#21: Filthy Slavers

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This revelation seemed to enrage the BearBoy. He screamed something and pointed at the other nearby chariots. Lamar didn't understand his speech, yet, but some things were universal. He was pretty sure the boy had said something to the effect of "You Filthy Slavers, You're NEXT!" He really seemed upset about those chains.

Lamar could relate. He knew all about slaves. He also owed the Boy and the bear AND the Griffin. He’d have been dead but for them. If the kid thought the Demon Orcs were the 'bad guys’, and that they needed killin', then that was fine by Lamar. He could do that. He proceeded to help. Lamar drew his brace of Remingtons and began to shoot. The first reports of those hand cannons startled the boy slightly, the bear never even flinched. Not so the Orcs, they didn't recover. Even though they had superior firearms of their own , they weren’t proficient. They were awkward, and they hesitated. He who hesitates in a gunfight is lost.

They lost.

The concussion, the fire and the smoke of the Remingtons were overwhelming. Especially the massive .44 caliber slug. The huge bullet smashed into the malevolent creatures at almost about eight hundred feet per second and knocked them right out of their chariots. They were immediately stomped to cobalt cream by the ongoing stampede. Lamar didn't shoot the Troll. The Troll looked at Lamar for a moment in surprise and then the Orc-less chariot disappeared from sight into the rampaging mob.

The two, Lamar and the Bear-Boy, went about their business until Lamar’s pistols ran dry. Not a problem. Lamar had pre-loaded cylinders in his belt pouch. It was but the work of a few seconds to swap out cylinders and go back to killing Demon-Orcs, both in chariots and on killer birds.

The Bear-Vaquero figured out what Lamar was doing almost instantly and worked with him. The man, the boy and the bear became a deadly killing team. The boy seemed to have an uncanny sense of perception. He could invariably find the Orc-chariots. When Lamar had obliterated the Demons in one buggy they would go directly to another and repeat the process leaving the surviving Troll to manage as best it could. Lamar figured the Demons were the real menace whereas the Trolls were slaves, a subjugated race. Many times during the running battle Lamar would get glimpses and flashes of the other humans. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Lamar noticed a pattern. Guardian angels were watching over the humans. These angles were female elves riding Griffins. When a human got into trouble, such as falling out of the saddle or off a wagon, he would be swarmed by Griffins.

Instantly, many times before the human could even hit the ground, a pair of Griffin would latch on and began flapping like mad. Although one Griffin could barely lift the heavier human off the ground....that didn't stop them from trying. Usually two or more Griffin would latch onto a falling man lift him into the air.

The struggling mythical creatures would then deposit the human in one of the wagons. The human might have punctures in his shoulders from Griffin claws but he was alive. Thus they ran with the wild horde and avoided being trampled.

Once, at least, it didn’t work. Lamar noticed a Griffin with it’s lovely rider struggling to lift a fallen human and being unable to gain height quickly enough. They were smashed to the ground by the panicked cattle. It happened too far away for Lamar to help.. All three were trampled to mush. The man, the Griffin and the female Griffin-Gaucho. That didn't stop the others from trying.

Suddenly out of the corner of his eye Lamar say something unusual. Considering this situation the word 'unusual" took on a whole new meaning.

Next Episode
#22: It was Hobbs
Previous Episode
#20: CHARGE…
First Episode
# 1 : In the beginning…

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