//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Red Dead Redux // by Lasrian Kano //------------------------------// Away from Macintosh mountain bordering the equestrian soil and the mountain dogs two figures could be seen walking steadily, with exception of heated discussion between them they were making their way towards Blackberry town. A town known for it’s unique individuals and unjust circumstances of being few town’s feller’s grave as the town was known for its cruel condemnation for being robbed and murdered by the infamous Mountain dogs “That is the most stupidiest thing I’ve ever heard horselady” Their discussion being Arthur request to know of whereabouts of him and the unknown terrain he was in “It is the truth, and I am a pony not Saddle arabian” answered Tempest with agitation clear in her voice “Well then pony! You telling me a goddamn princess is able to move a hot searing sun with only her thoughts?! And a princess of friendship? What, is there a goddamn princess of booze too?” Arthur said loudly “… I have no reasons to lie to a person who’s pointing a gun at me, it is the truth” clearly on verge of snapping Tempest pressed on with her voice clearly raised a bit Looking around with snarl Arthur threw his revolver back into his holster, taking his hat out of his head. Disturbed by the fact that the horse lady he thought was his imagination were definitely real and the world he hoped to be in was not incase not him being in his world but on a whole different creation of cosmos “Dear lord” throwing his arm “I swear I’m never drinking. Hell of a hangover to be misplaced in a goddamn kid’s western fantasy” Looking back at Arthur with confusion clear in her face “You keep remarking as if you’re not from this place” “Hah! NO! America… a land of freedom and wishes come true you ever heard of it?” “I… no there’s no such place as Amoria” “heh amoria… goddamn fool and that’s it then, I’m definitely not in Kansas” pinching the bridge of his nose “you knew them mutts?” asked Arthur “Mountain dogs, no I don’t aside from that they’re fugitive company. They’re sole purpose being to steal and live off on their territory” Tempest filled nodding at the snow laden Mountain “And they steadily became aggressive overtime on their dirty deeds, It’s been several years and they still carry on our town” Tempest stated with narrowed eyes her heart rate gradually rising, despite her being not a local of Blackberry town she still fended for the town as it was her first time ever felt accepted in general public, the populace of the community being random ‘misfits’ like her she was easily welcomed “a gang of bipedal dogs performing thefts?” Arthur chortled waving his hat to cool himself “Then why can’t one of your princess take care of those whelps, must be easy job for them if they’re easily able to move the sun and moon on daily basis” Arthur guffawed heartily imagining a horse on her hind legs waving at the sun neighing frantically “They… for some reason never took serious action against them, apart from granting town locals to use firearms. Strange how they’re not actually executing any initiative act on them” muttered Tempest glancing down “uhuh anyway so what does your sheriff wants from me” taking out arrest warrant from his satchel “You was ready to shoot me if it wasn’t for me shooting first, glad you’re a terrible gunslinger” mentioned Arthur flailing the paper behind her “I notified him of your appearance to him first, thought you might be one of them if not their leader” “You think I would affiliate myself with those hounds?” said Arthur with furrowed brow “No, it was a guess at best. You came out of the clouds and landed near the mountain where the hermits dwells” “Hah! So flew out of the clouds like an angel huh?” cackling Arthur pointed at the sky “and your sheriff thought the first best decision was to arrest an unknown feller who came out of the sky. Damn fool” With notion that he was not from around here she dared to look back at him, to see him scratching his head with puzzled look on his strange face “What?” “Who are you? You haven’t told me about yourself other than you’re from Amoria” “America! And to answer your first question” putting his hat back on his head and clearing his voice “Call me Tacitus Killgore” he added with a smile tipping his hat “Tempest Shadow, Mr. Killgore” she reputed with her name “huh, righ well under better circumstances I’d shook your hand but right now, we should go and see if your sheriff still wants me behind the bars” With hot sun glaring down on them and without further inquire they silently marched on ***** Few hours later Orange hues of dusk shining could be seen through the horizon marking the sunset The couple was still leisurely walking towards their destination as the town could be seen in the distance Arthur Morgan the outlaw from the Western lands of the America pondered on his bizzare prospect of being the alien and a stranger once again in a place where he did know nothing aside from abnormal fairytales he heard from his companion he now tredged with And his last moments “It is over now…” Wincing as if he’d been slapped on the face Arthur shut his eyes, trying to convince himself that it never happened Dwindling to near death, his breath hitching on his tongue he rasped “I gave you all I had… I did” Arthur shook his head rapidly trying to obliviate the panful nightmares. No, a memory Despite his persuasion in his mind that it was all just a bad dream, he knew A painful throbbing in his lung and awful deeds he done before all in the names of making money for the camp he knew it wasn’t a mere nightmare but a memory in another lifetime So how in the hell am I still alive in a godawful place where animals can talk and act like as if they were like humans? He quickly peered at Tempest observing her for the tenth time hoping to see another human walking ahead of him and not an equine but just as his usual pretentious thoguht it wasn’t but Tempest Shadow a pony who can walk and talk like human “We’re here” A sudden voice from Tempest shut Arthur’s musing He glanced forward to see a simple town buildings stretched onward around, much like any town he’d seen he could make out town venturing in and out of their establishments “You should untie me” said Tempest suddenly looking back at him “Excuse me?” confusion clear in his voice he nudged her to move forward “That’ll be done once we get over the issues between me and your so called paranoid sheriff” “I don’t think you understand what I’m implying, it’s not just sheriff you should be worried it’s all people including the town” she pressed on waving her tied hands “if they see me walking tied up and a stranger behind me pointing a gun at back my back they would overreact Killgore” Looking back at the town he could make out few random locals pointing at them conversing with one another while their hands steadily coming closer to their guns “*sigh* don’t make me regret this” with a sharp slice he cut the rope Rubbing her wrist she returned her walk towards the town “My thanks, now hurry less attention the better” With that they continued onward throughout the time Arthur glanced left and right perplexed at every creature he was seeing A bulky man with a bull’s head wearing a store clerk outfit could be seen brandishing what seems to a rifle closely resembling a repeater eyeing Arthur carefuly, a woman looking like a feline with whiskers and slitted eyes wore a fancy dress whilst leaning on a saloon door and a little kid with similar resemblance to a raccoon was standing in the street with newspapers in hand “Dear mother Mary” mumbled Arthur not used to seeing sentient animals on foot actively living like humans back home “Tacitus!” He looked back to see Tempest standing beside a structure with Sheriff written on top of it “yeah ehm- I’m coming” he rapidly walked over to her with his eyes and mouth wide “You look surprised” said Tempest observing his face “You don’t know the half of it” muttered Arthur regarding the town populace “Hmm, we should go in” “Yeah we should or else I’ll be rinsing my eyes with bullets” Smiling at his snarky comment Tempest knocked on the door multiple times “yeah get in” A faint elderly voice said behind the door and Tempest opened before entering the establishment with Arthur in tow Inside the building an old wrinkled cat was sitting behind the desk his legs on top of it Arthur seeing a cat wearing Stetson hat and boots “well talk about puss in boots” Sheriff ignoring the stranger’s utterance looked at Tempest with his brow raised “Tempest, I thought you would bringing our acquaintance in chains” “Yes, but it was unnecessary as he was cooperative on my demand to bring him here” “Yeah? Well I gave you arrest warrant Tempest and what about his relationship with them dogs-” “Not needed Jo’va he was fighting the mountain dogs when i came there” Tempest cut him off reminiscing the short skirmish between Killgore and the mountain dogs “Shot them dead in second” At her statement Jo’va looked back at the stranger observing his face with his lips pressed together “huh. Well then I hope whatever your motives aren’t bad mister” Said Jo’va standing behind the desk “cause we don’t get a lot of tourists around this parts” walking toward Arthur and extending his paw to him “And when we do it’s always a trouble, name’s Jo’va local sheriff of Blackberry” Arthur stared at the extended paw before looking back at Jo’va and taking his paw in hands “Arthur” stated his name while shaking the tender limb careful not to hurt the aged feline’s paw *ahem* Looking beside him Arthur noticed Tempest eyeing him with narrowed eyes one hand raised bit her palms spread as if questioning him Ah the name “Arthur Tacitus Killgore” fixed Arthur wondering why he used that comical name, the place he was in clear that he no longer needed to hide his identity anymore. “Hmm… well I don’t exactly scrutinize people on their names but whatever” glancing between the couple sheriff spoke before sitting behind his desk “If you don’t mind me asking Mr. Morgan Tempest here says you took out Mountain dogs” he addressed Morgan implying Tempest’s report The outlaw looked back at the aged feline “yeah I guess” “In second, not seconds but in one second?” probed sheriff glancing at Tempest “Looked not any longer than that” Tempest mention hands behind her back “mhm what do you do Mr. Morgan? Enlighten me about yourself” “Me? I did a lot of jobs” he blurted avoiding his true specialization “mostly bounty hunting these days” “Ah so you’re like our friend here” sheriff pointed at Tempest who looked all but asleep “I guess, have turned many fellers in behind the bars did a good job on few town a favor by that” declared the outlaw recalling his bounties he carried over to the sheriffs who happily put them to justice Nodding sheriff pondered with the conception of Arthur taking out the diabolical dogs that yielded the town and it’s people Almost nine years the people endured and stomached every assault that came from the outsiders, people’s hope and morale diminished to the point when everytime mountain dogs or brigand of criminals came it became a norm for them But just maybe mused sheriff in his head glancing at the stranger “Mr. Killgore” sheriff said blearily look at Arthur with tired eyes “would you do a favor for this little town then?” Music