Chapter 4 – Butress & HS

Last time on BTL: The Gatherum continued as Jupe waltzed into Burnsy’s bar. He brought with him his companion, a majestic grey wolf. This prompted the Queen’s guard to have an argument with our heroes and they quickly disposed of the threat. When things were getting back to normal, a vortex appeared and Butress (now apparently human) and HS stepped out of the hole in space. Let’s go!

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There are some things mortals should not see. In a land far away from magical and human eyes, in the hidden recesses of a dark mountain range, deep underground below sea level, torches flicker fighting against the heavy darkness. Little do the torches know that the darkness is living and could extinguish it without a thought. What light the torches do give off reveals movement within one of the larger caverns deep beneath the mountaintops.

A figure moves into the light. Quivering white hands holding a wooden bowl come into view. Arms covered by the sleeves of a black robe outstretch. Torches, try as they might, cannot pierce all of the darkness. Shadows that move against the light, cover one torch extinguishing it and lighting another as the darkness moves along the damp cool stone wall. As the arms and hands move forward towards the far wall, the hooded figure looks towards his destination.

Closer the figure glides. One hand is taken off of the bowl, reaching down into the darkness and returning with a blade. Stopping, the figure has reached its goal. Two torches that rest on the wall are allowed to shine their light enough for the hooded figure to find just what he needs. The arms and hands rest the bowl on a nearby table. They then go up to the hood and slide the material off, to the midsection to untie the belt, and then finally to the shoulders to take off the robe.

The extremities go back to the bowl. One hand issues a command of “come forth” and out of the living darkness another figure appears before them. The hands go over to a third figure who is bound against the wall, his back facing the other two. With the blade, the hand makes an incision on the small of his back. An ooze of pure white pours forth into the bowl. The blade then goes to his own arm and makes a cut and blood seeps from the wound. Holding out the bowl, the second figure drinks from the bowl and then drinks from the arm.

“My army of darkness begins here,” he whispers to himself.

After the drinking is done from his arm, he sets the bowl against the side of the bound being. After the bowl has been sufficiently filled, another figure steps out of the living darkness and comes into the light. This one also drinks from the bowl. His lips touch the white liquid inside. And as the drinking progresses, the lips brush against a white feather that has dropped into the bowl.

With his back to the torches, the unrobed figure can be seen from behind. The torches with all of their might extend their power to reveal two oozing wounds from his shoulder blades.

There are some things a mortal should not see.

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*Flick* *Flick* *Flick* *Flick*

Butress’s eyes focused on Gunblaze.

“I can’t get this damn thing lighted!”

Gunblaze grabbed the zippo that he had previously handed to Butress. “Can’t imagine why. I filled this thing up before we got here.”

Burnsy looked at him questioningly. “What…before you got here to the bar?”

Gunblaze looked at the ceiling to focus his thoughts. “Nope. Before we got to here…Acadia.”

“You knothead! That was three years ago!”

Gunblaze thought about this for a second. Before he could say anything, HS leaned over and whispered something into Butress’ ear. Butress hung his head, placed the cigarette into his mouth, utter a phrase, and the cigarette lit.

“Gawdammit!” he lifted his shaky hand up to the cigarette and took it out of his mouth. “Back when I was mostly machine, it kept me from being addicted to these god-awful things. Now…” he quivered it back and drew from it heavily.

It was the first time I had noticed that he was no longer “whirring” when he moved. Somehow, someway, whether it was cosmetic or for real, Butress had human arms, chest, legs…everything. I asked the question everyone wanted to but didn’t have the gall.

“What happened to you?”

Butress put a new cigarette into his mouth. “Heh. My good friend here decided to swap parts with me.”

Gunblaze stuck his arm out and pointed to each of us. “THAT’S why it doesn’t light…out of fluid!”

Ignoring him I looked over at HS who was dressed in earth tones of green and brown. “You gave him your hands?” HS held out his arms and the familiar “whirring” came from him. Metallic gloves stuck out from the coat he wore. “And more,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Whatever for?” asked Jupe unbelieving.

“Observe.” said HS. With lightning speed, his arms and hands blurred as they moved, he grabbed his ornate longbow, drew several arrows and rapidly fired them. They all landed against the farthest wall. In the same place. One on top of the other.

Our mouths hung open. HS turned to us. “Less humanity means more efficiency.”

Burnsy had his hand on his chin scratching his two day stubble. “Waitaminnit. You mean to tell me that some of you is in him?” Butress nodded to the question. “An summa you is in him?” HS nodded also. Burnsy nodded slightly and extended his index finger without taking his hand off his chin. “Then you guys swapped juices! Yuck!”

HS hung his head. “Is there an Acadian word for ‘redneck’? We simply and accurately believed that this change would benefit us and any adventures we go on. Butress would be able to become focused and better commune with his natural spells and I an even better marksman with no human frailties.”

“That’s like Jupe and I kissin’ or sumpthin’!” yelled Burnsy.

“HEY! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, fanboy!” growled Jupe.

I was about to calm them both down when I noticed a figure at the door. Hooded, dressed in a black cloak, the tall figure stood motionless at the entryway. He didn’t say anything nor move a muscle. All he held onto was a large walking stick that was as high as his head. My eyes focused past Burnsy’s accusing arm stretching out towards Jupe and saw that the staff was not a staff but a rifle, a sniper rifle.

Burnsy moved into my view by leaning over the table with his torso. He turned his head to look at me and pointed at HS.

“Did he call me a redneck?”

Not looking at him, still trying unsuccessfully to calm the raging storm in my mind I told him under my breath, “Excuse me, I have to go kick someone’s ass.”

-And the final introduction goes to…the hooded figure!