Lords of the Water Mark

For once in the desert wasteland, there was no wind. No sandstorms, no sudden little gusts, nothing. This meant good and bad news to the travellers of the region. The good news was that the sight was much, much better than usual, and that the chance of getting lost in the dunes was reduced dramatically. The bad news was that the sun shone even brighter on days such as this one, and that you'd soon perish to it's warmth if you weren't well prepared.

Fortunetly for Svensson, he was well prepared. A recently, very recently in fact (he'd seen the owner die of thirst a mere thirty minutes ago), looted umbrella gave him all the shelter he needed from the murderous sunbeams shining down from above. That, coupled with the water he had, was all the preparation he needed for the moment.

While standing on the top of a big dune of sand, the ghoul saw something interesting and set off towards it. Having climbed the next dune, he got a closer look at the interesting thing and decided to investigate it.

The big metal object gleamed in the sun, offering such an unique sight that Svensson just stood and stared at it for several moments. Then, his trance was broken by a sudden realization; someone was watching him.

He spun around instinctively, drawing a sawn-off shotgun from the back off his belt as he did.

 

Liz Greyson hated windless days. In order to survive the sun, she wore a massive hat woven from straw she'd once traded for her medical services and a poncho that reached her knees and covered almost her entire body. Anything more and she would be too weighed down to make good time, not to mention that she'd dehydrate even faster. Days like this were bad for her slowly dwindling supply of water.

She spotted a distinctly human shape in the distance and decided to abandon her usual solitude in hopes of being directed to a nearby settlement. She was well outside her usual stomping grounds, and her map was sketchy at best and downright wrong at worst.

As she got closer, the figure suddenly stiffened and then turned, aiming a shotgun at her. She raised her hands to show that she was, well, not unarmed but not planning to do any shooting in the near future.

"Truce?" she called to the man... oh, the ghoul. This was going to be interesting.

 

Under the hot desert sun, I walked through the dry and waterless wasteland, with Sam besides me. It has been a while that I stranded here, for my transport have died of a violent death some hours ago. Poisoned it seems, for he had a bluish tint on his lips. Through a quick inspection of his corpse, I came to the conclusion that he has died of slow working cyanide. That means, that someone has tried to stop me to solve this particular case, and that there is a traitor among the lads of the force.

Now that I am getting thirsty, I took out my full water skin and drank some of its precious water. After that, I gave it to Sam, who drank it very loudly. Then Sam gave it back to me.

'Who knew all about our travel plans, and things?” Sam asked me with a worried tone.

“Well... one thing is totally sure, that there is a traitor, among the force, who has told the culprit or culprits what we were doing. It will all be clear to me, if I have found enough clues to solve this case.” I said.

“Wait, have you seen that?” said Sam surprised, while he was pointing to the east.

Quickly, I took out the telescope out of my backpack, and I saw that there was a girl, and a man...no a ghoul were standing there on one of the dunes. “What in the name of the Gods, are they doing here? Are they like us, stranded here as well?" I said.

After a minute of silence, Sam said, “Perhaps they will know how to get back to civilization?”

“Perhaps indeed, but it would be safer for us, if we could join up with them, to get out of this bloody desert in safety. For a larger group could take on the dangers that roam in this place much better. Come my friend, let’s go and meet the strangers.”

 

Svensson sighed heavily. This was exactly the kind of situation he hadn't wanted to get himself into. Him pointing a gun at somebody, that was. Things always got so complicated once those pesky guns got involved. Then again, him pointing a gun at her was far better than the opposite.

He was going to have to do the first move. Weapons? he asked, expecting none but nevertheless staying cautious. She didn't look like much of a warrior, but you never knew with wastelanders.

Then, a flash of light caught his eye. He glanced towards it, and barely registered where it had come from before it vanished. A glass or metallic lense, then. Probably glass. Best case scenario? A looking glass. Worst case scenario? Sniper rifle. He hadn't much time to think; he hadn't even time to let the woman reply. Follow, he said while gesturing with the shotgun towards the edge of the metallic contraption before which they stood, Quickly.

Maybe now he'd manage to surprise whoever the other unexpected visitor was.

 

"Weapons?" the ghoul asked, and she indicated her hip and the pistol slung there with a quick wave of a hand. She didn't like using it, but sometimes was necessary. She briefly pondered telling him about her scalpels, but seeing as how she didn't use them as weapons, she decided not to.

"Follow. Quickly." he suddenly said, indicating the weird metal thing with the shotgun. Normally she'd just have put a couple of bullets in his spine and legged it, but so far his actions had been, well, restrained. Courteous, almost. You know, for an armed ghoul.

She shrugged once, dropped her hand to her pistol's grip, and followed.

 

When he'd made sure they both were covered by the metallic contraption, he turned to her and eyed her inspectively. He seemed to come to a decision in his mind, and pointed in the directiction he'd seen the flash of light. People coming, he said, Saw reflection. Maybe raiders. Can you fight?

He gave her a serious stare and indicated towards her gun with a small nod.

 

I and Sam came finally there at the place where I saw the ghoul and the girl through the telescope. There were nobody there, but I had the feeling that they were hiding, presumably behind the strange large metal thing. I presume that they have seen the reflection.

“Are they hiding for us?” Sam asked.

“Of course, it is very difficult for them to see from the distance, who or what we are. I think that they must have thought that we were raiders. Perhaps it’s better to get acquaintance with them, and show that we mean no harm” I said.

While brushing my brown suit, and my short dark hair to get rid of the blasted sand, I yelled “You can come out now, we mean no harm, and we not even those barbaric raiders, if you are thinking that. We only need some directions to the nearest town or place.”

 

Sweat. If there was anything a mutant could do on a day like today, it was sweat. Howard hated the heat's effect on his large body, considering he already had to drink more water than the average man. It wasn't all bad, though, what with the cap value of his cargo. He stopped just outside of a small town to check on his inventory, and Wiggles. Both were in fine shape, though Wiggles did smell a bit.
Howard whistled to wake Wiggles, and the mutant guinea pig hopped out of the large ruck sack with a look of intrigue. Howard gave Wiggles a quarter bottle of water. Knowing he had upwards of two gallons with him, he figured that in the worst case scenario (no water in town), he'd be able to last at least another...shit, three days. Well, with the caps he'd make, he could survive in town by buying drinks in bars and waiting for a water shipment.
Wiggles climbed up onto Howard's shoulder, and Howard got out his notepad and a pencil. He showed the town's guards a note;
I can't talk. Can you read?
The larger guard looks at the note, and stutters,
Uh...y-y-yeah...?
Howard smiles, because he already has everything he needs to say written down, and won't need to draw pictures in this heat.
I'm a wanderer, I've come to restock on supplies and trade with your town.
T-that's a pretty big gun if all you're doing is t-trading...
Wiggles chatters angrily.
I'm a maker of explosives and firearms, as well as armor. I can help you to outfit your guard.
As guard c-c-captain, I allow to you make y-yourself at home. No funny b-business, alright?
Howard smiled again, and Wiggles calmed down.
Noticing an apothecary, Howard decided to unload his radscorpion stingers first. He noticed a man rushing out of the store with a bewildered look on his face, and then walked right in.

 

Liz quickly peeked around the edge of the metal contraptionat the stranger. He was decently well dressed, and he didn't have any visible weapons, which was a nice change. Then again, the man had a mutated hyena with him, so he probably didn't even need a gun.

"Me first," she said to the ghoul, and carefully stepped out into the glaring sun once more, hands held loosely at her sides. Today was shaping up to be a very peculiar day indeed.

"Hi," she said to the man in the brown suit, smiling without humour.

 

The ghoul took the opportunity to sneak away to the other side of the metallic object, thus outflanking the newcomers. He dared one quick glance to find out how many there was, and saw the man and his pet. Two of them, then, but only one carried a gun. That gun had to be taken away. Fortunetly for him the man and his hyena was focused on the woman for the time being, so he decided to move.

You, he said as he stepped out into the sun, his shotgun pointing at the man in the brown suit, Take off the jacket. Remove any weapons. Now.

 

After some minutes, I saw that the woman came out with some caution from behind the strange metallic object. She said "Hi," while smiling without any humor. Through the way she dressed and by her behavior, I could see that this girl was not a warrior. Nevertheless, everyone can use a weapon or a gun when they are in danger. Now I must proceed with caution, for I need some help and directions here from this woman, and the ghoul.

“Good day, miss. It has been awhile that we have seen a life soul in this blasted wasteland, so I am very happy to see one again. My name is John Clark, and this is my colleague and companion Sam.”

Suddenly I saw from the corner of my eye, a sudden movement. It’s seems that the ghoul outflanked me, and he is pointing a shotgun to me.

You, he said as he stepped out into the sun, his shotgun pointing at me, Take off the jacket. Remove any weapons. Now.

With caution, I took off my jacket, and dropped it down on the ground. Then I slowly took out my gun, by holding it with my thumb and index finger of my right hand, and put it down on the ground. After that I unsheathe my sword and knife put it next to my gun.

“Now look mister, I know that you are very careful, and I appraised that, but could you please stop pointing that shotgun at me?” I said, and showed my PI Badge.

“I am John Clark, PI, and I and Sam need some help with the directions to the nearest town, or any place to warn my client, who is very important. Some hours ago our transport died from a slow working poison, meaning that someone tried to stop me to solve this very delicate case.

There is high chance that the culprit or culprits wants to finish the job, and there is greater possibility, that they would not hesitate to kill you both as well. That’s why we should team up. Don’t worry; I am not here to harm any of you.”

 

Wiggles began to twitch as Howard took the caps into his belt pouch, and suddenly a man wearing a stinger glove burst through the back door of the apothecary. Wiggles leapt from Howard's shoulder and landed on the counter, paused by a snap from Howard's fingers.
Howard knew the owner of the store was definitely on something, and his presence alone must've been alarming. And now, there were splinters of the back door scattered on the floor, underfoot of the man armed for bear.
Wiggles seemed to calm down, but kept chattering as he watched the man with the glove.
Howard realized the smile had faded from his face. He brought it back out, and produced a note;
Hot enough for ya?

 

Wrong. Big trouble to us. People looking for you. Could hurt us too if they found you, he said, while still keeping the shotgun pointed at the man in spite of his request for its removal. This guy looked like bad business to Svensson, who quickly decided that inspection of the metal object would have to wait. What he really needed right now was to get out of there. He would at least offer the woman a chance to do the same before he went.

He turned slightly towards the woman and said, without taking his eyes off the man and his strange pet, I'm leaving. You should, too. There's a settlement nearby, should head towards it.

And with that, he disappeared behind the edge of the metal object and set off over the dune behind it at an impressive speed, leaving the two of them to their fate.

 

"Wrong. Big trouble. People looking for you. Could hurt us too if they found you." he said while he points his shotgun at me.

"Listen, you do not have to worry, because I quite sure that they do not know where we are now. I have hidden our dead transport and further traces that could let them to us." I said.

The ghoul did not answer, but he turned slightly toward the woman without taken his eyes off me and my friend. "I am leaving. You should, too. There is a settlement nearby, should lead towards it." And then he left us to our fate.

Now only the girl was left on this spot. I picked up my stuff, and smiled without humor as well.

"I know for sure, that you want to leave as well. You could at least tell me your name, and accompany us, to the nearest settlement. After that we will go on our own."