Chapter Two: The Fallen Empire
By Richard LeBlanc
In his haven, Calloway was relaxing until he managed to come down from the horrific images he had witnessed in his nightmare. From the corner of his eye he could see that the sun had finally set.
"That was the worse one to date," Calloway muttered shaking his head. He tensed up. He wasn't alone! He rolled over to where his weapons were and had his hands on the sword he was given. "Intruders should be advised that more accidental deaths happen in or around the home," he warned. When he saw a familiar serpent warrior being aided in by two battered and burned dancers - he knew something was terribly wrong.
"Calloway? Is that you?" the serpent warrior asked.
"Corwin?" Calloway replied lowering the weapon.
"Thank Set the rumors were false," Corwin muttered. He pushed himself away from the ladies that were helping him and limped over to where Calloway was. "We - heard rumors that - you were dead," he added.
"Two assassins tried to make it reality. When that failed," he began but stopped for a moment. He closed his eyes and walked over to the window. "When they failed - Snake - he tried to have the job done right by sending me deep into Lupine territory," he completed.
"Snake?' one of the dancers repeated.
"I heard a rumor that - he was having a viper dealt with. To be honest - I was worried it was me for that fiasco involving that Archon - but you? Are you sure?" Corwin asked in modest disbelief.
"Would I make something like this up?" Calloway asked. He shook his head and motioned for his uninvited guests to have a seat. "Fuck - I don't want to talk about that shit right now. Why don't you tell me why you look like a lupine ate you up shit you out and patched you back together with tape?" he asked seriously.
"I was doing standard clean up in Georgia. Nothing overly imaginative - was even running a few days ahead of schedule," Corwin began as he mentally recalled the day. "I had the target lined up - and then - before I knew what hit me - the roof I was perched on fucking exploded. I was taking impact from high caliber and hollow points," he stated.
"Viper?" Calloway asked.
"Thought about it - Sally was the only one in our circle that dealt with that kind of military ordinance," he began as he looked over at one of the dancers. "I was damn fucking lucky that Cathy and Catrina were able to get to me before they did," he said seriously.
"Who is they?" Calloway asked.
"A fucking hunting party. This is no fucking bullshit Calloway - there were at least twenty of those mother fuckers - and they weren't fucking around. They were there for one reason and one reason only - punch my ticket," he stated.
"Snake behind it?" Calloway asked.
"I thought he was at first - but - I don't think so. They aren't the kind of talent he contracts. Cal - I heard them talking - these bastards were hunting me," he stated seriously.
"You piss off a prince or something?" Calloway asked.
"I pissed off a lot of people. Listen - this wasn't political. I don't know what this was - but politics had nothing to do with this," he replied seriously.
"Should I tell him?" one of the dancers asked.
"Tell me what?" Calloway asked.
"Cal - you might want to sit down for this," Corwin suggested. Calloway hesitantly did just that. The dancer limped over and looked at the best fighter that Snake had.
"Two nights ago - there was some - odd - happenings in the tunnels around the temple," she began. Calloway's eyes spaced out as images of his nightmares flashed before him.
"I don't like the direction this is going," he began.
"You will like it far less in a few moments," she reassured. "The - standard guards checked the area out - it seemed clean. That was when they attacked," she continued - her voice empty of all emotion.
"The tunnels were attacked?" Calloway asked.
"Attacked - no - invaded - oh yes," the other dancer replied.
"That - can't be," Calloway muttered.
"Rest assured - it was. The tunnel defenses and guards - ghouls both snake and human were able to keep the minions at bay for a while - but - the next night - the real fight - it was like nothing we could have expected," Cathy began.
"Our people -  they tried fighting them back - for over two hundred years we had been preparing for the war. How can it be that - these people were able to do this to us?" Catrina emotionally asked.
"The drills - the exercises?" Calloway asked.
"Don't get me wrong - these invaders did surprise us - but we regrouped. They tried to fight us - but we cut them down. Once they saw how entrenched we were they started pumping gas into the place - there was fire everywhere. We had to fall back - but then - more of them came at us - boxing us in," Cathy began as she lowered her eyes. "I don't know - how many others were able to escape - I didn't have time to look back," she added quietly.
"Is Snake still alive?" Calloway asked.
"I don't know - when I last saw him - he was rallying the forces so that they could fall back to a more defensible position. It is possible - but I wouldn't hold my breath - so to speak," Catrina replied.
"The war has come - only it wasn't the one we thought," Calloway muttered to himself. "How many vipers are still alive?" he asked.
"I put some feelers out - other aliases and shit like that. I checked the network - well - what I could before a virus fucked my computer. Near as I can tell - these people - whoever the fuck they are - they attacked me at the same time as they did the temple grounds. If such was the case - if this was a unified attack," Corwin continued.
"There would have been such strikes against everyone out in the field," Calloway completed as he sat down and looked over at the other survivors. "But - if that is the case - why hasn't anyone come after me?" he asked seriously.
"Well - everyone knew of your mission into the green. I guess they figured that even one of Snake's best would come up a little short against the kind of creatures that play there. Now - me - I follow your resume - well yours and Sally's albeit for different reasons.
"I can well imagine why - but pray tell continue," Calloway remarked.
"Well - people in the inner circle or - vipers - as it were as a practice - we always follow the accomplishments - of one that is better than us," Corwin began.
"Because if you drop the ball," Calloway continued.
"Most likely - that is who will come to polish you off. Now - Sally for all here - ahem - assets - she relies more on her tools and weapons to get the job done. You - you move silent - coil and strike - and then are slithering off into the garden. I know if I messed up again - he would have called you," he added.
"I'm flattered," Calloway rebutted.
"As - I know what you have done - I knew that you would find a way to survive. That was why I took the first stolen vehicle me and the girls could get our mitts on and headed for Eco," he added.
"Were you followed?" Calloway asked - peeked out behind the curtain. Everything below and around seemed quiet enough.
"No - they know for a fact that they missed me - and they won't stop until they find me - and you got to know - that if they dig deep enough - they will learn that you are alive too. If I could find you," he began.
"Others will too," Calloway completed. "This is most unpleasant," he remarked as he walked over to where his other accumulated weapons were.
"So - what are we going to do about this?" Corwin asked.
"They still at the temple?" Calloway asked.
"I believe so - I guess they figure if they missed any agents that they would wander in and," Cathy began but stopped. Calloway picked up his sword and looked at the finely honed edge on it. "You can't be serious," she added.
"There is a chance that Snake is still in there," Calloway stated.
"Uhm - didn't he try to have you killed? Twice?" Corwin asked. Calloway closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Does his actions against me - change the cause we believe in? Does it mean that the elders won't rise and try to consume us all? We are here for a reason. We survived - for a reason. Set needs us - and like it or not," Calloway began with a groan. "So does Snake," he rationalized.
"Okay - good as you are - they have a small army in that place - and around. As soon as we are in there - we won't be able to get out," Catrina began. Calloway looked at her and she stopped.
"None of you have to go. If you wish to stay here and lay low until you can make for greener pastures - go ahead. But know that - when I get out of there - with Snake and however many others - I will remember those that walked away," he replied seriously.
"Presuming - you find Snake alive - presuming there are others - and - this is the big one - presuming you would be able to walk out," Corwin pointed out.
"Am I listening - to the same man who escaped out of a foreign prison - in the middle of a desert - ten minutes before sunrise?" Calloway asked seriously.
"You won't ever let me hear the end of that," Corwin muttered.
"You have done a lot of good work for the cause. A few - sloppy mistakes - does not eclipse that," Calloway began.
"Yet," Corwin added with a smirk.
"True," Calloway replied as he walked over to where he was. "So? You in?" he asked.
"Can I play with the funky sword?" he sarcastically asked. Calloway smiled as he handed it to Corwin. "Fuck - this is a fine piece or work," he whistled as he admired the edge of the blade and everything about the old weapon.
"You in?" Calloway repeated.
"Who wants to live forever?" Corwin mused - resting the flat part of the sword on his shoulder.
"How about you ladies?" Calloway asked.
"Last thing I want is you coming after me - well - then again," Cathy teased. Calloway smiled and shook his head. "I'm in," she answered seriously.
"I owe those bastards for what they did to Tina. Count me in," Catrina added. Corwin looked at the ladies and then returned his attention to Calloway.
"Looks like we have our party assembled hero. How we playing this?" Corwin asked.
"First - we heal - we rest - and then - we make a lot of sorry mother fuckers kiss the sun," Calloway replied seriously as he took out his daggers. "Sound like a plan?" he asked with a wry smile.
To Be Continued...
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