Fantasy Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

[Soviet Panda]

Connor was no good at lying, and as was becoming more and more apparent was that he couldn't keep a secret to good. Well, they didn't know anything, really, but they certainly weren't going to let them go until they heard the story he's been hinting at. So, he might as well tell them the truth. Well, most of it, they didn't know they had half of the Four sitting across from them. And so, clearing his throat and looking over to Sisceal, he began to speak.

"We got on the wrong side of the law and needed to lay low for a while. Found a spot just over the lip of a canyon that hid us pretty well. Then a storm came along and we got washed out and swept away. Next thing I knew we were going over the waterfall. Something hit me in the head on the way down or at the bottom, I can't remember. When I came to I was face down in the mud and could just hear my friend here. We dragged each other further in and, well, here we are now."

 

[Axeykins]

Sisceal looked at Connor with a shocked face. The man just up and spilled the beans on em. He was the worst liar this side of the river.

"This true boi?" The old man snapped his gaze from Connor to Sisceal and back again.
"Um. Yeah. It's true. Got some nasty bumps and bruises along the way."
"Maw what do you think?"
"Ain't the full truth. But ain't like they gonna do much with their guns soaked right now and one of em banged up worse." Her voice was akin to creaking planks. "Somethin else is curious about em but I got that taken care of you can bet it." She jabbed Sisceal hard in the chest with her staff. Then jabbed Connor in the arm. The eyes of her staff glowing white as it mostly blocked their abilities for a while. "Just till we can either trust em or get em out of here. Whatever comes first."
"Lucky you." Paw grinned a sparse tooth grin. "Means you can stay till ya are good enough to leave. Which we'll determine. Ain't got no use for a bounty on some sorry asses like you out here."

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor returned the look Sisceal gave him, a look that said 'You could have said something'. But it was enough, they weren't going to be killed or sold off. And they'd even have a room and a few meals while they were getting patched up. Only thing that could have made this moment any better was if Stepper trotted his happy self through the muddy encampment that was these boonies' home. But that was just wishful thinking, he knew better than to expect his horse to just show up. Stepper wasn't lost to him, he knew that much, but the damn horse would only show up when he felt like it.

The old lady, this Maw, gave him a sharp jab in the arm with her staff, and he could feel the fire that was his power sputter. It didn't go out, but somehow, someway, she had taken away a fair bit of fuel. He could only guess that she had done the same with Sisceal, which put a bit of a damper on the whole recovery thing. He knew his powers had something to do with how quickly he healed, and if Maw had done the same to Sisceal as she had done to him, then he was missing some of his power now to.

"Thank you, sir. Shouldn't be more than a few days for my friend her to be right as rain and we'll see ourselves out." Connor said to Paw, matching his toothless grin with one more populated with teeth. "I don't suppose you got any more of that soup, though."

 

[Axeykins]

"I'll hold ye to that boys." His toothless grin faded. "Eat as much as ya like. We got plenty a the stuff. Soon as yer done some a my boys will take ye to where you'll be stayin. It ain't the best givin we don't get guests down here much at all, but you'll live for a few days." Paw motioned for them to divy up more soup before taking his leave. Maw gave the men one last look up and down before creeping her way to a seat across the table.

That news brought about a sigh of relief from him. That was all he needed to hear, that they were going to be left alive with some place to stay temporarily. Though there was a bit of a setback now. Whatever that woman did to him it made his leg burn painfully. As if the bones and muscle had stopped fusing back together and healing, least as fast as they normally did.

Maw waited until there was nothing but the crackle of the fire and muffled sounds of the outside before piping up. "I wan't you lot out soon as possible or I'm gettin the sherrif of the nearest town outside a this place myself. Paw is way too trusting of ye." Her clouded eyes locked onto them. " Don't know exactly what you are but I got a bad taste in my mouth. Don't even know what ya look like but I can tell one of ye is a fire wieldin hot head and the other a walkin snake. And I want you out soon as possible, start anything and I'll spill it all to the rest of em here too. See how fast you can run in our turf with yer things cut off for a while."

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor was tucking into the bowl of soup when the old lady spoke up. Swallowing what was left in his mouth, he looks her squarely in her blind eyes and prepares to speak honestly. It's worked so far, shouldn't stop now.

"Ma'am, believe me when I say this. We want out of here as soon as we can. Thing is, we can't do that without our powers, the ones you took from us. Either give us them back, or get the sheriff. But if any lawman shows up in these backwaters, there's gonna be blood, and a lot of it. I don't like threatening women, especially ones like you, but if it gets us both what we want than I will."

 

[Axeykins]

"Talk ta me like that again and I'll take em away permanently or worse! The only blood there'll be is your own." She threatened with the wag of her stick at the both of them. "You'll get yer weapons back and enough to last ya to get out of here. But that's it. Bitch all ya want too but you're powers will come back after a few days and that's final." She cracked her stick against the ground. It sparked alive for a moment, illuminating the glare on her face even more.

"Connor maybe don't further antagonize the lil old hag who just did this to us you damn hot head." Sisceal hissed at him. "I'm thinkin of a plan to grab what we can and leave asap. Don't fuck it up now."

"If you got somethin to say you can say it aloud boy." She demanded, whipping her staff around to make contact with his skull. Making a hollow clunk. She whistled for her boys to come in and get the two and forcefully haul them away to their quarters for the night. "Hope you had yer fill for tonight. I ain't as generous to low lifes who could mess with my kin round here so that's all you're gonna get." She hobbled behind the two men. Making sure they got to where she wanted them. " I got eyes everywhere. Don't you forget that."

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor grudgingly went where his guards escorted them. 'I could take 'em, even without my magic. Or my guns. Nothing but a bunch of pups doin' what their mama tells them to do.' he thought to himself as he looked them up and down through narrowed eyes. As they walked he thought over what Sisceal had hissed out. Frankly, he didn't want to stick around for to long. The man, Pawpaw, he could get along with him. But that blind old hag? He'd sooner tie her up and hang her from a tree by her feet to let her shriek sweet nothings to the frogs and the gators. He doubted, however, that Pawpaw would put up with that and send his boys after him. And even with his guns, he probably didn't have enough bullets for all of them.

After they were shown their sleeping accommodations for the night, Mama left, and he made sure to glare daggers into the door as it shut behind her. "I don't like how she said that last part. What do you think her powers are, she obviously gots some. Maybe some more of her brood gots some to. Maybe once that old bitch is done in, not by us of course, though I won't be makin' any promises, we can get some of them in the gang. Suppose we wouldn't be called the Four then."

 

[Axeykins]

"Think if they did she woulda threatened us with that too, let us know we're outmatched in more ways than just one. They're probably just inbred brutes which is bad enough." Sisceal limped over to the nearest bed. Took him a few tries but he got himself seated comfortably enough on the raggedy thing. "I don't like what she said either, but I'm almost afraid to find out what that old swamp hag can do. Feel my own healing isn't workin and even the pain tolerance is gone and that ain't even a power I got! Feels like she was holdin back somewhat in that with her ol....voodoo magics." He twiddled his fingers about in the air with a leer. "We can make a move tonight if you really want to but it's either gotta be planned well or so stupid they ain't gonna see it coming. Pretty sure we could both manage the latter with my wits and your....whatever it is you got goin on in that dust bowl on your shoulders."

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor grunted as he considered their options. Smart or not so smart. Brain or brawn. Those were their options. Brains weren't exactly his strong suit, loathe as he may be to admit it to Sisceal. But the Famine Rider wasn't exactly the most well built of the Four. "We plan to do something stupid. Got to work with your limp and got to get me guns back. I can still almost feel where they're at. Get us goin' in the right direction. Can you figure anything out with your leg? Or is you gonna have to crawl through the mud?"

 

[Axeykins]

"I was hoping you'd go for the smarter option but oooh well. Not gonna argue with you on this. "He tore off a worn piece of fabric from the curtains nearby and wrapped his leg up as tightly as possible. "You might have to help me out but I took note a the direction they took our shit in. We can wait a bit till they mostly fall asleep and try to get out." He peeked out the window for a moment. Strange...nobody seemed posted anywhere near where they were. It was all dark and quiet aside from the sounds of the swamps all around them. He saw stirrings of glowing eyes in the bushes, massive ones but with what they've seen it was just the usual fauna of snakes and reptiles and such. For a moment he thought they looked awfully large and high off the ground. But with his lack of experience with any creatures like em and lack of any light to navigate he felt more confident."Nobody out there but lets be careful alright? Some massive ass critters from what I can see here. We know what the boys they got a capable of but not that old hag."

 

[Soviet Panda]

"We wait 'til the last light goes out, then we move. Get off that bed there, We're gonna make ourselves a rope to get out. Tie it to the bed 'n push it up against that window so it don't slide none. And unless you can find something big an' pointy, we're gonna have to deal with those 'big critters'," he said with a mocking wave of his hand and fluctuating tone, "with our bare hands. Maybe I can rip up a board for us, but that'll make a bit of noise that won't sound like it belongs in the swamp."

 

[Axeykins]

"S'cuse me but you're askin the crippled at the moment and weaker man in this room to move a whole ass bed? Your head is more hollow than I thought it was before!" He stood up and ripped the sheets off of the bed. Using them to cover up the window before hobbling his way closer to Connor. "Best you're gonna get for now. You wanna move the whole bed you move the whole ass bed yourself." He scoffed. Crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't think they'll be turning out all the lights so we just gotta move whenever we can. Which'd probably be now. Been long enough I reckon? Don't want to move when it's darker out there unless you can see in the dark somehow." Sisceal sneered at him while tightening the wrapping around his leg. He was ready and rearing to go. Tired of being cold and damp and covered in filth. Out of his element even more than usual. "And don't mock me bout that!! I nearly got my ass eaten by a goddamn dragon or...gator or whatever the hell that is out there. You know what I'm talkin bout? Have some mercy on a poor little sheltered boy here."

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Little sheltered boy that's killed almost as many people as me and roughed it just as often," Connor retorted as he took the sheets from his bed and did his best to make them into something to climb down. He should have known Sisceal wouldn't do any of the heavy lifting, so he threw the sheets out of his hands towards the dead beat, hoping he'd get the hint and finish tying it all off while he heaved the bed frame into place.

Once their makeshift rope was tied to the end and a few experimental tugs were given, Connor peaked out the covered window to see what he was working with, and saw the beasties for himself. "Holy shit, you weren't kiddin'." He grumbled to himself, pausing for a moment as he started to reconsider their options. He didn't like how many glowing dots were pointed their way, and how few blinked out and didn't return. "What the hell are those things?"

 

[Axeykins]

"I said sheltered not weak. I'd love to help if my leg wasn't so gimped up right now. You're welcome for that by the way." He snapped back as he finished double checking his knot work.
"Ya always act so surprised when I tell ya the truth in dire situations. I'm not that big if an asshole. " He rolled his eyes and tooj a peek outside again himself. More eyes than there were last time. "Your guess is as good as mine. Too big to be snakes I hope. But too big to be gators again too. If we run fast enough we might not have to worry bout it."

The eyes shifted and stared at them. Changing places and coming and going on patrols. She was waiting for them. Watching with all her critters around for that one wrong move. Give her an excuse to feed her boys well again for months.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor gritted his teeth as he thought about what could be done. Frustratingly enough, he doubted he could outrun whatever those eyes were attached to in however deep the water in the patch of swamp beneath them was. But he also didn't want to back down now. Digging deep, as deep as he's ever dug before, he grasped the faded ember that was left after that witch took his Inferno. It's warmth reassured him, that even weakened as he was, he could take those damn things in a fight. At the very least show one of them what their innards looked like.

"I'll be right back, Sisceal, I'm gonna get me some new boots." And with that. He dropped into the water below

 

[Axeykins]

"Connor I don't think that's a good idea there mate." Sisceal watched on with concern. It was a tiny bit of a relief to see him able to draw up some fraction of his power. Gave them some portion of an edge. Still doesn't mean he didn't back up from the water's edge himself. Wrapping his bandages tighter and trying with his own might to heal his leg to a useful degree. If he could manage a quick hobble that's all they needed. He followed along on the wooden path with the quietest gait he could managed. Scanning the water ahead of his teammate he spotted a big pair of eyes swimming towards him.

The eyes stuck close to the water like a regular gator, but soon....soon they began to rise up. Not just like some beast charging so fast it was popping out of the water but this bastard was getting up on two legs. Dressed in the stretched out to hell clothing of one of the old hag's boys. It looked at the two of them and a gargling hiss of a laugh came from it's scaled lips. "mamma said you scum would try somethin. Told us most special boys to watch out fo her an bring you back. Dun know why but she ain't never wrong." He looked down at Connor with a growl.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor's trudge through the knee deep water was brought to a halt by the figure rising out of the water. It spoke about how mamma wanted them to stay and told it to keep them around, which only caused his blood to boil more. "Funny, your mamma told us she wanted us gone. And seein' as you're in the way of that." In the blink of an eye, Connor's fist crashed into the side of the gator man's head and sent him tumbling. "Anyone else wanna get in the way of what mamma wants!? Huh, you piss stains!" Connor challanged the other eyes, backing away towards dry(er) land as he kept his eyes on the flickering eyes that saw the brief brawl.

 

[Axeykins]

Sisceal wasn't sure which he was more horrified of, the gator boy, Connor up against it or Connor knocking it back so far with a single punch. He wasn't about to find out which was worse. "Well don't just stand there tauntin' em come on!!" He cried out. Not even looking back to see if his buddy was okay as he hobbled onwards up the path. They had to keep their stuff in the main house right? Or one along the way? The growls and hisses of many more gator monsters growing louder. They were beyond pissed. And as per usual Sisceal held no qualms about letting his so called pal deal with them as he ran. He'd rather save his own stuff and skin first before chancing it.
Wasn't long though before he faced his own competitor. A large constrictor sprang from above and coiled itself around him. Giving him the tight squeeze. He tried digging deep for his own powers to work again, he could feel it in there somewhere but he was never as adept as Connor was with his.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor had his own problems to deal with to worry about what Sisceal was getting up to. Mamma's boys were springing out of the water to challenge him, and he was obliged to accept them. One after another they went crashing back into the water, teeth and blood flying from the colossal blows of Connor, who was a full head and shoulders shorter than most of them. One got low and past one of his swings, wrapping powerful arms the size of tree branches around Connor and lifting him off the ground to crush him. Connor dropped his elbow repeatedly into the thick skull of the man, eventually dropping him. But instead of simply collapsing straight down, the man fell forward on top of Connor. Struggling out from under the weight of the unconscious man, he scrambles to his feet and grabs a sizable tree branch, brandishing it and getting ready to crack it over the first one that made a move towards him.

 

[Axeykins]

The more of them that got taken down by Connor the angrier they got. Their pride wounded by this simple plain main going at them one on one and able to stay ahead. They had to make their mama proud and this guy was screwing it all up! Hissing and gurgling they kept up their assault. Though were driven back as this man grabbed one hell of a branch to swing at em. Catching a few that were trying to creep up from the sides in the head and sending them reeling.

Meanwhile Sisceal struggled to take a gasp of air. Felt like his head was about to be popped of his shoulders and what made it worse was he heard the cackling of that old hag somewhere. He wasn't about to die like this. Digging in deep he brought forward whatever power he had in there that he could. Sinking his nails into the snake and attempting his health drain. Never tried it on anything other than another human before so it was a blind shot. Felt like it took too long but soon enough he felt that usual surge of energy, his aches and pains going away and the serpent struggling before letting loose and collapsing to the ground. He wasn't entirely defenseless thank the stars but it wasn't over yet. He heard the clacking of a staff coming down the path towards them. The small woman teasingly holding the guns in her hands while a few of her boys held their other things.
"What's the matter boys? Can't take on a few a my babies?"

 

[Axeykins]

With the snap of her fingers a snake idol on her staff came to life. Whipping out and wrapping around Sisceal's neck. "Why don't we see what skeletons you got rattling around up there hmm?" She smirked as the serpent constricted tighter around his neck. It's eyes glowing white. Lighting up the surrounding foggy swamp in a projection as the man struggled to be free.
Images of a very nice house and homestead filling every crevice of the trees. "No." Sisceal gagged. The little old hag chuckled the more he fought.
Soon enough it showed him. Very nice expensive clothing, a beautiful woman at his side and child. Glimmer of a wedding band on his hand looking oh so happy. "Oooh we got a rich boy hmm? Not surprising with how soft you are. Can't even take on one little old woman while your partner there. Well you seen already." She watched as nothing but happy moments were shown to every one of them. Only to cut it off the moment they transitioned to him leaving it all behind. No tragedy or nothin the man just left his cozy little life from what she allowed to show. "What's the matter was it not cozy enough for ya? You got everything you could want in the world yet here you are? Got bored? Doesn't seem fair to them." She spoke with a hint of venom in her tone to mask how she knew she didn't show the full story.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor growled at the old woman as she appeared and gave her little speech. "I know you're blind, but I ain't exactly strugglin' here." That was when he noticed Sisceal being choked by a large constrictor of some sort, and rolled his eyes. Figured he wouldn't be able to hold his own in a fight. He took his eyes off him for two minutes. And that was when the visions were shown. He stared in slack jawed shock at the cushy life Sisceal had given up for this, and he started seeing red. But he kept it in check, enough at least to not go running towards Sisceal and cave his head in right then and there.

He did, however, satisfy his combat lust by swinging the branch he held around and shattering it against the head of one of the boys that thought to try and sneak up on him. Luckily for him, the wood was somewhat rotted, and so only served to give him a good concussion, nothing to serious. "I'm gonna gut you like a fish when we're outta this!" He yelled at Sisceal, jabbing a finger at the man to send the point home.

 

[Axeykins]

The hell was his problem? What did he even do now? Sisceal cocked an eyebrow in confusion at anger directed at him in the middle of this dire situation. He dug his fingers in and slowly drained the strength and life out of the constrictor to get free. Though not before the old woman got in the last cackled and let more happy as can be images play. A beautiful marriage and house. Not a single problem in the world. Showing him not even saying goodbye as well to his family, not even a note. Sneaking out in the dead of night from everything. It made Sisceal's stomach churn having to relive that all over again outside of his dreams. Gathering his strength he reached out and grabbed her by the ankle as firmly as he could. Earning himself a swift jab to the hand with her staff but he held on tight as ever.

She reeled back in laughter as she jangled the guns in front of her teasingly. Getting joy out of seeing them struggle and Connor starting to lose his temper more and more. "What's the matter boy, you seem ta be losing your temper there?" She stood with a crooked smile even as her boys began to fall back from his attack. The anger was emanating from this man was starting to spook them. "My my you got a lot in you dontcha? Never seen em act like this before even in the darkest part a the swamps here." She whistled for them to back off. She loved her babies a bit too much to truly risk them being hurt too badly. "If you think you can get outta here in once piece I dare ya to try. Go on. My magic should be wearin off soon so why ya holding back hm? I know you at least broke through it enough ta do somethin. Or are you as spineless as your partner here? Ain't got the balls?" Her and all her boys laugh as she mocked the man.

 

[Soviet Panda]

The mixture of seeing Sisceal's perfect little life that he had given up and the old woman's taunting finally pushed him over the edge. His magical might rushed towards him, slamming into the barrier the hag had put on him, slipping through the cracks and burning it from the inside out. Flicking his hand back, palm out, one of his guns flew from it's holster and into his awaiting hand. Quickly pulling back the hammer, he fires off a single, glowing hot shot into one of the buildings the brood had constructed. It exploded on contact, exposing whatever was inside to the harsh swamp environment and whatever hungry beasties that lurked there. He lowered the revolver to his waist, it's barrel still pointing out, and fired off four more shots in quick succession as he fanned the hammer, and four more hellish rounds blew apart four more buildings. Cocking the hammer back one more time, he points the glowing barrel at the old woman, the glow of the barrel mimicked in his eyes and fingers.

"I'm gonna tell you who you've fucked with before I tie you down and make you watch as I butcher your entire family and burn down everything you've ever built. Then I'm gonna cut off your hands and feet, and see how much the swamp really loves you. I am Connor James McKinley, Horseman of War."

 

[Axeykins]

The gator boys recoiled in fear. Diving back into their swamp even as the explosions echoed through the trees. Hitting methane bubbles as they went and damn near acting like they were chasing them. The whole swamp was being lit up in a raging fire.

The little old woman however just stood cackling. Her blind old eyes staring down the barrel of his gun with no fear. "And? I known all along who you and your scumbag friend were. Damn shame you got lucky before I made y'all food for my boys. One less set a bastards in the world." She huffed. Clanking her staff on the ground. What was left of her boys around creeping up around them once more. "I'd give you the same courtesy as this un, but I doubt you got anything to show." With a rattle of bones on the staff the image of Sisceal and his wife popped up again. Tauntingly swirling around him. Mocking him with the happiest of smiles. Images of a growing family. Then to the man sleeping around with multiple people no reguards for his own wife. "I saw what gets you riled up. Couldn't keep it together yourself hmm? Happy life, happy family. Bet you ain't the type for that. Hothead is all you are and all you ever gonna be I can see it all. Can't see your ugly mug but I can see exactly all you done and what happened. Failed man is all you are. Pathetic! More pathetic than your snake of a friend!" She began to shout insult after insult. Her own anger growing seeing her babies fleeing and home burning. She'd take em down with her if she had to.

As she tried stepping forward towards Connor with her staff glowing again. Making the eyes of all her gator boys glow along with her Sisceal squeezed her ankle even tighter. The usual etheral green glow of his powers flaring up. He hated it with a passion but there was no choice, sclera of his eyes going black. The old woman let loose a hollow gasp as she began to shrivel as he drained her dry of any and all life energy the hag had. Damn near turning her into a husk as any life left her until she dropped hard onto the floor. On wobbly legs he pried himself off of the floor. Made him feel sick to his stomach to do it but in his mind it was either that or seeing the all out rage of Connor in action and being stuck in the cross hairs of that. Foolhardy choice but he wasn't thinking with the best logic in the moment.