Ain't Talkin'

They walked. They walked the entire morning. A walker, his horse and his charge made their way through the wasteland along no road. The dunes rose and fell. Broken buildings were sparse but clung to their foundations in odd places, hanging from created hills and leaning against dead trees for support while they drew their last breaths.

Lucky followed dutifully close by, stopping now and then whenever a cluster of scrubgrass presented itself but always catching up at a trot.

By the afternoon Roche was sure they had crossed back into Polkun county. The place had a vibe. A certain hopelessness to it that you could feel in the ground through your boots. The way a book felt when you knew the last chapter had been ripped out for fire fuel. The story was all there, but you knew it would leave you mentally broken with no conclusion.

“Are we there yet?” Markus was thankfully walking strong and had been quiet for the day. Something about the way he said it made Roche grit his teeth around the butt of his cigarette.

“Trying to be funny?”

Markus didn’t have to think about his answer. “Yeah, I guess I was.”

“Short answer is yes. We’re back in Polkun county. Long answer is I am not sure how far south of Parmiskus we are or what day it is.”

“So we just keep walking?”

“Welcome to the life, kid.” Roche smiled in spite of himself.

“Wouldn’t be so bad.” Markus said more to himself.

“What’s that?”

“Just walking. Going from one place to another. Getting people places. Everyone leaving you alone. The world kinda just passing you by.” Markus kicked at the dust.

Roche thought about it for a minute, inhaling deeply and blowing smoke from his nostrils. “Ain’t all that. Folks ain’t always totally happy with you taking them places. Or taking people who other people don’t want taken. Like yourself. The occasional job when you get a guy who just wants to try his life on Terra 3 and get the fuck out of here. Guy that just needs a guide. Nothing more. Those are the rare bits. Quick pay, easy job, happy client and I’m done. Mostly, kid, people try to shoot you.”

“Yeah. Or create half-real ether monsters that’re gonna be unleashed on an unsuspecting plane full of innocent people.” Markus said sarcastically.

“Well. Yeah. . .or that.”

Both men laughed.