Rifts – Day ???
Clop, clop, clop.
A horse driven makeshift prison cart trotted through the dry dirt up to a tiny town. The driver was no city official, his rugged looks and smell was lower than a thug’s appearance. Inside the prison cart however held a petite Indian girl. She was only lightly bound in the back and despite the hungry gaze in her eyes, she looked completely harmless. Guiding his cart up towards the inn of the town, few townspeople even looked in the direction of the two strangers. Grunting, the cart owner leaped down from the driver’s seat and walked past the cart. He glared at the girl in the cart as he did walk into the inn. She slumped against the cage, pressing her forehead against the cheap cage bars. It would be easy for even a child to break through these shoddy bars. Although it was poorly made, the girl was too weak from starvation that she could barely crawl to the edge of the cage. Two of the townspeople slipped in past the cart, only making quick tiny glances at the cart and whispering a single dark word to each other. The sun dipped down the horizon and the girl closed her eyes to follow it, trying to ignore the mind-numbing hunger pain.
Rifts – Day 1
The horses trotted up to in front of a town completely walled up and around.
“…YoU mAy PAss…”
A robot from high atop the wall waved a simple motion and the walls began to open for the cart. The horses trotted into the town, moving towards the center of the town where the man parked his cart and hopped down from his seat. He stretched and scratched himself as a large dog approached him. The dog stood up on his two legs and began to speak. “Is she for sale?”
The man leaped backwards and pulled a gun at the creature. He was shaking hard in his boots. “Wh-what?”
“The Indian girl you got back there. Is she for sale?” The dog seemed polite, for… well… a dog that could speak.
“Yeah…” The guy began to relax a bit and lowered his gun a tad. “She’s a pretty one though so I am not selling her cheap.”
As the man talked, two men snuck up behind the man, both with their hands on their guns.
“How much do you think she’s worth?” The dog called out to his partners.
This startled the man enough that he spun around and fired his gun, missing anyone in the equation but brought the dog boy into battle. The dog swung hard with his fists, blades appearing from the sides of his arms and slicing the man with an uppercut. The slaver dropped in less than a second from firing his bullet. The two men looked at the dog boy and laughed. The dog boy cleaned up his blades before putting them away. “Get her down, Travis.”
In appearances, Travis looked a step more attractive and more intelligent than the other human. He pulled the bars apart and climbed in, untying the hunger stricken Indian. The other human began digging around the slaver’s pockets. “Found a uni-card on him, Mog.”
The dog boy, Mog, nodded to this. “Anything else Bandi?” He walked up to the cage, looking at the girl. “Do you have a name?”
The Indian girl touched her neckline, staring at the creature that was her hero. In her heart she knew that no human would ever have the nature to stop her captor. Seeing Mog, a feral canine being, her heart swelled with this fact. “I am called Raine, dear hero. Are you hurt in any way?”
Travis held back a chuckle and coiled the rope up on his arm. He leaped down from the cage and walked off into a different direction. Bandi lifted a sack from the front. “I found some masks and a tomahawk. Also a huge bow.”
Mog looked up at the girl, ears back in awkward embarrassment. “I’m fine. Any of that yours?”
“All of it, but you can have the tomahawk and bow if you wanted. I have no way of paying you back.” Raine replied somberly. “Maybe I could travel with you and your companions and try to repay this kind favor?”
“That’s not necessary.” Mog shrugged. “You can come with us if you’d like. I don’t know where you came from but maybe we can drop you off back there.”
Raine slowly slipped down from the cart, grabbing at the side to steady herself. “I… am not sure where I am at… nor am I sure how far that is from where I came from.” She grimly looked up at Mog. “I will do all I can to help you.”
Mog nodded and Bandi handed over the sack of Indian things and bow to the girl. He held the card to Mog who nodded it towards the Indian. Bandi glanced at the girl and handed to her. “Go get yourself some food, on him. Give the card back when you’re done. We’ll meet up by the front gate later.”
As she walked towards the tavern in town, Travis reappeared with the sheriff following him. The sheriff took a glance towards the dead slaver. “You guys been causing trouble in my town I see.”
“Slaver sir. We tried to pay for the slave and he began shooting.” Mog defended himself.
The sheriff glanced at Mog. “Look, I just don’t wan’ any trouble. Not gaw’na say he didn’t deserve this.” He fixed his collar and kicked the dirt a bit. “Clean up the body and we’re good.”
Mog looked around as the sheriff walked away and saw a young boy standing around the scene. “Hey kid. Clean up this body for some credits. You can keep the guy’s armor and weapon if you’d like.” The boy nodded to this and tore off inside his house to grab a shovel and cart. Mog passed off a credit card and the boy took the dead slaver towards the graves off in the distance of the town. Travis and Bandi looked at Mog who only shrugged and began walking towards the tavern. “You got business here, Trav?”
Travis shook his head. “N…nah, just hungry.”
Bandi made a coy smile. “Hungry for something Indian.”
Travis glared at Bandi. “Just. Hungry.”
Mog sighed as they entered the tavern and found their hungry companion eating a feast as though it was her final meal. Mog and Travis sat on both sides of her and Bandi took a seat in the corner, quickly ordering a cheap drink.
As the bartender began to take their order, the doors swung open and a gentleman walked in. He was decked in gunslinger attire, with a calm collected look on his face. The minute his boot took a step inside, a chair began to slide back from a corner of the tavern.
“JIMMY WE–” The man had both hands reaching for two revolvers on both sides of his leg. BANG, BANG. Without even missing a beat, the entering man simply pointed the two guns concealed already in his hands and fired at the now hole ridden gunslinger.
‘Jimmy’ approached the dead man and looked around. “Anyone else?”
Mog looked over at Bandi, who was already drinking. “Nice shot.” Bandi laughed.
‘Jimmy’ began digging around the gunslinger’s clothes as Mog approached him. “The name’s Mog.” ‘Jimmy’ tipped his hat to the dog, not looking any more concerned than he did when entering. “James Westfall.”
“You ah… traveling?” Mog questioned James, eyeing the dead gunslinger.
“Just looking for a good fight.” James swept his hands over all the pockets of the gunslinger, grabbing ammunition and weapons that were concealed in places Mog had never thought to ever check on a person. Expertly, James stood up, dropping the unnamed gunslinger’s hat onto his head and dropping his old hat over the man’s face.
“We could always use another gun.” Mog nodded to the dead gunslinger. “Looks like you have that.”
Travis looked over at Raine’s empty plate. “Starved were you?” Raine nodded and laughed. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but eat and eat. I feel very refreshed now though.”
As each of them grew in deep conversation, the sheriff pushed open the doors and stepped inside. He immediately looked over at Mog, who stuck out like a fox in a chicken coop. The sheriff let out a huge tired sigh and walked over towards the corpse, Mog, and James. “I thought we had an understanding.”
Mog shrugged. “We just keep getting fired at by people.” The sheriff didn’t laugh. “Look. I want you guys out of town tomorrow. No more disturbances. We don’t need to increase the body count around here. I’ve got enough trouble to deal with.”
Mog followed after the sheriff, asking a few questions as they left the tavern. A few feet out the door, the boy from earlier approached Mog. “I took care of the body sir.” Mog looked over his shoulder and then at the boy. “For a few credits more, take care of the body inside the tavern too?” The boy tipped his tiny hat and nodded to Mog, running inside the tavern. The sheriff glanced at Mog who shrugged in reply and they continued walking towards his office.
James took up a seat next to the empty seat by Raine who smiled nervously. She pushed her plate away and nodded to the man. “Hi… I am called Raine.”
He looked at the Indian girl who now had color back in her cheeks from being fed. Average looking women were considered beautiful in these times. Raine was above average. He tipped his hat a tad in reply and turned away.
Rifts – Day 2
“PuT yoUR GunS dOWn Or yOU May not ENter.” The robots chimed together. They had their guns pointed down outside the gate.
James scratched the back of his head. “Wonder what that’s all about.”
Travis tore off to the east exit, not saying a word. Mog ran up to James, Raine, and Bandi who stood staring at the robots. “Sounds like trouble. Bandi, where’s Otto?”
“Still in his coma.” Bandi shrugged as a blaring loud voice interrupted him.
“THE COALITION ANSWERS TO NO ONE.” A voice came across the town over a loudspeaker. “OPEN THE GATES OR WE’LL LEVEL THE DAMN TOWN.”
Mog cursed under his breath and waved everyone towards the east. “Come on, let’s get into the vehicle.” The ‘vehicle’ was an armored personnel carrier. James whistled, impressed, as they approached the door. Travis angrily opened the door. “Get into suits.”
Raine looked nervously at the town. “Who are the… coalition?”
Mog and James were equipping some of the suits Travis was handing out. Travis spoke in a dark tone. “They are a bunch of fu…” A loud boom sound went off, dust flying in the air. “Oh hell, they’re fighting.”
Mog snapped his suit on and shook around. “Travis. Bandi. You guys up for a fight?”
Travis nodded but Bandi looked away, shaking a bit. “It’s a goddamned army, Mog. I…”
Mog pointed at the driver’s seat. “Then stay in the vehicle, Bandi. Travis, get geared and let’s go.” He glanced at Raine, who also looked a bit terrified. “If you can fight…”
Raine nodded and gripped her belongings. “I’ll… try.”
“Let’s do this. Travis, when you’re geared up, just head from this side. We’ll go around and attack from the west. Bandi, don’t let them see the vehicle, but get in close enough from the east that you can engage if need be.” Mog barked orders from his suit.
Once they approached from the west, they saw what their fight would entail. It was a small regime, several mobile suits and vehicles laying fire on the robots defending the town. Now the town militia had also began opening small windows from the town walls, firing at the suits with the robots. Mog began taking shots at the suits in the air as did James.
Travis came swinging around from the east, unloading on the coalition troops. The APC-vehicle creeped from the west as well, Raine leaning out the doorway with her bow in her hand. She gripped the bow and pulled the string back, firing at the troops with strangely lit arrows. As the battle was slowly underway, Mog saw an opprotunity to shoot a mobile suit’s fuel supply from the sky. He took a good shot, which connected… a little too well. A huge orb of explosion took off, with a blinding light and deafening sound. The sheer force pushed those who were far enough away from the blast to the ground, and anything… closer… disappeared. Half the south wall was missing, including the robots on top. The militia, half the houses, the coalition army, their vehicles, and anyone standing too close to the blast was now dust. James unsnapped his helmet and dropped it to the ground. “Whoa.”
Several feet in front of the vehicle, was a crater that the blast ended on, barely missing the vehicle. Raine was slumped against the wall, hand still firmly grasped on the bow. Bandi wiped the sweat off his brow and clicked on the radio. “Dammit Mog.”
Travis, who was knocked back in the trees, was also almost killed, having just missed the blast himself. Mog slowly stood up next to James and radioed back. “We might need to get the hell out of here.”
Rifts – Day 3
Raine stretched in the co-pilot seat next to Bandi. He was focused on the road, pointing around at the map on the console. “We should be approaching New Denver soon.” He clicked a couple knobs around on the console and sat back in his seat.
“What’s in New Denver?” Raine looked at Bandi who was resting his eyes.
“Eh… supplies. It’s a major city, so Mog will want to fix up the vehicle there. Plus the freaks in the vehicle might to stretch their legs… if they even use them. We’ll probably be there for a couple days.”
Raine sat up, staring ahead. “A major city…”
As the vehicle crawled up close to New Denver, Mog called everyone together. He nodded to everyone and pointed towards the town. “I’m going to have the vehicle tuned up and add some features to it. Do whatever you want in the city. Bandi gather up some supplies for us. Travis…”
Travis had a briefcase in his hand and a piece of paper in the other. “Mog, you got these supplies in the vehicle. I’m going to take them.” Mog looked at the list and then handed it back to Travis. “S’fine.” Travis climbed out of the vehicle and disappeared. Mog turned back to the group. “I’m going to get the vehicle taken to the shop here and then check out the local police station. Do whatever.” Mog walked up to the driver’s seat and sat. “Go on and get.”
Raine, Bandi, and James all hopped out the vehicle and each went their seperate ways. Raine poked around at the map given to her by Bandi. Immediately she noticed a place that sold exquisite wood. She happily took off towards the building. James stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and followed the street lined with neon signs for a place to get drunk and gamble. Bandi disappeared into the town as well, whistling a happy tune with a credit card from Mog in his pocket.
Raine stepped into lumber shop that had every piece of wood imaginable for sale. She touched some of the wood and felt the quality was quite high on all the pieces. A huge man stepped out from the counter. “Cannae help ya miss?”
Something clicked in her mind and she looked up at the man. “Do you have any purpleheart wood?”
“The miss does love ‘er quality.” The man pulled out several long boards. “What are ya lookin’ for?”
“I actually was wanting to make a wooden sword out of it.” Raine spoke sheepishly.
“A wooden sword ya say.” The man nodded and walked to the back. He came back with the most beautifully carved piece of purpleheart wood. Even without a close look, Raine knew its quality was of much value. “Maybe this ‘wood’ be nice?”
“H-how much?” Raine gulped. A quality wooden sword wouldn’t be cheap and she didn’t know how much was on the credit card Mog had given her.
“I can part with it for you at the low, low price of 8,000 credits, miss.” The man nodded.
“Ah… um… see if this card has enough?” Raine handed him the card. It rang through and he smiled, handing her the sword and card back delicately into her hands. “Ah miss, you may want to go train at the swordsman guild here.” He circled a building on her map. “I can tell you’ve never held a sword before.”
“Thank you.” Raine smiled and took off towards the swordsman guild.
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