The Siege of California

About six years ago…

The Sage Inn, just west of Albuquerque, had once been a hotspot for weary travelers on the famous Route 66. However, since Interstate 40 had gone up just two miles south of the motel, business had grinded to a halt. These days, the motel had become a shell of what it once was, abandoned and desolate.

A little after 10 pm, a group of a dozen or so bikers rode into the asphalt parking lot and started making themselves at home at the Sage Inn. The motley assortment all shared at least one thing in common, a plaid kilt, instead of jeans or riding leathers. The crew was busting down doors, searching for left behind odds and ends, and making sure they were the only ones calling the motel home for the night.

Amongst all the action, a single figure strode from his bike to the center of the ruckus. Besides his kilt, he wore an old ratty pair of combat boots and a tattered, well-worn and patched leather jacket. His long dark hair moved about the hilt of a lengthy two-handed claymore that was strapped at an angle against his back. He stood watching the eroding remains of Route 66. In the distance, a lone biker rode towards the motel with a sense of urgency.

As the rider neared, another individual left the ranks of chaos around the motel and walked up to the claymore toting biker. He stopped and stood just to the biker’s right. His freshly shaved head reflected a soft glow from the overhead moon. The dark sunglasses mirrored back the surroundings, and a truncheon in the shape of a forearm with a closed fist hung loosely from his belt.

“Looks like we have the Sage Inn all to ourselves tonight, boss,” said the bald headed man.

The claymore toting biker surveyed the motel as the rest of the crew were beginning to construct makeshift furniture and had started a fire in the midst of their handiwork. “Tell the boys no liquor tonight… I want them sharp for our guest when it arrives,” said the biker.

“They’ve already been informed of that and the penalty for ignoring the standing order,” said the bald headed man as he pat the truncheon at his side.

“Good work Odo, and it looks as if Angus finally has caught up to us,” said the biker as he watched the lone rider nearing the motel. “So… being that you’re our bishop, does the Lord tell you if Angus brings good or bad news?”

“The Lord no longer speaks to this humble servant,” Odo said solemnly. “But I do know you… and I speak to you, Axis. And whether its good or ill, you’ll be having us do something.”

Axis chuckled at Odo’s remark, as Odo stood next to him silently watching Angus come to a stop in front of them. “What did you find?” Axis asked Angus.

Angus reached behind him into the back saddlebags on his back and pulled a manila folder filled with papers and newspaper clippings and handed it to Axis. He then reached into his jacket to check the time on an old tarnished pocket watch.

Axis reviewed the contents as Odo and Angus watched the others sitting patiently around a growing bonfire. Axis gave the folder back to Angus as he looked south towards I-40, and then turned his head to the right looking west.

“You’re right Odo… we will be doing something.” Axis gave a grin that would have put the Cheshire Cat to shame, but it quickly faded as he looked back towards the east with a jolt of his head. Odo and Angus looked to see the headlights of an approaching vehicle.

“Tell me again why you even agreed to speak with this… vile… grotesque… sewer rat?” Odo asked Axis with a grimace.

“For posterity, my dear bishop,” Axis said with flair. “And you can count on the rest of the Sabbat hearing about what has happened… and perhaps even a few princely ears may catch word of this too.”

The headlights gave way to an old black Cadillac Deville that slowly turned and pulled up into the now populated parking lot. Angus rolled his bike away from Axis and Odo as the car came to a halt. The chauffer hopped out and moved quickly to the rear door and opened it for the backseat occupant. A man, shriveled and frail, stepped out shielding his eyes with his forearm from the light of the fire.

“I should have brought sunglasses… I had forgotten about your ritualistic penchant for flames and cinder, my dear Paladin of the Faith”, croaked the withered man feigning an ounce of respect in his tone. The elderly appearing man seemed quite out of place in his freshly pressed Victorian suit. He briefly looked about those around Axis as Angus returned to stand to the left of Axis, opposite Odo. “So… why did you summon this humble servant of the Faith, Axis?”

“Well, I’ve just got back from Mexico… had a nice little chat with the Regent about my… nah, our,” Axis motioned to those around him. “Grievances and how we… Pander… are tired of being his and the Sect’s cannon fodder.”

“All very well Axis, but I do not see how a Paladin speaking with the Regent is of importance to me. I would think these meetings happen quite frequently,” the old man forced out the words as a tinge of annoyance began to grow in his speech.

Axis’ grin spread slowly as he spoke, “Well, Bones… if the Regent still had a tongue with which to speak … I’m sure he would have told you all about it.”

Bone’s annoyed expression changed to one of shock, “My… my… my… are you actually saying the Regent is no more Axis!?”

“I’m sure they’ve already got some other monkey in his chair… but yea, he’s dead, and we,” Axis again motioned to those around him, “do not play pit bull for the Sect any longer. So… no more Rabble to do the Sect’s dirty work. We have claimed our independence, Bones, and I leave it to you to spread the word far and wide.”

Bones stood before Axis quietly, his mind contemplated the words laid out before him. “A Paladin of the Faith… killing the Regent… you’ve gone completely mad… it’s insane! You have signed your own blood hunt… they’ll bury you… you’ve. Do you even have any idea what you’ve set into motion?” shouted Bones, his voice crackling as his shouts grew more intense.

Axis looked to his left, as Angus handed him a silver dollar quickly from his pocket. Axis took the coin and flipped it into the air, as Bones quieted down and watched mystified at this latest development.

“What the bloody hell was that for?!”, Bones nearly shouted again as his annoyance and shock culminated fully.

“To see whether or not I should rip your head from your shoulders?” Axis said coldly with his own look of growing annoyance on his face.

“Well… what was the result?” Bones asked as his irritation began to fade with the reality of the situation finally dawning upon him.

“I think we both already know that,” Axis said as his feral grin spread once again across his face.

Bones grinned uneasily as he took a few steps back away from the now chuckling Axis, “So… where shall I say you’ve ran off to hide?”

“I’m not hiding… I’ll kill any worthless headhunter that comes looking for me, and deliver it to any local abbot where I may be… as for now… That freeway, south of here, what’s on the west end of it?” Axis asked.

“Los Angeles,” Bones answered.

“Then tell them that’s where I’ll be Bones… because… because Horace Greeley told me too. Now to express Odo’s sentiment before you arrived… Why don’t you take your stench infested, sewer ass smell’n self and take off before we decide to make our fire a little bit bigger!” Axis barked at Bones, as those around him began laughing wildly.

Bones got back into the Cadillac well before the chauffer had the chance to hop back out to assist. The black Cadillac Deville sped out of the old motel lot and created a slight trailing dust cloud as it roared down the road.

Odo gave Axis a quick grin then turned and went to join the others with Angus tagging along. Axis stood there watching the car vanish into the night, then turned his head west again.

“Young man I am not… but, west I will go.” Axis mumbled to himself as he walked to join the rest.

The night hours passed by at the Sage Inn with feats of courage and bravery as members of Axis’ Brood began dancing with the flames and jumping through the bonfire. Axis decided that night that the Panders, all the Panders, were his Brood… his own, and he belonged to them. To demonstrate this new path, he waited until shortly before dawn and he gathered around him those willing and able. They all headed together off into the desert next to the motel. He found a nice little sandy spot, and placed those around him into a small rank and file facing east. Axis nodded towards Angus, who then stepped up to the front corner of the troop with a set of bagpipes slung under his arm, and waited.

Axis stepped to the center front of the meager assembly. The eastern horizon was directly to his back. Already the morning dawn was announcing itself as the horizon began to turn from black to purple, then to a muted red.

“We stand together… independent, separated, alone… we only fight for ourselves now, and I fight for you. No longer a master to hover over us, that isn’t willing to recognize us or even admit that we belong. Today, we walk our own path… the path of the Brood and for those that have died to put us on this path and for those that will die on this path, and to give those pieces o’ shit who dare hunt us something to fear,” chuckles grow from the crowd. “We are going to greet the morning sun and remember those that have fallen for the Brood to survive… and to show what it means to be part of the Brood. My Brood. Axis’ Brood.”

Axis nodded to Angus, who started up a dirge like rendition of “Amazing Graze” on the pipes. The sun broke the horizon, its upper arc sending rays of morning light upon the sands of the desert. Angus kept playing, moments went by as smoke began to wisp up from under jackets and kilts. Finally, as the last chorus of the hymn played, and as some skin was beginning to take on a charred appearance, the Brood sank into the ground.