[Mkguild] MK: Dust IX Corrected Version

[Jack Moore]

AN: The earlier version I sent out was from the wrong draft. Sorry for the
confusion.

MK: Dust IX

“Get behind me.” Emma said. Sebastian began to protest but she growled him
down. Her bullets clattered against the ground as she refilled the gun as
fast as she could with steel tipped rounds. “Stay behind me.”
“It’s a Rifter.” Sebastian whispered. “I’ve never seen one.”
“It’s a Rifter,” Emma confirmed, “Just a Rambler but they don’t usually
come out in the day.” She raised her gun, aiming at the Rifter’s forehead.
“Don’t move or run, stay with me. If you run it’ll go after you.” Sebastian
nodded.
Emma and the Rambler sized each other up. It’s gnarled fingers kept pointed
at the two. The air began to blow again but this time not slowing down.
Emma quickly glanced at the finger.
And saw the air in front of it beginning to spin inches off his claw.
A hammer of wind strong as a battering ram hit Emma square in the chest
sending her flying. The entire world briefly backed out only to come back
as she crashed into the dirt head first. Her entire body screamed in pain.
“Emma!” She watched Sebastian turn towards her just in time for the Rifter
to begin moving towards them. It planted its massive arms into the ground
and swung forward, leaping into the air towards them.
“Muh-muh!” The Rifter raised a massive fist. “Move!” Sebastian hesitated
for a second, but didn’t even look back. He leapt to the right and the blow
crashed into the ground.
The force of the blow still knocked Sebastian on his back. The Rifter’s
fist was embedded up to his wrist. Emma scrambled for her gun, grabbing it
up and firing.
Bang!
The bullet struck the Rifter in the throat. A spray of white coated the
grass in specs of milky white. The wound instantly began to shrink, within
seconds it was gone.
The Rambler faced Emma. It cocked its head as if contemplating her. Emma
raised her arm again, trying to aim at the monster's head. Unfortunately
the shock of hitting the ground had left her arm shaking. She fired again.
This shot skimmed off the side of the Rambler’s head, leaving another white
streak. The Rambler dipped its claws in the blood before the wound sealed
shut.

The Rambler’s blood on his claws ignited. The blood behind it ignited as
well, causing a U of fire to flare up around the two.

“Yeah and fuck you too.” Emma snarled. Her arms were aching but she tried
to aim again as the Rambler prepared to strike.

It lunged as Emma fired her third bullet. The flaming claws struck Emma in
her shoulder, but the bullet struck the Rambler in the center of its head.
The claws slid through her flesh and burned her fur.

She didn’t scream.
The bullet had gone straight through the X shaped crest. White blood
dribbled down its face and out the back of its head. The Rambler froze.
It then began to spasm uncontrollably, jerking its claws out in the
process. It fell onto its back and vibrated against the ground. Emma pulled
her sword out and swung it down.
The Rambler’s head rolled off. It landed next to the edge of the flames.
Sebastian, watching from a distance, walked over and helped Emma to her
feet.
“Thanks.” Emma said, dusting herself off. “But we…” She glanced down for
her two bags of coins, noting she hadn’t heard them jingle.
The two bags sat right beside the corpse. Watching it Emma knew she could
grab it. She could push Sebastian to safety. She couldn’t do both.
“We have to get back from the corpse!” Emma said.
“Why?” Sebastian asked. She leapt and knocked him away, just in time for
the corpse to burst into flames. They flared upward, taller than Emma and
burning as hot as the sun. The bags of coins were consumed by the flames.
Within a minute though the body had been consumed and the fires burned out.
All that remained was ash in the field. Emma watched the wind blow it away.
And there goes my money. Because of course. Her companion gave her a
sympathetic smile.
Neither Emma nor Sebastian spoke at first. Then Sebastian began to laugh.
And Emma joined him.
For Sebastian it was because he had survived. For Emma it was the insanity
of continuing this trip for free. Only when her blood began to dribble on
the ground did the two stop.
“You’re bleeding!” Sebastian said, finally noticing her shoulder. Emma held
up a hand.
“I’m okay.” She said. “But we need to get moving. Rifters taste blood in
the air, they come running, day or night.”
“I have to patch you up.” Before Emma could protest Sebastian had undone
the cloth tied over his hands and began to tie it over the wound. His
fingers were rougher than she liked.
“Thank you so much Emma,” Sebastian said as he tied up the cloth, “You
saved my life...”
“And lost my payment.” Emma said. Sebastian gave a weary nod. “Let’s just
get you to Metamor, without another incident.” The blood had left a large
stain on her shirt and left her fur matted and sticky.
“I would like that.” Sebastian said. He examined her fur around the cut,
“You’ll have to wash up later.” He said, “I’m afraid I’ve done all I can
do. There we go.” Sebastian stepped back with a smile, enjoying seeing his
work. “Feeling okay to keep going?”
“I have to be.” Emma said. Sebastian was moving his hands as he spoke, but
now Emma could see something on his uncovered hand.

The part of his hand that had been covered in a white cloth was dirt free,
unlike the palms of his fingers. And since it was clean she could see
something written there. Drawn in black ink was a large number 4.
'What the hell?' Emma tired not to stare but her eyes kept drifting towards
it. Finally she forced her eyes away.
“We need to keep going.” Emma said. “The sun will have set by the time we
arrive, and the Rifters will be out. I was told Rifters avoid Metamor,
dunno if that’s true. But we need to get our camp set up.”
“Right!” The two took off again. Now they ran in bursts, Sebastian having
to slow and catch his breath. Emma finally grabbed his arm and kept him
moving. “Sorry, I’m out of shape.”
“And you’ll be dead if you stop, keep moving.” Emma said. They made it back
into the woods, again over grown. Emma pulled out her sword and began to
cut through the branches.
“I’m impressed with how you killed that monster.” Sebastian said.
“Ramblers are one of the weakest Rifters.” Emma said through grit teeth.
“You gotta cut off the head to kill ‘em. They can’t regrow that.” She
ducked under a branch but several of them scratched up her back. “Damn it!
How long has it been since someone lived here?”
“About four hundred years.” Sebastian said. Emma grumbled out profanity as
they continued on. “I know some things about Rifters, but only what I’ve
seen in books. I heard they could ignite their blood but I’ve never seen it
before.”
“They do it with their minds.” Emma said. “Don’t know how.”
“Well they don’t leave bodies to examine.” Sebastian said. “I knew they
only can be killed by severing their heads or burning them up, but why did
you shoot it in the center of the head?.” Emma growled at her guest but he
remained oblivious.
“I don’t like talking about Rifters.” Emma said. Sebastian just kept on
smiling. “Just something I learned in the army. Shoot them in the center of
the X, they’ll start shaking. The X heals slower than everything else.
Easiest way to cut them off.”
“I’m glad you learned that.”
By now the woods were awash in bands of shadow between golden light. Emma’s
blade smashed through wood as fast as she could. The simple act allowed her
to avoid thinking about how she would no longer be paid.. Her fur was thick
with sweat and Sebastian was close behind her. He was grabbing the wood she
choped with her sword.
“Why are you holding that?”
“We’ll need to start a fire when we get there.” Sebastian said. The two cut
through the last of the branches. Sebastian began to clap, “Look look!”
In front of them rose a hill. Topping it was a stone wall in ruins with a
massive open gateway, long since rotten. Rising above it was a castle in
pieces, casting a shadow over the entire valley.
Metamor Keep.
“We made it!” Sebastian laughed. Now he began running with speed Emma
didn’t think he had. She struggled to keep up with him. Emma’s paws pounded
against the ground as they sprinted up the hill. As the sun drifted under
the hills the two crossed into the Keep.
“We made it.” Sebastian laughed, standing just inside the castle. “We made
it!” Emma for her part collapsed against a wall and sank to the ground.
“We’ll need to start a fire.” Emma said. “I have matches. No food though.”
“It’ll be okay.” Sebastian said. “We made it. We’re safe.” She nodded.
'We’re safe.'
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