An old west tale... in space.

3.3

They came into their camp riding what looked like giant hairy scorpions, two of them, each of them even more hideous than the one that loomed over her. All over their red, burned carapaces were what she recognized as human trinkets, articles of clothing, axes, tools hanging off of belts. They carried rifles, also plainly of human design. Four colorful antennae bristled above their obscene heads.

Again she tried to move, this time to get away, but her former guide was atop her immediately, straddling her like its’ friends straddled their monster mounts.

“I--- kkkk--- took dat----“ It told her in that scratching hissing voice, pointing with one of it’s chitinous limbs at the coat it had tossed aside. “--- from you guide----kkkkkk---- he tol’ me--- before I taste ----kkkk ----him---- he tol’ me----- say Ryukyu----kkkk ----- Ryukyu friend of Rake---- “

“No, no, no, no,” she shook her head in desperation, tears bursting from her eyes. “I don’t know him, I swear to you, I don’t know him… I swear… I swear….”

“Rha-Nak-Tay not friend of -----kkkkkk---- Rake”

One of its blade-like middle appendages folded out from under its shell and went to her throat. She tried to pull away, kicking against the creature. She heard herself from somewhere far, far away screaming at the top of her lungs.

Then, off in the distance she heard a crack, like thunder, and she watched as Rha-Nak-Tay’s head exploded into a cloud of noxious white liquid.

The creature’s body fell to the side, slipping off her with a wet thunk.

The two other Sy’el screeched and tried to turn their mounts away from the fire when she heard two more cracks, one after the other.

Both of their bodies hit the ground almost simultaneously.

The scorpion things reared and hissed loudly, then galloped off into the darkness.

She tried to catch her breath, tried to get up, but she found herself shaking uncontrollably. Massive sobs threatened to overrun what remained of her equilibrium.

She felt more than heard heavy thumps rapidly getting stronger and louder, coming closer and closer.

Before she could get on her feet, he rode into her camp, brown wide brimmed hat, long gray black beard, old black duster flapping behind him, cybernetic arm holding the rifle he’d used to kill three Sy’el in seconds. His mount, a mad cross between a saber-toothed tiger and a Titan beetle, reared up right before it could run her over.

Then she felt her body finally give out and the insane world Ryukyu had dragged her into fall away.

End Part 3.3