Lone Ranger Chapter 26

26.

Lance left the partner of his and made his way to the store. He had pushed open the door and stepped in. He was met by the hanging demon that was by its feet. The corpse was not one but it moved on the approach of Lance. It dropped down head down and landed on its feet.

“I am Corpus, the faithful servant of the White Doctor.” The figure introduced his name. “Your presence had interrupted the rest of mine.”

The figure was dressed only in the loincloth and his body was covered in inklings of the darker continent. He was short and dark satin shade on the skin. His head was covered with the short stringy cropped close to the scalp. He held a spear and its blade was half the full length with a full-height narrow shield made of the buffalo skin. The spear was named the Assegai famed by the Congo warriors.

“Brother of the plains, why do you hunt for the demon?” Lance spoke in the sound of the darker continent. “I am from the plains and yet I do not serve the demon.”

“He is a demon to you but to me, he is the demi-god,” Corpus replied. “I was once a slave to be sent here and then the White Doctor had me treated well. I have in return served him.”

“Does the buffalo feed with the lions?” Lance asked the other. “When hunger strikes, it will feed on you like any lions.”

“True but if I keep it fed, the feast on me may not be there.” Corpus stood with his legs spread and the spear. “You may be the feast the lion desired.”

With that, Corpus charged at Lance. The later sidestepped and cracked his palm across the satin shaded face. It was not a punch but a slap. It was an insult on the other to be slapped. Corpus fell back on the flooring and then rolled over with the shield raised. Lance moved in with his guns leveled at the fallen foe.

“Yield and we end the fight now,” Lance spoke to the other.  Corpus pushed himself up before standing upright. He looked to the man who had insulted him.

“I cannot change my vow. I am marked.” Corpus showed him the mark on the chest. It was the sign of the devil; the three hexagon design. “He has my soul. We are the undead.”

From the rear of Corpus, three more appeared in the same form. They spread out and leveled their spears at Lance.

“You can’t see us for we have the spell to merge and hide. We are of the same continent and our spells are shared there.” Corpus replied. We will fight you not with the spells but with the way of the warrior. I will challenge you alone and in the old ways.”

The Assegai and shield were tossed over to Lance’s feet. The three other warriors then disappeared back into Corpus. Lance unbuckled his gun belt and then picked up the spear with the shield. He had used it in the hunts before but his skill levels were way below that of any experienced warrior. He weighed the spear in his right hand to test the weight. It was lighter than the pike he once held at London Tower. He shifted his weight back and balanced on his soles. Just when he was getting ready, Corpus attacked him with a feigned thrust and then withdrew. Lance was startled and had retreated. He looked at the warrior and then planned his moves. His mentor then of the hunts was the Chieftain’s son.

“The way to kill the lion is not to maim but to kill with the single thrust.”

Lance used his shield to block the attacks while he moved freely along the sides. He skirted the stack of crates and supplies while evading the sharp attacks. He saw his move and used the assegai to push the other’s spear to the side while he leveled the shield to punch through at Corpus. The edge of the shield cut into the warrior’s chest and with a flap of the hand, the shield slapped the warrior in the face. Corpus retreated back on the second insult to his warrior way.

“You insult me once more, white one.” Corpus rubbed at the blood on his lower lips.

“I do not wish to kill you,” Lance replied. “There must be another way.”

“If there was, do you think I would have not saved myself and friends? We are cursed and until the final death shall we endure this curse.” Corpus stood upright and faced Lance. “End our curse.”

“I can do so with the silver bullets.” Lance motioned to his guns but Corpus shook his head.

“We are the warriors of the plains. We will die with honor by the blade of the plains. The one you hold has the silver dust-coated on it. We cannot use it on ourselves for it will be a dishonor to the Spirits but you can wield it.”

“Please do it, brother. Give us warrior death.” Corpus glared at Lance and yet his eyes pleaded for the swift death. Without hesitation, Lance thrust the Assegai into the other’s heart and then from there out of the spine. The thrust had pierced the dimension of the spirits and killed the other three warriors. Lance then knelt by the dead warriors and recited the prayers of safe passage to the spirits. It was then he saw the storage of the chamber. He saw the white slab there but it was empty. Whoever was inside had been removed. He saw then the explosives that were lined up there. They were placed there as a trap to be sprung or to cover the true purpose of the slab.

“If that was what he desired, then I will deliver his desires,” Lance muttered to himself. He turned to look at the dead warrior. “Your body will not be picked by the scavengers but delivered to the Gods with a clean spirit freed of the physical body.”

Lance sought the detonators and then set the timing. He then presses the detonators before he escapes the store. The explosions came hard and loud when Lance had cleared the store. He was thrown to the ground by the yard and then rolled over. He laid his eyes on the fire that was blazing at the store and soon spread to the other structures. The fort was soon inflamed and it was time to leave.

“Kemo-Sabe, you are a noisy devil in the making,” Tonto remarked to this partner.

It was then the explosives were heard from the river dam. It was followed by the noise of the wooden timbers that were used to hold the river water shaken by the loosen explosions slowly moved by the water pressure. The wooden timbers gave way and the river current held back then once more found its own flow. It spurted out and then poured in force. The river water out in force crashed into the wooden structure there and swept it off the foundation. The river released with its vengeance continued with its fury. The floodwater then was over the head swept the structure debris in its flow. With the original path of the river that once ran past the town, the flood water soon reclaimed its right once more.

The floodwater slammed into the wooden structures there and reinforced by the earlier debris, it was akin to a train in slamming into it. The wooden structures gave way and its inhabitants of many which were not warned in time drowned in the water. Survivors were seen struggling to float on the flooded water and some had succumbed to the current. The lucky ones were seen holding onto some floating debris or stubborn structures. Many were caught in between the ironclads and served as grim reminders of the repercussion of mother nature.

The floodwater surged on and tore down the standing structures before it reached the train wagons. The iron-clad foundation of the train withstood the flood water but its wooden wagons and carriages structures gave way when impacted. It would have held on with the combined network of trains lined in parallel lines but the debris of the flood soon moved the iron juggernauts. It was the first line that falters in holding onto the tracks and with the ground beneath the tracks eroded by the water it was soon weakened in its hold. The tracks gave way and it was then the juggernauts of iron clashed. There were no overturned iron wagons but they formed a platform with the impact. Despite all the carnage there, the steam rollers still stood tall with their stoves above the water levels.

The flat terrain assisted the flood with its damages. Even the army fort was swept by it but the duo who had prevailed in the fight had sought safety on an overturned wagon. They stood high there and watched the floodwater surged on. They had found salvation on a holding chimney stack made from the fire bricks. Its previous owner had constructed a solid wall to hold the chimney. The duo had held onto the structure with half their body in the water.

It was then Lance caught the sight of the demon.

“Tonto, I see the demon but who stands by his side?”