Chapter One - A firm grasp.There are a few towns along the dusty path that connects the North and South of Boltreach, and The Midfield was just barely one of them. There was a splintered shack, a somewhat less splintered shack,
and a post with a sign reading ‘TIE YUR HORS HERE’. On this particular day, if you were to ride past and tie your horse to the pole, you’d be uncomfortable. The heat of the sun would rip through your clothes, coating them with a thick and putrid layer of sweat. If you were trying to avoid that and wearing thin fabric, the sand and the rocks would beat at you as harsh winds snapped them around. The smells of horse shit and decay that met your nose would put you an unforgiving retch away from throwing up your lunch. Even through a closed mouth, you’d taste the staleness of the air and the dust and sand would find a way in.
And the sound… Fillibur West jumped off his horse, and atop all of those sensations, was most repulsed by the sounds that came from the shack that still had a door. There was screaming and crying, moaning and panting, and the most horrid blasphemy he’d ever heard a woman roaring.
“Is this the abode of Master Bryar Willis?”
“I’m busy, fuck off!”
“You are summoned, Sir, and I’m not to le-”
“I’M BUSY FUCK OFF!” he bellowed back, as the woman let out a gut-wrenching scream that could only come from pain or orgasm. Fillibur was not interested in discovering which.
“By Order of the Third Court Church of the Father, I demand you come out here thi-” The door burst open with so much force that it was a surprise to Fillibur that it was still attached. Out strode a tall and fat man, naked as the day he was born but much more hairy. His skin was pocked and scarred, his hands were stubby and filthy, and he glistened with more sweat than should really be possible.
“You leave those shitbags outta my life. I left for a reason and ain’t no summoning gonna drag me back,” he spat.
“The Third Court Church?” cooed the woman from behind Bryar. Fillibur prepared to shield his eyes, but thankfully she had the decency to cover up her shame. Her frame was long and wiry, and her fiery red hair floated effortlessly down her back. One hand was gripping an oversized shirt around her chest, and the other was propping her up against the wall. She looked pale, far paler than anyone should be in this heat. Fillibur had to look at her twice to make sure the heat and the stench weren’t frying his senses.
She had only one leg.“Yes ma’am,” Fillibur confirmed, “and whether he likes it or not, this fellow here has a debt to pay.”
“I ain’t payin’ no debt. Get off my land.” Bryar reached for the pistol at his waist and fumbled there for an uncomfortably long time until he realised there was nothing there.
“How much have you had to drink, Bryar?” asked Fillibur.
“Clearly more’n you,” he coughed out, and then chuckled to reveal a hefty few rotted and missing teeth.
“I’m under very strict orders, Master Bryar Willis, to bring you in,” and he brushed aside his duster to reveal hid own pistol. “And I was warned you would likely resist.”
“I ain’t goi-” and then Bryar stopped very suddenly with a yelp as a long yet feminine hand grabbed his balls, and the shirt that it was previously holding swayed open. Fillibur turned away.
“So you can look at this lump of trash but not me? What are you, homo?”
“I am a man of light,” Fillibur objected. “Of chastity and purity. I will not disrespect a lady such.”
“Pfft. Why do need him? Why now?”
“That is not information for-”
“Oh suck it up you fucking prude or I’m grabbing your balls next.” At this, Bryar started stammering and whimpering unintelligibly.
“Babe, babe, maybe loosen-ooooow!”
The whole time, as her grip got tighter, she stared straight at Fillibur, who couldn’t help himself but stare back. She was cold and harsh, but even on one leg, she held her back straight and her head high, like she thought she was more than just a common whore. Like she aspired to be great one day. No, no, that wasn’t it. Like she thought she had been great, and still deserved to be. He never figured out why, but from that moment, he was suddenly addressing her, not the man he came here for.
“
The thirteenth moon is coming. That’s why now. God is going to test us all, and we need him.”
At this she let go of Bryar.
“Tell me, are those old bastards still cooped up on that island?”
Fillibur stepped back, forgetting completely about the threat to pull out his gun. Who the hell was this random woman, and how did she know so much? Why was she so confident?
“Yes. I’ve come quite a distance for this man.”
“You sure you’re not a homo?”
“He will come,” said Fillibur, “And he will help.”
“I don’t wan-” started Byrar, before the woman slapped him, completely out of the blue, with enough force to knock him out of the doorframe completely, landing face first in the sand, and screaming out instantly as his front began to burn in the sand and he scrambled back, frantically scraping it off.
“Bryar darling put some clothes on.
We’re going with the man; I want to ride on one of those steamboats.”
“Is he the one?” hummed Elselon, his green skin shimmering and glistening in the light as he floated down the corridor.
“No brother. But he is near the one,” responded Barlyr who floated alongside.“Excellent, our plans move swiftly. Will the one be here by the thirteenth moon?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent. Ready the really big weapons. The one will not go down easily.”
I'm waiting on the poll to decide how to make this interactive, so for now just throw out whatever you want, whether it's suggestions of where to go next or elements to include randomly.
Give me more randomness to include! I will endeavour to use them all but may stash them in my back pocket to use in a later chapter if I feel they'll fit better there.
