Saturday, March 20, 2010

Fifteen Cycles Later... 2

Sam sat in quiet meditation. His perch high in the Pacifica Mountains was so quiet, and his inner mantra so profound, that the soft crunch of boots announcing the approach of a disciple assaulted his ears.

“Dekko,” Sam smiled, eyes opening, “you’ve come back from your journey,” he looked over at the younger man, “early.”

Dekko nodded and sat next to his mentor, “The Eastern Sun Emirates are…complicated,” the last word came out slowly.

“I see…” Sam did not quite see, but was willing to wait for an explanation.

“The city of Basal is in open revolt. Its people are desperate for freedom, and Emir Nigel Shirow has offered them another way,” Dekko stared out over the desolate valley so far below, “I helped. But there’s more to do.”

“Then why did you come back early?”

“Sam, I…they need you,” Dekko turned towards Sam, eyes tired. Whatever had happened in the Eastern Sun Emirates had affected the once happy-go-lucky gunhand profoundly.

“They need me?” Sam sensed there was more to this.

“Yes, they do,” Dekko swallowed, “the people of Basal need the best gunfighter in the Badlands to help fight the Patriarch, and his backers in the Southern Republic.”

Sam’s gaze hardened. There was something else.

“And…she needs you,” Dekko produced a locket, made out of a blasting cap, hung on multicoloured necklace made of demolition wire.

Isobel.

“She told me that she needs you. To help free these people.”

2 comments :

Charlie Bottoms said...

How it actually happened:

Sam watched the orange of the mountains deepen into red as the sun set. Dekko was walking up. Seemed a bit nervous. Probably trouble.

"Sam! Glad I found you."

"'Sup?"

"Trouble down south. There's this boss guy, Nigel or something, and a revolt. Pretty heavy."

"Hmm."

"It was rough man... it..."

Sam stood, brushing himself off. Put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"There's something else, Sam... That... that chick you like is involved in it somehow." Of course she was. "She gave me this for you."

A little bullet made out of explosive putty. Hanging on blasting wire.

Sam saw the threads of his past wind together again. Friends and smoke and bullets and death. It was time to see them again.

They walked down the mountain to the nearby station in silence.

Heavy Josh said...

No.

How it actually happened was how it happened in the original post. I gave you a great deal of time for feedback, which you did not use.


 
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