Chapter 34
Thirty-Eight Years Post Apocalypse or 0038 P.A.
Paradise Avenue
“So is The Ancient One male or female?” came a voice from behind Healer/Ian and Seeker/Gabe as they walked down the dusty cobblestone street together. Healer sighed. The hot afternoon sun sapped his strength, and he'd been walking since early morning. He was tired and his feet hurt.
“You Ancient One worshipers are going to burn in hell,” said someone else from behind the two old pilgrims, contemptuously eyeing the dragon-embroidered robes that every follower of The Ancient One wore. “Jesus is Lord.”
“BG created The Ancient One. BG is God!“ a third person said. “It is your obsession with human religions that prevents true salvation. Oh, and The Ancient One is obviously BG's male counterpart.”
The previous speaker responded in kind and it looked like the two might come to blows.
Healer/Ian and Seeker/Gabe kept silent. The last thing they wanted was to become part of a religious conflict. Their companions from yesterday had left them behind at Stronghold, believing that if they hurried, they could make it to Paradise Ave before nightfall.
Healer had tried to get word of the dead knight's heroics to her people. The way the postal service worked, if and when word would arrive at its destination, was anyone's guess. They'd spent the night at Stronghold, heading out at the day's first light.
By afternoon, the dirt road had turned to pavement, and then to beautiful dull red cobblestones that were bumpy and hurt Healer's feet, as they joined a group of over thirty people heading in the same way.
They came to Paradise Ave's outer perimeter, a wall made from large stones, and a fortified guard tower blocking their way.
“One person, one credit,” a large alert-looking guard said.
“You know, some places wait until you're inside before they rob you,” somebody shouted.
“Paradise Ave isn't some place. If you can't spare a credit, you got no business being here,” the guard replied.
Healer and Seeker both handed the guard a one-credit coin.
“We don't see too many Ancient Dumdum worshipers,” the guard said, “but don't let that discourage you. As long as you have money, you can believe whatever you want here.“
Seeker glared at him. “I've done things I'm not proud of, but I will never call a creature as noble as a dragon, a dumdum.”
“Sure,” the guard responded. After taking their money, the guard pulled back the gate, letting the two men through. “I'm required to tell you we sell the best Kityfruit wine at the best prices. If you ask nice, they might even give you a free sample. Enjoy.”
“I'll pass,” Healer said quietly.
“And for you crazy religious people, there is also Kityfruit, and Kityfruit juice,” the guard said, overhearing him.
“It's not that,” Healer replied. “I don't eat Kityfruit.”
“What about dumdum fruit,” someone shouted.
“Only if you're rich,” the guard answered. “There is one certified merchant in Paradise Ave who sells it. If you're not buying from him, whatever you're getting did not come from one of our three fruit-bearing dumdum trees.”
Once they'd passed the guard-post gate, they encountered about twenty stands loaded with different fruits and colorful bottles being sold to travelers while they still had money. Seeker bought some Kityfruit brandy. He did like Kityfruit.
In the distance, a giant alien ogre-like tumtum with a human rider moved rocks to reinforce the outer wall.
Paradise Avenue rested on top of a mountain pass. The gentle slope they'd been walking up became much steeper. By the time they'd made it to the top, Seeker was tired, and Healer half dead. They collapsed on the ground and ate a meal of crackers, cheese, and water from their packs. Healer felt a faint rumbling before he saw three people riding up the hill on six-legged mechanical horses. If the Galactic Market could be believed, these mechanical horses were fast, strong, and able to travel anywhere, including over water and up and down vertical cliffs. They were also very expensive. Healer knew of only three people who owned them.
“It's The Big Three,” Healer said. “The Hand, The Fist, and The Eye.” He got painfully to his feet to stand respectfully by the side of the road. Seeker snorted but joined him.
“Unauthorized pictures of The Three are punishable by a one-thousand credit fine!” Guards shouted. “And if you don't have the credits, we'll take it out of your hide!” Healer saw bystanders quickly put away their cell phones as the three men rode by. On their metal horses, the three men passed them too quickly for Healer to get more than a quick look.
The man on the left had the drawing of a hand on his dull gray dragon-skin armor breastplate. The drawn hand looked like it was about to grab something. The Hand had three large tentacled aliens floating in the air behind him, held up by his telekinetic powers.
The middle rider had a fist drawn on his rust-red dragon-skin armor breastplate. The Fist's strength was the stuff of legend. According to one story, after a prolonged battle with the dragon whose skin he now wore, he'd crushed the red dragon's skull with a giant hammer.
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The man on the right had a drawing of an eye on his dull green Kityskin armor breastplate. Though the weakest of the three, The Eye was considered the strongest psychic in this part of the world. He reminded Healer/Ian of himself in his twenties. If The Eye was the strongest psychic in this region, then Healer's fears of discovery were unfounded. Healer had no problem reading the minds of The Three without being detected.
Healer sensed lower-level psychics among the guards and staff, there to sniff out criminals and cheats. Both The Eye and the other psychics sensed nothing more than two harmless religious crazies. As Healer meant them to.
The Three rode by without giving two old men in dragon robes the slightest notice.
“It would seem, The Three just encountered a pack of five Kitykity followed by a baby dragon,” Healer said. “When challenged, all six aliens ran away.”
“That doesn't sound like normal alien behavior,” Seeker said. “You're the beast-master. What's going on?”
“I'm honestly not sure,” Healer said. “I have a feeling the explanation will be interesting.”
***
As the sun went down in Paradise Ave, the lights came on. Lights from the distant palace higher on the hill, the exclusive home of The Three and their families, cut the darkness like a blazing, exquisitely shaped knife. It was true what they said—Paradise Ave was as brightly lit at night as it was during the day, and never slept. Performers of all kinds were out. Singers, musicians, acrobats, jugglers. There was even a young beast-master with a cat-sized tentacled alien performing tricks for the onlookers. Prostitutes of all ages and sexes were out in force, propositioning anyone who looked like they had money.
The two old men found a bench where they could sit while taking in the sights.
“Oh, no. We're going to die,” a man with the white face paint of a street performer said to his companion. The two were pretending to hide from a third performer wearing an oversized dragon costume.
“Fear not!” A fourth walked up looking majestic in his gray wizard robes and large pointed hat. “I am Zoltron, the mighty wizard. I killed a silver dragon. All by myself.”
There was laughter from the small audience.
“Yay! We're saved!” the first street performer said.
“Raaaaar!” the dragon performer said, advancing on the three.
“Protect us, Zoltron! We're counting on you!” The first two performers ran away as the dragon advanced on the wizard.
“Aaaah!” Zoltron cried as the dragon pretended to crush him underfoot and eat him.
“Well, you have to admit the mighty wizard saved our lives,” the first man said. The two men ran to the front of the stage and shouted, “To Zoltron!”
The dragon, and wizard (returned to life) joined the other two. They all bowed.
There was more laughter and a bit of clapping.
Healer threw the performers a couple credits while Seeker glared. “If these backwoods losers aren't careful, I'll show them what a real wizard is capable of, and I assure you, they won't be laughing.”
“They don't mean any harm,” Healer said. “Just street performers trying to bring some cheer to an unhappy world.”
Seeker snorted. There was a moment of silence. “Ever find out what happened to Mom?”
“No,” Healer answered. “That's why I've never said anything. Her place was abandoned, and I never encountered anyone who knew what happened to her. It would be nice to think she found a more distant community. But...”
“That's what I thought.” Seeker pulled out his pipe, and filled it with tobacco. “So what is the verdict on The Three? Good. Evil. Neither?”
For a time Healer was silent. He shivered, huddling inside his dragon robes. Cold air and sweat from his previous exertions left him chilled. “I don't like The Three, but I believe the greedy bastards are a stabilizing force in this part of the world. Their children and grandchildren are another matter. It would seem BG is paying The Three to perform breeding experiments.”
“Uh oh. What kind of breeding experiments?”
“I'll put it this way. When one of their daughters reaches childbearing age, one of the other two men proceeds to impregnate her. BG is paying them well to attempt to breed a human with super strength and superior psychic gifts. They haven't succeeded, but some of their children are scary. Multiple heads, tentacles, creepy abilities, that kind of thing.”
“I'm inclined to stay out of it,” Seeker said. “As I'm sure you know, family disputes are the worst.”
“Agreed,” Healer said. For a time there was silence. “When we left, we expected to be gone a year at the most. But now, five years later, The Ancient One is finally waking up. We're almost there. If there's going to be second thoughts, now is the time.”
Seeker lit his pipe and drew in smoke, then exhaled, coughing. “Before we left, Phoebe abandoned me for the tenth time in as many years. My other mistress didn't think I was treating her good enough, so she took off too. My kids all thought I was a terrible father. There wasn't much keeping me there, but you were sleeping with my first wife, Sabrina, and raising a little girl. Mrs. Wilcox would hardly go to the bathroom without your permission. Everybody loved you. And you left all that behind knowing we might never come back.”
Healer sighed. “I'm doing it for my daughter. If there's a chance I can make this world a better place for her, I have to try. We attempted to have a child for so long before we succeeded. Thanks for your help with that. I wish you'd helped a little sooner, but thank you all the same.”
“Greta came by and requested my help. As you know, she's hard to say no to,” Seeker said. “I admit I got a lot of joy from your inability to have children with Sabrina. But I want you to know I didn't realize the long-term use of Red Scourge caused sterility. I did tell you to use it for emergencies only. Not whenever you felt like a power boost.”
Healer watched the street performers. “It wouldn't have mattered if you had told me. I didn't want kids at the time, anyway.”
“Did you use your mind power on Sabrina?” Seeker asked. “I tried to convince her that having multiple wives was completely acceptable in our new world, but she would not be reasonable.”
Healer laughed. “I heard about that conversation, and how she kicked your ass afterward. I had nothing to do with Sabrina leaving you. You did that all by yourself. I should tell you, though, I am responsible for Phoebe's returning to you. Phoebe would come back to the Fortress and make trouble, so I'd use my gift to convince her to get back together with you. I don't even feel bad about that abuse of my powers. Kept both of you out of my hair.”
Seeker looked hurt. “I thought she missed me.”
Healer felt Seeker's hurt turn to anger.
“Shit,” Healer said. “I shouldn't have said anything, Gabe. I didn't realize you still had a thing for her. She's never cared about you. She wanted to cause trouble, so she let you buy her with expensive presents. What I said in the beginning still stands. If we see this to the end, and somehow survive, I will help you with your relationship problems. I'll even convince Phoebe to stay with you, permanently, if that's what you want.”
“Me and Phoebe have something special.” Seeker glared at Healer, so angry the hand holding his pipe shook. He started to say something, stopped. Then he took a deep breath. “Once we finish this mission, what I want is to never see you again! Do not mess with my women and stay out of my life!” He stood up and stormed off.
Way to go, Ian, Healer thought. Homesick, He remembered how much it hurt to say goodbye to Sabrina and his eight-year-old daughter, knowing he might never see them again. He loved both more than anything. But he and his brother were going to see this through. One way or another. This would be over soon.