In the distance, probably hollering from the other side of town, young chicks cheeped boisterously, their hypnotic tune attracting all manner of bloodbees and a parasitic worms too them. A strange creature stood on the opposite ridge, chewing jerky from a cloth bag as his long antenna twitched in response to the sound. Then, just as quickly as it had began, the chirping suddenly ceased, replaced by frantic buzzing and viscious ripping as the young birds eagerly tucked into their unwitting breakfast. The creature sighed softly, lucky for him that he wasn’t as dumb as his airborne cousins. Or maybe lucky for the birds. He’d always had a taste for chicken. His stomachs groaned loudly at the thought.

Suddenly the critter’s ears and antennae pricked up as footsteps could be heard approaching. Listening, he soon visibly relaxed as he recognised the measured gait of Achilles, whose footfall was known for its stealthiness, but were known to Oddball even better. Oddball considered being thankful, not for the first time, that he wasn’t human, and was not so easily snuck up on.

He turned toward the noise, neighing, panting and chirping with his thorax in excited greeting. Achilles raised a metallic right arm and smiled, laughter fogging the glass of her respirator at the sight of her mount chewing gratefully on the bag of jerky he’d managed to fish out of her rations.

“Have some greens Oddball”, Achilles chuckled. “I can smell you from here through the exo love, you’re gonna choke me to bloody death on the ride back”

Oddball tossed his shaggy mane and snorted derisively, a small toot escaping his rear as he did so. His canine nose did not do him any favours in that moment, as the evil aroma he’d unwittingly set loose on the world caught in his throat. Begrudgingly, he cropped a tuft of nearby grass into his mouth, and shuddered as he swivelled his gaze pitifully back to his companion. She stared on patiently for him to finish, raising an eyebrow.

“Swallow it”, Achilles warned.

He whined, lowering his tail in a show of unhappiness.

“Oddball, don’t make me ask again”

Seeing that she wasn’t going to give in, Oddball reluctantly downed the greens, almost gagging at the horrid, meatless taste. Even more terribly, it did make his stomachs feel better.

“Good boy!” Achilles exclaimed. “Now my little abomination, let’s keep your equestrian side happy and get a little run in shall we, how’s that sound hey?”

Oddball wagged his tail in spite of himself, beginning to pant between his mandibles and taste the air for pheromone trails which would lead them back toward New Anchorage.

Achilles patted her steed on the neck fondly, her expression darkening as she gazed out toward the charred ruins of the town below. There’d not been much left down there, naught but melted plastic, toxic smoke and charred bones, which was not much in the way of clues. Had they arrived not two hours earlier, the chemfire probably wouldn’t have gotten hot enough to have scoured everything so thoroughly. She cursed, turning Oddball away she thought about orange glow of the dying blaze against in the night sky, visible from miles around as the flames licked the sides of the buildings. The ashen reliefs of the vapourised settlers she found on the walls were so peaceful, like the bomb had hit so fast they’d not even had time to throw their arms up in terror. She gritted her teeth. She would not miss him next time. First to town, get rations, then ammo, download the latest info cache for leads, fix Oddball’s flight unit so they could stop travelling at this snail’s pace. It might take tracking another bounty, cashing in another favour, staying awake for days on nothing but stims and a prayer; but gods help her, she would find that monster. She would show him her daddy’s gun. She’d show it to him till the chamber clicked his death knell, show it to him till his face was as in as many bits and theirs had been, show it to him till the muscles in her good arm cramped across the trigger and the cayotes circled in for what was left