Please give me feedback! I want to see if a story like this is worth continuing.
Gunsmoke, Chapter 1
"They had battled and bloodied one another, they had kept secrets, broken hearts, lied, betrayed, exiled, they had walked away, said goodbye and sworn it was forever, and somehow, every time, they had mended, they had forgiven, they had survived. Some mistakes could never be fixed - some, but not all. Some people can't be driven away, no matter how hard you try. Some friendships won't break."
― Robin Wasserman, Greed
Men always thought she wasn't handy with a gun, all because she was a girl.
They figured that only men participated in gun fights.
She was the Marshal for a reason.
Kagome was the fastest hand on that side of region.
Not only that, yet her bullets held purifying energy and piercing ability.
Not many could outdo her with a gun.
But no, this moron didn't have a clue.
Earlier, one of the village boys ran to the shrine to get her, telling her about a bunch of men that were behaving wildly down at Kagura's, their Sake Shop. Some men just drank in peace, but these, these cowboys, just couldn't get control of themselves.
Kohaku, her deputy's little brother, had been killed.
A stray bullet did it, a stray bullet that one of the cowboy's shot during their group's drunken gun play.
The drunk had no intention of killing the boy, but it happened. She could still hear Sango's cries from behind her as she cradled her dead brother.
No one was on the streets now.
The women and children were in their huts, peaking fearfully out of their small windows. Everyone else was standing in front of Kagura's, The Shikon Hotel, Hojo's Stables, the General Store, and down a few more blocks towards a few more Sake Shops.
Their elder priestess and M.D., Kaede, was at Sango's side, comforting the sobbing woman and she waited patiently to assist whoever lost the gunfight.
In his inebriated state, the cowboy didn't stand a chance.
Kagome simply stood in the center of the street, the drunken cowboy standing meters away. No one was really supposed to engage an intoxicated individual in a gunfight, but this time couldn't be helped.
He wasn't going to agree to being locked up- and apart of Kagome just wanted to avenge Kohoku anyway.
She had to push back her own emotions, but her vision was blurry with tears. She felt hot, and her stomach churned with nausea.
Her hands were at her sides, her fingers idly flexing. The drunk in front of her seemed confident…but he was going to lose. Even if he was at fast as she was, there was no way he possessed the same accuracy.
A wind rustled through the quiet streets, and not a soul stirred.
Everyone was tense.
It one split second, it was all going to be over.
And then…..Bang!
The man reached for his gun to fire, and he nearly had the barrel out of its holster, but he felt something strike him in the chest.
Blood seeped to the surface of his kimono, staining the fabric. His mouth fell ajar in agony, and a choked breath left him. Blood filled his mouth, seeping down his jaws before he fell backwards, dead.
She had cocked the lever and shot one of the ten caliber rounds right into his stomach, doing it faster than any of them could have blinked.
Kagome slowly sunk her Peacemaker Pistol back down into its holster, her azure eyes never leaving him.
Everyone knew that was going to happen, but it didn't mean Kagome was immune to the sight of it. Her trembling hands covered her face- soon smoothing her ebony colored hair back as she lethargically turned, making her way back to the shrine.
She could still hear Sango crying.
In Edo Village, scenes like this were common.
People lost loved ones often, all because of mistakes, greed, and envy- things that could have been avoided.
Kohaku didn't have to die.
He wasn't supposed to die…not yet.
He was just learning how to be an effective demon slayer. He was nearly done with his training, and his life was taken, taken abruptly.
…All because of one cowboy and his drunken stupor.
She took off her cowboy hat and brushed her sleeve against her forehead, wiping off sweat. "…A couple of you guys take him on up to Boot Hill…" She called, motioning towards a few villagers standing apprehensively on the side lines.
After a while of just staring, they nodded, making their way over in an attempt to collect him. The ride to Boot Hill was a good twenty minutes away from the village. It was a place where all dead men were buried- marked and unmarked graves. The good and bad were kept there, and Kagome had filled most of the graves herself.
By then, the drunk's friends had already sobered up. They ran to his side, fumbling, "She shot him! You stupid bitch, you shot him!" One of them screamed, stalking his way over to her once she began to walk away. "I ought to shoot you in the back!"
He was nearly on her. He reached to grab her from behind, but she turned, jamming the barrel of the gun into his throat.
She glared, her expression venomous- though she was on the brink of tears, "...Go home." She bit out.
On contact with the muzzle, the man froze, his eyes widened. If she wanted to, she could have blown his head clean off.
"Kageromaru!…Kageromaru!" His other friend gently shook the dead corpse- warm blood still spilling from the wound, "He ain't mean no harm! He was drunk. For Kami's sake, he was drunk!"
"He killed someone…" She muttered, her brows knitting, "…He killed a boy…"
Backing away, the cowboy continued to glower at her, "You mark my words, you're going to regret this! You don't know whose boy that is, do you? You're going to get strung up in a tree, you stupid bitch!"
She ignored them.
She had gotten used to the threats.
Whoever's son he was, he was dead….but she had to do it. He didn't give her any other choice, "Alright, there's nothing to see here. You guys move along…" She motioned towards the people observing.
They quickly began to tend to their own business- traffic picking back up in the village, people heading to their destinations, almost if nothing ever happened.
They were also used to it.
"I want you boys out of Edo before midnight…" She ordered, "After you bury your friend, leave…" She meant that. If they didn't leave, she was going to throw them out.
Xx
"That girl is the standing Marshal here?" An, older, graying man asked, his burly hand bringing one of the large mugs of sake to his lips. He took a few swallows before drawling out, "…I don't believe it."
"Well believe it. She took out some guy early this morning. The draw was so fast, I didn't even see it…She's fast, fast as hell…" The man on his left said, chugging his beer down.
"Oh yeah, I hear that that guy was half demon…" The elderly man spoke again, setting his mug down on the wooden counter top before them.
"You're fuckin' joshin…" The man beside him spoke again, grunting, "…He wouldn't go down so easily if he was just a half demon. Bullets don't work on them demons…."
Behind the bar, a woman adorning white and crimson-violet pattern robe, a slender yellow obi, and bright green, beaded earrings turned towards them. They were immediately entranced by her large, crimson eyes and red, doll-shaped lips, "You boys don't believe everything you hear, do you?"
"…Depends, who might you be?" A man nearest the end of the bar reached for the woman's wrist, "Baby, why don't you come over this way?" Around him, his friends chuckled, beckoning the woman over.
"Yeah, come on sweet heart!" Another demanded.
Kagura managed a soft snort, "How's about you pigs lay off, or get out.."
Lethargically, her brow lifted as she watched the men slowly stand, their form's tense, as if they were going to pounce, "…You've got some nerve girlie…"
"I own this place…" Her arms drew over her chest in a cross, a white and red colored fan strapped between her fingers.
"Hey…look at her…" One of the men said wearily, "Look at her eyes...and her pointed ears…I think she's a demon." Slowly, he began to back away, as they all did.
"Hold it…" Kagome ordered, the Peace Maker Pistol already drawn. She stood at the entrance of the Sake Shop, thoroughly prepared to shoot any of the men that attempted to reach for their guns, "All of you, take off your gun belts…" She motioned towards them with the barrel of her pistol.
She shouldn't have been there. She should have been with Sango, helping her mourn, but she knew she couldn't, not when she had to keep order in the streets.
Someone had to do it.
All of the men managed a small chuckle, some even sitting down. Some men were so stubborn. "Hey girl, you might want to be a little bit more careful with that thing, you might hurt yourself." One of the youngest approached her, taking his hat off and slinging it to the counter top of one of the circular tables.
Kagome watched him, her lips pursing.
She didn't want to kill him, so she hoped to Kami he didn't give her reason to. She hoped they listened, "You heard me, take off the gun belt, all of you…"
All seven men continued to stare at her, as if she didn't exist. Some of them muttered their aggravation, turning back towards the bar.
She had to always get their attention. She readily knew that they wouldn't pay her any mind. Elevating the gun with the barrel pointing towards the ceiling, she cocked the hammer back and pulled the trigger. The bullet sky rocketed upwards, bursting through the ceiling, and the sound of thunder racked through the room. Everyone flinched- some of them scrambling towards the door. The men at the bar turned slowly- each reaching for their guns.
"You've got some nerve, girl!" One of them barked at her. "The odds don't seem to be in your favor!"
"It's what you think. Sure, you might shoot me, but I'm going to take at least four of you with me…" She readily said, "You'll hang for shooting a Marshall…" If she had Sango at her side, this would have been no trouble. By herself, she could have taken three of them. On her own, she wasn't quite sure of her odds, but it didn't cross her features.
In this line of work, she couldn't have hesitation.
No, in whatever she did, everything had to be precise.
The man in front of her lunged, but she brought the butt of her gun down onto his forehead, knocking him out cold. He hit the ground, hard.
If his friends weren't weary before, they were indeed now.
These men were leaving Kagura's, whether they liked it or not.
"You wench!" Another one came charging forward, though he didn't bother with his gun, and Kagome was thankful.
As soon as he came in reach, she slammed her foot right into his crouch, causing a muffled groan to leave his lips as he sunk to his knees.
That was two down, and five more to go. She cocked her brow lethargically, and the men stood.. They undid their gun belts and threw them at her feet. As it seemed, they wanted no part in it pissing her off further. She dropped two of their best men- almost too easily. Slowly, they began to make their way around her- intent on leaving.
Once the men drug their two friends out and finally exited, Kagome released a long, hard sigh, pacing her way over to their gun belts and firearms. She drug them all over to the bar. She and Kagura were alone now. She placed her gun back in its holster before sitting at one of the stools near the bar's counter top, "How's about a little something to cut the sand, Kagura…" She needed a drink. After Kohaku's death, she doubted anyone in the city would be alright- except for a few wandering cowboys and travelers.
"The usual?" Kagura asked, her voice a husky timbre as she went to pour Kagome a shot of the Sake.
"Right…" The priestess nodded, granting her friend a forced smile, "..I just need something.I don't know what."
Kagura, uncorking one of the bottles and tipping its mouth into one of the glasses. The Sake poured out, quickly filling the small cup, "Like I keep telling you, Kagome. You're too sweet or this line of work..."
Kagome grabbed the shot glass and lifted it, as if prepared to make a toast, "You know I can't quit...Well, here's to looking at ya…" She downed the drink in one gulp, soon setting it on the counter.
"Thanks…How's the demon slayer holding up?" Kagura asked, lowering the bottle to pour the Marshall another shot.
"I don't know… it was her little brother…I doubt you ever get over something like that." She removed her hat, setting it beside her before downing the next shot, "…I'm more concerned about what I've been hearing. They said that guy this morning was the son of Naraku…ever heard of the name?"
Kagura's eyes widened, and she seemed as though she had just gotten punched in the chest. She swallowed hard, quickly adverting her gaze as she corked the bottle and placed it on the shelf behind her, "…Kagome, you shouldn't pay attention to things like that. It could just be another one of these cow hands around here trying to make a name for himself…"
"I plan to send someone down to the village near the mouth of the river to see if I can get some info on him, but… I hope you're right…" Kagome didn't miss the terror that crossed Kagura's features. She was frightened- scared of this "Naraku's" name. Whoever he was, he was bad, bad if he could scare someone like Kagura, "I'll see you later...I'm going to check up on Sango."