The skiff slowly drifted on the still water into a small shallow bank on the side of the river. Sand crunched as the skiff slid onto the bank, sticking into the soft, grainy earth. The sun was beating down at full strength now. A mirage of water vapor sizzled into the air around the river as the passengers disembarked into the brush and wood ahead.

  Cicadas vibrated in rhythm from the trees and bushes all around. Grass crunched under leather and bck metal boots as the two passengers climbed over a small embankment and onto a well-traveled dirt road.

  Az wiped the sweat from her head, her white shirt was streaked red with the gator’s blood and viscera. She looked both ways up and down the road. Trees loomed over the sides of the dirt path, thick brush growing between them. Nature continued its relentless encroachment on nd tamed by man.

  She sighed, “Looks clear. We’re in Copperhead territory now. His thugs will be patrolling this road, making anyone traveling pay a fee, take them as sves, or worse…” She gnced over at Rigor Mortis, “They take them to the Bone Doctor.” The thought had crossed her mind of where her mother might have ended up, but she refused to believe it.

  Rigor stiffened up and brandished his axe at the mention of the Bone Doctor. He began marching down the road without a second thought. His mission was put on hold long enough. The Bone Doctor must die to appease Necroth.

  Azandrae grabbed his pauldron, trying to pull him to stop, but he just began to drag her onwards. She jogged in front of him, holding her hands out to stop him, her face frantic, “No, we can’t just march down there. Please, listen.” Her eyes locked onto his.

  Rigor stopped, staring her down, giving her a moment to expin herself.

  “I just need to find out some information from Copperhead first, then ya can march in there and do your thing. I don’t need another bandit situation. Okay?” She tilted her head, looking for some sort of response from the Death Knight.

  Stoically, he remained silent.

  “Okay? I need some sort of yes or no from ya? I won’t be able to find out what happened to mah vilge if ya kill everyone before I can question them, understand?”

  Silence.

  Her eyes scanned his body for any acknowledgment, “I’m going to take this as a yes.” She turned south on the road. “Ya just stay with the skiff, and I’ll come and get ya when it’s time to kick some ass!” She waved with the back of her hand as she trotted down along the road towards Giantown, hoping the bck knight would stay put long enough for her to speak with Copperhead.

  That sleazy man ran the town and was just as worrisome to her as Rigor. He always had some sort of card up his sleeve to screw you out on a deal. She had to travel here a few times to get some supplies and tools that her vilge couldn’t do without or make on their own. The travel back took twice as long, as her mother didn’t trust Copperhead to follow them back and ransack the vilge. It was probably the reason why her vilge sted as long as it did in this pce.

  She hated dealing with Copperhead. She let her mother do all the talking. Calypso always had a way with putting him in his pce without a knife nding in her back. If anything, Az had picked up a few tricks to use on the man. She couldn’t show any weakness or he would seize it up and run with it, getting her in a bad situation with an even worse deal.

  She finally rounded the bend and came to the monstrosity known as Giantown. Once a magnificent being that roamed the earth freely, the creature was now hewn down and chained to the ground with massive links made of rusted iron. Its head and back were burned and blistered by the sun until it turned to leather. Its massive head slunk above the entrance to Giantaown, depressingly gazing down at every visitor to its insides.

  She walked closer to the town built under the giant, brushing herself off unsuccessfully as her clothes had red stains permanently painted across them. Her eyes scanned the town and she decided not to care about appearances. She would fit right in with these degenerates.

  The giant’s ribs spyed open and pierced into the ground, each rib bone holding up the wooden structures built within, smashed together against the outer walls of the giant’s torso. She neared the entrance, dodging the scaffolding built up around the giant’s arms. Men climbed about the scaffolds, hacking away at chunks of meat, tossing down freshly butchered steaks to the men below, who loaded it into wagons and wheelbarrows. The giant’s hands and forearms almost entirely devoid of flesh, just chunks of carpals left to nature’s wrath, overgrown with moss and flowers.

  Two men passed her on their way out of Giantown with a woman in tow. She was chained with a colr and handcuffs shed to her neck. The men pulled her along, yanking on the chain if she didn’t move fast enough for them. She toppled to the dirt, given a few motivating kicks for her to get up and move faster before she loses her feet altogether.

  Azandrae bit her tongue and moved on. As much as she wanted to teach those men a lesson, she was deep in their territory now. She couldn’t do anything for that poor girl without stirring up a storm of trouble. She had to find her mother and her vilgers, if they were still alive. She had to talk to the one vile man who knew where to find them.

  Copperhead would have the information she needed. There was nothing that happened in the valley, or dozens of miles around, that he didn’t know about.

  The giant’s deep-socketed eyes followed her as she passed under its shadow. Its mouth moved, trying to speak to her, but nothing came out but the smacking of gums. The creature’s teeth long gone now, ripped from its skull for treasure or pleasure, probably both. A nagging thought pushed into the forefront of her mind. It didn’t take a genius to know what it was asking for. It wished for death.

  Underneath the giant was a bustling western town, filled with wooden buildings, trade stores, barbers, whore houses, and a saloon that pushed booze out for miles around. The town square was bustling with wagons, big and small, taking and bringing goods to be traded away for supplies by anyone deranged, or desperate, enough to trade with Copperhead.

  A gaggle of men gambled at nearby tables, scantily cd women serving them whisky and fresh grilled meat. Cigar smoke filled the air, cut through by the aroma of spices and food making her mouth water. She felt guilty at her hungry cravings in a time like this, but her stomach rumbled as she passed some sizzling meat; a pain growing in her gut followed.

  A wagon pulled up to the saloon, filled with fresh-butchered giant’s meat, unloading it into the building. Suddenly, the smells of meat weren’t so appetizing.

  Voices roared ahead. A group of people chained together were being herded towards a stage, with a smaller group of people gathering in front of them, counting their money and cmoring amongst themselves. Az edged closer, curiosity overtaking her caution.

  “Whoa there, missy.” A man armed with a sword on his belt and a shotgun in his hands stepped in front of her, “Private party. Ain’t nothing for you there, unless you’d like to go on dispy too. Could make a pretty penny off you, sweetness.”

  Azandrae’s face winced in disgust, “I was just trying to find Copperhead. Where is he?”

  “Well, I don’t give that information out for free, but I’m sure we can work something out.” He smiled, shifting his weight back to push his pelvis out, “I know a nice quite pce we can… converse, if you’d like.”

  Az moved away from him, “Ya disgusting. Ya fit in just right here, pig.” She spat on the ground and gnced around, looking at the three-story building that overlooked the town. “I bet the man himself has the highest office in town?”

  “You’d win that bet, missy.”

  She quickly stormed off, not trying to cause a commotion. She took off up the stairs to the third story. A catwalk extended around the building and behind the stage, looking over the whole town perfectly. At this height, nothing would escape Copperhead’s gaze.

  A rge white sheet was covering something on the catwalk that she couldn’t quite make out. Several guards were standing next to it, hands resting on swords, heads on a swivel. It must be something very special for that much security.

  She pced her hand on the doorknob. Copperhead Ind. gleamed in gold paint on the wooden door. She took a deep breath, praying for guidance, and pushed the door open.

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