Chapter 15: Out in the Wasteland

Vance Darcouver opened his mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream, shattering the silence of the desert. Blood gushed from his open wounds as his body convulsed with shivers. He felt like throwing up, but there was nothing in his stomach. The sun's rays burned down on him, pulling sweat from his pores and only adding to his strife.

Where am I?! Hell? It's so...hot...and my wrists! My fucking wrists!

"Nooo..." he moaned. His dry mouth cracked and burned. "Mom..."

"Hey, pa! I think I see him! I think I see Kurt!"

Vance desperately looked around for the butcher's knife, still desperate to end his life and the suffocating pain. But it was nowhere to be found. And so, abandoning all hope, logic, and thought, Vance let himself succumb to unconsciousness. As he began to sink away, his ears were gradually filled with the loud sound of a motor.

"Right over there, yeah, he's lyin' right over there!"

Yanked back into the desert, Vance cracked an eye open, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening. All he could see was a thick tire roll up, summoning a cloud of dust.

"Hey, Kurt! Kurt, it's me, Ashley!"

Strong hands grabbed Vance’s back and flipped him over. His arms scraped along rough sand; he coughed up a mouthful of dust and shrieked in pain as his body was jerked around like a penny in a washing machine.

"Aw, wait..." The one who had flipped Vance over - a tall, muscular young woman with a brown rat-tail, looked down on the teenager with a very disappointed look on her face. "Aw, wait, Pa, wait - it ain't him."

"What?" A hobbling old man made his way over to Ashley and Vance, adjusting his dusty glasses to get a better look. His tongue sloshed around in his mouth. "Yer right, Ash, shore as shit ain't him."

"Hey, you with me, man?" Ashley inquired. Her strong arms shook Vance back and forth, shifting dusty, sweat-plastered hair out of his eyes. "Holy shit, pa, we got a bleeder here!"

Vance cracked his lips apart, trying to say something, but all that came out were exhausted whimpers. He’d never felt worse in his entire life, and simply wanted to die. Luckily for Vance, he was unable to mouth this desire.

"Pa...pa, he don't look so good," Ashley finally deduced, looking toward her father.

"Yeah, I reckon he don't. Whaddya wanna do? Take 'im with us?"

"Well, he might know sumpin' 'bout Kurt."

"He shore might." The old man licked his chapped lips. "Toss 'im in the back, and let's high-tail it back into town. Maybe Kurt's back by now."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, pa! Maybe he is!"

"Well, let’s get to it then. Grab 'is ol' bones there."

Ashley hoisted Vance up and tossed him into the gap behind the seats of the beat-up buggy. The old man got in after she started it up, and twangy country music started to pour out of scratchy speakers. Ashley and her father began to whistle...and Vance realized that he’d died and gone to hell.

*

Tao Fukunaga stood with his back to the Guild’s command center, watching with pensive eyes as Cliff and Eden approached. The Vice-Captain was dressed in a brand new hat and duster, while Eden wore a red open-front caped blazer with dark blue pants.

"I’m glad to see you’re both alright," the Seneschal said with a nod.

"Give Vice-Captain Jaq my thanks," Cliff said gravely. "But what took the 1st division so long to arrive?"

"They hit us first." Tao motioned toward a screen on a nearby wall. "Beasts summoned by God knows what started hammering our shields, and while we were busy dealing with that, they compromised our communications system."

"Shit." Cliff took one look at the screen and clenched his fists. "Do you think they found out about the clock?"

"Of course they did," the Seneschal replied angrily. "You shouldn’t be asking yourself these questions, Cliff. You’re a Vice-Captain now. So next time you consider using an enemy’s vehicle to return to your own base, do yourself a favor and think again."

Cliff turned his eyes down, speechless.

"Now, that’s all the time I have for reprimanding," the Seneschal went on. "We need to try and bring the clock back from Despair while we still have a chance."

"A clock?" Eden asked, remembering the name of Cliff’s homeworld. "What’s the big deal about a clock?"

Tao quickly raised a hand and began to explain. "The world itself once thrived and flourished, but was turned into a wasteland hundreds of years ago by a catastrophic war. Ever since then, artifacts from the past have slept deep under the surface. An excavation team from the 4th division has been researching and excavating the underground tunnels in Despair for years, and they finally uncovered something: a clock, a device that may be a key to the space-time continuum."

Eden’s eyes widened as she looked between the two men. "And the Dark Zodiacs are after those too? Please don’t tell me you’re thinking of sending Cliff there...he can barely walk!"

"No, originally I wasn’t planning on sending Cliff at all," the Seneschal said. "But we lost contact with the team hours ago. As of now, the clock could be anywhere."

"I’ll go get it," Cliff said. "I know those mines like the back of my hand."

"I figured you’d say that," the Seneschal sighed. "Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone to send with you. The 1st division must stay here and guard the Guild, as is their duty. The 2nd and 3rd divisions are pursuing a God-hating cabal that threatened the Church. Captain Azuka took half of the 4th division to Tartoch, and the other was split between here and Despair."

"I’ll go with him," Eden said calmly. "I can protect him."

"No way," Cliff said, shaking his head. "It’s too dangerous."

Eden turned to face Cliff, a citrus aura burning in her eyes. "Cliff, can you honestly say that to me after what happened back in that store? I don’t know if it was coming to this world that changed me...but I awakened to something back there. I’m stronger now."

Tao studied Eden intently. "You know, considering what just happened here, it may not be the worst idea in the world to transport you somewhere else for the time being."

Cliff stammered. "But..."

"Just get to Land’s End and find a way to make contact with the team," Tao said. "Confirm their safety, then return at once. That’s all you need to do."

Feeling somewhat defeated, Cliff looked to his superior and gave him a quick bow. "We'll be right back, Seneschal. I promise."

"You don’t need to promise me anything. Just come back alive."