The three of us each have quarter-horses. Dean’s is a dark chestnut, Grayson’s is black, and mine is a blue roan. The gray coat of my horse appears almost blue in the midday sun. While I don’t have the same attachment to it as I do to Fenrir, it’s still a magnificent animal. Quarter-horses are decent over long distances, but they really shine in close pursuit. In a quarter-mile chase, they can’t be beat.
As the sun dips closer to the horizon, I figure we have a couple of hours before nightfall.
“How do you suppose we go about finding these guys?” I ask. If they are hiding in caves, how the hell are we supposed to find them?
Grayson pulls on his reins and his horse slows until he is on pace between Dean and I. “It’s gonna be a tough bounty, which is why it pays so well. It’ll be easy for them to conceal themselves among all these rocks and caves, so we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. With a little luck, we might catch one of them out on a hunt.”
Great, so it all comes down to being in the right place at the right time.
“What’s that?” Dean points into the distance.
At first, I don’t see anything but empty desert and boulders, but then I notice a speck of black moving across the sea of tan.
Grayson winks at me. “And there is our first clue.”
We set off in pursuit of the mysterious travelers. As we get closer, a second dot becomes visible. This one is tan and blends into the surroundings better.
The pair don’t appear to be in a hurry, and we continue to follow them at a safe distance. As the sky morphs from bright blue to a watercolor of purples and pinks, a gunshot echoes across the vast stillness. The horses snort at the sound, but we whip the reins and rush toward the commotion.
Several more gunshots ring out before we are close enough to see what is happening.
Grayson puts his hand up and brings his horse to a halt. Dean and I follow suit, dismounting and creeping toward the crest of the hill for a better view.
Dead bodies are scattered around the entrance to a cave at the bottom of the hill. A campfire burns at the mouth of the cave, and some small animal roasts on a spit.
A massive body wearing a black poncho stands over the lone survivor with a revolver pointed at her head. I focus on her and her name appears above her head.
Elsie 'Faith' Whitehead
This is it! Someone beat us to The Rowdy Five.
The barrel of the revolver sways back and forth as the man in black says something to her. He wears a black mask over his eyes, and a black Stetson hat pulled low. There is something oddly familiar about him, so I focus on his stats.
Ryken ‘The Black Death’ Tanaka
I’m so startled that I instinctively grab Grayson by the arm. “What the hell is he doing here?” I haven’t seen Ryken since the tournament.
Grayson squints his eyes. “It looks like he had the same idea we did. He’s got a kid with him too.”
Sure enough, the tan speck we saw traveling ahead of us stands behind Ryken, a rifle pointed at the kneeling NPC.
Dawn Warren
She’s dressed identically to Ryken except all her clothing is tan. A blonde braid hangs over one shoulder.
“You know this guy?” asks Dean.
“Yeah, he was kind of my rival in the Developer’s Tournament. And my girlfriend’s brother. He’ll stop at nothing to win.”
Realization dawns on Dean’s face. “That’s right. I thought he looked familiar. He was the death knight that almost beat you! We’ve got to do something. We can’t just let him take our bounty.”
“He got here first. There’s not much that we can—”
Before I have time to finish, a shot rings out and Ryken drops his gun. He clutches his shoulder and blood seeps through his poncho. His head darts around as he backs toward the cave.
There’s a click as Dean pulls the lever on his rifle and takes aim. He fires a second shot, hitting Dawn in the chest. She falls to the ground and crawls toward Ryken. The two of them stumble into the cave and out of sight.
“What the hell was that?” I snap at Dean, who is focused on the cave entrance.
Grayson laughs. “This is the Wild West. Anything goes.”
That may be true, but it’s not my style. There’s no honor in stealing someone’s bounty, even if it is Ryken.
Elsie hides behind a boulder as we descend the rocky hill.
“Oh, god. Thank you. He was going to kill me.” Tear stains cut through her dust covered cheeks. “He killed all of them.”
“You won’t be getting any sympathy from us.” I hold up the wanted poster with her face on it, pointing to the line “dead or alive.” “Keep an eye on the cave while I tie her up.”
I search through my bag for the rope from the starter pack. Elsie reaches for Ryken’s revolver laying in the sand, but the click of Grayson’s weapon being cocked stops her in her tracks.
“Your fate is in your own hands, girlie.” Grayson motions for her to step away.
She complies, and I tie her up without incident.
“They’re coming out.” Dean stares down the sight of his rifle. “Want me to take them out?”
“No, let’s see what he has to say.”
The three of us stand with our weapons drawn as Ryken emerges from the cave, his hands raised in surrender. Dawn scowls at us from behind his broad frame.
“You have always been a pain in my ass.” He sneers. “Tell me, how is my sweet sister doing nowadays?”
“I’d stop right there if I were you.” I rest my finger on the trigger, ready to shoot if need be. If anyone would be bold enough to try something against three people with their weapons aimed on them, it would be Ryken.
Ryken lets out a cold laugh. His voice is still deep, despite not having the voice modification of his death knight class he normally uses. “I see things haven’t changed. You’re still taking credit for other people’s hard work.”
I fire a warning shot above his head, and Ryken stops moving.
“Looks like I hit a nerve.” His hands fall to his sides. “Esil Allen, the supposed hero of the underdogs. Yet all his accomplishments rest on the backs of other people. Funny how that works. You used my sister to win the tournament, even sacrificed a few of her dwarven friends. And now you’re here taking our hard-earned bounties. Tell me, Esil, how does it feel to steal from a girl?”
Dawn steps up beside him and I can see an anger burning in her eyes. She looks about the same age as Dean. Whoever she is, hanging around Ryken will not be good for her.
My conviction wavers for a moment, and I take my finger off the trigger. I know he’s just trying to get under my skin, but I’m surprised it’s working. This whole world is about taking risks. Out here, civilians take the law into their own hands. Ryken would have shot us in the back to take our bounties.
“Sorry, Ryken.” I place my finger on the trigger again. “It’s nothing personal. To the victor goes the spoils.”
“You know what?” He takes a step forward, but before he can finish his sentence, a bullet hits him right between the eyes.
Dawn tries to run. A rifle lever clicks over my shoulder and then she falls face-forward into the sand to the echo of the gunshot.
I turn around to find Dean aiming down the iron sight of his rifle, smirking. He stands tall and stows the rifle over his shoulder.
I shake my head in annoyance. “What were you thinking? We don’t just kill people because we feel like it.”
My words come out harsh, and Dean takes a step back, his face filled with confusion.
Dean frowns. “He would have killed us if he had the chance. Now we don’t have to worry.”
I turn to Grayson for support. “Grayson, back me up here.”
He shrugs. “You know he would have killed us if he’d had a chance.”
Dean scrunches his eyes. “You know this is a game, right? They will respawn.”
Some of the tightness in my chest fades. Then I can’t help but laugh
. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ve spent so much time in the Broken Lands that sometimes the line between game and reality feels a little blurred.”
“Is it really that realistic?”
I let out a deep breath. “You have no idea.”
After about five minutes, Ryken and Dawn’s bodies disappear. The NPCs they killed, however, remain. We search the area around the caves and find two extra horses to tie the bodies to.
The caves are filled with empty bean cans, clothing, and weapons, but there’s no sign of the loot they stole. If I had to guess, it’s buried in a nearby cave they rarely go to.
Our questioning of Elsie leads us nowhere. She’d die before giving up her hard-earned treasure.
Instead, she rides with Grayson, her hands bound in front of her. He makes sure to let her know what awaits her if she tries to escape.
The sun eventually disappears, leaving us to travel by the starlit sky.
Dean looks at the stars above. “You know, I’ve never seen stars in real life. Is this what they really look like? They’re beautiful.”
His comment reminds me of my time before living at Pangea Headquarters. Back when I knew so little of the world outside my box. “Yeah. One day, you’ll see them for yourself.”
A notification flashes across my vision causing me to stop.
Warning: It has been a while since you ate. Find nourishment in the next 30 minutes or you will receive a Hunger debuff.
Grayson and Dean must have received the same notice, because they both slow down.
Dean taps the pack hanging from his saddle. “Good thing I bought these.”
We find a group of boulders and stop to eat, passing around a can of cold beans and some strips of jerky. We could heat the beans for more authenticity, but this isn’t full-immersion, so it’s not like we can taste the difference.
After we are done, we’re on our way again. The town is eerily dark when we arrive, aside from the light escaping the windows at the saloon.
The saloon doors open and a streak of light cuts through the darkened street. A woman’s wailing voice sings of a lost lover. A dark figure steps onto the porch, their face hidden in shadow.
A gunshot rings across the night, and the music abruptly stops.
“Oh, damn,” Grayson mutters, and for a moment, I fear he’s been shot.
He quickly draws his revolvers and Elsie falls from the horse, landing on the well-trodden street with a thud.
“Easy, old man.” Ryken steps into the street. “Those are our bounties. I appreciate you doing us the kindness of bringing them all the way to town for us.”
Dawn exits the saloon and stands behind her mentor. A moment later, several more people watch from the saloon porch.
Dean takes aim with his rifle out of the corner of my eye.
“You sure you want to do that, Esil, Junior?” Ryken doesn’t seem the least bit concerned that he’s being aimed at. “Shoot me in front of all these people and you’ll have a bounty on your head. One that I wouldn’t mind taking.”
Dean glances at me. I nod, and he slowly lowers his weapon.
I urge my horse forward a few paces. “What do you want, Ryken?”
“We want our bounties.”
“Funny thing, we seem to be the ones with the bodies tied to our horses.”
“It sounds like it’s your word against mine. In that case, Esil Allen, I challenge you to a duel.”
A notification flashes across my vision.
Alert: You have been challenged to a duel. While within town limits, duels are compulsory. Failure to accept a duel will result in a loss to your reputation and will affect your interaction with locals.
Dammit. The jail is literally at the end of the street. Why does Ryken always have to be such a thorn in my side?
I don’t spend a lot of time in this world, but I can’t turn down a challenge, especially from a bully like Ryken. Besides, he’s probably streaming this. How would it look if I ran from him?
“Fine. I accept.”
Someone on the porch whistles and more people spill out of the saloon. A moment later, the porch is so full that people move down to the street to get a view of the show.
I dismount my horse and hand the reins to Grayson. He and Dean lead the horses to the side of the street and tie them to a post.
A big, burly man with a bushy beard and wearing a white button-up steps into the middle of the street. A gold badge hangs just above his breast.
“You two gentlemen trying to settle a dispute?” he asks. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m the sheriff of these here parts. We don’t tolerate mindless killing in my town. We do however respect the rules of a duel. So, first off, what is the challenge?”
“That these three stole our hard-earned bounty.” Ryken answers.
He looks from me to Ryken. “Each of you have a weapon?”
I nod. The time for talking is over. Let’s end this one way or another.
“Yes, sir.” Ryken smirks.
“Step on up then.” He motions for us to come to him. “Any day now. Don’t be shy.”
Ryken and I both approach the sheriff.
“Good, now let’s see your weapons.”
I unholster my revolver and hold it out to him. Ryken does the same.
“These will do. Now each of you holster your weapons and face away from one another. Take ten paces, and then turn around.”
The town is dead quiet except for the crunch of our boots with each step and a coyote howling in the distance. I keep my eyes in front of me, refusing to be distracted by the onlookers.
“Now, turn around and face your opponent. You get one shot, whether you hit or not. Any more than that and you’ll have a bounty on your own head.”
Ryken and I both rest our hands on our holsters. To win, not only do you have to be quick but also accurate.
Ryken’s fingers tap against the grip of his revolver like he’s playing the piano. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Each finger tapping in turn.
I wait for his pinky finger to tap and draw my weapon. I haven’t even raised it past my hip when a gunshot rings out, and I realize my mistake.
My vision goes red as the bullet hits my chest. I stumble back and forth for a moment as my haptic suit clenches around the wound. Then the world fades to sepia and I find myself hovering above my dead body. A timer counting down from five minutes appears in the center of my vision.
Ryken laughs, holstering his weapon. He shot from the hip, and I never had a chance.
He walks over to Dean and Grayson. “I think you have something that belongs to me.”
Grayson hands over the reins to the horses with the bandits draped across their backs.
Ryken gives one of the horses to Dawn. “I’ll meet you at the jail to claim our reward.” Then he turns to Dean. “If you want to enter this tournament, I suggest you find yourself a real mentor. You might think he’s a good bet because he came from nothing, but let me tell you. Esil Allen is a leech. Everything he got he took off the back of someone else. I like your spirit. Shooting me out there in the desert, that’s something I would have done. Come with me and I’ll find you someone with substance.”
“That’s enough.” Grayson takes a step toward Ryken. His hands rest on his holsters and for a moment, I think he might shoot him. “You won the duel. Leave it be and get out of here.”
Ryken smiles. It’s cold and unsettling. “Alright, old man.” He gives one last look at Dean. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
When I respawn in one of the rooms above the saloon, I have half a mind to find Ryken and put a bullet in his head. It’d be worth taking the bounty to wipe the smug look off his face. Instead, I go find Grayson and Dean. They cut their conversation short when I walk up.
Dean looks down at the ground. I’m almost certain he is thinking about what Ryken said.
“Hey, I know how much you want to enter the tournament, but following him, behaving like that, that’s not the right way to do it.�
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He looks up at me with the same fire I saw in his eyes on the day we met. “So, what, I’m supposed to watch an opportunity pass me by because you say he’s a bad guy?”
“He’ll never understand what you and I have been through. He calls me a leech because he’s never had to ask for help. He’s always had the solutions right there in front of him. He and Aleesia both came from money, but she understands the value of human connection. That you help those you care about, even when it’s not easy for you. Everything is about winning and losing for Ryken.”
Dean shakes his head. “What am I supposed to do then? No one else is going to take a chance on me.”
“I will.” It’s not something I would have ever wanted to do—I’m just not wired to be in the public eye—but I’ll be damned if I let someone like Ryken bully his way to the top.
The fire fades, and Dean smiles. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. It’s going to be tough, and you’ll likely lose all privacy, but if you want this, then I’m all in.”
Dean rushes over and wraps his arms around me. “You won’t regret this.”
“I’m sure. Now what do you say we call it a night. Buzz’s big tournament is tomorrow.”
Dean logs out, and I let out a deep sigh. What have I gotten myself into?
Grayson and I linger for a moment. The street is once again empty and music seeps out from the saloon.
“You sure you want to do this?” Grayson asks.
“Not really, but I need to. Dean has the same killer instinct as Ryken. If I can channel it into a positive direction at all, I want to try.”
He nods. “You know I’ll help in any way I can.”
“I know. See you in Asgard tomorrow?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. There’s no telling what Buzz has planned.”
That’s the truth. We say our good-byes, and I log out. My life just got a whole lot more interesting.
Chapter Ten
The crowd buzzes like a swarm of bees through the stadium. The constant drone makes it hard to hear anything else. The other riders, their mounts, and the occasional projectile whizzing by all get lost in the ruckus.
For the moment, all that matters is the race. Not the Pro-Am Tournament, not the Broken Lands, only me and my opponents.
Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations Page 8
