//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Unshaken // by The 24th Pegasus //------------------------------// Keep the Bags and Fly: 56% There was nothing Kestrel could do but keep flying. If she stopped to fight, more ponies from the other gang might notice the shootout and add their guns to the mix. But she’d be damned if she dropped the haul she’d stolen from that wagon after all the hoops she’d hopped through for it. A hundred bits in bills was paltry, especially when she had two or three times that amount currently on her back. She’d gotten some altitude in her flight away from the wagon, but she quickly realized she was going to have to burn it to get the speed to keep those other ponies at a distance. Tilting her wings down, Kestrel flapped as hard as she can and worked together with gravity to dive out of the sky. She flared her feathers and pulled out of it before she slammed into the ground, and soon she was racing across the road, the tips of her wings barely brushing the dusty road with each stroke. Kestrel attempts to fly away at a penalty due to being encumbered: 6 vs 13 The pursuers rapidly close on Kestrel Try as she might, however, she could hear the gunfire growing louder, and the bullets grew closer. She hazarded a glance back over her shoulder and chomped down on her lower lip when she saw that the hooded pegasi had greatly closed the distance on her. Now they were close enough for her to see their glistening eyes set in the holes in their hoods, and their individual teeth between bared lips as they gripped their worn revolvers. The lead pursuer attempts to shoot Kestrel: Success Is the wound just a scratch? Yes One of those revolvers barked and spat fire, and a sharp pain lanced across Kestrel’s left shoulder. Blood began to dribble down from the flesh wound, quickly streaking her coat red and binding the sand and dust to her clothes. Though it hurt, Kestrel didn’t let the wound slow her down. She’d been shot many times before, and she’d be shot at many times again. She just had to survive the next several minutes, no matter what it took. Kestrel attempts to fly away at a penalty due to being encumbered: 7 vs 15 The pursuers rapidly close on Kestrel Kestrel scanned the desert for any geography she could use to try to shake her pursuers, but there was little out here apart from shallow, bone-dry inclines and several cacti and shrubs. Her wings were burning as she tried to haul the heavy bags of bits with her, and now she could practically hear the panting of the other pegasi behind her. She wasn’t pulling away, and she had no more altitude to burn for speed. It seemed more and more likely that she’d have to fight, because she simply wasn’t fast enough to outfly her pursuers. One of the pursuers attempts to tackle Kestrel: Fail She felt the downdraft of air moments before a shouting pegasus tried to leap on her from behind, giving her just enough time to twist her body around. Feathers met feathers as their wings collided, and only a few quick adjustments of her own kept Kestrel from plowing into the ground. She managed to slip free and delivered a quick kick to the assailant’s jaw, sending him tumbling back. In the same motion, she turned her revolver toward him and fired, all without missing a beat of her wings. Kestrel attempts to shoot the pursuer as she shakes him off: Success Is the wound lethal? Yes The recoil from the revolver rattled her teeth even as the dampener built into the grip absorbed most of the kick, but she ended up with the far kinder end of the gun. The head of the pegasus she’d kicked snapped back as the bullet struck him under the jaw, spraying blood out the other end of his dirty hood. He crumpled to the dirt and sand and stopped moving, but his companions paid him no attention. Their eyes were set on Kestrel and the bags of bits slung across her back. The remaining pursuers fire upon Kestrel: Fail A smattering of gunfire broke out, stray shots chewing through the ground. One clipped a feather out of Kestrel’s right wing, and she heard the bag of bits rattle as metal pinged off of one. At least they had been good for something so far; the metal coins would make decent makeshift armor for her back, assuming she could keep them there. But they didn’t cover her head or neck, and her gambler hat wasn’t going to offer much protection there. Now it wasn’t so much about trying to outfly her pursuers as it was simply denying them a good shot. Her wings pitched one way and then the other, sending her left and right, up and down as a few last bullets coughed out of her pursuers’ guns. She tried to mentally count off all the shots fired her way so far. Surely they had to be out by now, right? Revolvers were impossible to reload in midair unless a pegasus stopped and hovered so they could use their hooves and not lose all their fresh bullets. If they were out, then all she had to do was try to not let them bring her down. Can the pursuers force Kestrel to the ground? No The shadows gathered around her, and soon she had the hot breath of the other pegasi breathing down her neck. They tried to grab onto her wings and send her to the ground, but Kestrel suddenly flew straight up, nearly tearing her wings out of her shoulders from the sudden strain. Her pursuers overshot her, and Kestrel quickly sighted one down with her revolver and fired. Kestrel attempts to shoot another pursuer. Success Does the pony survive? Yes The barrel spit out a cloud of smoke and a guttering of sparks, and she saw her target tumble out of the sky and slide across the ground. Any celebration would have been premature, however, as the pony quickly picked himself up and spread his wings to rejoin the fight, if a little bit worse for wear. Kestrel looked around, teeth worriedly clenching down on her weapon. This was quickly becoming an unwinnable situation. She had four shots left and three pursuers, and she couldn’t exactly stop to reload if she ran out. On top of that, she saw dust and movement in the direction she’d come from. All the gunfire and commotion must have attracted the rest of the gang, and they were closing in on her position. On top of that, she was exhausted, and the sun was sapping her strength while her throat screamed for water. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep it up—and then she heard a renewal of gunfire. Does the Gang happen to be close by? Yes Her eyes darted down to the smoke drifting up from behind a low ridge, and she let out a great sigh of relief as she saw Silver Wings’ gleaming namesake amidst the dust. The whole Gang had formed up behind cover and laid into the remaining pursuers with their own revolvers and repeaters. The other three pegasi tried to fly away, realizing how much danger they were in, but they didn’t get the chance. It was over in seconds, leaving only blood and one moaning, dying stallion on the sand below. It was all Kestrel could do to land with any dignity and not immediately collapse onto the ground. Tumbleweed and Silver rushed over to her as she shed the bags, and they both gave her a shoulder to lean on. “By Celestia’s sunburnt ass, Kestrel, just what have you gotten yourself into?” Tumbleweed asked her, eyes dropping to the bags. “Is that it?” Kestrel nodded and put her canteen to her lips with trembling wings. After slaking her thirst, she capped it and tucked it back inside her outfit. “I gotcha the money,” she said between pants. “Weren’t a whole lot… more trouble than it was worth, tell ya honest.” “Worry about that later,” Snapshot said, eyes fixed on the road. “Company coming. Know we have the money.” “Good, let ‘em come,” Roughshod growled, loading a fresh shell into his repeating shotgun. “About time we had a real proper shootout.” Kestrel turned to the road and frowned. Sure enough, it looked like the rest of the other gang was converging on their position. There were maybe ten or fifteen ponies in all, but they had to cross the open sand or fly over to fight. The Gang had the advantage if they decided to stand and fight. “You got us this far, Kessie,” Tumbleweed said in a low voice. “You got any plans for finishin’ it?” 1.     We stand and fight. This haul is ours, and we have favorable ground. We can probably pick off half of ‘em before we get in any real danger. 2.     Take the money and run. We might be able to get away from ‘em if we move now and ward ‘em off with lead, but if we get caught out in the open, that could be the end of us. 3.     Leave the money and run. They won’t chase us if we leave the bags. It’s the bags they’s after, and we don’t have a chance of fightin’ outnumbered as we is. (Certainty Required: 25 Votes)