Disclaimer: Slayers and its characters are owned by very talented people who make all the money. No harm is intended.
Slayers: A Spaghetti Western
Act 2
The morning dawned bright and fresh after the week of rain that had poured down on the town of Rock Creek. Christopher and a group of deputies rode out at first light to follow Zelgadiss' sketchy directions to Connor's hideout, and they had found the bodies of three of the four men, just as described by the bounty hunter upon his niece's reappearance. Unfortunately, no sign of the fourth had been found.
Both Amelia and Zelgadiss had fallen into a fever after they arrived home, but for different reasons. The stress Amelia had gone through had been more than she could handle, and the ride in the rain had made it worse. Zelgadiss had all but ignored the fact that he had been shot and lost a lot of blood, and he had suffered from the cold and chill more than his companion.
Marshall Phil was delayed due to the rain, but had sent word that he would return before the week was out, so Lina and Gourry sat attending both invalids. Only Lina was able to piece together from fevered mutterings and forced answers to her questions what exactly happened out there.
That fateful day, Lina had started worrying the second she noticed that Amelia had not yet returned by the time Gourry had drawn their baths. She usually tried not to care too much, but Amelia was like a little sister to her: someone she could bully as well as protect. As the lunch crowd came and went and the afternoon drew on, Lina sent Gourry to inform the Sheriff and follow, while she rode on ahead.
It was a good thing Amelia was a creature of habit, for they easily found fresh tracks at Pike's pond. These led to the Cooper's homestead where they discovered the grisly scene. Evidence of a struggle, and Amelia's tiny footprints were all but stamped out by larger ones; she had run into something that she couldn't handle. Then the storm arrived in full force, and in a matter of minutes, they had lost the trail. When night fell, Gourry had to convince her and Amelia's uncle to stop wandering around in circles and return to town.
Feeling helpless was something Lina absolutely hated, and that was how she felt that night. Only Gourry's comforting presence and warm hand on hers kept the darkness at bay. Hope returned when she saw out of the Inn's window a familiar grey horse walk by, and she could have kissed both Amelia and Zelgadiss if they hadn't looked like the dead.
"Miss Lina?" Amelia's weak voice broke through her thoughts.
Lina turned her ruby eyes to regard her friend's pallid face peeking out from under a white and pink quilt. "Are you finally awake, Amelia?" Lina asked gently, taking the girl's hand in hers.
"You haven't slept, have you? You look so tired…"
"Yeah, enough about me. How are you feeling?"
"Hungry," she smiled, and Lina grinned.
"That's my girl. I'll see if Martina's got anything cooked up…"
"Miss Lina?" She stopped in her tracks and turned back. "Thank you."
The older girl smiled.
"Don't thank me, Amelia. I didn't do anything. Thank Zel when he wakes up." Lina quickly left the room then wiped at her eyes. She was just glad that her friend was okay, that's all.
She stopped by at the kitchen to inform Martina that Amelia would need some food in a few minutes. The strange girl with short green hair who was the daughter of a local minister merely nodded and turned back to her work. Although it had taken a long time for Amelia to finally befriend her, she didn't really like Lina very much. A while back, the fiery-tempered girl had tossed a stick of dynamite into their church to flush out an outlaw who had taken her and her father hostage. Never mind that Lina saved their lives; Martina couldn't forgive her for destroying her home and the shrine of her patron saint, Zoamelgustar.
Whatever.
Lina went upstairs to the room that Zelgadiss was staying in and peeked inside. Gourry looked up at her and smiled, almost as if he sensed her presence, and she entered the sparse and utilitarian room.
Zelgadiss looked as if he were getting better as well. Color was returning to his skin, and it appeared that he had stopped sweating out his fever. Without hesitation or compunction, she placed her cool hand on his scarred forehead. Good. Cool to the touch. No sign of fever.
He opened his eyes at the touch and pushed himself up quickly, grabbing Lina's wrist away from him.
"Zel! It's me! Calm down. You're okay now…"
"Where's Amelia?" he demanded, his aquamarine eyes focusing on her. His grip did not lessen.
"Let me GO and I'll tell you!" she yelled, wrenching her arm from his grasp. Gourry could see the fire in her eyes and stepped in front of her. "Gourry, get out of the way! Oh, Zel, you'd better apologize now!"
Gourry was now physically holding the petite girl back from throttling their friend, but Zelgadiss apparently didn't seem to care that Lina was ready to kill him. Instead, he was reaching for his shirt and tugging it on over his head. Inside, he winced at the pain stabbing through his left arm (which was neatly bandaged, he noted), but he still stood, holding onto the bedpost for support. Only when a boot hit him on the head and knocked him to the floor did he think to look back at the others in the room.
Lina was in Gourry's arms, but it was hardly a romantic moment. She was glaring over his shoulder, boot in hand, murder in her eyes.
"What thanks is that for keeping you alive, you ungrateful, selfish…?!"
"I'm sorry, Lina," he muttered from his spot on the floor. He stared at his hands, wondering why he was so concerned over the girl. They had become fairly close upon their last adventure, the way anyone would become close to another who shared the same common goals, but the memory of her deathly pale face wrenched his heart in a way he could not understand. "How is Amelia?"
"She's going to be fine, Zel. She's resting now," Lina said softly, kneeling next to him to pick up her boot. This sudden change in his behavior deflated most of her anger: most, but not all. She stuck a finger in his face. "But if you EVER lay a hand on me like that again, I'll shoot first and feel sorry later, you got that?"
Although not prone to fear, Zel actually felt a cold shudder pass through him at the fierce look that Lina was giving him. The knowledge of how she saved Rock Creek from Amelia's traitorous cousin's murderers by blowing up the far section of the town, how she saved the Navratilovas by blowing up their church, and how she accidentally derailed a train into Filia's hometown made him realize that Lina would have no qualms about following through on her threats.
"Y… yeah."
"Good. Now let's go eat. Amelia's starving and so am I."
Lina left them and returned downstairs, ready to devour what she could. Martina was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and in her arms, she held a tray with a bowl of soup and bread. Lina immediately began drooling.
"This is for Amelia, so I'm bringing it to her room. You can get your own food," Martina snapped, trying to hide the tray from Lina's view. Although Lina was a couple of steps higher, Martina still somehow managed to look down her nose at her.
Luckily for her, she stepped away just in time and didn't see Lina make a grab for one of the two large pigtail curls that she usually wore in her hair. Muttering obscenities under her breath, Lina made her way to the kitchen and hunted up a slab of ham as well as bowl of soup and bread. After pouring herself a glass of water, she went to sit with Amelia, "accidentally" bumping Martina on her way.
"Do you need help eating, Amelia?" she asked when she was settled into a comfortable chair. She had helped the younger girl into a sitting position, piling pillows behind her back, and placed the tray on her lap.
"No, Miss Lina. Thank you."
Amelia smiled the way she always did, and ate slowly. Her careful sips and dainty bites were soon drowned out by Lina's loud gulping and chomping. Though she was hungry, it was not long before Amelia stopped eating altogether, her mind and her gaze drawn out of her lace-curtained window to the clearing sky outside. Seeing the look of melancholy descend upon her countenance, Lina slammed her tray down on the nightstand.
"What's that look for? You did what you had to do, and no one else would have done otherwise! Something horrible could have happened to you and Zel if you didn't do anything. Could you have lived with yourself if anything happened to your friend? And besides, what's the point of carrying a gun if you don't use it, right?"
Surprised at first, Amelia began to see the reasoning of her friend, but then she remembered that it was her gun and she did use it to kill another person. The sudden memory of the bullet slamming into the man's side and then another into his head flashed into her mind, and she had barely enough time to lean over the side of her bed before she vomited up the food she had just eaten.
The unexpected crash of the tray and bowl falling to the floor brought everyone rushing to Amelia's room. It was all Lina could do to keep the three of them out.
"It's okay! Nothing's wrong!" she yelled, pushing as hard as she could on Zelgadiss' chest so he'd back out of the room. She was surprised he was so fast and so strong after being bedridden for the last week.
"Lina, is Amelia okay? What's going on?"
"I said nothing was wrong. She's just not feeling too good. Martina, get these guys into the kitchen and then get back here with a bowl of water and some rags."
"Why can't you get them yourself? You aren't sick!"
Lina reached out and grabbed a fistful of Martina's blouse and pulled her close. She growled in her ear, "Listen, you! I can't leave her right now."
She released her with a shove, but Martina had seen the sorry state that Amelia was in. Glaring at Lina, she muttered, "I don't have to take orders from the likes of you, but for Amelia's sake…"
When provoked, the green-haired girl turned out to be stronger than she appeared. She dragged the two men away, and within a few seconds, she was back at the door. Lina wordlessly accepted the requested items and began cleaning up her friend.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lina."
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry." She sighed. "I'll clean up. You should rest."
The girl did not argue, and she once again turned her gaze to the blue sky beyond her window as Lina went to fetch a mop.
*************************
Marshall Phil returned that afternoon and immediately went to see how his daughter was feeling. Her fever had returned, and she slept fitfully the rest of the day, vaguely returning to consciousness only once or twice. Finally, he left her room after several hours, and he called an informal meeting later that night so he could get the full tale of Amelia's abduction and subsequent return.
"Connor Cooper, Gordon Black, and Sirus Tatum. There wasn't another body there," Christopher reported, rubbing the back of his neck as they all sat in the common room at the Inn.
Martina poured more coffee into both Christopher's and Phil's cups before moving on to Zel and Gourry. She conspicuously left out Lina, and with a glare down at the girl, disappeared into the kitchen muttering under her breath, "I'm Amelia's friend too, so why didn't they ask me anything? They're always planning stuff and they leave me out…"
"I told you," Zelgadiss stated from his position by the hearth, trying to ignore Martina's mutterings. The dancing flames cast harsh shadows across his scarred face, but everyone present was used to his shocking appearance. "I shot four men that night. One of them is missing."
Lina tapped her finger on the table. "We're not questioning that. What I want to know is who these guys were working for?"
"Hey, isn't Sirus Tatum one of the Tatum Boys?" Gourry wondered aloud, and everyone inwardly groaned. He had a tendency to state the obvious, and Lina had a tendency to not put up with it.
Sure enough, she twitched.
"Dummy! Of course he is. What do you think his last name is?"
"Oh. Then doesn't that mean that Zel killed one of the Tatum clan?"
"Yes! We know that! What's your point???"
"Don't you know, Lina? The Tatum clan is the side of the Dylan clan that nobody likes to talk about, because they varnished the Dylan name."
"V… varnished?"
Zelgadiss scratched his temple. This was getting ridiculous. "I think he means 'tarnished,' Lina."
"Yeah, yeah. So the Tatums are a bunch of bad guys. What's your point?"
"Oh. I don't have one." A long, drawn out moment stretched on while Lina pounded on Gourry's head. Zelgadiss shook his head and looked at Phil. The Marshall understood the significance of that look and tried to get their discussion back on track.
"Miss Lina. Mister Gourry. Can we get back to the problem at hand? I think what Mister Gourry is trying to say is that now we might have a problem with either the Tatums or the Dylans now if that last person went back to tell them."
The two stopped squabbling, and Lina plopped back down into her seat. Gourry rubbed the top of his head.
"Well, they'd be in for a surprise if they try anything, Phil," she returned with a wicked gleam in her eye. Everyone shuddered at the thought of what Lina could possibly do if provoked enough. The town of Rock Creek would never be the same.
"I appreciate any help you can give, Miss Lina, but right now, my main concern is making sure that Amelia is going to be okay."
At the mention of her friend, Lina became solemn. "I've never seen her like this, Phil. Even in all the fights in all the places we've been, I haven't once seen her as depressed as she is now."
"Well, she's never killed anyone before, Lina," Zelgadiss muttered, crossing his arms. His eyes traveled up to regard his friend, and then flew past her as the object of their conversation stepped shakily into the room. "Amelia?"
Everyone's head turned to the doorway, and Zelgadiss immediately jumped out of his seat, his chair falling to the floor behind him.
"D… Daddy?" Amelia asked, unsure at first, but upon seeing that her father was really there, threw herself into his arms and began to cry. "Oh, I thought it was a dream. I missed you so much!"
Zel showed amazing sensitivity as he stood and returned to his room, giving Lina and Gourry a pat on their shoulders as he passed. Soon, the rest left as well, allowing the father and daughter their privacy.
He closed the door of his room behind him, and took a deep sigh of relief. So, she was okay. Maybe now he could get back on track with his hunt. He rooted through his belongings, packing them away carefully into his saddlebags, when he came upon a tiny two-barreled pistol. He held the thing in his palm, surprised at how small it was, and decided to hold onto it. Amelia was certainly dismayed by her actions, despite their good and just intent, so he didn't imagine that seeing it again was a good idea. It was a wonder that she had the thing in the first place.
He removed the two spent bullet casings and placed it in the bottom of his bag before lying down, his mind awhirl with conflicting thoughts and emotions. It took several hours before he finally was able to fall asleep.
***************************
Lightning seemed happy to see him when he opened the barn doors the next morning. It was still dark, perhaps an hour before sunrise, but it was now or never. He placed his saddlebags over the door to her stall, and she stuck her head over the rail to greet him. She nudged his chest, and he smirked before giving her a handful of oats, which she snuffled greedily. Patting the side of her face, he whispered, "Come on, girl. Let's get going."
He walked over to the rail where the saddle and blanket were resting and had just picked them up when the sound of a stall door opening caught his attention.
"Were you leaving, Mister Zelgadiss?" Amelia asked in a small voice, closing the door to Champion's stall behind her. Worry crossed his mind about her being out here in the cold, but he could see that she was wearing her thick duster over a sweater and trousers. "Without saying goodbye?"
Although still a little pale, she appeared healthier than the night before. She held herself as she usually did, back straight, face tilted up slightly, but there was something about her that was different. Her eyes did not lift to meet his, and the spark that always seemed to light up her face seemed a little dimmer.
This was not the Amelia he wanted to see, but it was better if she knew of the dangers of life rather than live in such an idealized world.
"It's better if I left, Amelia. I was the one who shot those men, so if anyone comes looking for revenge, they'll come looking for me. I don't want to be here if that happens. I don't want anyone I care about to get hurt."
"That's such a noble gesture."
His eyes shot up to her face, but she was staring at the ground. Her voice was not filled with justice or hope or righteous anger. She was being sarcastic.
"If I stay here, people will die."
She finally looked up at him. "Do you think I would let Miss Lina and Mister Gourry live with me if I didn't know that I'd be in danger from people who'd want revenge for what they've done? I may have childish ideals and notions, but that doesn't make me stupid. I know rushing out there was a bit hasty, and I have a bad habit of acting before I think, but I wouldn't have changed anything that I did that day. Even… even killing him."
She pushed past him and ran out of the barn back towards the Inn. Zelgadiss had a sudden revelation.
Amelia wasn't a little girl anymore.
***************************
The shotgun in the gun cabinet had been her Daddy's idea, but it was mostly for show, so people wouldn't think she was an easy target for robbers. Amelia was always surrounded by people who would take care of her and who wouldn't let any harm come to her, so she would never need to use the weapon. Or so Phil had thought.
The pistol had been her sister's idea.
Naga gave her the tiny gun when she had last rolled through town several months ago. They had never been overly close, but something had happened to the older girl to make her want to trek halfway across the country from San Francisco just to spend time with her sister. When she handed her the cloth-wrapped gun, she was adamant about Amelia always keeping it with her, wherever she went.
"You never know when you might need to use it, Amelia," she had said, resting her head on her little sister's shoulder. "Mommy might be alive today if she had kept one with her. Daddy and Uncle Christopher and Lina and Gourry can't be there for you all the time. Promise me you'll keep it with you every day. Promise me you'll take care of yourself."
And Amelia always kept her promises, sometimes to her own inner turmoil.
Despite her brave words to Zelgadiss, Amelia found herself second-guessing her own ideals. Justice and goodness. Hope and righteousness. There wasn't room in her heart for revenge, but she believed in punishment for ill deeds. What was the difference? Where was the line separating the two? Was she evil because she killed a man, or was she a hero because she had saved her friend?
Since Lina and Martina had called a shaky truce and were taking care of the Inn, Amelia had gone out to sit on the fence behind the property and stare out at the landscape to the south of town. The other girls had understood her melancholy, and left her to her thoughts, hoping that she would be able to pull herself out of the depression she was in. She rubbed idly at her wrists, scarred over where the ropes had bitten cruelly into her flesh, while her eyes roamed the scenery.
Somewhere out there, lived Filia and Xelloss, the two people she knew who were constantly fighting about the best way to do things. Amelia always imagined them to be the representatives of good and evil. Of course, Filia wasn't entirely good. She had a temper to match Lina's and had the tendency to lash out rather than talk. Xellos wasn't entirely evil either. He helped them out on more than one occasion, and could be counted upon to come through in a pinch. He would also rather talk things through before resorting to violence.
Today, the two of them lived in a small town far to the south, fairly content with each other, as they raised baby Val. So it was possible to have a compromise between high ideals and quick results? A voice interrupted her musings.
"Amelia?"
Zelgadiss leaned against the fence next to her. So he hadn't left after all.
"Thank you for saving my life, Mister Zelgadiss," she said, still looking out at the wide expanse of grass and trees that stretched before her. "I didn't want you to leave so soon after arriving. I just wish it had been under different circumstances."
"I wish it had, too."
She risked a glance down at him and found him regarding her curiously. "I've decided to stay for a while, to see if things blow over, before I do anything," he informed her.
She smiled at that, and her heart felt a little lighter. Surprising her, Zelgadiss touched her cheek lightly with the back of his fingers.
"That's how you should look," he murmured with the barest of smirks. "A smile belongs on your face."
Her heart began racing, and thankfully, he left her to her thoughts. Now, however, he had also added another uncertainty that she believed she had gotten over when he left her a year ago. Her childhood crush on Zelgadiss was returning, but she shut her eyes tightly against the feelings that were welling up in her heart.
************************
"Vruumugun is here? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Zelgadiss demanded, slamming his fist into the doorframe.
Lina's hand twitched, aching to reach for her absent gun, but Amelia placed a hand on her arm.
"Miss Lina brought him in last week, Mister Zelgadiss. They had to wait for Daddy to return so he could bring him to Fort Laramie to stand trial. Why, do you know him?"
Lina stared at her friend. That was the most she had heard her say in the last couple of days. "Yeah, what's the problem, Zel?" she growled.
"I don't have to explain myself to you," he grumbled as he strode out of the room. Lina went after him, followed closely by Amelia and Gourry.
"Hey! Where are you going? Don't leave me behind!" Martina cried, trying to wait on customers while cooking more food for the lunch crowd and for the quartet that just left her. No one seemed to hear or care.
Zelgadiss walked purposefully down the street to the jailhouse, Lina trailing behind, throwing rocks at the back of his head. She was surprisingly accurate, but Zel ignored the pestering until she jumped on his back and put him in a headlock. Even then, he continued walking, though a little slower with the added weight.
"Zel's very single-minded, isn't he?" Gourry asked Amelia as they watched the pair in front of them with a small degree of amusement.
"He's always been like that, right, Mister Gourry?"
He smiled and nodded at her, glad that she was talking again.
"You're getting really tall," he noticed as they walked next to each other.
"Naturally. It runs in my family. My big sister's about as tall as you are, Mister Gourry!"
"Sounds scary," he said, trying to picture an older, taller version of his friend. He shuddered.
"She is."
Gourry patted her on the head like a big brother, earning a smile from the girl. He was always so nice and easy-going. After giving him a quick hug for making her feel better, they hurried to catch up to the others. When they did, they almost wished they hadn't.
"Where is he, Sheriff?" Zelgadiss demanded, slamming open the door to the jailhouse. Christopher looked up from his desk and squinted at him.
"Depends on who you're looking for, Zelgadiss."
"Don't toy with me! Where's Vruumugun?"
"He's in a cell," he answered, standing to his full height. Although not as intimidating a figure as Phil, there was still a reason he was highly regarded as Sheriff. He did not let anyone intimidate him. "And if you want to see him, then I suggest you show a little more respect in my jail."
He crossed his arms in front of him and waited for Zelgadiss' next move. Amelia, however, was not in the mood for puffing displays of male territorialism.
"Mister Zelgadiss! Stop being so rude! If you had just asked him, I'm sure Uncle Christopher would have let you see him right away. And besides, even if you wanted to push people around, just what do you think you can do to him with no guns?"
The young man did not take his eyes off the Sheriff, but his hands went to his empty holsters. Remembering that they were still in Amelia's gun cabinet, he cursed under his breath, "Damn my luck and that stupid rule…"
They shot each other a glare, but Amelia turned her back on him and snorted.
"And I thought I was always running off doing things without thinking," she muttered, which made Lina laugh. "And you, too, Miss Lina!" Amelia suddenly rounded on her as well. "You didn't have to hit Mister Zelgadiss like that. He didn't do anything to you, so you shouldn't have been so mean to him!"
Glad that Amelia wasn't moping around anymore, Lina merely muttered a quiet, "Sorry."
Satisfied that some degree of order and decorum had been restored to the room, she turned to the Sheriff. "Uncle Christopher, do you think it would be okay for Mister Zelgadiss to see who he wants?" At his gentle nod, she continued, "Where's Daddy?"
"He rode out this morning with a couple of my deputies to see if he could track down that fourth man. He doesn't like being surprised."
"I understand. Thank you."
He led them all to the cell, and Vruumugun sat up on his cot. Upon seeing Lina, he made a rude gesture at her, and while both Gourry and Christopher were occupied with carrying her back outside kicking and screaming, he turned his attention to the newcomer.
"You're an ugly freak," he stated clinically, as if speaking about the weather.
Zelgadiss' fingers moved, clearly wanting to shoot him, but he forced himself to stay calm in Amelia's presence.
"Where is he?" he asked, biting back the urge to reach through the bars and strangle him.
"Who?"
"Your old boss. The one who hired you to beat and burn a family out of their homestead seven years ago."
"Seven years? That's a long time ago, kid. It's hard to remember…"
"How many families did you destroy? He killed my parents, burned down my home, and left me to die!" He heard Amelia gasp behind him, but he figured she would find out about his past eventually. He went on, "You were one of his trusted men. You would have some kind of information on where he is now!"
"It's you. You're the kid. Y… you survived?" Vruumugun wondered in disbelief.
"Yes, and I have 'The Red Priest' to thank for this." He pulled his hair away from his face, and the man hissed in shock at the sight. "Tell me what you know."
Whether it was from shock or genuine regret, he would never know, but the man told him, "I heard he's a doctor now. He sold your family's land and used the money to fund his research. I haven't heard from them in a few years now, though they did say something about going west."
"They?"
"Yeah. He's got a lady friend who's his assistant. I think her name was Erin or something. Sorry, kid, but that's all I've got."
Zelgadiss turned around and walked back to the front room, his hand at his chin in a thoughtful expression. With a quick curtsey, Amelia thanked Vruumugun and followed her friend out into the room where he just stood, looking absently out of the window. Before she could ask him about it, a loud voice yelled out from the street.
"Zelgadiss! Zelgadiss Greywords! You killed my brother, you demon-faced, yellow-bellied coward!"
They both ran to the door and peeked out. People were running here and there, doors shutting securely behind them as they sought to get out of the way of the inevitable showdown. There, in the middle of the street, one of the men that he had shot, stood with his hands resting just inches from twin guns at his side. He was thin and greasy-looking with beady eyes, and Amelia remembered him as the man who pulled her off the horse when they got to the hideout. Behind him, to her dismay, lay Phil, battered and bleeding. He was tied up, but it was clear that he was still alive.
"Da…"
Zel's hand clamped over her mouth, and he pulled her farther into the jail before she could dart outside. He all but threw her against the wall, trapping her between his hands resting on either side of her face.
"Your father's alive, Amelia. I've got to make sure he stays that way. Don't do anything or that guy might decide to act first."
"But you're going out there…"
A tear escaped her eye, and with surprising tenderness in such a situation, he wiped it away with his thumb. As his face drew near, his aquamarine eyes betrayed an emotion she had never before seen. She felt her face heating under his intense gaze.
"Greywords, I'm giving you to the count of ten to get out here!"
Whatever it was that Amelia had seen was gone, replaced by a steeliness that made her warm face turn cold. He pushed himself away and went to the gun cabinet. It was a good thing Christopher used the same key that Amelia used for hers, because, wordlessly, she took the key from her neck and unlocked the cabinet for him.
"Three…"
Although there were many weapons, rifles and revolvers alike, Zel chose two revolvers, checked that they were loaded, and slipped them into his holsters.
"Seven…"
He paused in the doorway to take one last look at Amelia. Although worry and concern covered her features, she was still a vision of loveliness in her cream and pink blouse and tan skirt. Tearing his gaze away from the girl, he stepped out into the street as the man yelled, "Ten."
Zel squinted while his eyes adjusted to the brightness of midday. His eyes made a quick sweep of the street before he took his place opposite the man, kicking up dust as he walked. The streets were empty, save for Lina leaning against a post in front of the Inn, Gourry sitting at the stagecoach station with a rifle on his lap, and Christopher standing in the doorway of the General Store across the street from the jailhouse. He knew that if he had back up, this guy must have some as well.
"What problem do you have with me?" he inquired, trying to sound innocent. The weasel-like man wasn't buying it.
"Name's Buford Tatum. You busted into our place and shot us all up. You killed my brother Sirus."
Damn. This guy was a Tatum as well. If he could remember correctly, this was the slowest of the three men that he had shot at the hideout, so that should help him. Of course, Zel didn't doubt he had an ace up his sleeve.
"I did, but you four had kidnapped my friend and were threatening her with further harm. If you have a problem, it's with me, not my friend or her father," he said, indicating Phil, who was finally beginning to stir.
"I can have a problem with whoever I want! You. Him," he nudged the prone form of Phil, and Zel wanted to shoot him for that alone. "Or even her."
Anger bloomed in his chest at that comment, and all thoughts of negotiating disappeared.
"Then let's go," Zel taunted, his voice low.
Zelgadiss took a step to the side, and held his hands lightly above his pistols. The other man mirrored his actions, stepping away from Phil, and his spurs chimed with the movement. Zel's eyes narrowed at the sound.
A breeze blew dust across the street as a dog went running by, but they ignored it. The world did not exist outside of these two men, and their attention was riveted solely to each other's eyes. For several long seconds, neither of them moved until somewhere, a door slammed shut.
The man pulled out his gun first, but Zel's actions were faster. He drew, cocked the hammer, and fired his revolver before the other man could even shoot. Buford stood, stunned, for several seconds before red blossomed on his shirt, right in the middle of his chest. He raised his gun and shot back, but the bullet went wide, hitting the dirt several feet away.
Suddenly, it sounded as if the whole town was ablaze with gunfire as several gun barrels were aimed in his direction. Zel jumped and rolled out of the way, shooting behind him as he ran to take cover in the alleyway next to the jailhouse. A groan caught his attention, and he realized that he had left the Marshall lying out in the street. Amelia would never forgive him.
He pulled out the other pistol and cocked both guns, holding them ready by his head. Leaping out into the street, he pulled off a couple of shots, catching a man who was coming up the walk square in the face, splattering blood and brains across the walkway. Zel dashed over to Phil, and the ground lit up with tiny dust plumes from where the bullets had just missed him. Grabbing a handful of the Marshall's vest, he unceremoniously dragged Phil to safety behind a water trough.
Gourry had taken cover behind several crates that were out in front of the stagecoach station, and he used his rifle to pick off the couple of men who were peppering them with bullets from above. Quickly sighting down the barrel, he targeted a man who was on the roof of a building across the street, and shot. The gunman clutched at his chest before he fell from the roof to the ground below.
Lina was not so subtle. Noticing a dozen horses that didn't belong to anyone in town tied up at a rail in front of the inn, she sliced through their reins and fired off a shot behind them. The frightened animals stampeded down the street, kicking up a huge cloud of dust as they went. Unbeknownst to their attackers, Lina had mounted one of the horses, and in the brief lull in gunfire caused by the strange event, she found and shot three of the gunmen as she thundered by.
Zel grinned at her unconventional tactics, but now was not the time for appreciation. His eyes searched out his targets through the dust, and found at least five of them left, three of them still engaged with Gourry and Christopher. Peeking out over the top of the water trough, he aimed and shot. One man in the alleyway across from him fell as his bullet caught him in the chest.
Several shots whizzed by his head, and he ducked behind the trough again to reload his guns. While he was shaking out the empty shells, he froze. Boots appeared in his vision. He lifted his gaze and found himself looking down the barrel of a pistol. He couldn't believe it. This guy had somehow snuck up on him.
A gunshot sounded, and he flinched, but there was no burning, no pain. Zel looked up, and the man opened his mouth. Blood spilled out of his mouth in a gurgle, and he fell with a dull thud to the ground before him. Lina was there at the back of the alley, sitting on her stolen horse, holding her smoking gun. Zel touched his hat to his friend, and she returned the gesture before kicking the horse forward towards more action.
Zel took the fallen man's gun and returned fire, bailing out Christopher, who was pinned behind a wagon. The man he shot fell back into the barbershop window with the loud crash of broken glass. It seemed as if that was the last of them, but a scream from the Inn broke through his thoughts. While their attention was on the rest of the town, someone had been trying to sneak into the Inn.
Martina was slung over a man's shoulder, but she had managed to grab tightly onto the doorframe, and was kicking and screaming. With careful aim, Zel hit the man's leg, and he collapsed. Martina fell on top of him, effectively knocking him out.
The gunfire finally ceased when Christopher shot the final one who was still coming up from the other side of town. There must have been about twelve of the Tatum boys against the four of them. It was a miracle they were still alive. Zelgadiss stood and went to check on his friends.
A sudden gunshot to his left startled him, and he ducked, but instead of a bullet hissing by his head, a chunk of the top of the General Store's façade fell to the ground. Zel looked up and found that they missed one of the men on the roof. He had his hands raised in surrender. Gourry stepped into the street from Zel's right to keep a bead on the man.
That was when Amelia emerged from the jailhouse, holding a smoking rifle, and she rushed to her father's side. Zelgadiss regarded her curiously while she untied Phil and tried to see to his wounds. Lina arrived to help her bring him back to the Inn, where Martina was hogtying the man who had tried to kidnap her. Christopher and Gourry rounded up the injured and any of the surviving members of the gang. Slowly, townsfolk began to emerge from the safety of their homes.
Left alone in the street, Zelgadiss picked up Amelia's discarded rifle and came to the realization that she had saved his life yet again.
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"I am not running away!"
Lina shook her head at her friend's stubbornness.
"It's not running away, Amelia. It's called being cautious."
Phil squeezed his daughter's hand. They were in his room where he was resting, Amelia sitting dutifully by his side, Lina at the foot of the bed, and Gourry and Zelgadiss standing in the doorway. Each one had their respective guns at their sides, Amelia's "no-gun" rule being set aside for the time being. The town doctor had bandaged up Phil's wounds, all of which turned out to be relatively minor cuts and bruises.
"My daughter, I don't want you in danger…" Although Phil was injured, his voice was as strong as ever, and he boomed his concern for his youngest child.
Martina peeked into the room, trying to hear more about what was going on. Did anyone think to ask her what she thought? Zelgadiss shifted on his feet and blocked her view. Damn him, shutting her out like that. She trudged back to the common room, muttering about the unfairness of it all.
"So you're sending me away from everyone who can protect me?"
"No. I'm sending you somewhere you'll be safer. Just until we get things here handled."
"But…"
Zelgadiss chose that moment to voice his opinion. "Amelia, I don't like the thought of leaving any more than you do, but this time, I think they're right. Those men weren't trying to kidnap Martina. This is worse than what I told you about. They're also after you as well."
"But… Where will we go? What if they decide to follow us? Or worse, what if the Tatums decide not to follow us, but hurt Daddy?" she tried, fishing for a problem that they hadn't thought of.
Lina was the one who answered.
"You'll go to Sweetwater to my sister's place. I sent a post to let her know you were coming. If they follow you there, they'll be in for a bigger surprise than what they got here. And if they decide to attack Rock Creek, they'll have the army to worry about."
"Army?"
Zelgadiss explained, "They attacked Phil, who is a Federal Marshall, and they killed two deputies. We've already sent word to Fort Laramie informing them of what happened and requesting a detachment to be sent out."
"So, if it's so safe here, then why can't we stay?"
Phil appeared uncomfortable.
"There's a possibility that the army won't be able to get here in time," he finally said. "The Tatums can come back at any time. The safest place for you is away from here. I've deputized Mister Gourry and Miss Lina, so they will have to stay to protect the town. I've deputized Mister Zelgadiss as well, so it will be easier for him to act in my place to protect you."
Lina placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, and said as gently as she could, "I've packed some things for you. You both should ride out tonight."
Amelia stood, but instead of complaining or bawling, she held her head high.
"Very well then. Miss Lina, Mister Gourry. Please take care of my daddy." She gave each of them a hug before turning to her father. Ignoring the aches and pains, Phil wrapped Amelia in a tight bear hug, kissing her on the forehead as she returned the embrace.
"Be safe, Daughter. And be strong for me."
"I'll try to be as strong as you are."
"No. Be stronger."
"I love you, Daddy!"
"I love you, my darling Amelia!"
Holding back her tears, Amelia left the room and went upstairs to prepare to flee her home. Fifteen minutes later, and dressed warmly for the road, she met Zelgadiss at the barn, holding the reins of both horses. She threw her saddlebags over the saddle horn and mounted Champion, turning back once to bid a silent farewell to her family and her friends.
"Amelia." Zelgadiss nudged his horse next to hers, and she could see the defeat in his eyes as well. "Let's go."
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A/N: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed! Libraryfrog (Geez, I can't say thank you enough. If I can make Zel and Ame M.F.E.O., then I've done my job. ~_^ I know it's like re-reading the same old thing, but I'm glad you're still enjoying it! *hugs*), Ichiban Victory (Thanks, and thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, even though it was that ever-dreaded set-up chapter. I had initially wanted this fic to be a 3-act story and be fairly simple, but it soon ended up being five, and a whopping five at that. *sweatdrops* I guess my mouth started to run, and I couldn't stop it. ~_^), Otaku M-chan (Hey, I'm glad I can bring a bit of the Old West into people's lives! I'm happy that you liked it.), jesphoenix05 (I'm blushing, really. Well, since this story is complete, then you can expect weekly updates on this – for another three or four chapters, at least. Thanks!), Lina Gabriev (Geez, don't you hate having to wait for the computer? I know I do. ~_^ Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters. BTW, I liked the additions to your story. Nice downtime but ominous foreboding, too!), Valk (Thanks! And you're right, of course! That was only the first of a five-act story, so we'll get to see much more of the characters. And as for Xelloss and Filia? They'll show up eventually. ^_^ *hugs*), Komillia (Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you're enjoying the taste of the Old West. Keep an eye out in a couple more chapters for those two! ~_^), Filing Sloth (Wow, thank you so much! It's good to hear that I've done a good job with the transition into western. As for the research, I'm a bit of a Nut when it comes to those kinds of details. I know that I can make it up, but afterwards, I obsess until I look it up and change it to make it right. -_-;; It's all worth it, though, if you all enjoy!).
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