The world spun as I tumbled painfully on broken ribs across the field.
I rolled onto my back in time to see the man come down on me with a flying knee aimed at my chest. I curled my knees up and caught him mid strike and fumbled for a pistol. I didn’t bother aiming as the man was still suspended on my knees and just pulled the trigger. A pair of plasma rounds caught him point blank in the chest, absorbed by his spectral armor, though the third bolt punched through his right shoulder as he was scrambling to create distance.
He hissed in pain and started laughing at me, “C’mon Karl! You know I was an inmate, you know I fought for my life every day. You think you can take me!?”
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
I rolled to my feet and produced the 20mm cannon in my other hand, Junipher’s song healing my ribs and creating a melancholic soundtrack to our battle. “Yeah, I think I can. Mag Dump!”
The ghost shaman’s eyes widened as I started emptying both pistols into the man at point blank range. After he ate the first few shots a barrier appeared and he was quickly shoved back by the onslaught. The heat from the rapid discharge of plasma warped the air in front of me and the big rounds impacting on his barrier had kicked up an obscuring field of debris and dust that was slowly settling across the battlefield. I reloaded both weapons and walked through the hot and murky air.
I was surprised to find Charlie still standing, barely. His right side was peppered with scorch marks and blisters where the plasma bolts had slammed into his System enhanced body. On his left a chunk of his hip was open to the air and bleeding profusely, and a meaty hole where his collar bone used to be exposed bone and muscle. His left arm hung limp across his body and he was hunched over in pain. Bloodshot eyes shone with green energy glared at me in hate. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth from behind clenched teeth.
I studied him as I approached and was alarmed to see his wounds already closing. Can’t let that happen. I aimed the hand cannon and pulled the trigger. His barrier flashed and he stumbled back. His healing slowed as she redirected his mana and the hate in his eyes turned quickly to worry. I pulled the trigger again, the round echoed across the empty park, smacked into the man’s shield causing him to stumble again. Cracks formed in the shield and I smiled predatorily behind my mask.
“I told you I’d kill you if I ever saw you around here again.” I was a few feet from the man and had my weapon pointed at his head. His healing had all but stopped and I could see in his eyes how he was calculating his next move. He definitely hadn’t given up the fight, though it was becoming obvious to him he wasn’t going to win this time.
“You did, and the next time we meet, I will kill you.” he sneered as I began to squeeze the trigger. His shield shattered as the round broke his defense and then I was surprised once again as the bullet slammed into the dirt behind him kicking up rocks and debris. I pulled the trigger several more times as the rounds flashed through his body and destroyed the turf behind him.
“What the fuck!?” I barked in anger. He laughed menacingly at me and then faded to nothing. I checked my notifications and didn’t see one for killing the bastard. “Junipher, Veep, what the fuck just happened!?”
“I.. do not know, Karl” Junipher replied just as bewildered as I was.
“I think he just used an escape skill. You have one you’ve never used called Disappear. Gained it when you reached Advanced rank in Silent Movement.”
“Fuck. That guy’s going to be trouble.”
“What now?” Junipher asked as she hummed her healing song and directed it through her hands into my ribs. Kaia padded over with his packmate who looked like he’d been through the ringer.
“That fight was unexpected. Let’s get over to the City Hall and claim the city.” I mused as I turned back to the crumpled city hall nearly a half mile away. As we limped back I noticed people emerging from hidden alcoves, from under broken buildings that barely qualified as shelter, darkened allies and other concealed places of shelter. They followed us silently as we limped over to the former City Hall.
Several people had gathered around the former Mayor’s body which was now a burning pyre. Tears on many of their faces reflected the light of the flames, while others presented only hard stares. Whatever the feelings, no one was going to miss that woman. In the distance a mob of people were chasing down a couple of the remaining Red Bands. The cute barista waited in front of the building for us to approach.
I pulled my ballistic mask off as we stood staring at each other for a long moment. “You’re the Warlord of Winslow. Aren’t you?”
I grimaced at yet another title people were placing on me and the girl flinched and worry spread across her face. She’d gotten the front row seat to the treatment I’d given the Mayor and she obviously didn’t want to anger me. I was about to respond in the negative when the System decided to fuck with my official titles again.
Your legend grows across the land and you have earned recognition for your achievements amongst the citizenry, the System now formally recognizes you as The Warlord of Winslow.
“What the fuck!?” I exclaimed at the air and turned away from the blustering woman. I stalked off towards the wreckage of City Hall to decide how to extricate the City Core from the rubble. Junipher laughed at the woman and I listened to their conversation behind me.
“Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to.” The barista nearly whined.
“Oh no dear, I’ve been trying to get everyone to call him King and wondered why it didn’t take hold. Now I know why, everyone here has been referring to him as The Warlord. I’m Junipher, by the way.”
“Oh, I’m Clarissa. You’re not human. Sorry. I’m nervous. What are you guys going to do now?”
Junipher just smiled and answered her rambling questions and statements as best she could. “Nice to meet you, Clarissa. You are right, I am part Dryad and part Siren. I’m not from your planet. Currently we are determining how to access the City Core, it’s currently at the bottom of that mess.”
“Oh, ok, sooo… then what?” Clarissa the barista was certainly concerned about what happened next, as she should be. Whatever I do it won’t be what’s been done so far. I’m gonna need someone who knows the place to manage it. Hmmm… Clarissa the Barista, or Clarissa the Governor? Fuck it, gotta get the core up first.
I turned around and a large crowd had gathered and looked at me as I stood atop the mess of the former City Hall. I realized they were waiting for something from me. I looked across the gathered mass of people and part of me wanted to retch. I could identify at least several dozen men and women just below leveling to their Advanced Class. These people are cowards. They had the numbers to force these assholes out. They would have lost people, certainly, but there’s no way they couldn’t remove the mayor or the inmates if they had banded together. They allowed themselves to be enslaved by their fear.
“My name is Karl. Some of you seem to know me as The Warlord of Winslow. I’m the owner of the SooHoo Village. I’m soon to be the new owner of Flagstaff.” I didn’t shout at the crowd, but I raised my voice in a manner that all gathered could hear me clearly. It helped that everyone was completely silent as they listened to me, therefore my voice echoed off the buildings that still stood.
“What if we don’t want you in charge of our city!?” A large black man yelled from the middle of the crowd. He thought he was anonymous, but my perception picked him easily out of the crowd and I jumped from the rubble to land in front of him. He flinched and raised his arms in fear.
“Are you going to stop me?” I stared into his soul and found another coward, “You didn’t stop your corrupt mayor from oppressing you. You didn’t stop the Red Bands from terrorizing you.”, I barked amongst the crowd and murmurs of shame and anger intermingled as I threw their failure back at them.
“They were too strong, they were too many!” A young woman yelled from farther back.
“I’m one man, I removed your Mayor in barely a moment. I killed a dozen of these too strong terrorizers in the span of a few minutes. Where were you when the fighting started? You cowered in your meager shelters while one man solved your problems.”
The crowd was slightly silenced at the last. They knew who they were. Before the crowd could find something else to complain about they parted as my team approached with the crucified in tow. I walked back to the top of the City Hall rubble and turned to the gathered residents of Flagstaff.
“Your worst sin, we also fixed. You, the people of Flagstaff, failed your fellow man. You allowed them to be tortured and abused. You allowed their dignity and pride to be stripped from them. Again, you, Flagstaff, you could have solved this problem weeks ago.”
My teams gathered in front of the crowd with the crucified, not one man or woman looked at their abused neighbors. Shame overwhelmed them as the stark evidence of their failure stood silently in front of them.
“I assure you, I won’t allow such a thing to ever occur again.”