Free Origins (The Wasteland Chronicles, #2) by Kyle West Page A

chance. We were taken over. Like locusts, the Raiders stayed until they sucked the place dry, and then moved on. By the time we rebuilt, they would come back.”
    I didn’t say anything. Despite the distance in her voice, I saw pain in her green eyes.
    She went on. “I was twelve when the big attack came. Only this time, they weren’t Raiders. It was one of the L.A. gangs. They called themselves the Black Reapers.”
    “I’ve heard of them before,” I said. “Makara was a Lost Angel.”
    Anna smiled. “I did not know that. It was the Angels that kept us safe, for the most part. But the Reapers were more numerous. It was at the height of the Five Years’ War that they took over Last Town. It was a key spot, because of where it sat on I-10 through the mountains. Rather than be taken, my mother and I fled east into the Wasteland, my dad having died in the battle. The only other choice was slavery. Being a slave of the Reapers is said to be worse than death.
    “We wandered for countless nights, taking food where we could get it, and shelter where we could find it. Even in those days, the settlements would let hardly anyone in. We wandered north and south, east and west, until I knew the Wasteland like the palm of my hand.
    “My mother was very learned, and she enjoyed reading. Books became an escape from our harsh reality.”
    “What kind of books did you like?”
    Anna smiled. “I have not read in a long time, but I liked fantastical stories, since they did not even take place on Earth most of the time. Of course, anything to do with swords, or the samurai, I read cover to cover many times.”
    “Where did you find that katana?” I asked.
    “I found it in a home, one day. The place had been picked over already by someone else, but strangely that weapon had been left behind. I took it and it became part of me the moment I touched it. I had already read about Hideyoshi. I also found a book about swordplay. I guess whoever lived there collected swords as a hobby – there were slots on the wall designed to display blades, but the katana was the only one left behind.
    “The book I found was an overview of many different schools. I practiced. I was my own teacher. Soon, sword forms became my new escape. Besides, it was a useful skill to learn to keep people from taking advantage. Later on, I found a university library, where I learned even more. When I wasn’t sleeping, eating, or walking to the next place, I was practicing the sword. I started training at the age of thirteen.”
    “What happened to your mother?”
    Anna’s face grew still. “I missed that part, didn’t I? She died. She got sick with a wasting illness. She was dead within a week.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    The words sounded so trite for something so horrible. I didn’t know what else to say, though.
    “After that, I wandered for another few months. It became unbearable to wander any longer. I headed for Raider Bluff, with the intent of finding my way there somehow, of becoming a Raider. I was hoping a raid group of some kind would take me on, preferably one that would raid in Black Reaper territory. I wanted vengeance, ever since that day, and wanted to kill as many of them as possible. I hope someday I can bring about that gang’s end.”
    “You and Makara are alike, there,” I said.
    Anna nodded. “Soon, in Raider Bluff, my skill became apparent. Char recruited me as his personal bodyguard. This was four months ago. In Raider Bluff, I had food, a bed, and other people to talk to, even if they were Raiders. And I had full license to practice my craft in my off time, when not running errands for Char.”
    “What kind of errands?”
    Anna shrugged. “I’m sort of like a spy. Many would try to kill the Alpha to take his place. It’s my job to prevent that happening.”
    “I bet you have some interesting stories there.”
    Anna gave a half smile. “Maybe. But now is not the time. I have talked enough, and dinner will burn if I do not attend