The Devilstone Registry: Turning Blue (4/10ish)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, and since it takes place in like 1875 it obviously didn't happen. If one of the idols tells me they don't want to be in fiction I will change their character name to Lars and call it a day.
SUMMARY: Shortly after the Civil war, a meteor crashed into Devil's Tower and the earth began to change. Strange creatures roamed lands once safe except for the occasional rattlesnake. A new ore, Devilsrock, was discovered, with truly unbelievable properties. Some folks thought it was the end of the world. Some folks thought it was a new beginning. Some folks turned tail and fled. A few years have passed since the Great Trembling, and a small town has sprung up outside of Deadwood to house the miners and adventure seekers that have come for the Devilstone and the monster-infested Badlands. One of these men is Dr. Adam Lambert, PHD in the new field of Abstract Science. To watch over his valuable inventions and keep him safe on expeditions, he has hired the famous gunslinger, Kris Allen, better known as Arkansas to his face, or Krissy the Kid behind his back. The two men form a fast friendship as they round up evil-dooers, battle real-live nightmares, and make a few important discoveries about Devilstone, the human heart, and eachother.
Awww, shucks, that made me cry.
TL;DR: OLD WEST BUT WITH STEAMPUNKY MAD SCIENTISTS AND HORROR SHOW CREATURES.
Prior Chapters:
Chapter One: Head of the Trail
Chapter Two: The Tale of Matty The Mute
Chapter Three: The Foundation
Prologue
"Fuck." Megan swore, peering through the sights of her Colt 45 and not liking what she saw at all. They had her, that was sure enough. Megan could see the little traveling wagon she insisted on driving herself, with her name emblazoned on the side.
"Allison Iraheta: Songstress of the Weird West"
Megan shot towards one of the Hobblers, hitting it right between it's eyes. The pink-haired creature slumped into the dirt, but where it fell, another took its place in the wild ritual that would make Allison one of them. Make her forget everything she knew and instead stalk the fringes of the Badlands, looking for victims. Hobblers were like a plague. They had wiped out a few close-lying settlements already, turning former inhabitants into Hobblers. It was a horrible fate, one Megan was determined to keep from happening to her friend.
Megan was a quick draw, but she knew when she was outgunned, even if her foes in this case didn't have guns. They had fangs, and claws, and the females could cause your body to erupt into flames with a gesture.
It was only a day's ride back to Westport. She could ride for help. Hopefully, it wouldn't be to late. Megan saddled up, trying hard to ignore the chanting of the Hobblers, and Allison's screams for help. She spurred Barbie into a frantic gallop, kicking up dust tinged with Devilstone as she rode.
***
The Tale
“So how come you’re not married, pretty thing like you?” Lil asked, setting this morning’s tray of pancakes in front of Kris.
“Oh, well.” Kris said, helping himself to the maple syrup. Since Adam slept late and Scott woke early, he was getting used to chatting with Lil in the mornings. She always asked him probing questions, as if trying to figure something out. Kris didn’t mind, though, he liked her. It was nice to have someone ask questions about you for once. It was sort of like family. “I wanted to get married once.”
“What happened?” Lil asked, sitting down across from him. “She didn’t turn you down? Who would turn you down?”
Kris gulped. He didn’t like thinking about it.
“I had a gal when I was younger. Gosh, we couldn’t have been more than fifteen. The war was only over for a few years. Her daddy lost everything after the Yankees came., and eventually he packed up what remained and moved the family further west. Greater opportunity, I guess.”
“Didn’t you try and follow her?”
“Well, the thing was, my brother had gotten wounded in the war. He doesn’t move around so good, and mama was ill. I stayed by her side till she got better, but by then…” Kris stopped, getting choked up.
“She had found someone new?” Lil supplied.
“Naw. She wouldn’t have, she wasn’t like that. I got word that their wagon train had been attacked by bandits. They shot the men and most of the women. I don’t know what they did with her. As soon as I could I rode west, looking for the sons of bitches. But I never found her. I kept trying to hunt them down, and after they were all dead as far as I could reckon, well, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I figured I was good at bounty hunting, so I did that. Problem with that is that eventually you’re gonna wind up getting the wrong guy.”
“Oh, Kris.” She said, reaching across the table for his hand. Kris winced. The skin on his hand was an angry red, and he could barely move it without pain.
“I mean, the guy I shot was still a no good bastard, wanted in a different county, but it got me thinking. If I could make a mistake once, I could make one again. Settled for work as a ranch hand a few times. It was nice, having a place to stay, even if it was only for a few months. Then I got Dr. Lambert’s offer and here I am.” Kris paused. “So you see, not much time for women folk.”
“You think she’s still out there, somewhere, waiting for you?” Lil asked, and Kris winced.
“I’m sure she’s alive. Just a feeling. But after all this time… Gosh, I hope she found happiness. I wouldn’t want her to have waited for me. Hell, I’ve had a lonely enough life without thinking about her waitin’ on me. We were so young…” Kris remembered how losing her had felt, how the love in his heart had consolidated into a tight ball of lead. It had been easier to keep fighting, to keep rounding up criminals 'cause it was the right thing to do. The only thing he knew how to do. Easier to keep moving, so he never got attached again.
He was done with that life.
“Besides, now I’m here. You aren’t tryin’ to marry me off like some old maid, are you Mamma Lil?”
She laughed. “Something tells me I’d be in big trouble with the Doc if I did that. He’s taken a real shine to you.”
“Yeah.” Kris felt his cheeks get warm, remembering how tightly Adam had hugged him, how he had pressed his lips to the top of Kris’s head, setting his every nerve aflame. “Well he’s a great guy. One of the best people I’ve known.”
“And so handsome.” Lil offered, grinning. There was no fighting off a full-fledged blush now. He grinned at her, biting his lip and lowering his eyes a moment before answering. “Sure.”
She just laughed and cleared his plate, freeing him to head up to the lab.
***
"Ow!" Kris said, pulling his hand away from Dr. Lambert, who had been pressing against the red-ink vines that ran over Kris's hand and up his palm.
"Did that hurt?" Adam asked levelly, meeting Kris's eyes. Kris had hopped up on one of the lab tables, so for once they were eye-to-eye.
"What do you think?" Kris pouted, but let Adam coat his hand in a blue powder.
"Testy, Kristopher. Did you have bad dreams?" Adam tilted his head, and Kris caught his breath. Adam was remarkable; he could always tell what Kris was thinking.
"Yeah. Well, not bad, really. Just thinking things out, I guess." Kris had laid awake all night, reliving the past few weeks to try and figure out how he was feeling. Each time he had himself almost convinced that his feelings for Adam were just platonic, he would remember how much his body had ached for proximity. How his pulse had raced as Adam had held him out of sight from where Daniel Gokey was rethinking his stance on love, just as his own views had been re-written in the few short weeks he had known the doctor.
"Not something you want to talk about?" Adam prompted. "You said a lot of things last night. It seemed like there might be something else you were trying to say..."
"Is this supposed to be working?" Kris interrupted, fighting a furious blush and waving his hand in Adam's face. "Cause it still hurts like a bitch, and I can't really think of anything else."
"Oh! Sorry, Kris." Adam stammered, grabbing Kris's arm again. "No, that won't work on its own, of course. I need to set it on fire."
"WHAT?" Kris yanked his arm away from Adam for the second time.
"You'll be fine!" Adam assured. "Theoretically, the powdered Devilstone will react with the oil from the Redfire plant - remember how I was telling you it produces a blue light when combined with Devilstone and then burned? Well the reaction will be over so quickly we shouldn't even need this."
Adam put a huge bucket of water on the table next to Kris.
"Theoretically?" Kris stammered. "You are going to light me on fire based on a theory."
"Don't be stupid, Kristopher. I've tested it on inorganic surfaces already. The reaction only lasts a few seconds. That's the problem I've been having with the mine lights, the blue flash only lasts a second and that isn't long enough to do anyone good. If I could only -"
"ADAM! Back to my arm." Kris snapped his fingers, wincing at the pain caused by the sudden movement. "But my arm is organic...will that effect the, uh, reaction?"
"I don't think so. And if it does, well, that's what the water's for." Adam blinked. "It's really quite simple, Kristopher."
Kris tried to calm himself, letting Adam take his hand again.
"Just do it." He said, trying to reassure himself that everything would be ok. He tried not to remember Adam's comment about having blown up his last lab
"Trust me, Kris. Everything will be alright. Just listen to my voice."
Kris nodded, fighting the urge to pull away. He squinched his eyes shut tight, listening to the sound of Adam’s flintstriker. It was an amazing device, a small, handheld contraption that would emit a small flame.
"It's ok, Kristopher. It might sting a bit but I promise..." Adam's voice was soothing, even if he sounded a bit unsure of what he was saying. Kris focused on the fact that there was a huge bucket of water right next to him -
All of a sudden he heard a whooshing sound and felt a gust of heat. His eyes flew open and all he could see was blue, blue, blue. It didn't hurt, but lasted longer than the instant Adam promised. The intense blue light began to fade and Kris could see Adam's surprised and fascinated reaction. Adam tugged Kris's hand towards the water, but Kris resisted, wanting to see what happened next.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Adam said, snapping out of his reverie. Kris shook his head, memorized by the fading blue light surrounding Adam's enraptured expression. The flames were gone now, and Kris's entire arm was covered with the shimmery blue aftermath.
"What just happened?" Kris asked, moving his hand experimentally. The pain was gone completely.
"The salt from your skin must have prolonged the chemical reaction." Adam theorized. "You were very brave." He tapped Kris on the nose, leaving behind a smudge of blue.
"S'nothing. Just lighting my arm on fire. You know, anything for science." Kris mumbled and lowered his head. Now that the pain in his arm was gone, he was very aware of Adam's proximity. He stood between Kris's legs, which hung from the edge of the lab table and didn't quite touch the floor. There was a warmth crawling over Kris's skin. "So now you can figure out that thing with the mine lights."
"The mine lights, yeah.” Adam was distracted, inspecting Kris’s arm. “Does your arm still hurt? It worked, right?" Adam pressed his hand experimentally, and Kris inhaled sharply.
"Yeah, it worked." He was biting back his words, trying to decide what to do about the surge of want that was rising in his chest. Hell, he didn't even know if Adam preferred men - Adam had all but said it, and there were certainly the odd comment from Scott or Mama Lil here or there, but no definitive answer on what Adam might do if Kris reached out and touched his face. He tilted his head up and held Adam's gaze. He didn't really need to say it. It was written there, plain as the text in the Badlands Bestiary.
Kris lifted his hand to Adam's face and traced his jaw line, leaving a trail of blue in his wake.
"Thanks for fixing me." Kris offered a shy smile. Adam's face brightened, and Kris slid his palm up, cupping Adam's cheek. Kris slid his other arm around Adam’s waist and pressed against his back.
"What are you doing to me, Kristopher?" Adam's words were a hushed whisper, and Kris sighed, too far gone to answer. Half of Adam's face was blue, and Kris leaned in, silently praying that Adam wouldn't back away. His prayers were answered as Adam closed the gap and met his lips.
***
"What the hell happened to you two?" Scott was out in the yard, brushing out burrs from Chocolate's mane. "It looks like you blew up a blue paint factory, Lambert."
"Ha,Ha. For your information I just cured Kris of his little problem."
"Oh, I see." Scott said, widening his eyes and tuning back towards Chocolate."
"With the Redfire plant." Adam finished
"And he figured out the Mine-light issue. The reaction should be more stable now." Kris jumped in, eager to distract Scott from their obviously disheveled appearances.
"Gunslinger turned Lab Assistant? Who knew Kris was so multi-talented? Next thing you know I'll be a sharpshooter." Scott clucked, patting Chocolate on his rear. The gelding took off, prancing merrily in the yard.
"Aww Scott, don't be jealous, it was an accident. I didn't mean to be a Lab Assistant, he just wanted to set my arm on fire and it kind of just happened." Kris jokingly pleaded. He could tell that Scott wasn't really hurt about missing the scientific discovery.
"You say that now but I know him. Before you know it he's gonna have you in that lab, morning, noon, and night doing all sorts of crazy- Adam?" Scott looked over to Adam, who was shaking in silent laughter.
"Adam?" Scott asked again, amused. Adam could clearly no longer contain his laughter. Kris watched as his shoulders shook, momentarily confused as to why what he could be laughing at. He rethought the conversation, looked at the knowing expression on Scott's face, and it hit him.
He could feel the color rising in his cheeks. His blue hand prints were all over the front of Adam's shirt, and a long blue streak ran from the hip of Adam's gray pants back towards the rear center seam from when Kris had grabbed Adam and pulled him closer. Even Adam's black hair had a blue cast in the sunlight, and Kris remembered running his hands though the thick waves of it. Kris looked back to Scott, who only chuckled and slapped Kris on the back.
"Be good." He heard Scott grumble protectively into Adam’s ear as he made his way back to the barn.
Adam just shook his head and walked towards the house, still laughing, leaving Kris to stand in the center of the field. A slow grin crept across his face as he watched Dr. Lambert make his way back towards the house, telling blue handprints stamped across his back and lower. It's good, he decided, love curling up in his chest like a house cat in the sun. This feeling is good.
"Excuse me?" A woman's voice startled Kris out of his reverie. He turned sharply to face her. She was a little taller than him, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Kris didn't think she even looked real; more like a painting of what a woman was supposed to look like. But instead of a dress, she wore...Kris looked her up and down. She was wearing man's clothing. Tight black chaps clung to her tan trousers, which were buckled with a bright silver buckle. Her plaid top was tucked beneath a matching black vest, and setting off her yellow hair was a black cowboy hat. "Um, are you the one they call Arkansas?"
"Ma'am." Kris moved his hand to tip his hat just as he realized he wasn't wearing one. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance, miss..."
"Friends call me Megan Joy." She said, holding out her hand. Kris took it after a moment's hesitation. She was unlike any woman he'd ever seen. "But there's not much time for formalities. Fightin' Mac told me I could find you here, said you and the Doc would be the folks to ask for help."
"Uh, yeah. Sure. What do you need?" Kris motioned with her to follow him towards the house.
"Please, Mr. Arkansas, just...just get the Doc and come with me. Tell him that the Hobblers have got a girl and if we don't hurry she'll be one of them before long."
"Ok, Miss. Just, um, Just wait here." Kris had no idea what she could be talking about, but had no doubt Adam would know. "By the way, you've got blue all over you." Megan called after him as he ran towards the house. Kris shook his head and stifled a laugh.
***
After hastily packing his own bag, Kris entered Adam's room via their shared bathroom.
"Read this." Adam said, thrusting the Badlands Bestiary already open into Kris's hands. He proceeded to start shoving seemingly random components into his traveling bag, mumbling to himself about possible reactions and natural defense mechanisms. Kris started looking at the picture.
"Read it ALOUD." Adam said after a few moments. "I need to hear it as I'm packing."
"Oh, Ok." Kris said, clearing his throat. He held the page open, noticing that there was still blue powder beneath one of his fingernails. He hadn't had time to wash up properly. Neither had Adam. There were still blue streaks in his hair though his face and clothing were clean.
"Hobbler.
"A bipedal humanoid with shimmering blue skin and reddish-pink hair, the Hobbler is a swarming communal beast with unique abilities. Their skin is very thick around the torso, making standard bullets ineffective with all but a direct headshot, as the protective skin is thinner covering the skull. The females of the species can ignite any combustible surface upon touch as they excrete a highly volatile serum from their fingertips.”
"Perhaps the most frightening aspect of these creatures is that Hobbers are created, not born. Upon taking a human captive, a male Hobbler will bite the unfortunate soul on the neck, injecting him or her with a toxic substance that alters the human's biochemistry. Within a week the human will start exhibiting the appearance of a Hobbler, the coloring of the hair follicles being the first noticeable difference. After two weeks, the human will begin to lose their human abilities to speak and reason. No one is sure of the humano-hobbler retains their human memory.
"Should a friend or loved one fall prey to the Hobblers, proceed with extreme caution before attempting a rescue. Most Hobbler communities number in the hundreds. Not only do the females possess the flame-touch, all Hobblers are extremely bright and have learned to use rudimentary weapons such as clubs or projectiles."
Kris bit his lip and studied the picture again. The things looked horrifying, but certainly close to human. He looked up at Adam, who was now dressed...not unlike Miss Megan joy. Kris swallowed hard. The leather chaps he wore hugged his tall frame, but instead of a vest like Megan’s, he wore a long black suede duster.
"You look..." He searched for an adjective, running his tongue along his lip, searching for a word. Most of the words Kris knew for beautiful were meant for girls, and they all fell short of describing Adam.
"Saddle up, cowboy." Adam interrupted him with a grin. "We've got a long ride ahead of us."
***
The sun hung low in the sky when the three stopped riding. Adam had pitched a hasty, low slung canvas tent next to Megan's while Kris had gotten the fire going.
"So. Tell me who we're going to save." Adam said, leaning against a slab of rock. Kris resisted the urge to spread out alongside him, and instead had relaxed against a fallen tree.
"Allison Iraheta. You know her?" Megan explained, kicking off her boots. It was a chilly night, the terrain north of the badlands was open and rocky and susceptible to gusty winds. At the mention of the name, Kris sat bolt upright.
"Seriously. Allison Iraheta. The singer." Kris had seen her perform in various saloons over the years. He looked at Adam to see if Adam knew her, but Adam had his distant, thinking expression on.
"Yeah. I saw her wagon. Crazy, hey? I was out in these parts anyway; there's a nice bounty up on the Spiney the Creeper and word had it he was hiding out around here. So I'm riding along and all of a sudden I hear these shrieks. And Allison, well, you'd know her voice anywhere. Anyway, I tried to take them out myself, but it was thick in there. We're going to need a plan."
"I've been thinking about that." Adam said, coming back down to earth from whatever constellation he had been wandering through. "I brought a few things with me.” He gestured to the card he had hitched behind Glamour. “Depending on our terrain, I am hoping to create a sort of ... arcing field." Adam gestured with his hands. "If I can tap into a Devilstone vein, I'll be able to use that energy and channel it from pylon to pylon." He gave up gesturing and began drawing with a stick in the loose dirt. "If I can get the pylons to vibrate at an appropriate frequency, it will create a sound barrier. The sound will be too high for us to hear, but should be a deafening, incapacitating sound for the Hobblers."
"That sounds brilliant. At least it would if I knew what the hell half those words meant." Megan took a swig from an open bottle of whiskey. Kris was more than a little in awe of her by now. In his time riding the west, he had only seen one other female bounty hunter, and she still wore skirts and acted like a lady; more of a spy than a gunslinger. She held the bottle over to him and he took it with a smile.
"I've learned just to go with it. His ideas usually work out." Kris poured a bit of the burning liquid down his throat and passed the bottle to Adam.
"That so?"
"Yeah. He's pretty incredible."
"Kristopher, you're making me blush." Adam protested, taking a second quick pull of the whiskey before handing it back to Kris.
"Just sayin' the truth. I've ridden the west a long while and never met anyone like you, Doc. You neither, Miss Joy."
"Well, here's to keeping strange company." Megan took the bottle back fro Kris and drained it in one sustained gulp. "Let's just hope we make it in time. I'm gonna hit the hay. Doc. Arkansas." She tugged on the tip of her hat and slid into her tent.
Kris and Adam sat in silence for awhile. Kris snuck surreptitious glances at Adam in between looking up at the stars, and suspected Adam was doing the same. They hadn't really talked about what happened in the laboratory. They had left in such haste that there wasn't even time should they have wanted to discuss. Kris couldn't pretend he wasn't confused. While there had been the occasional cowboy that warranted a second glance, he had never felt compelled to act on that attraction. No, all his lovers had been female, and none had ever made him feel the way Adam had with just a kiss. Well, it had been more than a kiss, Kris admitted. It had been several. He closed his eyes and imagined it, shivering with the memory of Adam's hands on his back, pulling him close.
"Why don't you scoot on over?" Adam's voice was pitched soft and low, and he raised his arm to let Kris in close next to him. Kris edged next to him, double checking that they couldn't be seen if Megan happened to wake up. He laid his head in the crook of Adam's shoulder, sighing in contentment as the Doctor lowered his arm around Kris's waist.
"That's better." Adam murmured, sending a soft thrill of anticipation down his spine. "Gonna tell me what this morning was all about, Kristopher? You didn't strike me as, well, of having my proclivities. Not that I advertise. Or that I’m complaining. But if you wanted to make your intentions clear, I’d be most grateful."
"Not sure what my proclivities have to do with it. It's just you. I wish I could explain. Do you ever stop to think - well, take Megan. She woulda made the perfect man except that god blessed her with just about the prettiest face and feminine form a guy could dream of on a woman. Then there's you. And you’re not feminine by any stretch of the imagination, but there's something about you that." Kris hesitated. "Calls me close." He finished, lowering his voice in embarrassment. "We're all just people. I've been alone long enough to know that this, for me, is rare. And I won't pass it on by because it's different. I just feel it, and I hope you feel it too." He shyly reached over for Adam's hand and wove their fingers together.
"Kris." Adam said after a moment, nuzzling Kris's hair. "I feel it. Believe me. I just can't believe my luck."
"Our luck.” Kris corrected. “It’s like Gokey was saying. God works in mysterious ways."
“Do me a favor, Kristopher. Don’t ever bring up Reverend Gokey right before I’m about to kiss you.
“Duly noted” Kris agreed, and tilted his head back, allowing Adam to silence them both for a long spell.
***
Adam bent low over the last pylon, wrapping the thin wire around the connecting post.
"Drive it in, Kristopher." He called as he straightened, hair blowing madly in the wind.
Kris nodded and swung the hammer over his shoulder onto the grounding post. Adam had found a thick vein of the blue-gray Devilstone that had just started to crack the surface and pronounced it perfect. Adam jogged over and connected the main wire to the post. The propellers on the pylons began to turn, and the main wire turned a bright, shimmering blue and crackled, as if alive. It reminded Kris of the color his arm had turned after Adam had started it on fire. Maybe the wire has Redfire extract in it, Kris thought.
"How does it look up there?" Adam called to Megan who had been keeping watch.
"Nothing yet." She called back, eyeing three Hobblers near the cave entrance who were cocking their heads as if hearing a funny sound.
"Damn. It needs more energy." Adam looked from the humming blue wire to the rich vein of Devilstone and was seemingly struck with inspiration. He produced a small mechanism from his pocket - and Kris recognized it as his flintstriker.
"ADAM NO!" Kris shouted, but it was too late. Adam bent over and clicked the flintstriker against the ground, igniting the Devilstone. Kris sprinted towards Adam with all his might and launched himself at the scientist. Their bodies hit the ground just as the pylons exploded. Kris screamed, his head giving a sudden throb though he hadn't hit it on anything. Thinking fast and fighting his self preservation instinct, he spread himself as much as possible, trying to shield Adam from any of the flaming debris or shards of metal that came raining down. He felt a few small pieces land on his back and thanked God for the protective leather vest he wore.
"Kris." Adam mouthed silently, tenderness in his eyes before they widened with fear. Kris found himself suddenly beneath Adam as they rolled left, out of the way of one of the spinning propellers that had come loose in the explosion.
Adam mouthed something at him again and arched his eyebrow wickedly before standing up and offering Kris his hand.
"Thanks" Kris said, then froze. His voice was gone. Come to think of it, the explosion itself had been soundless. He turned to Adam in a panic.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" He mouthed, exaggerating his words so that Adam could understand.
"THOUGHT THIS MIGHT HAPPEN. SORRY. TEMPORARY." Adam mouthed back, or at least Kris thought that was what he meant.
"MEGAN?" Kris said, pointing up the rocky escarpment where she had been perched. Kris couldn't see her black hat from behind the rocks anymore.
"I'LL GO. YOU GET ALLISON. WILL FOLLOW." Adam gestured toward the cave. Kris turned around and looked at its ominous mouth. He took a step, but Adam pulled on his shoulder, spinning him around.
Adam's mouth was on his, and Kris lost himself momentarily in this silent world.
"BE SAFE." Adam said, kissing him one last time before setting out towards where Megan had been.
Adam had been correct about the sound. It had certainly knocked out the Hobblers on the outside of the cave. He hoped it had done as well on the inside. He took a deep breath and headed through the entrance.
The scene on the other side was surreal. Hobblers were everywhere, all slumped over with their eyes open. Kris wondered if they were dead, but not enough to stop and check. Temporary, this is temporary. Kris thought to himself as he stepped over their bodies. It was disorienting, moving without any sound at all. His footsteps should be echoing. He headed down what he assumed was the main passageway based on the number of unconscious Hobblers in the path. The tunnel soon opened up into a large cavern. He gasped reflexively. There were hundreds of them, all passed out. The effect was harrowing. Pale blue skin and pink hair were everywhere he looked, making the dark cavern seem almost festive, like a strange, soundless carnival.
He scanned the scene, wondering where to turn next, when out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. He drew his pistol and trained his eye on the furry mass of pink hair that was shaking slightly. He called "Hold Still" out of habit, knowing that even if the Hobbler could hear him it probably wouldn't understand. He approached it slowly, wishing there was more light in the cavern. The pale orange glow from a fire wasn't very much light to see by, and Kris stumbled several times on rocks as he progressed towards the figure.
It was in a cage. Kris blinked a few times, and then by providence the creature turned around. It wasn't a hobbler at all. It was a girl. It was Allison. Even with the bizarre hair color, Kris would have recognized her distinct face anywhere. She was huddled in the corner, completely nude except for a threadbare loin cloth. Allison was crying, and if he could hear them Kris was sure they would have been loud wails for help. He held his finger to his lips and ran towards the cage. There was no telling how long the Hobblers would be unconscious for, and Kris didn't want anything helping them back up.
The cage was locked, and Kris searched around a moment for a key. Allison pointed towards the evident guard, a huge male Hobbler who had passed out near the fire. Kris ripped the key off the monster's loincloth and hurried to unlock it. She flew out of the cage and threw her arms around him, babbling what Kris thought was "thank you, thank you, thank you."
Kris flushed and removed his vest, offering it to Allison, who grabbed it and quickly put it on.
"Thank you." She mouthed again. "Allison." She pointed to herself and Kris nodded, trying to convey that he knew who she was. He motioned towards the tunnel, tugging on her arm. There would be time for introductions later, when they could hear and weren't surrounded by hundreds of creatures.
Halfway up the tunnel, they ran into Adam and Megan. Kris waved at the pair. Megan had a scrape on her head, which Adam had bandaged already. Adam was holding a torch, and Kris could see the relief that crossed his face. Adam took a long look at Allison before motioning her to follow Megan out of the cave. Allison looked horrified. She waved her hands, trying to get them to follow, but Adam mouthed something at her. Kris couldn't quite make it out in the light. She still shook her head, but consented to have Megan take her out of the cave.
Kris cocked an eyebrow at Adam as if to ask what they needed to do. Adam tugged on his sleeve, and the two went back down the path to the main cavern. Adam scanned the cave, searching for something. He pointed to a very small Hobbler, clinging to a larger female Hobbler. Kris was horrified. Clearly, that Hobbler had once been a human toddler.
Adam pointed to Allison's now-empty cage, and Kris understood. Adam wanted a sample. He had no idea what for, but didn't stop to question. They couldn't have much more time before the veil of silence fell and the Hobblers came to. He ran to the cage, carrying it over to where Adam was carefully extracting the baby Hobbler from its "mother." He cradled it like a child, placing him in the cage with a hint of regret on his face. Kris turned the key and looked at Adam, who motioned towards the tunnel. Kris made Adam go first, checking over his shoulder for any sign of movement; ears straining to hear anything.
They made it to the entrance before Kris heard it; a roar of anger answered by a hundred others in chorus. The Hobblers near them hadn't woken yet - Kris supposed that the Hobbler's furthest from the sound blast would be the first to wake up.
"Run!" He screamed to Adam, hoping Adam's hearing was coming back as well. Kris drew both pistols and followed him, praying they had enough time to make their getaway. Once Adam was safely out of the cave, Kris turned around. They were being followed. He started counting them but decided it was safer to count them with bullets instead. Three fell before he crossed the threshold of the cave. Remembering the three on guard, he spun around just in time to see them stirring and grabbing a hold of their clubs. Kris shot again, one, two, three...he missed the third and had to waste another bullet. Only 5 shots left.
He sprinted, keeping Adam in his sights. Allison was seated just in front of Megan and Adam was almost to the horses. Kris turned again and fired off five shots, adding to the pile of Hobbler bodies that were now blocking the cave entrance. Still they came, and Kris kept running. Megan and Allison were already riding now, but Adam was mounted and had pulled the strange gun he had used on the bandit two nights ago. He waited for Kris to mount, firing the gun's single shot at the closest Hobbler. Kris watched over his shoulder as the creature fell to the ground, stunned but not dead, and made eye contact with Adam, who quirked his mouth in a sideways grin.
"Let's ride." He said, spurring Glamour beneath him. Conway responded too, not even needing Kris to tell her to get going. The two men tore across the open sand side by side, enjoying the sound of their horses’ hooves and the frustrated howls of the Hobblers behind them.
***
"You think she's gonna be alright?" Kris asked Scott, who adjusted his goggles and peered closely at Allison. Adam had insisted that she come back to the Laboratory for testing, in spite of her protestations that she felt fine. However, Kris looked at her shock pink hair and the slight blue cast of her skin and agreed with Adam. Allison hadn't wanted to argue with her savior, so she had consented to "a few tests."
Midway through Adam's standard battery of blood pressure, pupil dilation, and reflexes, Allison had slumped backwards onto the table, shaking violently. Adam ran for his medicine chest and pulled out a vial. He injected her arm with the substance as Scott held her down. In a few moments her body was still. Her skin had taken on a deeper shade of blue after the tremor, and Adam's countenance was cloudy and troubled.
"I need a few moments." Adam had said, retreating into the lab office. "Keep her still, and Scott...use restraints if she shows any signs of movement."
Not wanting to take the chance, Scott had strapped her into the table anyway, figuring it was easier while she was lying still.
"I am sure the Doctor will think of something to reverse the transformation." Scott said, brushing the pink hair out of her face. "He always does."
Kris thought back to yesterday morning and how his arm had lit up like fireworks. How the pain had dissolved, and how in that moment Kris's utter awe of him had been cemented. If anyone could save Allison, it was Adam. Leaving Scott to take care of Allison, Kris sank against the door to Adam's study, waiting for another blinding flash of Adam's genius.
***
EPITAPH
Lots of news this week, Weird West Readers. First of all, a follow up on the new Westport Children's Fund, a foundation started by Rev. Gokey. We've heard that the foundation has accepted a large donation from none other than Dr. Adam Lambert, inventor of the new Bluefire light. He doesn't reveal his formula, but folks; this is something that has to be seen to be believed. The lights come in clear glass cylinders, and when twisted, glow a brilliant blue. His intention is for these lights to be used to increase mine safety. Having sold the pattern to a factory out East, I predict that the Bluefire light will soon be lighting much more than mines.
Speaking of Dr. Lambert, we had an exclusive interview with a very pretty lady who let us in on the latest adventures of Dr. Lambert and Mister Arkansas himself. Apparently, a young woman had been kidnapped by Hobblers. My source tells me that Dr. Lambert and Arkansas rode to her rescue, killing the entire Hobbler colony with explosions that rendered everyone in a ten mile radius deaf and dumb for three hours!
No word on what sort of black magic Dr. Lambert conjured to produce his explosions, but you can be sure that the minute I hear more about it, you'll be the first to know. The half-hobbler girl is supposedly up at the Lambert Lab under close watch. If you're the praying type, I'd send a few her way. This reporter has never heard of a cure.
Till next week,
The Snoop
Chapter 5, Y'All