Fantasy Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

[Soviet Panda]

Connor blinked in shock as the hag withered before his eyes, before he saw Sisceal's hand wrapped around what was her ankle and he figured it out. With a twitch of his finger, he blew apart the hag's withered form. Flicking open the glowing and smoking chamber, he casually loads in six more rounds as he studies those boys foolish enough to stick around. With the last round sliding home, he flicked it shut again. Quicker than the eye could follow, six more shots rang out, and six of the boys dropped dead, fist sized holes appearing in their chests and heads. Then a seventh boy fell, and an eighth. The revolver that was supposed to be empty was instead firing molten metal that seemingly appeared from thin air. A long, loud, and damn near constant scream of rage filled the air, and he fired so many shots, that smoke cloaked him, and all that was visible was the ember glow of hot metal and rage.

Then, gradually, painstakingly slowly, the shout of rage died and the smoke cleared. Bodies and ruins was all that was left of the brood that had called the swamp home. Barrel still aglow, Connor pointed it at Sisceal. "You ain't out yet, you got some explaining to do. Get up, they got some boats around, should be one without any holes in it. Or on fire." Connor never lowered the revolver as he spoke, but he did walk over to wrench his bandolier and holster from the hag's death grip.

 

[Axeykins]

He watched in dead silence as his partner obliterated what was left of the hag and any remaining gator boys dumb enough to stick around if any made it out at all. Nothing but red hot shots coming out of a thick black cloud. Causing the entire swamp to fall silent. He hadn't seen Connor in this much of a rage in a very long time. Not just one of their raids but a tried and true rage. It was honestly terrifying.

And when the smoke cleared and the rage became less visceral in the air he found the barrel of that gun pointed at him. Feeling physically good as can be after draining that hag he popped right up off of his stomach. Raising his hands up in the air soon as he did. "The hell is wrong with you? I didn't do nothin..." He shimmied backwards. "I saw one up the dock there you couldn't of gotten too but goddamn you gotta get that thing out of my face. I wasn't the one attacking or taking your guns! Did they take what was left of your brain too?"

 

[Soviet Panda]

That bastard wasn't getting it at all. This realization caused Connor to screw up his face in an attempt to contain his anger, before failing and firing off a shot. At least he was together enough to miss. "Stop talkin'!" He roared at Sisceal. "I've had everything taken from me, what's the difference if my head is taken to! Now get walkin'!" As he spoke, visions of when his life fell apart crept in.

A raging inferno had engulfed the house. All he could see was smoke and fire, and that damned monster lurking just behind every wall of searing flame with that smile on it's face. It was laughing at him as he ran through the house that was quickly falling to ash around him, calling out the name of those he loved most dearly. 'They're dead you know,' it told him with the voice of a forge, 'and it's all your fault. We had a deal, and I always collect.'

Connor snapped back to reality in a split instant, but it was obvious he had gone somewhere else for that brief moment.

 

[Axeykins]

Sisceal flinched in fear. Throwing his arms up in front of himself as if that was going to stop a raging bullet. "Jyeh-sus fucking Christ! You sure as hell don't act like it doesn't matter! The Hell is wrong with you?!" Sisceal shouted back. Watching as Connor spaced off on him. It was the damndest thing he'd ever seen from this man in all their travels. From pure fire to silence was creeping him out.

"Ey....hello you okay there bud?" He started walking but closer to Connor. Waving a hand in front of his face. Then placing his hands on the man's shoulders to try and shake him back to reality. Just as fast as it came in it left him. Sisceal watched as his partner in crime's thousand yard stare had ended. "Connor! You gonna get on the boat or do you need another minute for....whatever the hell is goin on. I'm gonna get the boat but I ain't rowing it entirely myself here."

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor looked at Sisceal, the ever present fire in his eyes dimmed. "Get away from me you fucking prick," he growled through gritted teeth. Luckily for the Horseman of Famine, Connor holstered his pistols. Unluckily, he put them away after giving Sisceal a good smack upside their head. "I got some questions fer you. And you better answer them right." And with that, he walked off to where he had seen that boat. Though he did let of a bit more steam when it came to shoving off by blowing up the pier.

That done, he sits down heavily in the boat and stares at Sisceal, chewing the words he wants to say over as he does so. Finally, he speaks. "Was all that.... Real? What that Hag showed?"

 

[Axeykins]

With a stinging head now he followed reluctantly. What was this asshole on about? Felt like he was headed to an execution with the pure raw tension he could practically feel radiating off of Connor. He in all honesty had no clue what crawled up his ass and died.
That is...until Connor asked about that.
"Shit. So you saw it too?" He hissed. Curling back into himself on the seat. That bitch just projected his damn life for the world to see. "I thought it was just me she was showin that to." Shifting uncomfortably he avoided eye contact with Connor. Unsure of how this was gonna go exactly. "Yeah it was all real. What she showed was all real. Unfortunately." He heaved a heavy sigh as he rubbed his face. "Worst days a my life came floodin back again, worse than in my dreams. Rubbed riiight in my face this time and not like I could wake up to avoid em and got no booze to forget it all. Your attitude ain't helpin either draggin it up more and exploding. The hell you even care so bout it for?"

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor stared at Sisceal, jaw clenched and teeth grinding behind his closed lips as he fought to keep his cool. Just so he could explain to him why he had such a problem with what Sisceal did, not that he didn't completely understand. "I had a wife and kids once. But I made the wrong deals with the wrong things. When they came to collect, they took it all from me. That's the day I became who I am now."
With that, he lets go of a breath he didn't know he was holding onto. There was a weight that had come off his chest just by sharing that, but he wasn't willing to share anymore with Sisceal. Not now, maybe not ever.

 

[Axeykins]

He went silent for what felt like an eternity. A mix of emotions whirling about. Connor had never opened up like this before. It wasn't much but it was no doubt at all an extremely rare moment. It was starting to make sense now. Why he was pissed as hell. Why he blew up quite literally back there at the swamp folk.
"Look Connor." His face softened. "I ain't never cheated on her if that's part of what bugs you. Separated before I left and puttin on a face of being married when in town thanks to in-laws saying no to a full divorce." Mindlessly he started to rub the stump that used to be his ring finger. "Didn't want to leave either of my girls but it was that or snap. We were fightin bad as it was and that's the last thing the little one needed to see." He scratched the back of his neck with a hefty sigh. "Wasn't as pretty or sweet of a thing as that hag showed. Don't care if you believe me or think of me as nothin but a lying snake on it either. Don't exactly have a good track record on it I know. But I swear it ain't a life you want to be jealous of."

 

[Soviet Panda]

"I'd take your lot hundred times over than what I got." Connor said bitterly, but the anger was drained from him now. Sisceal was no longer at risk of getting his brains blown out the back of his skull. Though if he was being honest, that probably wouldn't have been enough to keep Sisceal down for more than a week before he was back on his feet. Though he might be missing a few memories, probably for the best. Maybe he'd be doing the man a favor if he put a hole in his head and waited for it to get patched up.

"Make sure I don't hit any gators, the two and four legged kind." Connor said, getting up and situating himself with an oar in each hand to speed up their journey down river. Hopefully with no more waterfalls or rapids.

 

[Axeykins]

"No you would not. Trust me, you ever see me get a scar from anything we faced? Even bullets to head?" Before he turned to keep an eye out he made a motion following the scar that marred his face from under his right eye, across his nose and all the way down his left cheek. A deep reddish rut that never changed on him. "You get to be a free man, don't gotta see em or avoid seeing em, work on movin on, nothin held over you c'ept the bounties we got.You're the lucky one in that regard, least to me....It ain't a contest." He quickly shut his trap again. Course in anything place that wasn't a church altar or a scam he was horrible with words.

Sighing he kept a weary eye on the man and another on the river ahead. Didn't feel up to getting shot or eaten. "Looks smooth ahead water and critter wise. I think you scared or roasted everything away... Hag said somethin bout telling authorities we were there and turnin us in. I can see some patches a farmland up ahead which is probably it. Unless you feel up to walkin the wastelands again until we find a meet up spot for the others or homestead farther off to mooch off of."

 

[Soviet Panda]

"I see 'em, Sisceal. I see 'em every night." Connor replied simply and leaving it at that as he fell into a rhythm. "We keep going, past the town. I don't know how much that hag was liked in these parts, but I don't want to gamble with it being 'good'." And though he said that, he did slow down to take a closer look at the situation they had found themselves in. They didn't have any food, no water, no supplies to speak of really. All they had was this boat, their guns, and the clothes on their backs.

Growling at this conclusion, he relents. "We spend a day in town, get some supplies, keep moving. Draw as little attention to us as possible. No seducing the sheriff's daughter, and I won't be sending some sorry hill billy's head rolling." Then he realized that they had no money to get said supplies. "Wait, new plan, break into the general store, take what we need, load it onto the boat and keep going like we were never even here."

 

[Axeykins]

"I ain't always lookin to get into someone's trousers Connor." He was quick to snap at that comment, but ultimately let it go in favor of avoiding another argument. They'd both had enough stress for multiple lifetimes and he might not be so lucky to avoid getting shot in the head this time either.

"Look Connor. Since the cat's outta the bag and I know you'd be pissed otherwise I do got money." Shifting uncomfortably he pulled out his old dagger, flipped a lock on the end and unscrewed it. Pulling out a quite thick roll of bills and a few gold coins. "Though if you wanna go the route of least risk gettin recognized break in it is. Since we don't know if our faces are known out here or if that hag made em known. Some a the checks might get even more a target on our backs too if I use em since I'm....not supposed to be out here." He sealed his stash away again for safety. "Any plan ya got cookin I'm down for. Real food and clean clothes sounds amazin right now don't got a single clue how you stomached that shit they gave us." He gagged just thinking about it. "Please let me pick out the food you ate that shit like it was nothin. I don't trust your taste one single bit and I can hardly taste anything as it is and still got better than you."

 

[Soviet Panda]

"You don't know what you missed." Connor grumbled defensively. He didn't think the gruel was that bad, better than cold hard tac at least. "Break in, nice and quick. Get food, clothes, and some more munitions. We don't need anything else. But if you think you can carry it, might as well. We're outlaws, after all." And with the ad hock plan finalized, and once the town was in sight, he directed their row boat towards shore and quickly dragged it further in so the river wouldn't carry it away while they were out, motioning for Sisceal to go on ahead.

 

[Axeykins]

"Crazy ass man. I've had mock gruel that made me gag less." He scoffed. Making sure to toss a rope snugly around a rock for extra measure in keeping their easiest means of escape from floating off even after Connor dragged it in farther. Making another noise of disgust as he was motioned at to go ahead. "In, grab, out. Got it." He had to admit it was at least nice for a stealth mission like this to see a clear difference between night and day. Better than in that hell hole.
Sisceal crept his way through the nooks and crannies of this town before locating the general store. Bit far from their escape but shouldn't be too much a problem if they cooperated. He waited until the lights and sounds fully stopped for a few minutes inside. For that distinct creak of a door and footsteps down a dusty road. With some quick knife work he managed to pop a back window open. Basic break and enter, child's play for the two of them at this point. Took a bit of effort to clamber his way inside without some help but they were on a time crunch. He'd let the old man in when he got there if he wasn't far behind.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor was not to far behind Sisceal, having simply turned the boat around so all he had to do was give it a good shove and off they'd be. He was, however, not quite as nimble as the lanky Horseman of Famine. Nor was he quite as stealthy, though he did weave his way between the shadows as good as any thief. To Connor's credit, he struggled about as much as Sisceal had getting into the general store. With a thump he hit the floor and froze, ears straining for any sounds that proved they had been found out. But there was none, and so he quickly and quietly got to his feet and got down to business, stuffing whatever he could into his pockets.

 

[Axeykins]

Quiet as ever he slunk around the store. Grabbing all the preserved goods he could and a few new pairs of clothes. A new knife and non soaked to shit gun while he was at it along with the holster and ammo pouches. Though he wasn't quite sure what it fired exactly it was too hard to tell that kind of thing in the dark. So he set to rummaging through every pile he could find nearby and put it into a pouch. It was when he was nearly done with all of them that he found himself letting loose one hell of a yelp and quickly retracting his arm. The box of ammo catching on his sleeve and clattering to the floor noisily and scattering about. Made even noisier as he kicked them away while every curse he knew went flying from him and that was restraining himself too. His fingers were blackened and red like he'd been burned by a fire. Even though it was just the surface of the skin his healing wasn't getting rid of it either not as fast as he should have been. Fuck this place...he collected what he could again and tucked his wounded hand into his shirt for now. "I'm full up Connor let's get outta here."

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor had his gun in his hand as soon as the first bullet hit the floor. But when he saw that it was just Sisceal making a mess, he angrily shoved it back into it's holster. "What the hell was that all about?" He hissed as he came over to squinted at the floor, straining to see what had caused Sisceal to yelp so loudly. He half expected to see a mouse trap, but he doubted Sisceal would have said anything if it had been a mouse trap, and he certainly didn't hear its tell tale snap. When he did finally see a glint, he crouched down and grabbed it himself. It was hot to the touch, even for him. But seeing as he was the Horseman of War, and this was a bullet, it was bearable.

Silver, it was a silver bullet. How the hell did some backwater like this have one silver bullet, let alone a whole box? Silver bullets famously were used to kill werewolves, however, silver could kill anything touched by the Other Side, specifically the Below. "Shit, Sisceal, you just found something worth more than this whole town by accident. And now it's all over the floor. Go on ahead without me, I'm gonna get as many of these as I can then I'll be right behind you."

 

[Axeykins]

"You're really gonna take those with you? What if someone snatches em off you then what? Don't care how valuable they are I don't want those damn things anywhere near me." He swiped some fabric off a shelf to wrap his hand in. It was going to take a while longer than usual for it to heal for him. "I don't know what the hell they're doing way out here but they're not just silver ones in there Connor believe me. Silver ain't got that much an effect on me I'm not some pushover. You've shot me in the head with less effect than this." Sisceal tried bending his fingers to not so good effect. They were terribly blackened and stiff. "Iron..they got iron in there too and not just any. Cold forged by the feel of it for me.... Whoever the hell is supplying things here knows what they're doin."

He shuffled off to look for some medical supplies. It felt like the wise decision after this incident. "I'd get silver for the wolves and shit like demons especially with that hag we met causin a sirr. Makin people think they're around, but the iron is for fair folk and the likes which ain't somethin people usually go after. Think bout how they mixed em too, bit strange don't ya think? Like they want to make sure what or whoever they encounter it's gonna hurt one way or another." Tucking his hand into his shirt he started towards the window. "Don't take too long someone had to have heard me." He felt his face burning in embarrassment. He should have bitten his tongue. "Might need some help gettin back out too."

 

[Soviet Panda]

"If someone takes them, we're dead anyways." Connor retorted, waving a dismissive hand as Sisceal gave his two cents on the bullets. "Go untie the boat, I'll be right behind you." And with that, he quickly grabbed an unopened box of those little devils and crammed them into his vest pocket before scrambling out the window after Sisceal. Though he did pause long enough to snatch up a sweet roll sitting all pretty in it's display case, just asking to be taken and eaten.

Connor quickly unloaded his supply into their little row boat before motioning Sisceal to get in and getting behind the boat to push it once more into the river. "As soon as it hits the water, get rowin'." He told Sisceal, not wanting to dilly dally anymore than what they already had. He could almost hear the people in that little sleepy town with the magical bullets starting to wake up and put two and two together.

 

[Axeykins]

It was even more a struggle to get out of the store and louder than he liked but he got out. Rushing to the boat as he was told to do and hucking all the goodies he nabbed into it. He had it prepped and ready to go as Connor got there. He held on real tight with the good hand to keep the boat in place. Wasn't bout to risk anything now that they found those bullets and knew what this town had in it. Neither of them would survive long on their own with that.

"Real easy for you to say give me a moment." He grumbled. Tucking his hand tightly into his shirt and situating himself to tuck the oar into his elbow for more stability while he operated it with the other. "Don't think it's any of the ah...special towns do ya? The Virtue's town? We only saw the goods in one store but you don't think they're being supplied or monitored at all?" He swallowed hard. There were a lot of people after their asses afterall. The last thing they needed was to cross into the wrong turf with the wrong people. Most of all those people. There were some out there who could give the whole group combined a run for their money or worse. Two of them was more likely than not a death sentence and that was the luckiest outcome. They never had many instances of being hunted down by them or hunting them down per se. Was never unless they happened to cross paths....or mess with the wrong watched town.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor looked up at Sisceal, having taken the oars from the injured man and had begun rowing. "If it was, I better start rowing like hell then." There was no time to think about it. They needed to put as much distance between them and that town as possible. Double that if it was one the Virtues claimed as their own. They'd gotten out by the skin of their teeth, and always Sameal had decided to pay a visit to Connor in his sleep to tell him how well the Penny Dreadfuls of him were selling in the Below. That was always how Connor knew he had been close to dying.

They needed to find somewhere to lay low for a while. They've been needing to do that for the last two days. "Sisceal, think you know where we can belly down for a while around here? Use some of that fairy magic that rubbed off on you if you have to. We need to disappear for a while, until we can find the others." And until Stepper found him. He knew it was only a matter of time before that horse simply appeared, but it was easier for the big animal to find them if they weren't constantly on the move.

 

[Axeykins]

Sisceal couldn't help but look at the man with a bit of a scowl. Like he was insulted by Connor just plainly calling it that. "That 'fairy magic' is the healing and my long standing shit luck and prolly some of your good luck anymore too." He huffed. He could ask her though for a place to lay low or help finding one. It wasn't impossible and her cronies were always hiding everywhere. Probably heading off to tell her already. She just loved holding that debt over his head and let him know it every time. Always saying she was soooo sorry about how it turned out but she sure as hell didn't try and forgive him either. Least unlike the inlaw she was nice-ish.

"I can help keep an eye out for a spot now or...I do have some place maybe but really would rather not go there or wherever it is she'd take us." He finally admitted after far too long of grumbling to himself over it. "Could keep an eye out for if we fucked up bad though based on those bullets and what we pilfered I think we got our answer already. Those marks are hard to mistake. But I'm tellin ya for this laying low thing, Una is a LOT to handle. On top a bein a fairy and do you even know how fairies are at all?? Fickle bastards....give you a blessin but don't forgive a promise you can't help but break cursin you." He huffed again after sliding into ranting under his breath. "This one is up to you cause it's your fresh new hell if we see em. She makes me miserable enough as it is but I'm used to it....and hide those damn bullets or least let em know you have em. You don't want to meet what other forms a fairy there are out there." He gave Connor a cold hard stare waiting for any answer.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor grunted at Sisceal, thinking he couldn't handle a dainty little fairy. But he did move the case of little devils, tucking them inside his shirt for safe keeping. "Why hope to find a good spot when you got one already. Give your fairy friend a holler, I'm sure I can handle her." She couldn't possibly be as bad as some as Sameal's 'investors' as he likes to call them. Then again, he hadn't had much experience with the fae folk, they and those from Below tend to keep each other at arms length. It's not so much they disliked each other, it's more like 2 con men knowing full well who the other is and still tries to sell them their own special brand of snake oil. "Unless you like our odds against any posse that comes after us. Who knows it might be a Virtue or two, I hear Ameretat is around these parts, heard they like a good fight."

 

[Axeykins]

He took quite some time to think about this one. Ultimately deciding Connor had a point, a very good point. It was either unbearable woman or death right at the back of their necks. "Fine. I don't want to hear you bitchin though about it." Hesitating for a moment he put his thumb and forefinger in his mouth and let loose a strange whistle. "Unaaaa! We-" Before he could even start a rather busty winged woman in a silky dress with rusty reddish hair and bright pink eyes appeared. Hovering over the edge boat with her luscious red lips pursed in a smug smile she smooshed Sisceal's face roughly to shut him up.

"It's rude to assume I don't know already. I always know." She looked over to Connor with that same smug grin. Not breaking it for even a second as she judged him. "Oooh and the rumors are true. You do have a celebrity you're tagging along with. What a fool for me not to believe you weren't following someone like him around like a lost puppy. You are a well trained dog after all, are you not?" With a giggle she let of of Sisceal and lit upon the boat. Not even making a single ripple. "I'm going to have to get your autograph sweet cheeks and maybe work out a deal or two. You're quite the man from what I've heard rumors of." She eyed Connor up and down. "I love your stories and even more that you're an already owned object."

"Hey!" He suddenly shouted. Earning a very unamused hard stare. "W-will you just get on with it? We don't have the time for this shit Una."
"Tsk-tsk. Being away has made you such a rude boy. In front of a guest none the less." She snapped her fingers and a whirlwind spun up. Blurring the world in a near sickening swirl of ethereal light. When it ended the boat sat halfway sunken into the snow smack dab in the middle of a frozen forest filled with glowing mist warping and refracting everything around. A ragged old house looming behind them. "We're not far but they won't find us here. Even if they venture into the area the fun really begins for me." She waved for them to come inside.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor blinked in confusion at the sudden appearance of Una. He had to admit, she was quite good looking. Didn't hold a candle to his Elizabeth, of course, but he couldn't deny facts. And she knew about his deal with Samael. Or at the very least hinted at it. He certainly wasn't a celebrity in the mortal world, quite the opposite in fact. And she wanted his autograph, of all things. When was the last time he had actually signed something?

He didn't have time to remember when the last time he had even held a pen was, for they were suddenly seemingly sucked up by a whirlwind. He wrapped a white knuckled grip around either side of their small rowboat and gritted his teeth, using sheer force of will to try and make it all stop. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the whirlwind disappeared. He wasn't immediately cold, but he saw the snow on the ground and his breath hanging in the air and knew that if they didn't find somewhere fast they would freeze out here. "Some hide away," he grumbled to himself as he followed Una into the derelict cabin. Though, to be fair, who would suspect a run down little cabin in the middle of a snowy forest with holes in it's roof?