Molly - Part 4

Chapter 8

They all died. Selena made sure of it; she made Gaston and the others hang the christians from the battlements, their pews, their god-idols that sat all around them.

"Too much blood," Gaston spat, trying to wipe away some of the blood on his face but it had dried and now he would be forced to have red tears running down his face.

"Didn't know you had a bad-stomach."

"It's not that and you know it. This isn't prey--these people are barely worth our time."

Selena saw the tower with the glistening crystal etched at its base, where the rich and powerful toiled. She could taste her; she could smell her sweat.

"There is someone here I want dead."

This woke up the other sheep-herders, who gathered around their pack leader and waited in silent communion.

Selena took the bandage wrapped around her hand, exposing the wound she'd received yesterday, a stupid mistake against one of the fascists now slowly pouring in, the wound pulsating red but Selena could stomach the hurt.

"She wants to control everything. Take everything that we are and force us into her world-view. Well, we're not going to let that happen. Heathens, they might call us. Pagans. But we know the truth. We know who their god is and why he is so, so powerful."

Selena smiled.

"We shall destroy them each, then find their children and throw them off this rock."

She saw their eyes light up and the fear which had hounded her since returning to the station went away--this was the true test, and she was winning.

"Mallan."

The sheep-herders parted, and there in the back with his sword skewering the pastor and his weird mechanical legs was Mallan, dressed in all leather, even the face, his giant body towering above.

He rotated his shoulder, then grunted.

"We have a war to win."

Mallan threw his head back and howled, the others adding to his call though Selena kept silent; she noticed Gaston was staring at Mallan as a child might.

"Don't worry, Gaston. Mallan doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about anything."

She approached Mallan. Reached out and put an arm to his chest.

"He is the best of us, but that in and of itself can lead to failure. For how can anyone have a good life if they are not challenged?"

She touched his arm, Mallan bowing low.

"Kill her. Kill them all. Then, you will prove yourself. It will be hard because the prey will be many. It will be your test. If you succeed, you shall partake."

He went off with little ceremony. He had a war to win.

"You shouldn't have done that," Gaston muttered.

"Let us return to the city. This is not our place. Once Amelia is dead, we can begin again."

This seemed to please them enough, as they went away.

The bodies had been piled off to the side. Gaston mentioned it would be a good mound, but Selena ignored him. She wanted to be away from this godless place.

***

Paulie turned one of the corpses over. Just a kid. They had taken off his face and arms and put them next to him in a mock salute to his god.

Paulie couldn't stop staring.

"We're going," Rum hissed. He slapped his massive belly and added, "Not gonna help anymore by looking."