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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

A flare...after millenniums!











Lanto cursed. Last night he was weaponless when there were four flare guns.
‘McSee?’ he called over to the sleeping giant. Kisha and Kylan were wrapped in each other’s arms near the big man. They stirred first.
McSee snorted.
The others were gathering firewood or perhaps just taking time alone. Vannis had not slept at all, and left the campsite before dawn to vanish into the lower mists. Lanto heard and watched him go. Moments after that Raken rose to follow the Valleur, keeping her distance. Vannis was so wrapped up in guilt and indecision he had no idea she was there watching over him. Lanto saw the look on her face, the look of a woman who thought she might have found the man she could give her heart to. Ah, well, you win some, you lose some.
‘McSee!’ Lanto called louder, waking Kylan and Kisha, but not the red-haired sleeper. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.
Kylan stood up, pulling Kisha with him before bending over McSee to shake him.
‘What…where?’ McSee bolted up and then groaned at Kylan: ‘I was sleeping, man!’
‘McSee! Look at the sun, for Aaru’s sake! Are you going to sleep all day?’ Lanto taunted, the sun being merely a hesitant brightness through the mist. Kylan and Kisha looked at each other sheepishly. ‘No, not you two; you’re in love.’ Kisha blushed root-red and Kylan hugged her, grinning. She ambled off to do her morning’s ablutions.
‘What, Lanto?’ McSee growled.
‘These flare guns, how do they work?’
‘You woke me for that?’ McSee roared.
‘What are they?’ Kylan asked curiously, reaching over the smouldering embers to pick one up from before Lanto’s feet. His hand automatically clasped the gun in the universal grip, finger on trigger. He pointed it at himself to study it.
‘No!’ McSee roared again, lunging at Kylan's arm and knocking it sideways. ‘It’ll blow your head off!’ Kylan dropped it as if stung. ‘Hell, man, don’t bloody drop it like that, it could go off!’
‘McSee, calm down,’ Lanto admonished. ‘Show us how it works, so we may treat it with respect.’
Kylan nodded, somewhat angry at the rough treatment.
‘Okay, but give me a chance, will you?’ McSee went to relieve himself, and came back.
‘Okay, pass it here. This was designed as a lifesaving tool. If you were in trouble- particularly at sea where distances are great- or lost or some such emergency, you could shoot this into the air, and someone would pinpoint your location and come get you. It isn’t a toy; it can maim and kill. I wouldn’t want to be shot with one of these, trust me; I’d rather take a bullet from a handgun…yeah, yeah, I’ll explain the difference some time. It works like this: these cartridges contain a phosphorous substance that ignites when fired…as it will ignite your insides if you get shot with it. You load them in like so…’ McSee slammed one in. Lanto winced. ‘I’m not sure the thing will work after so long, but it was pretty dry and cool in the chamber…’
‘Only one way to find out,’ Lanto prompted, and Kylan sent him a dubious look.
‘Indeed.’ McSee smirked and Kylan cautiously moved away. ‘You release the safety catch, point it in the air…and, here goes, pull the trigger…’ McSee pulled and startled them when brilliance shot through the mist, lighting it instantly. A red glow spread, infusing the moisture and turning their surroundings into luminous red daylight.
‘Fuck me,’ Kylan swore uncharacteristically.
‘It works!’ McSee gloated, jumping up in glee.
‘Wow!’ Lanto stood up in astonishment.
‘Kylan!’ Kisha was heard screaming.
One after the other everyone crashed through the tree line back to the campsite.
‘See?’ McSee laughed. ‘That’s how you call for help.’

House of Valla


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