Red Rock

Chapter 18: Two Rats in a Cage (Part 1)

Chapter 18 Two Rats in a Cage

"What do you think, Blud?" Leg asked anxiously. "Do you think I could take Puffer in a fight?"

"Not a chance I said!" the big round cannibal replied with a smirk.

"I'd strangle your thick white neck, you pig," Leg responded confidently. "I may be half your weight, but you'd never be able to catch me. I'm too quick on my feet."

Puffer rolled his eyes. "I bet you I could beat the light out of your eyes with one hand."

"Would you two shut the fuck up!" another one of the cannibals said frustratingly. The conversation of 'who could beat up who' had now hit the hour mark, turning their patrol into a nightmare.

"I'm just saying!" Leg said louder. "You all underestimate my strength."

Blud stopped and turned to Leg in a sudden movement, stopping inches away from his face. "Puffer would kick the shit out of you," he said, causing complete silence and stillness in the group. Blud put his two fingers to Leg's lips and looked him in the eyes. "Any more questions?"

Leg shook his head.

"Then I don't want to hear another word out of any of you," he finished, glancing at Puffer.

"Of course, Blud. Sorry," Puffer said. putting his head down. Blud turned back around and started walking again, promoting Puffer to give Leg a laughable grin.

Blud halted again moments later, standing on top of a hill of sand, seeing miles forward and back. An evil smile spread from ear to ear, for not too far away, a camp of three men could be seen resting in the shade of a single tree. "Ohhhhhhohoho, I see them! I know what you're looking at, Blud!" Leg laughed, shaking his hands in excitement.

"Go back down," Blud demanded, heading down the hill. "We'll keep ourselves concealed for as long as we can."

The cannibals all looked at each other excitedly. The one hundred- fifty pounds of jerky collected in the past two weeks were left at Daire's camp for safekeeping, so hunger was beginning to get the best of them.

By the time the cannibals revealed themselves it was too late for the three resting men to make any attempt to flee. Each of them picked up a weapon that was leaning against the tree and banded together. "Hello!" Leg laughed. "I always enjoy the look on their faces!" he said to his group. "It's the look of, 'I don't know what's going to happen next'," he finished, laughing some more.

"I would leave if I were you," said one of the three men, who looked to be the leader.

"Ooooooh! We got ourselves a couple of confident Red Rocks, don't we, Blud!" Leg said, licking his lips. "Nice change of pace really. I'm getting sick of dealing with those Marbles, they ain't got no balls!"

The cannibals enclosed a tight circle around the three men and the tree. Blud evaluated the three dark skinned warriors with skepticism. The three men were dressed in yellow robes as a uniform and pointed their weapons threateningly outward. Most travelers Blud had come across always carried some sort of weapon, usually a stone knife or sharpened stick, but these men were different. The three men were definitely not from any sort of ship landing on the planet, yet they held brilliantly designed and forged weapons, a spear and two swords. Even Blud's Earth-manufactured weapon seemed lesser than the weapon the men held in their hands.

"We have nothing of value for you men of the land," the leader of the three men said.

"You got the skin on your bones!" Leg said, tugging at his forearm's epidermis.