Barron - A Bards Folktale: Dustland Requiem

Aramis Barron

To R. M., who taught me the importance of pursuing a dream even after waking.

Introduction

Heeey! Well look who it is! Didja miss your friendly neighborhood narrator, the fantastic Mr. Geroge Evans? I bet ya missed me, didnt you? Of course you did. Sokay, theres no need to be shy. Ill admit it: I missed you too.

I bet youre all amped to know whats happening with some of our favorite people, huh? Im not gonna keep you waiting, cause, after all, you know meIm a crowd pleaser. Also, I recently took up a side gig as a purveyor of spoilers, so you dont wanna know all the goodness I shared before (or remember it just fine) feel free to skip ahead. Otherwise, Ima cover everything we went over before, so here goes.

Last we left off, our trio of high school grads and their resident college drop-out, Glenn, took a little road trip across country, ending up in a mess of trouble down in El Paso. The sweethearts Kody Lehane and Alma Grey found their love nest left a mess by their bestie of best friends, Cris-Dont-Call-Me-Charisma Roberts.

See Kody and Alma were in one of those relationshipsyeah, ya know what I mean, and during one of their down times, little miss Crissy found herself with something of a fancy for the bad poet, Mr. Lehane. Being more than a bit of a romantic himself, Kody did what most teenage boys would do, and created some sort of funky love triangle with angles too crazy to imagine. Long and short, he broke his sweeties heart, and so his lovebird, Alma, flew away.

Mr. Glenn Redcliffe, infatuated with the lady Grey, took her flight pretty hard. Being the slightly psychotic philosopher he was, he did some less-than-stellar things to himself and was left ODed in a mess of his own blood by none other than Cris and Kody. They fled the scene to avoid getting arrested, even though they hadnt done a thing (to poor Glenn, anyway).

Seeing as they had no means to make it right, Cris and Kody figured they may as well finish what Glenn had secretly started: finding Almas surprisingly not-dead brother. Guess they figured there was an off chance theyd find Alma and could head home. Anywho, just a bit too late, they got there to find Glenns associate instead, who offered Kody an opportunity to catch up to the lady Alma by taking on a mission down Mexico way. And so he went, leaving little Miss Cris behind, cause reallyhormones and reason just dont mix.

So all by her lonesome, Cris waited in Nevada for her sister to pick her out up. When the elder Roberts daughter finally arrived, she came with a familiar little feline: Glenns cat, Mr. Allister Theodore Bixby III, Esq., who had been with him right up until his incident in El Paso. With nothing else left, Cris headed home and time kept moving along.

Personally, much as hes screwed things up, I owe it to my boy to show him some love after leaving him out of last seasons finale, so lets add about a couple months to the clock and get started where he left off.

The problem with doin things the way youre taught is that you accept things the way they are. Makes it all kinds of hard to see the things that need to change.
The Memory Book of Siggy Martinez

A Few Months Since Graduation: Outer Region of Los Tios, Mexico.

A youth with stormy hair and wild eyes sat waiting on the back porch of the bar on the outskirts of the desolate desert town, not too far south of the U.S.Mexico border. He was young in years but old at heart, the boy named Sigurd Martinez. He gazed out across the barren landscape, scuffing his leather boots against the deserts dirty floor. He waited for his brother to pick him up, finally allowed to go out on his first mission as part of the newly established trio. After all, he was the one who had done the legwork to put this operation together.

Only a few days past his fifteenth birthday, his maturity and mannerisms far outshined those of his unrefined older brother, Adelais. Siggy recounted all the factors and variables he might need to considerall of the things he might need to know, although he himself was unfamiliar with such elaborate terms as factors and variables. A hard, quick life was all most of the townsfolk ever knew. But he was determined: hed be the one to set the record straight.

Hey, Siggy! Are ya nervous?

A brazen, sometimes ugly, sometimes lovely dark-eyed girl knelt playfully behind him, leaning over him. A pastel blue sundress hung off her lean, hardened frame, deflecting the heat. Her sunburnt hair draped over Siggy, blocking all but her face from view.

Lorena, hey. Me, nervous? he chuckled, Maybe just a little.

Its all right little brother, everythings gonna be jes fine. Adelais wont let anything happen ta ya. But heres a little somethin for luck. Jes in case.

She tied a blue kerchief around his neck as she took a seat next to him, sliding a comforting hand over his shoulder. Her feet dangled merrily in the sand beside his own. He let out a small breath, clenching his fist. Like she said, everything was going to be just fine. He cracked a smile, turning to her.

I aint your brother, ya know.

She stopped and cocked an eyebrow at him, to which he couldnt help but laugh. She pulled him close and kissed his forehead.

Close enough.

He watched her as she stood and swayed back inside, each step whimsical yet graceful. The heat of her touch left him warmer than he liked, thoughts lingering to the flourishing hips of his adoptive, slightly older sister. She disappeared behind the thin sheet veiling the back doorway.

Gonna build a better life fer all of us.

Siggy scratched his head, his repose cut short by the sound of a rundown pickup truck barreling along the gritty path behind the bar. He rose slowly, anxiousness unwilling to relinquish its grasp on his limbs as beads of sweat trickled down his back. The trucks driver slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a halt before him. His brothers voice broke whatever spell anxiety held over Siggy.

Sig, the hell you doin standin around? Get in!

Siggy jumped into the back of the truck, holding on to the ledge as his brother floored the pedal. The red pickup hauled off as quickly as it had come. Siggy sat close to the rear window, dust flying up all around. A tan but relatively pale hand slid the glass partition separating him from the truck as a shaggy blond head poked out of the cabin to check on him.

Whats going on, buddy?

Siggy looked the man over, not overly fond of the new guy. Although, as usual, he couldnt help but examine the mans face. Something about those green eyes always stood out. Siggy shook his head.

Hey, quit talkin to me like a kid. Im only a few years younger than you.

Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you pay attention and dont get yourself hurt.

The smug grin the passenger wore hinted more kindness than his nave frame implieda stark contrast from the calloused driver sitting next to him. A sudden jolt lifted Siggy from the steely bed of the truck as they hit the gravelly, semi-paved road.

Watch it, Ade! Im sittin back here ya know!

Shut it, little brother! If you got an issue with my drivin, walk.

Siggy sighed, still clenching his fists. At least his brother was close by. Long as they had been together, Adelais had always been the law. Long as he was around, everything was all right.

So, are you nervous? the passenger called back to him.

Ya serious? Just cause this is my first time going all vigilante with ya two dont mean Im a punk. I deal with these guys same as everyone else.

Yeah, well I get the feeling that dealing with them is probably a little different than what youre about to get used to.

If a city boy like you can manage to learn it in a few months, I think Ill be okay.