El Sombra by Al Ewing

Author:Al Ewing [Ewing, Al]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Steampunk, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Space Opera
Amazon: B004Z1GZWW
Publisher: Abaddon Books
Published: 2009-05-27T12:00:00+00:00

"Hi-yahhh!"

Karsten thundered forward, one step ahead of Der Zinnsoldat. The metal monster had almost caught up many times - for Karsten, as noble a beast as he was, was flesh and blood and thus could tire, or fall momentarily behind in the chase. But Der Zinnsoldat had a weakness too - one El Sombra was quick to observe. The monster reached out with one immense steel fist, slamming it into the side of a wooden house, not slowing down. The wall exploded into matchwood as the beast thundered forward, the fist opening to gather fuel, before thrusting it into the open furnace of its chest. The flames leapt higher, spurring it on, as the pipes on its back screamed in a geyser of superheated steam.

El Sombra grinned.

It needs to eat. But not drink.

He drove the horse forwards into the Great Square. For a second, in this vast and open space, he would be a target. He glanced up again, to see a trio of wingmen flying high above on plumes of steam, readying their weapons. The first response. He grinned again. Let them come. He had an answer for them now.

He swatted Karsten's backside, driving him on towards the base of the gigantic stone statue. At this time of day, there were more than a hundred workers swarming like ants over the immense idol, chipping and polishing at the stone. It was near complete, this great stone prayer to the gods of death and madness, and in just a few days the order would go out to dismantle it again. But El Sombra had other plans.

"Run!"

He shouted it at the top of his lungs, driving the horse around the edge of the scaffolding and between the tall wooden struts. At first, the workers only stared down at him, uncomprehending, but when Der Zinnsoldat crashed through into the square, pipes hissing with a semblance of terrible fury, they dived from the structure, bolting for any shelter they could find.

El Sombra ran his horse around and around the edge of the great stone effigy. Above, the wingmen who gathered with their guns ready were unable to open fire. To hit the workers with a poorly-aimed shot would be bad enough, but to hit the statue was unthinkable. And so they held their fire, flapping in great circles, watching helplessly as the massive mechanical engine of destruction closed in. There was nothing in its programming about the importance of either the great statue or the scaffolding around it, and so it swept the wooden struts to one side, collapsing the structure bit by bit as it followed the charging horse and its rider around the base. The faceless machine did not flinch as the heavy wooden beams and planks crashed down on it, or make any sign that it even noticed the inconvenience, beyond grabbing one of the thinner wooden beams and snapping it into pieces to feed its ever-hungry furnace.

El Sombra gritted his teeth and rode on, wood and metal crashing all around him before he burst free from underneath the toppling scaffold.

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