warship settles in under cloud cover: part 1

Judge parted his lips and forced the blood out of his mouth in a great geyser spray that came to rest on the sand before him like a delta.

behind him lay a hulk of a man. broken and battered. skin purpled and rent. jagged bone spires jutting at odd angles through red meat.

The man had to be put down. Who comes upon a man alone in the desert and does not expect violence? the battle had taken its toll on Judge. he wondered if he had the energy left to make the crossing. a black speck on the horizon marked the worn rocks of the mine site. that was his destination.

Judge turned back to the man. searched his broken body. found one energy bar in his pocket. and. there was something in the sand. a few feet away. half buried already by the shifting sand. his pack was almost he color of the sand itself. it contained two bottles of water. and. a plain silver ring. it was too big for any of his fingers. he put on his thumb. put the energy bar and water in his own pack. and started out for the mines.