(Okay, this is where the story picksup on what is supposed to be current day. I hope you haven't lost interest because as you can tell I'm slightly self concience and I become paranoid of it. Not of my work being disliked, just paranoid, or being aware. I dunno it's totally irrational, but then that's what makes it a paranoia. Anyway, enough about my likely trauma rooted mental problems; Since I've posted these 3 all at once, having written them before my account opened, one each day of my probation since I made the account, I'm afraid I'll have made alot of junk. Also by now you've noticed Judecca being kinda out of character, I noticed it too and tried fixing it withou making him scitzo so you'll see him slowly becoming colder, crazier, and more blood thirsty, but it might take some time. Sorry to any of you Judecca fans who aren't too comfortable with seeing their favorite trigger happy psychopath drunk and laughing. ;; )
Chapter 3: Paying Their Dues, Rumors Of A Powerful Monster!
The next day, as the blazing sun hit high noon Judecca and Rudy found themselves relaxing in a saloon over a round of drinks. The two laughed as they recalled stories of their pasts in oblique detail.
"Aha ha ha! And-and then the little blue thing, it talked!" A less than sober Rudy rocked back in his chair with a giddy laugh as he babbled on about something or other. "And it could fly too! Through the air, whoosh!" He traced a line in the air with his hand, making ridiculous sounds as he did. Judecca was leaned forward over the table with his glasses sliding down to the tip of his nose.
"That's great! Hey-hey, I got one! Remember when I ran off on my own when you told me no to and I wound up hanging with those weird guys for awhile? Well there was this chick I was working with and she was all in love with our boss." Judecca spoke between deep breaths as his face turned red from all the drinking.
"Yeah?" Rudy laughed in anticipation, his chair leaned back against a banester. "What happened?" Judecca snickered and grinned behind his folded arms. "Well, what happened? Come on finish the story!" Rudy egged him on in a drunken anticipation.
"Well…" Judecca was snickering uncontrollably now. "SHE KILLED HERSELF!" Judecca cracked up laughing at the twisted excuse for a joke. Rudy on the other hand cocked an eyebrow at his insane friend.
"Hey man, that's not funny…" Rudy said through a drunken chuckle. "Well ok… maybe it is a little-" Suddenly a loud gun shot came from outside the saloon followed by the thud of bodies hitting the ground. There were more sounds of a scuffle as who ever had hit the ground got back up. The sounds of angry men rose from a crowd that now blocked the saloon door.
"Hey there girl, what'd ya think you're doing!" The saloon keep and the two drunken gunslingers were the only one's not at the door. They looked curiously at the crowd, wondering what had happened. Another gun shot went off and unexpectedly there were sounds of a gatling gun being fired off. The crowd quickly began shoving and pushing their way out of the saloon to make way for who ever had caused the ruckus outside. A dainty looking blonde pushed open the saloon doors, followed by a young boy, a man with an afro, and a little orange cat with wings on his back. Falling back in his chair Rudy hit the floor laughing hysterically.
"You! You're exactly like her! That bratty little girl from Court Seim!" Rudy laid on the floor laughing uncontrollably while Judecca remained leaned forward on the table with his arms in front of him snickering at Rudy. The young lady however was not amused and while her companions clung to the end of her dress trying to stop her she stomped up to Judecca and Rudy's table. Looking down at Rudy with a disgusted look she bent at her waist to look him parallel in the eyes.
"You again! You're really asking for it you know that!" Rudy just continued laughing with his eyes shut tight until finally he stopped and gasped for breath between snickers. Opening his eyes he met the girl's gaze only to let his eyes roll upward more. But as he did his eyes closed shut and he began laughing hysterically again, rolling from side to side with his arms across his chest, holding his sides. "WHAT IS SO FUNNY!"
"Y-You…" Rudy gasped for air as he tried to explain himself. Judecca on the table was snickering at his friend all the while. "You even wear lace panties, just like her!" At that Judecca burst out in a crazed laughter and rolled out of his seat and off the table, joining Rudy on the floor, holding his sides as if he were afraid to loose them. The girl was red in the face and if not for her companions desperately holding her back her boot, hovering over Rudy's head, would've been lodged there instead.
"Ok blue boy! You-Me-Outside-NOW! We're finishing where we left off!" The girl turned towards the door with Rudy dragging behind her by his vest collar.
"Hey, no! I don't wanna!" Rudy goofily whined, "Hey Judecca, help me out!" Rudy pleaded with Judecca who had just pulled himself together and had gotten up to lean on the table and catch his breath. He laughed and waved to Rudy as he pointed to Rudy's gun still sitting on the table. Judecca grabbed Rudy's gun as he pushed his glasses back up and followed he and the blonde girl outside into the dusty street.
As she walked the blonde girl threw Rudy aside and made some distance between them. Still snickering a bit Rudy got to his feet and patted off his jeans. Judecca tossed Rudy his gun and leaned back against the saloon doorway to watch. Catching the gun Rudy holstered it and finished dusting himself off. A few meters away the blonde girl stood tapping her foot impatiently. Her gang joined Judecca by the saloon and for a brief moment Judecca and Shady met eyes with sly grins.
"Six-hundred gella says the blue haired kid wins this." Judecca chuckled to himself.
"I'm not dumb enough to take that bet," Shady smiled under his scarf "but I'll bet you one thousand that the girl gets at least one hit in on him before falling flat on her face." Shady pulled a few bills from his scarf and waved them at Judecca, who laughed full heartedly and nodded his head.
"Yea, I'll take that bet." Meanwhile the blonde girl stood impatiently as Rudy dusted some more dirt off his vest.
"Are you done yet!" The girl was clearly fed up with Rudy but all he did was chuckle to himself and wipe some dirt off his shoulder.
"No, not quite." Rudy responded sarcastically. "But hey, let's make this interesting, if I win you have to let me buy you that drink I promised." The girl tightened a fist and got ready to yell back, but before she could a gunshot hit the ground between them.
"Hey now!" A young man on horseback galloped up into town, His silver hair fell forward from being pressed back by the wind as he brought his horse to a stop. "I leave for three days and look who comes around trying to make trouble in my town." The young man brushed a strand of silver hair from his eyes and dismounted. "Maya Schrodinger, it's been quite awhile hasn't it? I gotta admit I never thought I'd see your face again."
"You! You were the guy traveling with that Maxwell girl!" The blonde girl blurted out in a shocked tone of voice.
"Maxwell? …" Rudy's eyes perked at the name curiously.
"The guy with that Maxwell girl?" The young man seemed irritated at the manner Maya had addressed him in. "Everything we go through and you can't even remember my name!" The silver haired young man took a few steps forward and looked Maya right in the eyes. "The name's Jet! SHERIF Jet Enduro, and don't you forget it from now on!" Two men peeked their heads out from around the back corner of the saloon.
"Boss! You're back!" A thin looking spiky blonde man with a scarf and a pot bellied man with a short black beard and cowboy hat came running toward the sheriff with their arms open. But as they went to embrace their boss he held out a hand to stop the two of them.
"First off; you both know I don't like hugs, second; Dario zip up your fly, and third; where exactly were the two of you when Miss Schrodinger here started such a ruckus? I doubt it was hard to notice." The two men hung their heads in shame.
"Well, ya see boss… We tried to stop'er honest, we did." The two stood off the to side twiddling their thumbs.
"But she wound up giving the two of you a whooping, is that it?" The two nodded shamefully. "All right, well I guess I shouldn't expect the two of you to stand up to her by yourselves." Turning to Rudy the sheriff cocked an eyebrow. "And just who might you be? Picking a fight with the Schrodinger gang's big trouble so if you're still standing you must be a hell of a fighter. I can't put my finger on it but you look familiar… You're a wanted man?" Rudy laughed innocently with a slight averting wave of his hand.
"Oh no, nothing like that, I'm no criminal sheriff. It was just a friendly little exchange, really." Jet looked at Rudy, with his goofy smile, and then to the still irate Maya, and then back to Rudy's smiling face again.
"You a friend of hers?" Rudy chuckled a bit and scratched the back of his head as he looked over at Maya, who just glared back at him.
"Yea, something like that…" The sheriff shook his head dryly and turned back to his two deputies.
"Romero, get the horse to her stable, and Dario… Damn it, zip up your fly!" Jet rubbed his hand against temples in frustration. "Well, anyway…" Noticing that Maya and her gang had already vanished from sight Jet turned back to Rudy, who was now accompanied by Judecca, who was counting a handful of gella. "I take it you two are traveling together. You two look like can handle yourselves in a fight, so I'll let you off the hook for civil unrest," The sheriff said, pointing at Rudy, "and you-" He said, snatching the gella out of Judecca's hand, "For gambling, if you two can do me a favor." The two looked to each other and nodded.
"And what might this favor for you entail?" Judecca questioned in a curious tone.
"A little ways north of here there's a little town built by a fault line. Now they've been experiencing tremors and they claim some monster causes them, I've been called up there a few times and every time I go the so called monster is no where to be found. I want the two of you to head there and keep an eye out for awhile, and if anything comes up deal with it as best you can. If all goes well then we won't have to worry about any other dealings, but if you two try causing any trouble I'll have a posse after your hides all across the inner sea, got that?" Rudy nodded and Judecca shook his head with a ambitious spark in his eye. As the two walked towards the inn they looked to each other.
"This could be promising!" Judecca seemed excited. "No more weakling monsters for me to train on!" Rudy smiled and patted Judecca on the back.
"That's great partner, but remember, it's only a rumor. For all we know it's a village of superstitious backwater hicks. There may be nothing there at all." Judecca shook his head.
"I don't know about that. It does sound suspicious, but I've got a good feeling about this," Rudy laughed a little.
"A good feeling huh? Well then I'll be on my guard too. Just don't go overboard if we do wind up finding some kind of powerful monster, or whatever they think it is causing the tremors."
(Did you notice that even though I posted all three at once I insist on talking alot but in little segments? XP )