BREED

Prologue

The harsh winds had swept the battle ground clean of all the smoke that had filled the valley the previous night.  Erin crouched under the shade of a boulder, wrapping her arms around the two small children she protected, covering them in her linen and wool wraps. Together they shed tears in silence, knowing that they would have to flee their home for good. Their people had fought as hard as they could and as long as they could. Erin wondered how many more of the children made it out. Wiping the wetness from her eyes, she took the two children by their hands and led them away from the destruction below. She moved quickly through the craggy hills, trying to put distance between herself and the Hounds. Yes, the Hounds would be coming soon. Erin knew in her heart, she had to make it to Free City West before the next dawn. If she didn’t, they would be run down like mutant dogs and slaughtered for sheer amusement. She looked back one last time, bowing her head to the memory of all her friends and family. Covering her face and lowering her goggles she pressed on, cursing the day the High Breeds came into power.

 Walking under the blazing sun was taking its toll on Erin and the children. The youngest, the girl named Hana, was nearly dehydrated. She decided to carry her on her back and held the boy’s hand. That left her with one free hand to hold her small crossbow and fire it, if it came to that. The boy was about ten summers old and carried a length of metal pipe to defend himself. Erin tried to remember his name but at the moment she could not and focused on the next five miles of trekking through the arid hills. Dusk was upon them and she needed to get the children to safety. These hills belonged to the flesh eating clans, savage mutated degenerates who would rape and murder them in the blink of an eye.

 Erin quickened her pace as she began to see the violet sun setting in the western edge of the hills. Free City was so close….. And the thunder began. The earth seemed to quake with each violent rumble as the black as death clouds swirled above their heads, the acrid rain fell steadily, burning their clothing as they ran for cover. They half leapt, half sprinted through the jagged slopes, the cold acid showers bombarding them.  Approaching a rusted out shell of some long forgotten caravan, Erin smiled under her shawl. It would seem if the All Mother was looking out for them. Diving into the metallic haven, the children curled into Erin immediately, it was their way of thanking her. She embraced them back and was about to say something……

“On your feet low breed “ the mechanized voice commanded as it drew down on her. Its plasma powered rifle aimed at her chest.

Two more voices joined the first. The rain simmered as it hit their pale flesh. They wore light armor of chain and steel and the heavy augmented body parts gave them away. Their sickly, ochre eyes scanned Erin and the children.

The Hounds had found them. Erin bit her tongue and pushed back her tears.

“Away from your brood, low breed. “ The cold, inhuman voice ordered.

Erin pushed the children behind her and raised her crossbow.

Her voice was tired and her mouth was parched, but she said in defiance, “You will have to come through me first you filthy pup ! “

The Hound said no word as he nodded to his team. He powered up his rifle, the wailing of its heat coils forcing the children to cover their ears. Erin’s trigger finger waited patiently as the Hound raised his weapon.

“So be it low breed, disintegration it is.”  He leveled the rifle and aimed.

Erin squeezed the trigger on her crossbow and watched the Hounds head come apart in a shower of gore and circuits. Stunned she fell back as the Hounds lifeless corpse slumped to the ground. She scrambled to her feet as the other two advanced on her, not knowing what just happened. Erin’s arrow never left her weapon; the wire was snagged on her wrist guards.

The two Hounds rushed her, one falling before he reached the body of his comrade- a smoking hole where his chest and heart once were. Erin did not understand nor could she hear anything over the pounding rain and the screeching of the Hounds plasma coils. 

The third Hound began taking defensive stance and firing wildly into the rocks behind the ancient caravan. He hissed and oxygen escaped his respirator. Erin took her chance and fired her arrow into the Hound, the shaft burying into his guts. He reeled for a moment and turned his attention towards Erin instead of the hidden threat. His mistake.

The Hound was kicked so savagely in the face, his jaw nearly came off. His robotic eye came out of his socket and his head snapped back so hard, the vertebrae came loose. He fell over and his assailant was on top of him, a whirlwind of robes and the faint flash of steel in his hands.

Erin stood in front of the children trying to see who had rescued them.

He was whispering to the Hound who was slowly dying. The robed figure plunged his length of steel into the open eye socket of his victim, crushing his brains and putting out of his miserable half life. He stood back and sheathed his steel. He reached into hidden pockets and produced ammunition as he reloaded his sawed off shotgun.

 Erin knew instantly who he was. She felt relieved and fell to her knees, sobbing just a bit as she hugged the children.

“ Now is not the time girl, let’s get the little ones out of here. More Hounds are close by.” He said removing his hood, and giving her his hand.

She took it and the children followed her. He kept a steady pace and never ran in a straight line. The sun was all but gone and Erin could hear the distant engines of the Hounds gunships. They ran until they came to what looked like a stairway, the steps though had long since lost their shape.

“ Down you go girl, you as well little ones. Follow the path until you find the Old Road. It will lead you straight to Free City. Go, and be quick, be safe ! “ He ordered.

The children nodded their heads and began their decent.

Erin shouted to him, “ Ranger ! What about you? “

He smiled at her, his green eyes grim. “ There are others out here that need me girl. I’ll see you again. “

With that she watched him disappear into the rocks and joined the children. She wondered if she really would see the White Ranger again. The last of the warriors of the road, a guardian of a time long gone. She hoped she would see him again, even if it was just to thank him.