Lone Ranger Chapter 44

44.

Tonto squints his eyes when he saw what may resemble a storm on the horizon. He motioned to Lance to take a look. The later took a look and then cursed.

“Its riders and they looked menacing,” Lance called out. “We got to….ride.”

Lance reluctantly mounted the bike and watched Tonto climbed in. The later pulled out the rifle and checked the ammo. Lance looked around him to spot any place he can find cover and fight if need be. He was warned that once he was near to Hades, the first to meet them will be the riders.

“In Hades, there are riders and riders.” Michael had cautioned them. “Hades had them for the scouts and at times, the soldiers to battle the unwanted.”

“If you see them, shoot first or run.” Michael also told them.

Lance turned the throttle but his eyes were on the landscape. The place they were on was a flat plateau some distance higher from the plains. The plateau there was dry sands without any vegetation or trees. The sands there were reddish in the shades and with the breeze then, it was already raising it to their ankles. As mentioned earlier, there were no signs of any living or dead creatures. If there were leftovers like bones, it probably has been eaten or blown away.

Lance has ridden the bike on the plateau and then saw the small opening that he could ride off the plateau. It beats riding to the rear and going down the same way they came earlier. He turned the wheel and headed there. It was a narrow path but wide enough for them to ride through. Tonto was not that keen for his sidecar was hovering on the edge most times. The bike did not skid but the ride was bumpy on the godforsaken trail. Lance managed to make the ride safely down and from there it was on the plains with the riders some lengths away. He then turned the bike and rode hard in the opposite direction. He saw the next place to hide ahead; it was the shallow valley nearby. Lance sped up and soared into it before he stepped on the brakes to stop. The wheel locked and the bike swerved to the right before it finally stops.

Tonto jumped off the sidecar and ran to the edge. He peeked over with the rifle nestled close to his arms. It was not an inviting scene for the riders were still onto them. He made a count and then cursed.

“I got twenty-five there,” Tonto replied. “You got any more to help us?”

Lance ignored the comment and joined the sidekick on the edge. He saw the approaching riders and was lost of what was to be done. He could make out the garbs on the riders. It was not any garbs but strips of cloth that was wrapped like the wrappings of the Mummy. They also wore what appeared to bone around their neck. They were carrying huge long bones in their hands and their ride was not any bike but some hideous creature on four legs with a huge frame that was close to a bison. The creature had a huge head like the bison but its jaws displayed the huge four fangs that protruded two from the top and two from the bottom. The creature was covered in a thick fur that was striped between red and black. To the rear of the creature was its spiked tail. The riders rode the creature barebacked and held their mount on the long fur on top of the neck. They were no formations in their ride but they were drawing up a lot of clouds of dust which at a distance appeared like a storm.

And storms drew attention.

Lance saw then the pack headed their way was pursued by another pack of bigger numbers. The second pack numbered more in numbers. They wore what appeared to be skin leathers in the overcoat and sharp-pointed headgears and were carrying long spears. They were also riding the furry creatures like the other riders. With their bigger numbers, they were the ones raising the dust to the storm level. All the riders were approaching fast and then the unexpected happened.

From the plateau side, a section broke away and moved forward from the plateau, another set of rock creature stepped out. Huge creatures were standing at over four times the height of Man and with an equally huge frame. The creature looked like a Man but it had three legs and four upper limbs with a huge oblong head. Its body surface looked to be of sands and rocks. It staggered when it stepped from the plateau and then it balanced itself on the three legs. It held a club that was made of rocks a shield of the same. It stepped forth and then stopped.

The first group reached the giants and turned to face their pursuers. The bigger group stopped then and spread out widely. The lead rider from the first group rode up to approach the bigger group.

“Come hither and we will fight.” The rider called out and was booed by the bigger group.

“Do not ever come into our land again. We won’t hesitate to kill you.” The leader of the second group replied. “We have our master back now and will not negotiate with your kind anymore. And we do not fear your Nephilim anymore. Show them.”

Four of the riders from the bigger group rode forward and tossed what appeared to be a belt of small containers. The belts swung high and landed on the Nephilim on the shoulder and one wrung around the neck. The Nephilim reached for it and it was then the explosion was heard. The belts contained explosives and ripped the Nephilim off its upper frame. The giant staggered on its three legs before it stopped motionless like a broken statue. With that the bigger group retreated, leaving the first group standing in despair at the loss one of their guardians. The lead rider turned his beast to ride but was stopped.

“Necro, do not attack. Their master is back, and we are powerless.” The other riders stopped their leader. “We can only pray that the others will return to help us.”

“Others? They are all gone. We are the last ones.” One of the riders spoke up. “Our wait had been too long.”

“We must prevail.” The lead rider looked to the others. “We are not the Fallen but the Angels. Believe in ourselves. Father has always advised us.”

The lead rider then from his back, the feathers wings spread out wide and soared to the sky before he fell. The rider had then collapsed down to the ground. The other riders dismounted to approach the fallen rider.

“Let us go back to our caves to recover.”