Lone Ranger Chapter 20

20.

Lance had woken up to find himself in chains attached to the wooden walls of the train. He was unarmed and his mask was removed. He looked at his prison and found himself inside a moving wagon of the train. There were straws on the flooring indicating that he was on a horse wagon. He checked his body and found besides some bruises he was fine. His shackles were of iron and clasped tight on his wrists.

“The Lone Ranger is awake.” The sentry standing guard there called his officers in the wagon. Lance counted five of them including the sentry. They were dressed like Union Army but their gun belts spoke of the German design. The M1879 revolver with its six bullets load was a standard-issue by the German Army and also used in the darker continent. The revolver was attached by the lanyard ring attached to the uniform.

“I am Herr Schmidt of the Free Germany Force.” The figure with the lieutenant pips on the shoulder addressed Lance. He was bald-headed and have a stick of the mustache over the upper lips below the nose bridge.

“I am honored to addressing the Lone Ranger. Your exploits have intrigued me with the numerous prints and I am deeply honored.”

“However” The lieutenant continued on. “Your capture had displayed your vulnerability. My hero the great Arminius, the greatest chieftain who defeated the Roman have never been capture until his death by his rival chiefs. Capture by the greater Romans; never before.”

“I will never be capture. I will prefer death to imprisonment.” Lieutenant Schmidt declared himself. “I will die by my gun.”

With that, the Lieutenant smashed his right fist into the Lone Ranger’s face. He then handed out the mask that was worn by the other. He placed it on over his eyes and smiled.

“Whoa! I see my papa and mama. The crisp look fits them.” The lieutenant beamed out the wide smile. “I know you are hurt but I was bad. And there is Rosie. Hello, my dear. I know you disliked the missing left arm but you were bad with it. And hello to you, Major Todt.” The lieutenant kept on bawling on the ones he had killed which had appeared as spirits.

 “Keep at it. I am not scared of you. In fact, I hate you all.”

With that, the Lieutenant once again smashed his fist into the Lone Ranger’s face. He turned his swing and hit the face once more.

“All of you can die for all I cared”.

It was then the inkling on Lance’s body twitched and then moved in a state of agitation. Lance jerked on his shackles and then arched his body forward before he felt the intense pain on his spine. It was not the Noir Spike or the Scimitar but the inkling of the Desai Shield. The tattoo was inked on the spine and down to the cleft of his butt. The tattoo had no discerning words like the others but it came alive on the punches. It spread out over his chest and overtook the other tattoos. It was ready to strike when Lance heard the command.

“Hold this over his head.” The voice came from the far side of the wagon. Lance snaked a look at the voice and saw it was Hawkins. The later was holding the serpent in his hands. “The venom of the serpent will stop his protection spell.”

Lance received another blow to his face before he saw the Lieutenant holding the serpent to his face. It was a pit viper and it was spewing its poison secretion out of its jaws. Lance struggled hard on the shackles but it was to no avail. The serpent was held close to his nose and its forked tongue was flicking at the sweat there. Lance moved his face but the viper was held there. The Desai Shield had subsided on the appearance of the viper.

“Lone Ranger, you are not the only one familiar with the spells of the darker continent. I am one who had traveled far and wide.” Hawkins replied. “I heard about your inklings and sensed it when we last met. There is no hiding from one who knew of the spells, Lance Wayne Bernard.”

Lance turned to glare at the arch-enemy of his. It was then he studied the other in detail. The other was pale looking with the high cheeks and deep red eyes. Those eyes were seen probing into his mind and soul.

“Your brother was a pest to be removed. His alter ego got the better of him. He should have settled for the bank robbers and horse thieves.” Hawkins continued on. “I had no choice but he was different from you. You hold something personal to me. We may have crossed the path in the darker continent and yet not know of it.”

Lance searched his mind for those he had met there but there were so many. He had met adventurers to students and also the occasional trader. He did not recall the meeting if any happened before.

“I was there in the Congo and even to where the roar of the river could be heard for miles. I stayed with the tribes and ate their food while watching their dances. The special sessions to learn the spells of the tribes and how to counter combat the curses. They named me the White Doctor.”

It was the name which surprised Lance. He had heard of the name from the mouths of the elders but he ignored it. The White Doctor was a notable figure among the healers. He had not heard of the doctor performing bad deeds there.

“I was on a quest then. I have a need to find the protection spells to safeguard my treasure.” Hawkins explained more. “I have been to the East but it was there I found my right spells.”

“Behold the Noir Spikes.” The spikes appeared out of thin air and soon at Lance. It went like dark spikes to punch at the head. The spikes were like long nails that pierced the flesh there. Lance screamed out in pain from the pain before he blacked out.