Cyrus

Once Magnus gave me back my gear and set me up with a mask, things moved pretty fast. I wanted to ask for more details on the specifics of the plan, but when I asked Magnus he was already rushing out the tent.

“Here, I’ll try to explain as we go. Any questions, ask your team.”

Before I could get out another word, he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a mask, tossing it my way. Then, he dashed through the tent flap and disappeared into the camp.

He took Sparkle and Shimmer with him, and I had to admit that the possibility of escape was tempting. I could have just said goodbye to the whole twisted affair and fled deeper into the Scorch. It wouldn’t be hard to find another settlement, and I could always change my name again.

But that wouldn’t get me the answers I was after. More than that, I could spend a lifetime out here as a gunslinger and accomplish nothing in terms of finding out exactly what had happened to my family.

If I was throwing my chips in with Magnus and the Obsidian Outlaws, I had to go all in.

As soon as I slid the dark crystal mask onto my face, I started to hear Magnus’ voice once more. It sounded like he was standing right behind me, his voice cutting right through all the noise and coming through as clear as crystal.

Sean, Cyrus needs his gear at my tent. Percy, get the spiders into position and ready to ride. Alice, you’ll be doubling up with Cyrus on the ride over. Tristan…

The orders kept on coming, but I couldn’t always make them out. I remembered what Magnus had told me about being able to direct things to certain people or areas, and figured that was why.

Some messages weren’t intended for me, but if they were sent to outlaws nearby I could pick them up. At the same time, some messages were meant for the whole group, so I could hear those just fine.

“Take’s some gettin’ used to, don’t it?”

I jumped slightly as a familiar figure approached me, carrying a large bag. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, given Magnus’ order, but finding myself face to face with Six Shot Sean was still a little startling.

The emerald-haired outlaw was grinning at me, even as I struggled to find some response. At the very least, it was nice to see one outlaw that wasn’t giving me a death glare.

“So, do these guys call you Six Shot Sean or…”

“Keep your voice down! I don’t need that name spreading here.” Sean’s eyes went wide and he looked around nervously. “We all have stuff from our past we’d rather forget, right? Do me a solid on this one?”

“Fair enough. Your secret is safe with me.” I shrugged. “For someone who was threatening to kill me a couple of days ago, you sure seem relaxed about me being here.”

“Hey, I never wanted you dead. Was just doing my job. Couldn’t have you following me, could I?” Sean returned my shrug. “I’m glad to see you came around to our side of things, anyway. Just a shame about the… you know.”

Sean vaguely gestured to my missing arm.

“You know you didn’t really help with that, right? You were acting pretty damn villainous back in town.” I decided to ignore the outlaw’s comment about my arm, taking the bag from him as I spoke.

“I admit that wasn’t the best. If I’m honest, I wanted to get back at y’all for taking me out so easily. That and put some fear into the researcher that was with you.”

“You couldn’t just explain things?”

“Nah, would go against my orders.”

“But you were fine to threaten us and speak really vaguely about your group?”

“I mean, not exactly. Pretty sure Magnus is gonna be having some very unhappy words with me when all this is over.” Sean sighed. “I was angry, alright? That was supposed to be my big chance to prove myself, show everyone I was more than just some basic thief.”

“I’m… sorry?”

“Nah. I’m the one that’s sorry. The boss didn’t want anyone extra getting mixed up in all this, and I can’t help but feel responsible. Shouldn’t have tried to take her with you there, but wanted to prove myself.”

“It’s not your fault. I took the job without researching it enough. Sucks, but what happened is on me.”

“Big of you to say so, Cyrus.” Sean gave me a genuinely warm smile, rather than his usual cocky grin. “Welcome to the team.”

I had never expected I would end up being friendly with the man who had tried to abduct my client, but that was the Scorch for you.

I opened the bag as Sean rushed off to attend to some other preparations, throwing on my duster and checking my equipment.

I still had the diamond knuckle dusters, a tin of sweets, Kate’s researcher pin and Sean’s revolver. I briefly wondered if I should return it to him, but figured I may as well hold onto it.

He had been wearing a pair of holsters with two new revolvers anyway, so unless he fancied the nickname “Eighteen Shot Edward” I was probably fine to keep it.

It was good to see none of my belongings were missing, especially my own gun.

I felt a lot more comfortable and confident now I had my repeater back in my hands. I wanted to clean it and check it over fully, but there wasn’t really time.

I could also tell that just holding it was making plenty of the outlaws running about uncomfortable, so I hurriedly loaded it and stowed it into my side holster. Thirteen shots were left. Just under two full magazines.

Even though it should have been the least of my worries at the time some part of my mind was silently calculating just how expensive my eventual restock would be. I had to remind myself that more rubyshot would have to wait.

Once all this was over, I had the Sovereign and the choice of a prosthetic arm to worry about first and foremost. Despite that, I couldn’t help but feel some regret out of not getting paid by Kate upfront.

“Can’t escape the professional mindset…” I sighed to myself.

Cyrus, if you’re ready head over to Alice. She’s waiting for you at the entrance you snuck in through.

Roger that.

I experimentally tried thinking back a response, but there was no way I could tell if it worked. Wearing the mask was a strange sensation in general, like some presence was scratching at the edge of my mind.

I didn’t really like it, but I could learn to deal with it.

For the time being, I headed off through the camp to find Alice. The one Obsidian Outlaw who had apparently vouched for me after Lucy and I had come to save Kate.

I could distinctly remember the sensation of her leg snapping as I kicked it, and I probably hadn’t done her arm any favours either from swinging my repeater into it hard. It was honestly surprising that she had actually vouched for me, even if I had let her leave after the fight.

I found the young woman with long blonde hair by the gate, which had partially collapsed since I last saw it. I had a little trouble approaching Alice, thanks to the fact that the outskirts of camp was absolutely packed full of crystal spiders.

They were skittering about in something that vaguely resembled a formation of sorts, none of them facing me. Every instinct I had was telling me to draw the repeater and start blasting them into lifeless chunks, but I took a deep breath and did my best to casually stroll past them.

If I was going to be doing business of any kind with the Sovereign, it was something I was going to have to get used to. I momentarily considered testing out my mask on one, but quickly decided against it. They seemed under control for the time being, with no interest in attacking me or anyone else.

It made me extremely uncomfortable. I had killed countless spiders during my years out in the Scorch but I had never witnessed them so… still.

They continued to softly chitter, their crystal-clad forms moving slightly as they looked around, waiting for orders.

I knew a lot of people would call such a thing a miracle. Finding a way to control the beasts that made the Scorch such a hellhole. To me? It just felt wrong.

There was no doubt in my mind that given the opportunity, these crystal creatures would snap free of their control and tear myself and anyone else nearby to shreds. I decided to stay on my guard around them, no matter how controlled and peaceful they seemed.

“Hey! Got the message?” Alice called and waved to me, wincing slightly as she lifted her bandaged left arm.

I couldn’t help but feel a jolt of guilt at seeing that. Her leg also seemed quite badly injured, but it was hard to tell just how much due to the fact that Alice was actually sat on the back of one of the larger spiders.

I failed to reply right away as I took in the bizarre sight in front of me. The sapphire spider she was riding had a strange crystal formation on its back that looked perfect for a pair of riders to sit on, one behind the other.

Similar to the armour I had noticed on Magnus’ pet salamanders, this couldn’t be an accident. As I looked around it seemed like nearly every arachnid in sight had similar smooth crystalline formations where riders could be seated.

“Hey? You alright down there?” Alice called to me once again.

“Yeah, sorry. This is just…” I struggled to find the words. “Are we really safe to ride these things?”

“Sure. It’s how we got here in the first place. Brought over a lot of the heavier stuff like our manawell and the chickens on the scorpions and snake.” Alice chuckled. “Guess we’re going to have a pretty hard time clearing it out when we leave now.”

“You actually did bring chickens out here?”

“That we did. Eggs for breakfast and the occasional chicken dinner out here make life much more bearable.” Alice shrugged. “Why do you ask?”

“To be honest, that’s kinda how we figured out you were down here.”

Alice’s face suddenly went pale.

“N-no kidding?”

“We saw a chicken running down the canyon, before it got crystallised by one of your scorpions. They’re not exactly common out here, so pieced together that this was where your camp must have been pretty quick.”

Alice was silent for a few seconds, visibly gulping before leaning down from her spider to whisper to me.

“What say we keep that between ourselves? The chicken escaping may or may not have been my fault, and if the boss finds out it led to us being discovered…”

“What would he do?” I whispered back, genuinely curious.

“I mean, it’s not so much that he gets angry or anything. Just disappointed with us.” Alice shook her head. “He works hard and pushes us to be better. None of us want to let him down, you know?”

I just stared at Alice, genuinely wondering if she was messing with me or not. She seemed serious, but that only confused me more.

Were the Obsidian Outlaws all this… odd? Magnus, Sean and Alice were the only ones I had met, and all of them certainly stood out as strange individuals from the brief encounters I had with them.

Honestly, most people out in the Scorch probably had a screw on two loose. You really had to be to try and make a living out here instead of facing whatever you were fleeing from. I was no exception.

We were all broken people, and I had just accepted that and learned to live with it for the longest time. But now? As I looked around the ruins of the camp I could see the outlaws supporting one another without hesitation, rebuilding the camp and assisting the inured.

Maybe coming together with other broken people would help make me feel whole again.

“Your secret is safe with me.” I forced a smile. “And I am sorry about the leg and the arm. Think we can call it even?”

I had been through hell the last few days, and was still in a ridiculous amount of pain, both emotionally and physically. I knew that moving on would take time, but I didn’t feel like moping around and giving in to the depression again.

I would accept my role as an Obsidian Outlaw, and prove myself to the group. I knew I couldn’t make up for Davis’ death, but I would try.

“Back in Destria, the church always taught us to forgive.” Alice returned my smile, patting the smooth section on the back of the spider behind her.

“Turns out there are plenty of things they won’t forgive. My wanting to go by Alice for one. What they tried to do to me before I left was a lot worse than what you did.”

“I’m sorry. That sounds truly awful.” I winced as I cautiously started to climb the side of the spider, shoving my concerns as far to the side as I could manage. “Wasn’t there anywhere else you could go?”

“Sadly not. Family left me with the church and was raised with them my whole life. Put up with it as long as I could, until I couldn’t do it anymore. Scorch sounded scary, but let me tell you, the kind of things I went through back home are nothing compared to life out here.” Alice sighed. “Hell, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Facing the Scorch as Alice makes everything feel easier though. Don’t think I could ever go back now. My family is here.”

I was silent as I adjusted myself on the back of the sapphire spider, resting my feet against a set of crystal spikes and trying to keep my balance.

I’d heard a little about Destria, the empire to the west of the Scorch. They were a heavily religious society, with a strong focus on technological research over anything magical.

There were certainly horror stories passed around of their church hunting down mages and anyone who didn’t align with their beliefs, but I had never met someone to personally experience it.

I could only imagine how absolutely horrible it must have felt to have your very home hate you for what you were. I was glad Alice had found a new family out here, but that only made me feel even more despicable about my own actions.

“Listen… about Davis.”

“I’m gonna stop you there, Cyrus. I didn’t know him well, but every outlaw is like a sibling to me. I know some will never forgive you for killing one of our own, but I know you did what you had to do.” Alice leaned down and calmly patted the side of the spider as she spoke, making it chitter in an almost appreciative manner. “Best thing you can do now is prove yourself. Can’t promise everyone will come around, but I’d definitely rather forgive you than hold a grudge.”

“I’ll do my best.” I nodded solemnly.

With that, the small talk was over. Alice gave me a few basic pointers on how to use my mask to command to the spider underneath us, but I struggled to get the hang of it.

Forward. Move forward.

Of course, it wasn’t as simple as just thinking of the words. I had to picture what I wanted the spider to do and “push that thought through the mask”, as Alice described it.

When I asked her how exactly I was supposed to do that, the explanation she gave wasn’t the best.

“It’s hard to explain. The kind of thing that once you do once, you can just do instinctively, you know?”

“Not really.”

“Well keep at it. This is the basic exercise we’re all taught. Means that at the very least if you get caught by a creature not under our control, you should be able to disable it.”

“Yeah, that’s what the gun is for.”

Alice chuckled softly.

“Well, with the mask you likely won’t need that thing anymore. After all this is over, you could always switch it out for something easier to handle with one arm.”

“I don’t think I could ever do that. This is more than just a gun to me. It’s my partner.”

As I spoke, I instinctively ran my hand down the slender ruby barrel of my repeater at my side. For just a second, so quick that it was hard to tell if I really heard it or not, I thought I could make out a faint voice calling out to me.

It sounded similar to when Magnus sent orders through the mask, but this voice was distinctly different to his. I tried to listen for it harder, but suddenly the scratching at the corners of my mind intensified and I jolted upright.

“What’s wrong?” Alice whirled around in her seat and gave me a concerned look, the spider chittering loudly underneath us.

“I-I don’t…” I shook my head, the strange presence gone as quickly as it had come. “Did you get an order from Magnus just now?”

“No, why?”

“Thought I heard something, that’s all.” I took a deep breath, looking all around.

Many of the other assembled spiders and other crystal creatures now had outlaws riding them. Most of them seemed not to be paying any attention to Alice and I, but there was definitely a few watching me cautiously.

I spotted Sean atop a particularly nasty looking ruby scorpion with a couple more outlaws. Most of the crew seemed to be like Alice and I, riding on the back of crystal spiders, beetles and a couple of small snakes. There were a few that were nervously clinging onto the back of vultures too. I definitely didn’t envy their role.

Riding a spider was a scary enough experience. Actually flying over the Scorch on a creature that could theoretically break free of my control at any second? I didn’t like to picture the results of that scenario.

As more and more Obsidian Outlaws and crystal creatures gathered around us I kept on trying my best to get our own spider to move. It was immensely frustrating, especially because there was no way I could tell if I was anywhere close to the correct method or not.

Alice stayed encouraging and supportive the whole time at least, telling me that it usually took weeks or sometimes months for an outlaw to successfully make their first order.

Despite her kind words it still felt like I was repeatedly running blindfolded headfirst at a brick wall, hoping I would eventually find the weak point and break through. I was thankful when Magnus eventually arrived at the head of the group, riding a diamond spider and flanked by his salamanders.

“Alright, hope everyone is ready because we ride to Clearvein tonight!” Magnus called out, not using his mask.

There was a general murmur of agreement throughout the twenty or so outlaws that were gathered. Many of them were injured, but still able to use their assorted firearms and control their creatures.

“Cyrus, Alice and Sean, you’ll be riding with me. The rest of you? Your job is to draw whatever defences the town have in place away while we extract the target.” Magnus looked across the crowd, his eyes settling on me for a brief moment. “We’ve taken many losses on this mission, and for that I apologise. I take full responsibility for our mistakes, and will do everything in my power to prevent any more. Tomorrow, when the relief team arrives, we will have the researcher for them. The Sovereign will see that the Obsidian Outlaws are a skilled squad deserving of his favour!”

Magnus clearly wasn’t too used to giving speeches like this, but he was doing his best and I can’t say that I could have done any better. I hadn’t known about more of the Obsidian Order arriving tomorrow, but I suspected that was part of why it was essential we got the job done tonight.

Something about Magnus’ speech definitely seemed desperate, and I got the distinct impression that disappointing the Sovereign was something a lot of the crowd would kill to avoid.

Magnus continued his speech with a few basic details about the mission. The main force would try and draw any defences they could over to one side of the town, pretending to try and breach the perimeter, while our small squad would find Kate and petrify her with the scorpion Sean was riding.

To his credit, Magnus did make it very clear that killing should be absolutely avoided by any means necessary. He wanted the outlaws to do their best to keep the remaining rooks and anyone else pinned down with gunfire, using the crystal spider webbing to prevent anyone from approaching.

If things went sideways, and Kate were to “transform” into the fiery being once again, then the outlaws were authorised to use lethal force on her and only her. I didn’t like that, but I understood the reasoning behind it.

Promising to relay more precise details via his mask on the ride over, Magnus gave one final attempt to encourage his gang.

“I know things haven’t been as promised. I wanted to train you all into an elite force of thieves who didn’t have to resort to bloodshed. After this, if any of you want to leave the Obsidian Outlaws or the Scorch, I will do everything in my power to make it happen. If you wish to stay by my side. I will support you and help you grow stronger until you can achieve whatever dreams you may hope for!”

There was an actual cheer that accompanied this, and I was surprised. Magnus was much better at speaking to people one on one, but his humble nature and passion were evident to all. He really did care about his outlaws, and that made them want to fight with him, instead of for him. Myself included.

“Obsidian Outlaws!” Magnus called one final time, his spider turning and starting to skitter down the canyon. “Survive and thrive!”

There was a smattering of cries that echoed his own as the outlaws started to follow, the collection of crystal creatures scuttling, skittering and flying after their leader.

I noticed that Alice didn’t echo the cry, and had instead turned to face me.

“Hold on tight, these things are fast.”

“You don’t need to tell-” I started, but was quickly interrupted as Alice turned back and the spider started to move.

I panicked as I felt myself start to lose balance, quickly wrapping my arms around Alice’s waist. She laughed and wooped loudly as the arachnid rushed alongside the others through the canyon, moving far faster than I had thought they could.

“You’ve probably never seen it, but if you ask them nicely these things can really move!” Alice turned her head and grinned at my shocked expression.

I didn’t recover until our spider, along with all those around us, were out of the canyon and skittering over the starsand. There were so many of us that we had kicked up quite a storm, and I had to carefully lower my goggles over my eyes.

It was dark now, but I could make out faint orange lights in the distance around what must have been Clearvein. It was strange. I had faced down swarms of crystal creatures many times, most recently aboard the caravan heading into Clearvein. Now, I was part of one of those monstrous swarms.

Unlike the crystal creatures that roamed freely, our swarm had a shared goal in mind. To capture Kate. I kept my grip around Alice as we rapidly approached the town I had previously helped defend, knowing that the success of our mission and lives of many that lived there would depend on me.