Warpath, p.1
Warpath, page 1
part #7 of The Legend of Andrew Rufus Series
Copyright © M.M. Crumley 2019
All rights reserved. Published by Lone Ghost Publishing LLC,
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Lone Ghost Publishing LLC.
Andrew Rufus and all related characters and elements are trademarks of
Lone Ghost Publishing LLC.
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Author: Crumley, M.M.
Title: THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS: WARPATH
Series: The Legend of Andrew Rufus; 7.
ISBN: 9798652283902
Target Audience: Ages fourteen though adult
Subjects: Apprentices-fiction/ Fantasy/ Juvenile Fiction/ Action & Adventure/ Survival Stories / Legends, Myths, Fables, Lore, Hero's/ Fantasy & Magic/ Urban Fantasy / General Awesomeness and All Things Epic.
Also available in this series
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS: DARK AWAKENING (Book 1)
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS: BONE DEEP (Book 2)
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS: BLOOD STAINED (Book 3)
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS: BURIAL GROUND (Book 4)
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS: DEATH SONG (Book 5)
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS: FUNERAL MARCH (Book 6)
This is a work of fiction, which means it's made up. Names, characters, peoples, places, and incidents (stuff that happens in the story) either are gifts of the ether, products of the author's resplendent imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead or dying, businesses or companies in operation or defunct, events, or locals is entirely coincidental.
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS
WARPATH
BOOK 7
M.M. Crumley
For survivors.
It's so much harder to conquer than to cave.
Also by M.M. Crumley
Urban Fantasy
THE IMMORTAL DOC HOLLIDAY SERIES
BOOK 1: HIDDEN
BOOK 2: COUP D'ÉTAT
BOOK 3: RUTHLESS
BOOK 4: INSTINCT
BOOK 5: ROGUES
BOOK 6: EMPIRE
BOOK 7: OMENS
BOOK 8: CHASM
BOOK 9: FERAL
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS SERIES
BOOK 1: DARK AWAKENING
BOOK 2: BONE DEEP
BOOK 3: BLOOD STAINED
BOOK 4: BURIAL GROUND
BOOK 5: DEATH SONG
BOOK 6: FUNERAL MARCH
BOOK 7: WARPATH
https://www.loneghostpublishing.com/
Prologue
"Surprise," a voice whispered from behind him.
The color drained from Andrew's face, and his body went cold as he slowly turned. She was there. In his kitchen. Her long, black claws wrapped around his mother's throat. Hate and dark power radiated out from her in waves. Her eyes were mad, her face crazed.
"Did you miss me, boy?" she purred, lips tilting into a ghastly smile.
Before he could speak, before he could move, the Black Shaman's hand twisted, and he was deafened by the snap of his mother's neck.
Chapter 1
Andrew Rufus stood perfectly still, watching helplessly as the Black Shaman disappeared and his mom collapsed lifelessly to the floor. He didn't breathe; he didn't move; he didn't blink. This was all a dream, a nightmare; if he closed his eyes he'd wake up.
He forced his eyes shut, but when he opened them, his mom was still lying on the scarred linoleum, eyes empty, head twisted at a ghastly angle.
He dropped to his knees, a sob tearing from his throat. It wasn't possible! It couldn't be possible! They had won. They had fought, and they had won. The Black Shaman was dead! Pecos had killed her. He had seen Pecos kill her. Ahanu had said she was dead.
He reached out a trembling finger and touched his mom's face; her skin was already growing cold. He looked at her through the power; she was dead. There was no life spark. No glow. Nothing.
"No… no… no," he mumbled, dragging himself across the floor and cradling her face between his hands. He channeled the power into his hands, more and more. Light blazed from his fingers, and he tried to push it into her, trying to heal her. He pushed and pushed, begging it to heal her, but the power wouldn't go. It wouldn't leave his hands.
She was dead, and there was nothing he could do, no trade he could make, no bargain he could offer. Even if he knew how to call Death, he couldn't offer his life for hers. If he did, who would save them? The Black Shaman was alive and well. And she was here, in his time, and he was all alone.
Tears rolled down his cheeks. She had killed his mom. His mom was dead because of her, and Andrew hated her. He hated the Black Shaman more than he'd ever hated anyone or anything in his entire life. He despised her with his entire being.
He dragged his fingers softly over his mom's eyelids, closing them; he couldn't stand her frozen look of terror. He hated that he would remember her like this. Scared, dead, gone.
He was alone, all alone. It was just him against her. He had no one. Pecos wasn't here. Doyle wasn't here. Terror rolled over him, drowning him in fear. What was he going to do? What could he do? She was going to destroy the world.
He ground his teeth in anger. He was going to kill the Black Shaman. He was going to hunt her down and kill her with his bare hands. Steal the life from her as she had stolen it from his mom. It didn't matter that he wasn't strong enough. He'd find a way.
Andrew's breath caught. She was here. In his world; in his time. He dropped his mom's head and scrambled for the telephone.
Pick up, pick up, he begged.
"Hello?" Clara's cheery voice jumped across the line.
"Clara! Go to the Raven's Nest, now! Take your dad; don't let anyone or anything stop you!"
"Andrew? Is that you? Are you home?" Clara's voice trembled.
"I don't have time; I need you to go!"
"But Andrew, you've been gone almost two years; is it really you?"
Two years? He'd been gone two years?! Why had Ahanu chosen to send him back to this moment? Why couldn't he have sent him back a day ago, five days ago, anything but this moment? Did Ahanu know? Did he know the Black Shaman was going to kill Andrew's mom?
"Andrew?"
"Tell me you'll go."
"Okay."
"Promise me! You'll go right now."
"Yes; I promise. I'll go."
"Don't leave once you're there." Andrew disconnected and quickly dialed Fred's number.
Fred answered immediately. "Andrew?"
"Go to the Raven's Nest, right now; take your family and anything else you need, but be quick."
Fred didn't argue, just said "Okay."
Andrew dialed one final number. "Aylen?"
"Andrew? Are you okay?"
"She's here." His voice threatened to crack. He still couldn't believe it, wouldn't if his mom wasn't lying right there. "We didn't win. She's here."
"I know."
Andrew was silent for a moment, too stunned to speak. "You do?" he whispered.
"Yes."
"Have you always known?!" he demanded, anger at Aylen and Ahanu simmering beneath his hatred for the Black Shaman.
"Yes."
He dropped his head into his hands. Grief, pure and absolute grief, ripped him apart, tearing at his insides. "Why?!" he gasped. "Why didn't you say something?!"
"Time is not yet written," she insisted. "You know that. Something could have changed."
Unchecked terror pushed aside his grief. "Do I win this time?"
"I know nothing past this moment."
"Damn it, Aylen! You said you were with me!"
"I am, Andrew. I stand with you. But I do not know anything past this moment."
"Go to the Raven's Nest," Andrew said wearily. "I'll be there soon."
"Andrew…"
"No; go." He hung up the phone and stared at the wall. He couldn't believe he'd been stupid enough to think they had won. How could they possibly have won? She was three hundred years old.
He laughed bitterly. Five hundred years old now. He was fifteen or sixteen, maybe seventeen. He didn't even know. And he was nothing to her. Nothing but an annoyance. An extremely annoying annoyance.
He slid to the floor, sobbing. He had failed. He hadn't even been able to protect his own mom. It had never occurred to him to ask Aylen to protect the house. It had never occurred to him that the Black Shaman could come here, would ever come here. He hadn't been prepared; he'd been caught completely off-guard. He had failed.
His eyes wandered around the room. It looked foreign to him, but he'd grown up here, taken his first steps right here in this kitchen. He'd celebrated every birthday, every holiday, here in this house, with her. His mom. She loved him, had loved him. She may not have known what to do with him, but she had loved him.
Andrew jumped as a cheerful song broke the silence and scrambled to his feet, guns ready to fire. He looked to the left and right. There was nothing there, no one there, but the song kept playing, and Andrew suddenly realized it was her phone, sitting on the table.
She'd never answer it. She'd never talk again. She was dead.
He walked over and stared at it. Chief Vick's picture filled the screen, an
He hit the ignore button, trying to calm his panicked heart. Everything was so loud he was having a hard time thinking, but he knew he couldn't stay here.
She obviously hadn't wanted to fight him right that second. She'd popped in and popped out before he'd even known what was happening. But she wouldn't wait long. She'd come for him soon.
How had she known? Had she known he was coming back right then? Had it just been a freaky coincidence? How had she found him? Had Ahanu told her? Had Ahanu betrayed him? Like Aylen?
He pushed thoughts of how and why aside and stared through bleary eyes at his mother's corpse.
He'd never again feel her hugs or taste her pancakes or her weak coffee. She'd never call him her baby or pretend she hadn't seen him walk into the house covered in blood and dirt. He'd never hear her singing loudly or laughing. Her eyes would never twinkle. She was gone. Utterly and completely gone.
He punched the wall, and debris flew past his face. He had to get out of here, but he couldn't. He was frozen in that moment, wondering if he'd only been faster, if he'd only been smarter, could he have saved her?
Something tapped frantically on the window, but he didn't care. The Black Shaman could come to finish him off and he wouldn't care. He'd welcome it, and he'd find a way to take her with him. The tapping grew louder, and Andrew finally lifted his swollen eyes and saw Dean hammering on the glass with his beak.
Andrew pulled the window open and ripped the screen out. Dean jumped through and perched on Andrew's shoulder.
"She killed her," Andrew sobbed. "She killed Mom." Dean rubbed his beak against Andrew's face. "What do I do?" He couldn't just leave her like this, dead on the kitchen floor for just anyone to find.
His eyes widened in horror. He couldn't leave her at all. What if the Black Shaman raised her and forced her into her ranks of the undead? What then? He'd be forced to kill his own mom. He couldn't look her in the eyes, even dead eyes, and kill her. He had to burn her. Now. It was the only thing he could do.
He couldn't stop the tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't stop the great wracking sobs shuddering through his body. He shouldn't have to do this. Damn the Black Shaman. Damn Ahanu. Damn Aylen. Damn them all to hell.
He pulled the power from the well and made it into a ball of burning hot light, a raging inferno, a blissful nothingness. He stole one last look at her, then dropped it onto her chest, closing his eyes and waiting for it to be done. He felt the heat expand, felt the air burn, and then it was cool again; and when he looked, she was gone, as if she'd never been.
He vomited and then dry retched until he felt as if his stomach was lying on the floor. He collapsed beside his vomit and the little bit of black that had been his mother and watched the sun pass slowly across the floor.
His brothers gathered to him, sitting with him, around him, quiet, but there. The house phone rang and rang and rang. Andrew ignored it.
He didn't want to leave her. He didn't want her to be gone. He didn't want to leave this place that carried her scent and her memories. He knew once he left he'd never be back.
The sky was turning grey when he finally pushed himself to his feet. His head was throbbing horribly. In spite of his new body, he and the power were still separate, and he still needed to eat. He was still weak, so weak, and he hated it.
He walked to the refrigerator, saw the photograph, and his heart plummeted. He leaned his head against the cool metal and cursed himself for being so weak, so slow, so stupid.
Then he stared at the smiling photograph of his mom, dressed all in white, Vick's arm around her shoulders. He'd never seen her so happy. Not once. Joy and happiness poured off her so strongly he could almost feel it.
He started sobbing again, horrified he'd almost answered the phone, horrified he'd almost told her husband she was gone, she was dead, and she was never coming back.
He glanced out the window; it was almost dark. He had no idea what time Vick got off work, but Andrew couldn't be here when he did. There was nothing Andrew could say to him, and he didn't want to see his grief. Didn't think he could deal with it.
At least she hadn't been alone. At least she'd been happy. If only he'd been gone longer. Two years was such a short time to be happy.
Andrew shoved the photograph into his pocket and yanked the fridge open. There were two steaks marinating in oil and spices, but she would never eat again.
He pushed his tears aside as he reached for them. He needed to eat. He needed to be strong if he was going to kill the Black Shaman. He was going to need everything he had because he was completely alone. He gagged down bite after bite, refusing to chew, just swallowing.
He felt the air in the room shift, and he pulled the power into him, turning, ready to fight. Aylen stood behind him, face ashen, eyes stricken. "Andrew?"
"Go away," he rasped. "I told you to go the Raven's Nest."
"I did. It has been hours."
"I don't care. Go away."
"Andrew…"
"She's gone! Do you get that?!" Andrew yelled, suddenly fiercely angry. He hated shamans and people who just refused to die. He hated magic or whatever it was they had. He hated the power. What good was it? It hadn't been enough to save her.
"SHE MURDERED MOM! Your sister murdered my mom!" He stalked towards Aylen, eyes blazing. "Did you know? Did you know she was going to kill her?!"
Aylen shook her head, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I do not know the future. I did not know. I am so sorry."
"But you KNEW she was still alive; you KNEW that and you didn't tell me! How did you know?! How?!" He was shaking with anger. He was so mad; he was terrified; he was tired; his world was collapsing around him.
"I can feel her. After Pecos… after that, she was gone for a while, fifty years or so, but then she was there again, faint, so faint, but growing over time. Growing stronger and stronger. She is stronger than she has ever been."
Of course she was. He closed his eyes, thinking of all the wars, all the death, all the meaningless, horrible death. Mankind had fed her and fed her and fed her. And he was just Andrew. That was all standing between her and the entire world. Him. He wished Death had taken him, wished The Raven had never saved him, wished he was just a normal boy.
Aylen touched his hand. "Andrew…" He looked at her. She was still crying. "I am so sorry. I should have protected her. I should have done something. I am sorry."
"I guess we both failed," Andrew said softly. "When did they get married?"
"Not long after you left."
"I'm glad. She looks happy in the photo. I wish... oh Aylen... Everything is so messed up. I can't do this," he whispered. "She's too powerful. I'm… I'm not that strong. She's going to kill us all."
"You are not alone," Aylen insisted.
"I AM!" he yelled.
"I am with you," she said.
He smiled grimly. "Well at least one of us will survive." He took one last look around his childhood home. He didn't need anything from here.
"Let's go," he said, afraid to open the door, afraid dust devils and skeletons would be running down the streets, slaughtering his neighbors. But all was quiet except for the hum of the cars, the buzz of electricity, and the gentle chirp of crickets.
Chapter 2
It was dark by the time Andrew and Aylen walked into the Raven's Nest. Clara screeched when she saw him and flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Andrew hugged her back, then pushed her gently away.
"What's going on?!" Mr. Morgan snapped angrily.
"Daddy, I told you…" Clara started.
Mr. Morgan gestured around wildly. "This house is a… I don't know what… and YOU…" He glared at Andrew. "I'm calling the cops and turning you in."
Clara gasped, but Andrew just waited until Mr. Morgan pulled out his phone, then snatched it and broke it in half with his bare hands. He didn't want to deal with Mr. Morgan right now. He didn't want to deal with anyone, but he had to.
"Listen," Andrew said, using his best Doyle voice. "The mother of all evil has just woken up. She's here, she's pissed, and a lot of people are gonna die. You can either be one of them or you can stay here."
