Chapter 39 - The mechanic, the beast and the audacity of this fox

Looking at the smoke that was still rising, even though it was already a few days since the legion took over the town made me realize just how brutal those savages were compared to the NCR. Because of that Vito and I took our time to reach the town, not wanting to be seen as a scouting party by the legion, just in case they have some sentries hidden somewhere from where they could watch the outpost and the road that leads to it.

Once we reach the entrance of the town, I for one was surprised to see the smoke coming from the center of the town rather than from all over, meaning that the legion didn't burn the whole town like I thought they would.

"It seems we both were wrong about this Inculta guy."

I nod at his words before we slowly walk inside the town, watching every corner and every window just so that we won't walk into an ambush. Eventually, we reach a path that led towards the middle of the town, but that wasn't the worst thing that I've found, not even close. On the sides of the road were crucifixes with people nailed to them, most of those people were either burned or had their necks cut, but some were still alive, moaning in pain as they slowly die. Unfortunately, that wasn't all that was on the road, as tens of limbs and bones were all over the ground leading right to the center of town.

"Who would do something like this?"

"This is how the legion inspires fear for both their legions and their enemies. Those sick bastards are the worst thing that happened after the end of the world."

"Can we do something for them?"

"No kiddo. They seemed to have been on those crucifixes ever since the legion took over. At this point, living would be torture for them. It would better to put them out of their misery."

Hearing his words, I simply closed my eyes for a few seconds before I nodded at him. It wasn't easy or pleasant to put those poor souls out of their misery, but after half an hour we finally manage to ease their pain.

Just as we were about to continue towards the center, Vito pointed towards the center where quite a few people wearing red sports gear walked out of the building. I could only count twenty-seven, but I was sure that there were more of them in that big crowd, and along with them were some of the most horrifying and vicious dogs I had ever seen in my life, considering that the only time I'd seen dogs was in those pre-war comics.

"Legion dogs… what do you say kiddo? Do we bail out and tell Jackson what we saw or do we linger around for a little longer, possibly risking our lives?"

Scared was the right word I could use to describe how I felt right now, but rather than being an idiot and raising my gun at them, I decided to calm myself down and think about what we should do. On one hand, the best choice was to retreat and came back with the troopers, yet at the same time, we could gain even more intel on the legion by watching Vulpes' troops. In the end, I decided that it wasn't worth the risk, but just as I was about to leave with Vito, a man with pale skin and a dog's head as a hood, wearing some black goggles that covered his eyes walked towards us. Vulpes smiled kindly at us, trying to show us that he wasn't harboring any malice toward us.

"Welcome to Nipton, Dante Castillo the youngest mechanic to roam the Mojave Desert and his green companion. Don't reach for your guns now, I won't put you two a cross like the rest of these degenerates... I want you to witness the fate of Nipton, to memorize every detail, and let those degenerates that serve the self-proclaimed republic the strength of Caesar."

Surprisingly enough Vulpes was quite young compared to what the rumors said about him, but that didn't mean we should underestimate him just because he was young, after all even I could take down a trained soldier if he underestimates me.

"What have those people done to be judged in such a cruel way?"

"I'm glad that you ask me that. Well, let me start by telling you that all of the people that lived in Nipton brought this upon themselves and their town... It was a blasphemous town of whoring, gambling, and any other addictions humans tend to dabble in. It didn't matter whether we were strong and they were weak, the destruction of their town was brought by themselves. We simply cleansed the town of all degenerates."

Before I could even respond to his accusations, Vito's eyes went wide open making Vulpes' smile even wider than before. "It seems that your friend had realized the truth behind my words. I've got to say for such a strange creature he's above most humans' intelligence."

"What does that mean?"

"Dante oh Dante, always so impatient. The mayor of this immoral and sick town had accepted an offer we made to him in exchange for protection and money. He had to lure some of the NCR troops who were, let's say enjoying the town's specialties to a certain place where we would execute them. Sadly for them, it was only afterward that those very same men that helped us trap the troopers become also trapped. Those people that are before you on the crosses are the men that helped us capture the troopers."

"Then where are the soldiers?"

"You walked on their bones and limbs as well as their ashes and blood. Though I have to admit these degenerates did put up a fight compared to those that betrayed them. Alas, I was just doing my duty as the leader of the Frumentarii."

I was dumbs trucked by what I just heard, but Vito was a completely different story. Despite his big body and menacing look, he was one of the few persons that I know that truly cared about strangers, and right now, the same Vito that saved me was struggling to remain calm and rational in this situation, especially since Vulpes had just admitted that he wiped the whole town as if it wasn't anything too important. However, he also knew that what Vulpes just said to us was important for the NCR and because of that reason as well as because of a certain boy he had taken under his wing, he choose to act rationally rather than letting his emotion run wild.

"Once again, it was my pleasure to entertain you two. May Caesar enlighten you and may we meet again."

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