GLITTER GULCH

Chapter 2: Angel Fire

Part B

Ryo moaned and opened his eyes. The light proved to be too bright and he squeezed them shut again. He tried to move and found that his hands and feet were in shackles. He yanked on the chains to test their strength. They held firm and his head drooped from the pain in his shoulder. It’s cold in here… He opened his eyes slowly allowing them to adjust. He was in the middle of a small room. The shackles were firmly fastened to each side of the wall, stretching his arms to their limit. There was a table behind him and a chair in front of him. There was something on the table but he couldn’t make out what it was. Some sort of case or something. There were four lanterns in the small room, one in each corner. He could see that the floor was darker here in the middle of the room and it felt cold on his bare feet. What the…? I’d had moccasins on before… He glanced down and realized he’d been stripped bare. A door opened behind him. He struggled to see who was there.

"Now, if you struggle, you’ll only make it worse for yourself, Ryo Wildfire."

Talpa. Ryo clenched his teeth. The fury seeping back into him. A gnarled hand touched his back and he flinched, the flesh crawling under Talpa’s touch. "You’re so young and delicious."

"Get your filthy paws off me, Talpa," Ryo spat. He jerked in his chains. His shoulder sending blazing white heat through his body. He ignored the pain. The gnarled hand snaked a path over Ryo’s back.

"I think I’ll keep my filthy paws right where they are." His hand moved lower. Ryo shivered, his body convulsing. "Yes, so delicious." Talpa’s tongue explored the exit wound on his back. He tried to jerk free. The pain caused Ryo’s vision to blur. "You can’t break free. You belong to me, boy." Talpa’s hand crept around and grasped Ryo’s limp sex, pulling him back into the Ringmaster’s embrace. "I own you. You’re mine."

"Not if I can help it." The Indian bucked his body, jerking at the chains and throwing his head back as hard as he could. He felt a satisfying thwack as his skull connected with Talpa’s nose. Hot liquid splattered his back.

"Why you…" Talpa let go and shoved a finger into Ryo’s wound. Ryo screamed. "You are be mine, Ryo of the Wildfire. I own you. All of you." Tears were streaming down Ryo’s face. Talpa curled his finger and Ryo screamed again. The Ringmaster laughed. "There’s much more of this to come, young Ryo. I have you all to myself now that Star Wolf is no longer. And I have all the time in the world. An eternity."

Ryo pulled at the chains causing the pain to intensify. He sank into unconsciousness, sweet oblivion.

Ryo had lost track of how many days he’d been Talpa’s captive and playtoy. The pain was a constant companion. The gunshot wound was still fresh. The Ringmaster chose to keep it open, using it to hold the Indian in check. Talpa also wore a metal mask now to keep the head-butting incident from happening again. He removed it when he was in front of Ryo, making sure to grasp Ryo’s hair to keep his head still. Ryo would slip in and out of consciousness, sometimes during one of Talpa’s ministrations.

During one such session, Talpa had mentioned White Blaze. Ryo’s eyes lit with hatred and his body burned. "If you hurt him, Talpa, I’ll…"

"You’ll what, Ryo of the Wildfire? I don’t think you have it in you." He licked Ryo’s face. Ryo shivered. "Besides, I need him for insurance. I want to make sure you’re a good little boy when we go into town tomorrow. He’ll be under observation. One wrong move on your end and the tiger dies. Slowly. Maybe I’ll put him in the lion cage."

Ryo looked at Talpa’s face. The bandage was still on his nose. "You’re going to let me go?"

"Yes. On the condition that you behave. And you will be my constant companion." Talpa’s dead eyes glistened. "You behave and I might even buy you something." His tongue snaked across Ryo’s lips. "But do anything," he hissed, crushing Ryo’s jaw with his hand, "…and your tiger friend dies. Understand?"

Ryo nodded.

"Good. Now, what shall we do today?" Talpa pressed his clammy lips to Ryo’s dry, bloody lips. Ryo tried not to vomit.

Sage glanced at the notice in his hand. /A traveling circus? Yeah, right. Like I’m going to spend my money to watch freaks. I can do that in Dodge for free. Is that music?/ He turned to face the street. Down the way, he could see a brightly colored parade heading his way. Trying to rope them in with a quick glance. Why not? I’ll just watch the parade. He found an accommodating post and leaned against it. His hat covering what his blonde hair did not, one pale violet eye. The parade consisted of the usual fare. A loud barker announcing the amazing feats that would be witnessed. Scantily clad women dancing to horribly loud music. Animals in cages. Clowns trying to charm the crowd.

"See amazing feats of daring! Witness the lion-taming act! One man armed with only a whip in a cage with 6 live lions! See Lula the Contortionist! Be astonished by her incredible flexibility!"

Now that sounds interesting…

Sage jumped when the Indian shoved an arrow under his nose. He looked into the ice blue eyes and frowned. "Take it." The Indian’s voice was raw and unused. Sage hesitated, studying the sad eyes full of pain and hurt. "Please. Take it." Sage glanced back at the Ringmaster. He was glaring at the two of them. Sage reached out and took the arrow, not knowing he was changing his life forever.

"Why the hell am I doing this?" Sage spoke to no one in particular. He was sitting with about fifty other people in a stuffy, multicolored tent. It stank of animal feces and sweat. Yeah. This is where I want to be. The lady next to him had brought her children, all six of them. One of them kept kicking Sage’s boot. Okay. I don’t have to do this. I can leave. But that Indian had seemed so…urgent. Sage shook his head. Well, I can’t help him. He stood and walked out of the tent. The air outside the tent wasn’t that much better, but at least it was cooler. He took a deep breath and decided to check out the animal cages.

Ryo sprawled on all fours as Talpa whipped him. "I saw you ogling that cowboy this afternoon. You’re mine. Understand?!" Ryo nodded. "What?!"

"Yesss…" Ryo gasped.

"You belong to me, Ryo Wildfire. Don’t you ever forget that." Talpa spat at him.

Ryo kept his head down and took the pain. It would be worse tonight when the show was over. Talpa was furious that they hadn’t been able to draw the crowd he’d wanted. Talpa snarled and kicked Ryo in the kidney. Ryo grunted and drew himself up into ball. That infuriated the ringmaster even more. He pulled Ryo’s hair and forced his head up. He crammed the whip into the Indian’s mouth. "You’ve almost used up your worth to me, boy. Remember, I own you." Ryo’s eyes flashed fire. "So, I see you still have some spirit in you…" He slammed Ryo’s head into the dirt, shoving the whip farther into his mouth and down his throat. Ryo’s throat convulsed trying to dislodge the obstruction. Talpa held his head, pushing it into the dirt. Tears fell down Ryo’s face. /I’ve got to do this for White Blaze. It’s all for White Blaze. I won’t let him hurt you, boy. We’ll get out of this./

Ryo felt Talpa’s weight sink onto him. /Not here! Not now!/ He waited for the unwanted intrusion, but none came.

"What are you waiting for? Get up." Ryo felt the weight fall off his body. He slowly pushed himself upright. That wasn’t Talpa’s voice. Who…?

"I think I over did it. Shit. I didn’t mean to kill him…" A cowboy stood over Talpa’s lifeless form. He nudged the body with his boot. "He’s got to be alive. I didn’t hit him that hard." Blood seeped from under Talpa’s head. "Okay, so I hit him hard. Sue me."

Ryo gaped at the blonde cowboy he’d seen on the street earlier that day. He’d given him one of the arrows. Now this blonde-haired, purple-eyed cowboy was helping him?

"Well, are you going to sit there with your mouth open or are we going to leave? I’m going to go. Seems like I’ve done enough here." The cowboy stared at Ryo.

I can leave? Just like that? I’m free? Ryo’s head swam. He blinked away the confusion. I can leave…I’m free…

"Well?" The cowboy was waiting.

Ryo looked at Talpa’s body lying inches away from him. He reached over and found the keys to White Blaze’s prison. "Uh, yeah. I gotta get somethin’ first."

The cowboy nodded and followed.

What the hell am I doing? Why did I coldcock someone to help this Indian? I must be out of my mind. He watched as the Indian found the right key to the wagon. Sage stood watch outside as he went in. I can’t believe I’m doing this. The Indian reappeared seconds later, a case under one arm. Sage followed him to the animal cages. Now what? "Hssst. We don’t have time for this! They’ll realize any minute now that their Ringmaster hasn’t shown up! We’ve got to get out of here!"

"I’m not leaving without White Blaze." The Indian went up to one of the tiger cages and put his hand through the bars.

"What the…?"

A massive white tiger nuzzled the Indian’s hand. "Good boy, White Blaze. Time to get you out of here."

"You’re bringing that thing?!"

The Indian turned to glare at him, fire in his ice blue eyes. "Yes. I am not leaving without him." The Indian found the key that unlocked the tiger’s cage and hugged the enormous beast. Sage was more than a little wary when the tiger looked his way, licking its lips. "He’s a friend. He’s here to help us." The tiger purred and rubbed against the Indian. He smiled and absently patted the tiger’s back. "Okay, let’s go."

Sage found his horse and they "appropriated" one for the Indian. The horses didn’t like the close proximity of the tiger and began panicking. The Indian told the tiger to follow at a distance and the tiger huffed and disappeared into the night.