The Adventures of Evin Heartwrite

Chapter 6

         Evin appears within the teleportation chamber welcomed to the intercom reminding him that he arrived in the communication tower. He hunches over on his knees and takes a few moments to catch his breath.

         “They got the whole damn base after me. Even the officers. What I’m going to do.”

         Good evening residents of the Grand Colony Eight. A male announcer speaks over the intercoms. Due to the valiant efforts of our Marines and their officers, the criminal known as Evin Heartwright has been apprehended and escorted off the station and there is no need for alarm. Please continue with your day.

         Evin curiously gazes at the ceiling bewildered at the announcement.

         They didn’t catch me, I’m still here. He thinks, But, this could be god sent. no one will think that I’m the one they’re looking for.” He pensively folds his arms. “Still need to be careful though they’ll still be looking for me, but want to keep my presence here quiet. What to do now though? Kaleen is probably fighting that general right now. I hope she’s doing ok, but I don’t know what she’s up to. I’m not comfortable around her and she thinks that I’m a dragon. That’s Impossible, there’s no way I’m a dragon, there must be some sort of mistake… I need to talk to mom. I’m sure she’ll explain.

         “Call center,” he says aloud as he exits the hissing doors and steps onto a three-way hallway with the door to his right having a storage sign spray painted on the top. Evin walks to his left where the call center awaits but stops when he sees the haughty elf he encountered back at the mining facility. The man smiles as he hungrily glares at Evin while he walks towards him. Evin swallows a lump in his throat as he backs away from the cape wearing royal.

         “Well, we finally meet again.” The man hops forward raises his leg in mid-air, and kicks Evin in the chest. Evin lifts off his feet, soars across the hallway and crashes near the storage room. Evin clenches his ivory teeth in pain clutching his chest. He coughs and wheezes trying to manage his pain, but he quickly stumbles onto his feet and runs inside of the storage unit as the doors hiss close behind him.

         Inside, rows of boxes filled with discarded gadgets, electronics and food rations filled the storage room to the extent where he couldn’t find a place to hide. The storage doors hiss open as the elf steps inside with his leather strapped boots. Evin gasps in horror, reaches for a sealed box nearby by and hurls it at the Elf. The elf simply backhands the box out of its trajectory, and he slowly steps closer to Evin with a menacing grin on his face. He stops just a few feet away from Evin raises his hand and motions with his finger for Evin to come at him.

         “If you want freedom, then you must fight me for it.” The man sneers waiting for Evin to make the first move.

         With little options available, and not wanting to be captured for the second time, not before he gets to speak to his mom, he balls his fist and swings. The elf leans away from the first swing and again from another and blocks the last swing before punching Evin in the gut and back hands him in the face. Evin spins and crashes into a row of boxes as the tumble onto him, spilling various objects onto the floor.

         “Oh come now commoner,” The man steps close to Evin’s feet and gazes haughtily at the young man. “Don’t tell me that’s all you have?”

         Sitting under debris Evin coughs as his chest rises and falls in exhaustion. Only a few short minutes fighting him and already he feels as if he’s being overwhelmed, outclassed, looked down upon and bullied. It was the same feeling he felt when he found out his date with Anitra was only meant to make someone else jealous. Tired of being looked down upon because of something he had no control over, he balls his fists in rage as he throws a box off him and rises to his feet as boxes tumble onto the floor.

         “Now that’s more like it,” Elred slightly bows as he opens his arms. “At least you can keep your dignity.”
Evin screams in rage as she charges for the elf and wraps his arms around his waist in an attempt to tackle him, but the elf’s leather shoes skid on the floor as Evin pushes him back several feet until he stops.

         “Cute,” Elred amusingly smiles before raising his arm and strikes Evin in the back with a firm elbow. Evin collapses onto a knee before the elf lord knees him several times and throws him against the wall. Evin groans in pain as he leans against the wall, but he musters his fighting spirit and wildly swings his fist at the elf several times. Raising his wrists Elred blocks a bollo swing, spins and elbows Evin clean in the face before spinning again for a sweep kick that drops Evin on to the floor. Face heavily bruised from the blow, Evin groans in pain as he rolls on his back. His chest rises and fall as he lies to catch his breath. Elred pats his shoulders and legs before placing his foot on Evin’s chest and looks at his exhausted face.

         “No hard feelings commoner,” Elred says reaching into his pocket and pulls out a vial of light blue powder. “If it were up to me, I’d simply walked past you without giving you any attention. But unfortunately for you,” he pops the top off the bottle and flings its contents into the air. “I have a date with destiny.”

         The blue dust organizes into an image similar to a hologram with a, bearded elf’s face appears in blue.

         “Elred, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” The man says surprised.

         “I stated that I will have your man shortly did I not, father.”

         “As expected of my valiant son,” The man nods firmly “You are everything I hoped you’d be and then more. A fitting heir to reign in my place. Now, bring him to me.

         As the elf spoke to his father, a battered Evin turns his head and sees his MSR on his wrists. Looking at it read… 0/7. He knew that none of his spells would have any effect on someone as powerful as a high elf, but there was one spell he recently acquired he thought could give him a slim chance at an escape. He didn’t think it was going to save him but it was better than nothing.

         Evin’s arm tremble as he raises it and opens his palm at the tall elf. Evin focuses on the word Gamble in his mind and a surge of tingling sparks grows in his spine and travels through his arm and to his palm. His hand glows blue as a low hum build within the room. Elred notices the glowing spell from the corner of his eye, and he chuckles in amusement.

         “You have the nerve to cast a single digit spell against a powerful mage such as myself? Brainless….”

         A violent bolt of lightning jumps from evin’s palm and collides with Elred’s chest. Sparks burst as Elred’s hands and feet nearly meet as he flies across the room and crashes through a window leading into a room filled with cameras and sound equipment, where he tumbles across the carpeted floor and halts upside down with feet comically hanging.

         Everyone gasps and scream as a professionally dressed woman scampers across the shard littered carpet. All of the camera men aim their devices at the unconscious elf, broadcasting his humiliating state across the space station.

         “Is that Elred of the Admonis High Elves?” One man asks.

         “Quick, someone call the medic.”

         They look through the broken glass window where Evin has his back pinned against the wall nearby to hide before exiting the storage room.

         Head lowered to hide his identity; he walks down the hallway with his hands shoved into his pockets as medical personnel dressed in white coats with red crosses rush down the corridor. He walks inconspicuously until he comes across a hatch off to the side with the words warehouse closed just above the door. He parks himself near the door where he waits for a few people to pass by before entering. Moderately lit with only half of the lights embedded into the roof, rows of tall shelves neatly organized along the walls with discarded desks and file cabinets littering the center.

         Appreciating the quietness, he leans against the wall and breathes a sigh of relief.

         “How can I protect a woman if I can barely protect myself.” He mumbles. Feeling the bruise on his face, he touches his swollen cheek and jerks his hand away feeling the sting. Body aching all over he slides down to his backside and rests his head on his forearms planted on his knees and takes a small break.

         “Rough day hon?”

         A feminine voice catches Evin’s attention. His heart stops and he tilt his head up to see an auburn woman dressed in a leather jacket and pants squatting on a shelf above him pointing her pistol directly at his head.

         “Um…hello?” Evin awkwardly greets with a nervous smile.

         “Hey,” The woman responds before firing a cold laser from her pistol Evin dives forward to avoid the shot pelting the metal floor. He rolls to his feet and runs as Trixie unholsters her second revolver and unleashes a barrage of cold lasers at the fleeing man. Lasers pelt the floor causing creating small ice formations in their wake. Evin trips over a fallen pole rack and tumbles across the floor but manages to get behind a metal shelf where he pins himself.

         “Hm,” Trixie scoffs twirling her revolvers. “Hiding isn’t going to help ya,” she points her pistols in opposite directions and fires. Her projectiles bounce diagonally off two glyphs that instantly appears in their trajectories and pelts the floor near Evin’s feet. Evin’s eyes widen in horror, he scurries away between shelves. Evin sprints as blue laser chase after him ripping through cloths and knocking over boxes.

         “Keep running.” She shouts yanking the triggers of her magic revolvers unleashing a continuous barrage of fire.

         Feet beating the metallic floor, all evin could think of is surviving whatever’s happening to him.

         Trixie hops off the shelf and onto the floor where she twirls her pistols at her side before pointing them at the running man. Her eyes narrow and she focuses on her target. A cold chill run’s up her spine and travels to her hands where frost builds between her palms and pistol grips. The revolvers hum loudly a bluish light shines from the barrels.

         “I love it when they run.” Trixie hungrily stares at her fleeing prey as her heart leaps in excitement from the thrill of the hunt.

         Evin sees the manic cowgirl aiming her pistols directly at him as he circled between the warehouse shelves. Seeing the shimmering barrels from her pistols, he grabs a metal baseboard from a shelf and holds it over his shoulder protecting his side.

         Her revolvers pop loud like cannons and two balls of ice whistle towards him and strike the metal baseboard. The boards protect him from the ice however, the force lifts his feet off the floor, sends him soaring through the air and crashing into a metal wall. Face down in sweat and exhaustion, he lies with the metal floorboard over his shoulder. He rolls on his back clenching his teeth in pain while he huffs in exhaustion. Hearing the clinging boot steps of his assailant approaching, he rolls on his stomach to stand, but he staggers forward at an attempt to get away.

         Trixie chuckles as she shakes her head at his attempt of an escape.

         “You don’t honestly think you can escape do ya? Been doing this quite awhile you know. I kinda know how to track the people I’m paid to catch.”

         “A bounty hunter.” Evin’s voice echoes through the chambers. “You hunt any targets without question?”

         The cowgirl trains her gun in the voices direction slowly moving forward to not to make a sound.

         “Its an honest living.” Trixie shrugs as she walks closer towards a shadowy figure standing at the edge of a rack.

         “I get to do the one thing I was born to do… hunt.” She mumbles as she hops from the corner and points to a figure with a hat on its head only to realize that it was a mannequin dressed in urban clothing.

         “Has anyone ever told you to watch out what you’re hunting for?” Evins voice booms in the chamber.

         Trixie looks around the warehouse unaware of his location and walks towards the center of the room.

         “I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into. Hell, I don’t know how deep I’m in in all of this. I have the whole colony looking for me plus the high elves. You think once you’ve caught me, they’ll let you just walk out of this place?”

         “I’m not quite sure of what you’re saying.” She turns in a circle.

         “Leave while you have the chance, you don’t want to get dragged into whatever the hell I’m involved with.”

         “Hm,” she scoffs, halting at the center of the room keeping a close eye on the exit to ensure he won’t escape. She raises her wrists to check her Magic score reader that read 20,000/800,000. Pleased with her score she lowers her arm back to her side.

         “This shouldn’t take much longer,” she mumbles to herself, looking around at the seemingly infinite rows of shelves before her slightly annoyed that she hasn’t found him yet.

         “You certainly like to hide for someone with a large bounty on your head.” Trixie holsters one of her revolvers.

         She taps the floor and an blue, frost ebbing glyph appears beneath her and turns into a reg glyph with random flames sputtering from the intricate lines. She clicks her hammer back on her revolver and fires a ball of fire into the rows of shelves illuminating the rows with its orangs light. The projectile traveled slowly as travels down the isle in search of her prey. She fires several more shots in various directions causing numerous flaming spheres to travel quietly down the isles.

         “Its only a matter of time now,” Trixie warns as she searches for her target. “Still think you can hide?”
Evin didn’t respond.

         Trixie smirks, knowing that her light sources were searching for him. Her keen eyes search for moving shadows hiding in the warehouse and she unholsters her pistol and trains it in the opposite direction of her other pistol.

         “Come out come out wherever you are,” She slowly turns, eyes peering to her left and right waiting for the moment he makes his move. Hunter made her feel strong, powerful and in control, especially if her targets were sentient beings that had the same abilities she had. No joy could be derived from hunting brainless creatures that only strove for survival. It made them predictable, easy, no fun. Today wasn’t that day though. For some strange reason, hunting someone like Evin gave her double the thrill she usually would from the vagabonds she hunted before. Despite reading his file as a man with a low score and low prospects, ever since she met him, the back of her hairs would always stand on end as if there was some dangerous creature lurking underneath that unimpressive visage. A loud metal clank is heard behind her, and she whips around training her pistol in its direction only to find a metal rod rolling towards her.

         “A distraction.” She mumbles as she raises her pistol and fires a shot at one of the balls of fire within the warehouse. The shot strikes the burning sphere, and it explodes into a bright burning light that fills the room. Hoping that the explosion would cause Evin to panic she looks around quickly trying to find any forms of movement. She notices a spinning cylindrical shadow growing on the floor, realizing what was coming she spins and fires her revolver at the fire hydrant hurling towards her in the air. However, her eyes widen in horror when she realizes her error as the fire hydrant explodes into a white caustic mist.

         “What the,” she sniffs as she covers her face with her forearm. “A fire hydrant? They still keep those things?”

         Floating powder clouds her vision, but she still sees a shadowy figure approaching in front of her. She holds her breath and fires her pistols repeatedly in their direction causing the figure to tilt forward and fall in front of her. But her stomach drops when its nothing but a coat hanging on a roller rack. Evin, with a towel over his mouth rushes in from behind dives and tackles the bounty hunter by the waist. Her hat flies off of her head revealing her auburn hair as both tumble across the powdered floor. Evin pins Trixie onto the floor and tries to wrestle the revolver from her hands.

         Raising her knee, she plants her foot on his chest and kicks him off of her and he collapses onto the ground. Hair covered in sodium bicarbonate she stands to her feet and dusts the powder from her jacket and pants while Evin groans in pain on the floor. She stares at him for a few moments coughing the substance from her lungs before retrieving her hat and planting it firmly back on her head.

         “Not bad,” she huffs in exhaustion before kicking Evin’s feet in sheer aggravation.

         He jerks his leg away while clenching his chest coughing from the hydrant powder collected on the floor. He shuffles away to escape, but a popping shot that burrows a burning hole in the metal near him stops him from making any further moves.

         “I oughta shoot you for that stunt you just pulled.” Trixie huffs aiming her revolver at him.

         Evin rolls on his back leaning on an elbow holding up his hand to plead.

         “Look, let’s just think about this okay,” he huffs “I’m having a very bad day today and,” he coughs several times.

         “I’m not sure you want to ruin yours killing a nobody like me.”

         “Shut up!” she clicks the trigger back, feeling somewhat violated by being outsmarted by a nobody.

         “C,mon, You don’t have to do this,” Evin pleads with his hand held up.

         Trixie fires another reverberating shot that burrows another smoldering hold next to him.

         “I said shut…up.” She glares at him. “I decide what I’m going to do and not do, and today,” she grabs her lasso from her belt strap behind her and tosses on the young man’s legs. “You’re coming along. Hold your wrists and ankles together, now.”

         Evin does what she says, and the lasso unravels and wraps his wrists and ankles together in a firm knot. He sighs in disappointment staring at rope binding his wrists and ankles. Trixie however holsters her pistols, snaps her fingers to make Evin float inches over the floor and walks towards the exit pulling him by the back of his collar.

         “Hey, Brundo” She speaks while walking towards the exit.

         “Yes Trixie,” a deep robotic voice speaks from her collar.

         “I have the target, meet me in the docking bay. I don’t want to linger in this place for too long.”

         “Confirmed,” the voice states before going silent.

         As she approaches the door, it hisses open revealing Kaleen standing on the other end glaring daggers at the bounty hunter. Trixie freezes while holding her hand over her holster while gripping Evin’s collar tightly. She knew she was with Evin but didn’t know to what extent. The look on her face spoke more to her intent than anything else.

         “Can I help ya,” her hand inch closer to her holstered revolver.

         Kaleen quickly throws a bolt of lightning from her palm that strikes her chest. Her hands and feet nearly meet as she flies away, crashes onto the ground and slides until her back hits a desk at the far end of the warehouse.

         “Yes, in fact you can.” Kaleen dusts her hands.

         “Wow,” Evin says staring at Keleen’s swift magic. “She hardly had to focus,”

         Trixie quickly bounces back to her feet unholsters both her pistols and point them at the mysterious woman.

         “Ok, I don’t know who you are or where you come from, but that man is my mark and I’m not leaving this colony without him. So, if you don’t want to be filled with ethereal rounds, I suggest you turn your pretty little self around and walk right out that door.” She clicks her hammers back.

         “No, little missy,” Kaleen shakes her finger and head. “You can’t take something that doesn’t belong to you. Nor is he a mark you can simply waltz in and hunt like you would a common mut.”

         “I don’t really care what you think,” Trixie sharply replies. “Mut or not, that’s my catch. Now back off before there be slow singing and flower bringing, last chance.”

         “Hm, ignorant woman,” Kaleen scoffs “Allow me to educate you.”

         She plants her hand on Evin’s shoulder, and his body brightens into a bright light that envelops both of them.

         Trixie covers her eyes as bolts of electricity pops some of the light fixtures inside of the warehouse causing sparks to rain onto the floor. The light swells until it nearly reaches the ceiling, making the gun mage shut her eyes. The light slowly vanishes from view and the sparks stop raining down on the floor, but a blue light filled the room as Trixie opens her eyes and looks in front of her. Her eyes widen in shock as Kaleen stood with a pair of golden horns sticking at the top of her head with her platinum hair flowing around it. And next to her was a blue scaled dragon with the same pair of horns and gold draconic eyes and sharp teeth. It growled deeply as its body is curled to accommodate space in the warehouse. It slaps its tail onto the metal floor like a cat while Kaleen raises her nose in a smug like manner.

         Clenching her pistols, Trixie’s hands tremble in fear as she aims them at the monstrous behemoth towering over her.

         “D..d..dragon,” She swallows a lump in her throat. Had she known what she was hunting she wouldn’t’ve taken the job.

         Trixie backs away until she steps on an iron rod and it rolls forward causing her to collapse on her backside.

         Kaleen steps forward and Trixie shuffles back in fear until her back hits a warehouse shelf keeping her revolvers trained at the two.

         “S.stay away ya hear? G..Get away from me.” her arm trembled in fear and Kaleen smiles in sheer amusement seeing someone finally cower before her for the first time in a long time. She opens her palm out at her side and the dragon lowers its head until its scaly chin touches her hand. As to taunt her opponent, she leans in and kisses the Dragon on the chin while gleefully gazing at Trixie.

         Trixie didn’t know what to make of it. All she could feel was all the hairs on her body were standing on end. She clicks back the hammers of her trembling pistols and trains them on the woman. However, Kaleen raises her hand and fires blinding bolt of lightning that crashes into her. Her body flips off the floor like a tumbling log, hat flying off her head before crashing back onto the floor motionless. Electricity flickers across her body as Trixies eyes fade into unconsciousness with her hat and pistols at her sides.