U.S.S.A HellField

Chapter 6 Bloody reunion

"Are you prepared for this stranger? The blood Witch is not just any wild creature, she's a being of raw fury. I've seen what she's done to those unlucky enough to encounter her, there's a reason she's called the blood witch..."  I cut him off with a point of my finger. - "I'm well aware, I met her not long after I first got here. Slavers or scavengers I don't know, brought me to her by those rocks just southwest of here; I couldn't fight back on account of having broken both legs on the descent."  He looked at me confused. -"Err, descent? As in you fell from the sky?" - "More or less."  The receptionist cleared her throat, I'm guessing to gain our attention.- "I suppose you're all prepared? Now you Damien will need a bail piece."  She hands me what looks to be a wanted poster for the witch, the only distinguishing features on the image being the purple skin, mystical tattoos, and messy golden hair. "Good luck to all of you, come back safely."  With that, we went off to go hunt down our target; maybe there I'll find some answers. 

I was the first one to leave. As I stood outside, I took a moment to look at the town's dark scenery. This place was so different from Seattle; Earth in general, thank god the air was breathable. The rest of them exited the building. Af'Ziel walked over and stood next to me.- "It's not pretty, but it's the only place I'd call home."  There was a question I wanted to ask him, about what destroyed this planet, there was a long history to this place. - "What happened to this planet? Why is everything in ruins?"  He stood there, silent for a few moments, he looked as if he was wondering the same thing.- "That is a question we have all pondered at least once, all I'll say for now is that it was quite a long time ago, not even the longest-lived species here know exactly how exactly it happened. The legends passed down the generations spoke of an event that sparked the great collapse, it's the reason the sands are red and moist with the blood of the Bi'lan, or so the stories say."  - "Wait, is that why the sand feels kind of wet? I call bullshit."  Af'Ziel chuckled dryly at my remark. - "I wouldn't expect an outsider such as yourself to understand our legends. Now we should get going, she's not going to be there forever."   

We decided to go our separate ways until we arrived at the meeting point, I still wasn't sure if I was in fighting shape, but it didn't matter; I was going to have to be. I made my way through the town and back to my vehicle, the thing was fairly rundown looking, I just hoped it could get me there and back before it breaks down. - "He was an interesting one, I can't wait to see him and his band of merry men in action. So...tell me about this witch you met? Is she as scary as we've heard?"  She asked hesitantly.  "Most instances of witches I've pulled up are ugly hags with green skin and crooked noses."  I thought back for a moment, trying to recall the details of her face, her features hidden by the messy hair that veiled most of her face. All I could remember seeing was her mouth and her gazing crimson eyes. I was so used to the vacant stares of splinters as they hungrily shifted towards me that I was taken aback by the predatory stare she gave me the entire time; what was she?  - "Yeah she was something, I've already fought one crazy monster woman, what's another?" 

The drive there was thankfully a peaceful one, I wish there were still fully formed roads I could drive on as the ride there was getting bumpy. - "Want to play a game?"  - "Fine, what kind?"  I've never had an A.I ask to play a game with me, but I guess it could help pass the time. - "Let's play eye spy, I'll start. Eye spy with your helmet's eye, something that starts with the letter s."  I looked over towards the big sun in the sky, it had to be that.- "The sun." - "Nope."  Metis giggled. - "Okay, how about sand?"  It giggled again. - "Still no, guess again."  We drove over a rough patch, causing the vehicle to shake. I shifted the stick to see if that would help with giving me a little extra power. I bumped around the rough terrain for a little bit then we cleared it and moved back onto another road. "Wooo that was fun, have you guessed it yet?"  I looked around again, what could it be if not those two things? - "It wasn't something we drove past was it?" - "Still no. That was a really rough patch, I just hope there aren't any subterranean worms or mouth pits."  I kept looking but I still couldn't see anything else but the sky, It didn't really matter, we were almost there. - "I give up, is it the sky?"  I could almost feel it shaking its head at me if Metis had a head that is. -"It's the stick shift silly, and I thought you were perceptive."  She laughed.