p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Quarantine Survivor and the Last Stand of the Lancaster Gang/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #666666; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A metafic account of the brave men and women who died for their cause/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A tired caravan made its way across the desert. Sun hung heavy upon the sky, scorching the land as it had since the ancient memory. The travelers didn't much care for the sun, or the land beneath them, they were fleeing for their lives at their own, slow pace./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC, the leader of the band, laid his gaze upon his companions. The vacant eyes, the sweat dampened foreheads, the cracked lips moving without a sound mouthing the word "water" over, and over again. They would have to rest soon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"On they went, across the vast wasteland. The merry outlaws, now silent with exhaustion. They did not know where they were going, they just followed the only guiding beacon they had, their leader's back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC's dark eyes darted back and forth, looking for some salvation. There was no such thing as hope out here, but this search kept him busy. Besides, the sand and rocks were much more delightful than the wounded and dying in the line./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Nobody could have said how long or how far they had traveled, but they knew it was not fast or far enough. Their pursuers were out of sight, but not even the most delirious among them would have thought them gone. Sooner or later, they would have to fight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A small blessing was then bestowed upon them, when a lad named Umbrione spotted something in the distance. It was an old house on a hill. This brought new vigor to the outlaws, there was an island in this sea of death./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The closer they got, the more decrepit the house looked, but this had little bearing on their joy. House meant rest, maybe food, some even dared to hope for water, and one even dreamed of whiskey./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The most eager of them practically fell off their horses when they frantically bolted to look for the treasures of this mysterious hold. Their hope was handsomely rewarded, there was a well behind the old house. Those who could stand surrounded the well and drank as if they were afraid that the water might disappear to the winds of the wasteland if they weren't quick enough./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"To you or me, this water would have been too dirty to water our plants with, but to them, it might as well have been from the rivers of Eden. They called the names of their gods in various chants and prayers, expressing their gratitude in hoarse, barely audible voices./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC looked at them with tired amusement. How much happiness there was to be found in simplicities of biological necessities. GNRC's mind had already moved on beyond the immediate future, he was already scheming something./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A man known as Venom was pouring water into his mouth with both hands, praising his god, the Master, between drinks. GNRC grabbed him by the neck and pulled him aside. "Quite lucky that we found this place, eh?" GNRC said. Venom shook his head and rubbed his neck. "As happy as this discovery is, it won't change much," Venom said./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC nodded. "Still, whatever life we have, be it short or long, will now be much more comfortable. Water is one hell of a drug, withdrawals from it kill you," GNRC cracked. Venom chuckled, "Aye, that's a much nastier death than what our friends at our back would give us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC looked to the vast emptiness they had crossed. No sign of the pursuing troops yet. One of their gods had favored them further, sorely needed rest would be had. Each minute was to be savored./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Further investigations of the house revealed an empty husk. The owners had long since died or abandoned this place. Anything useful or edible was scarce, dampening their initial enthusiasm a little bit. Well, at least there would not be bloodshed here, not yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Beside the well and the house, there was an old barn. Its roof had just about caved in, and there did not appear to be much inside, so it didn't hold the interest of the fugitives for long. They did not dare to put their horses there for the fear of the roof collapsing on the poor beasts, so they had to live modestly outside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The long dead farm now buzzed with life as the newly jolly fellows ran around each on their own errand. Someone watered the horses, another one tended to the wounded. It was as if the Lancaster Gang had awoken from some horrid trance to a new, bright day./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC shuffled around, giving useful instructions and orders here and there, helping where there was a need for a kind word or a strong arm. He ended talking to a fellow by the name of Clem, their de facto quartermaster./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""How are we doing on food?" GNRC inquired. "Not as good as we're doing on ammunition," Clem said. "The cans from the house help, but before long we might end up biting bullets," Clem explained gloomily./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC was about to say something encouraging, but a sharp cry of alarm cut him off. A watchman had spotted a dust cloud in the distance. Riders, a lot of them, far away, but firmly on their trail./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC peered at the approaching terror through his spyglass. No doubt about it, these were enemies. At least the food shortage would not be an issue anymore. Now, the question remained, what to do?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"They could flee, but the better equipped army men would undoubtedly catch them. They would fall like hay in an open battle after a pursuit. They could scatter, every man to look for their own salvation. But this would only get them killed separately, some would die to the law of man, the others to the law of nature./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"They could surrender, give themselves up and hope to receive unprecedented mercy from their captors. No, they would only end up as ornaments of the gallows, if the soldiers did not kill them then and there to save trouble and some public funds. They would have to make a stand; this was now their hill to die on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"As the night covered them, they noted that the riders had stopped. Their foes erected a camp on the dusty plains, it was surreal to watch them. The mundane tasks they performed brought out the humanity in these nameless and faceless creatures. The shapeless shadows their terror had conjured were now flesh and blood, too much so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"It was clear now that the fight would have to wait until tomorrow, so the Lancaster Gang began fortifying the house. Their movements and mood were characterized by the tension tomorrow's confrontation caused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Still, there was also relief. The kind of relief one feels when the last spark of hope goes out, and doom becomes certain. The anguish of uncertainty lives and dies with hope, and so, it is much easier to accept oblivion when there is nothing to be done./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"All inessential worries and nuances of life fade to the background. There is nothing but the fight, one's own death struggle, the kind of fight legends through the ages tell about. One knows the fight is lost, but that is why he is willing to exert one's self to the outer limits of their might. The fight forces one to use everything they must overcome the unconquerable, and that is why the warrior is at their deadliest right before death./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The night was cold, but the Lancaster Gang had their comradeship to warm them. That, and the fire made of scrap wood and book leaves. A chap, known to his friend as Results, made a funny remark before anyone went to sleep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"He noted how they used books, instruments of enlightenment, to literally illuminate their surroundings. In this dire situation, these semantic musings were enough to conjure bellowing laughter./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Darkness made its journey across the land, unaware of the hostilities of man. Watchmen on both sides stared into the night. The only sound defying the deafening silence of the desert was the clattering of their teeth./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The sun rose, and so did the feuding parties. The outlaws kept mostly silent. They had spent the last night making peace with each other and didn't want to disturb the delicate balance now. Not that they had much to say, aside from practical matters./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The previous night had been entirely different. They had done everything they could have to make things right with each other. Any pending insults had been mended, old arguments settled, confessions were heard, and forgiveness had flowed freely like wine./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC walked up to the watchmen. "Anything yet?" he asked. "No, they're taking their sweet time over there," the watchman, a chap called Spider, said. "Keep watching, kill anything that moves," GNRC grunted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The outlaw chief turned to see his crew gathering before him. There was not much to be done, all possible preparations had been made yesterday. Now, the only thing left to do was to rile up the bandits./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC sighed deeply, looked at the ground, as if looking for inspiration there, swallowed and began, "Today, we…" he cut short. The words stuck in his throat. "We..." he tried again. GNRC's hand made a tight fist. Goddamn it, the final moments were at hand, and here he stood, stuttering like a gatling gun./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Suddenly, his tongue untied itself, and the words came flooding out. "We stand here, as criminals. So, our enemies have designated us. To them, we are nothing but a bunch of dirty rascals, sick individuals to be cured by hanging."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""They talk of justice and they talk of law. They justify their hatred towards us by invoking some piece of paper, drawn up by some worm with neat handwriting. They see you as little more than cattle, something to be bought and sold at their whim!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""But I say nay, you are more than cattle, you are men, and you will not bow to a corrupt bureaucrat, robed in sanctimony. You are free thinkers, free men, and that is why they want you dead. Each one of you is an affront to their tyrannical governance."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""You prove them liars with your mere existence, and that is why you are here with me, on the wrong end of their supposed justice. I say this, if it is justice to be hanged or shot, we have an equal right to distribute justice. Let us make them pay for their own corruption by bringing them to the same justice they purport to serve!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The Lancaster Gang erupted into cheers; they were infected with GNRC's passion. Not everyone was sure whether they had understood GNRC completely, but his speech seemed to give them a justification to kill to their heart's content, so they were happy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The Lancaster Gang took their positions in the house. Each window had a gun and a sharp pair of eyes in it, and the house was teeming with eager replacements, should any one of them fall. This crew was now ready to face the armies of Hell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"In a few hours, their expectations were met. The rumbling sound of hooves carried into their ears as the cavalry made its way up the hill. It would not be long before the first horseman would be in their sights./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The first shot was fired when an overly eager soldier, who had charged ahead of his comrades, rode up the hill. He died almost immediately; three separate shooters had hit him in the chest. His horse, however, was not as lucky./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The poor animal had been badly spooked by the sound of rifles, and one his legs had been hit. The horse fell to the ground in terror and agony, frantically kicking and neighing. It is quite the thing to hear a horse in its death throes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Somehow, it's even worse than hearing a man screaming and begging for his life. You know the horse is innocent in whatever fight men start, it does not even comprehend what its part in all this is. And yet, the horse suffers, same as anybody else on the battlefield./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The soldiers were now attacking with full force, bewildered by the loss of their comrade. Now, each man on both sides was lusting for blood. The cavalry had dismounted and were now shooting at the house from whatever cover they could find. The Lancaster gang returned, as the storm of bullets turned the old house into matchsticks one shot at a time./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The battle raged without much change for a while. Both sides lost blood and ammunition, but there was still plenty to go around. However, the Lancaster situation got worse by the minute. They were surrounded, and they had far fewer fighters./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Still, their will remained unbroken. Out of sheer spite, they were ready to fight like the Vikings, to the bitter end and beyond. Likely, they would have, but for a single act of bravery on the other side./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A young private was in the midst of his first battle. The whizzing bullets, the thunder of the guns around him, it was all too much. He repeatedly threw himself to the ground, begging for both sides to stop, but to no avail./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"He just wanted an out, something to break this hellish stalemate, and he got it. The soldiers had brought with them firebombs, Lord knows for what reason, but they had. This was it, all he had to do, was to throw one of these things at the house, and this dreadful matter would be settled. Simple enough./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"And so, slowly, he crawled up to the satchel where the bombs were. His hands were shaking with excitement and dread when he grabbed one and headed for the house. Closer, ever closer he made his way in the lead maze./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The young private rose to throw the damnable thing away, and in a nice arc it flew, away from him. The private did not see the bomb hit, he had been shot through the throat as soon as the bomb had left his hand./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Venom was busy reloading his repeater when he suddenly saw a bright flash of light. Suddenly the world was on fire. He saw as a woman named Lewdnep ran across the house, engulfed in flames. The desert dried wood caught on fire quickly, and soon almost the entire house was like a pyre./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Panic overtook the remaining gang members. They hopped out of the windows and ran through the doorways. They threw their weapons on the ground hoping to surrender, only to be gunned down like dogs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Venom jumped out of a window, his lungs and eyes filled with smoke. He ran across the yard, vaguely aware of the people shooting at him. He crashed through the doors of the barn, and dove into a dark corner, and collapsed there./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"He had been hit. He was bleeding, his sight was blurry, everything pointed toward death. Better this than becoming a human torch. He was drifting away, almost losing consciousness, until he saw a stark figure standing before him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"At first, he thought it was an enemy, here to finish him off, but then he recognized the familiar form. It was GNRC, offering his hand. Venom took it, and with feverish strength, GNRC pulled him up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""Alright, new plan," GNRC croaked, "You and me, we'll go out there, and we'll kill every one of them, understood?" Venom tried to focus his dimmed sight on GNRC. GNRC had a gaping gash on his forehead, the gushing blood gluing his dark hair against his brow./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"When Venom leaned on him, he noticed that GNRC was trembling. Both of them were clearly on death's door. But now was not the time to lick their wounds. GNRC's plan was solid. They gripped their revolvers as they stepped ahead, side by side, from the land of the living to the realm of western legends./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The smoke from the smoldering ruins made a large black pillar. There, on sight of battle, it rose to the skies, as if it were a memorial to the fallen on that day. The sound of the dead echoed in the wasteland and were then never heard again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: FI;"End./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #666666; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A metafic account of the brave men and women who died for their cause/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A tired caravan made its way across the desert. Sun hung heavy upon the sky, scorching the land as it had since the ancient memory. The travelers didn't much care for the sun, or the land beneath them, they were fleeing for their lives at their own, slow pace./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC, the leader of the band, laid his gaze upon his companions. The vacant eyes, the sweat dampened foreheads, the cracked lips moving without a sound mouthing the word "water" over, and over again. They would have to rest soon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"On they went, across the vast wasteland. The merry outlaws, now silent with exhaustion. They did not know where they were going, they just followed the only guiding beacon they had, their leader's back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC's dark eyes darted back and forth, looking for some salvation. There was no such thing as hope out here, but this search kept him busy. Besides, the sand and rocks were much more delightful than the wounded and dying in the line./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Nobody could have said how long or how far they had traveled, but they knew it was not fast or far enough. Their pursuers were out of sight, but not even the most delirious among them would have thought them gone. Sooner or later, they would have to fight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A small blessing was then bestowed upon them, when a lad named Umbrione spotted something in the distance. It was an old house on a hill. This brought new vigor to the outlaws, there was an island in this sea of death./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The closer they got, the more decrepit the house looked, but this had little bearing on their joy. House meant rest, maybe food, some even dared to hope for water, and one even dreamed of whiskey./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The most eager of them practically fell off their horses when they frantically bolted to look for the treasures of this mysterious hold. Their hope was handsomely rewarded, there was a well behind the old house. Those who could stand surrounded the well and drank as if they were afraid that the water might disappear to the winds of the wasteland if they weren't quick enough./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"To you or me, this water would have been too dirty to water our plants with, but to them, it might as well have been from the rivers of Eden. They called the names of their gods in various chants and prayers, expressing their gratitude in hoarse, barely audible voices./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC looked at them with tired amusement. How much happiness there was to be found in simplicities of biological necessities. GNRC's mind had already moved on beyond the immediate future, he was already scheming something./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A man known as Venom was pouring water into his mouth with both hands, praising his god, the Master, between drinks. GNRC grabbed him by the neck and pulled him aside. "Quite lucky that we found this place, eh?" GNRC said. Venom shook his head and rubbed his neck. "As happy as this discovery is, it won't change much," Venom said./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC nodded. "Still, whatever life we have, be it short or long, will now be much more comfortable. Water is one hell of a drug, withdrawals from it kill you," GNRC cracked. Venom chuckled, "Aye, that's a much nastier death than what our friends at our back would give us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC looked to the vast emptiness they had crossed. No sign of the pursuing troops yet. One of their gods had favored them further, sorely needed rest would be had. Each minute was to be savored./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Further investigations of the house revealed an empty husk. The owners had long since died or abandoned this place. Anything useful or edible was scarce, dampening their initial enthusiasm a little bit. Well, at least there would not be bloodshed here, not yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Beside the well and the house, there was an old barn. Its roof had just about caved in, and there did not appear to be much inside, so it didn't hold the interest of the fugitives for long. They did not dare to put their horses there for the fear of the roof collapsing on the poor beasts, so they had to live modestly outside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The long dead farm now buzzed with life as the newly jolly fellows ran around each on their own errand. Someone watered the horses, another one tended to the wounded. It was as if the Lancaster Gang had awoken from some horrid trance to a new, bright day./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC shuffled around, giving useful instructions and orders here and there, helping where there was a need for a kind word or a strong arm. He ended talking to a fellow by the name of Clem, their de facto quartermaster./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""How are we doing on food?" GNRC inquired. "Not as good as we're doing on ammunition," Clem said. "The cans from the house help, but before long we might end up biting bullets," Clem explained gloomily./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC was about to say something encouraging, but a sharp cry of alarm cut him off. A watchman had spotted a dust cloud in the distance. Riders, a lot of them, far away, but firmly on their trail./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC peered at the approaching terror through his spyglass. No doubt about it, these were enemies. At least the food shortage would not be an issue anymore. Now, the question remained, what to do?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"They could flee, but the better equipped army men would undoubtedly catch them. They would fall like hay in an open battle after a pursuit. They could scatter, every man to look for their own salvation. But this would only get them killed separately, some would die to the law of man, the others to the law of nature./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"They could surrender, give themselves up and hope to receive unprecedented mercy from their captors. No, they would only end up as ornaments of the gallows, if the soldiers did not kill them then and there to save trouble and some public funds. They would have to make a stand; this was now their hill to die on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"As the night covered them, they noted that the riders had stopped. Their foes erected a camp on the dusty plains, it was surreal to watch them. The mundane tasks they performed brought out the humanity in these nameless and faceless creatures. The shapeless shadows their terror had conjured were now flesh and blood, too much so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"It was clear now that the fight would have to wait until tomorrow, so the Lancaster Gang began fortifying the house. Their movements and mood were characterized by the tension tomorrow's confrontation caused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Still, there was also relief. The kind of relief one feels when the last spark of hope goes out, and doom becomes certain. The anguish of uncertainty lives and dies with hope, and so, it is much easier to accept oblivion when there is nothing to be done./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"All inessential worries and nuances of life fade to the background. There is nothing but the fight, one's own death struggle, the kind of fight legends through the ages tell about. One knows the fight is lost, but that is why he is willing to exert one's self to the outer limits of their might. The fight forces one to use everything they must overcome the unconquerable, and that is why the warrior is at their deadliest right before death./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The night was cold, but the Lancaster Gang had their comradeship to warm them. That, and the fire made of scrap wood and book leaves. A chap, known to his friend as Results, made a funny remark before anyone went to sleep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"He noted how they used books, instruments of enlightenment, to literally illuminate their surroundings. In this dire situation, these semantic musings were enough to conjure bellowing laughter./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Darkness made its journey across the land, unaware of the hostilities of man. Watchmen on both sides stared into the night. The only sound defying the deafening silence of the desert was the clattering of their teeth./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The sun rose, and so did the feuding parties. The outlaws kept mostly silent. They had spent the last night making peace with each other and didn't want to disturb the delicate balance now. Not that they had much to say, aside from practical matters./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The previous night had been entirely different. They had done everything they could have to make things right with each other. Any pending insults had been mended, old arguments settled, confessions were heard, and forgiveness had flowed freely like wine./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC walked up to the watchmen. "Anything yet?" he asked. "No, they're taking their sweet time over there," the watchman, a chap called Spider, said. "Keep watching, kill anything that moves," GNRC grunted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The outlaw chief turned to see his crew gathering before him. There was not much to be done, all possible preparations had been made yesterday. Now, the only thing left to do was to rile up the bandits./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"GNRC sighed deeply, looked at the ground, as if looking for inspiration there, swallowed and began, "Today, we…" he cut short. The words stuck in his throat. "We..." he tried again. GNRC's hand made a tight fist. Goddamn it, the final moments were at hand, and here he stood, stuttering like a gatling gun./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Suddenly, his tongue untied itself, and the words came flooding out. "We stand here, as criminals. So, our enemies have designated us. To them, we are nothing but a bunch of dirty rascals, sick individuals to be cured by hanging."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""They talk of justice and they talk of law. They justify their hatred towards us by invoking some piece of paper, drawn up by some worm with neat handwriting. They see you as little more than cattle, something to be bought and sold at their whim!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""But I say nay, you are more than cattle, you are men, and you will not bow to a corrupt bureaucrat, robed in sanctimony. You are free thinkers, free men, and that is why they want you dead. Each one of you is an affront to their tyrannical governance."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""You prove them liars with your mere existence, and that is why you are here with me, on the wrong end of their supposed justice. I say this, if it is justice to be hanged or shot, we have an equal right to distribute justice. Let us make them pay for their own corruption by bringing them to the same justice they purport to serve!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The Lancaster Gang erupted into cheers; they were infected with GNRC's passion. Not everyone was sure whether they had understood GNRC completely, but his speech seemed to give them a justification to kill to their heart's content, so they were happy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The Lancaster Gang took their positions in the house. Each window had a gun and a sharp pair of eyes in it, and the house was teeming with eager replacements, should any one of them fall. This crew was now ready to face the armies of Hell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"In a few hours, their expectations were met. The rumbling sound of hooves carried into their ears as the cavalry made its way up the hill. It would not be long before the first horseman would be in their sights./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The first shot was fired when an overly eager soldier, who had charged ahead of his comrades, rode up the hill. He died almost immediately; three separate shooters had hit him in the chest. His horse, however, was not as lucky./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The poor animal had been badly spooked by the sound of rifles, and one his legs had been hit. The horse fell to the ground in terror and agony, frantically kicking and neighing. It is quite the thing to hear a horse in its death throes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Somehow, it's even worse than hearing a man screaming and begging for his life. You know the horse is innocent in whatever fight men start, it does not even comprehend what its part in all this is. And yet, the horse suffers, same as anybody else on the battlefield./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The soldiers were now attacking with full force, bewildered by the loss of their comrade. Now, each man on both sides was lusting for blood. The cavalry had dismounted and were now shooting at the house from whatever cover they could find. The Lancaster gang returned, as the storm of bullets turned the old house into matchsticks one shot at a time./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The battle raged without much change for a while. Both sides lost blood and ammunition, but there was still plenty to go around. However, the Lancaster situation got worse by the minute. They were surrounded, and they had far fewer fighters./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Still, their will remained unbroken. Out of sheer spite, they were ready to fight like the Vikings, to the bitter end and beyond. Likely, they would have, but for a single act of bravery on the other side./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"A young private was in the midst of his first battle. The whizzing bullets, the thunder of the guns around him, it was all too much. He repeatedly threw himself to the ground, begging for both sides to stop, but to no avail./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"He just wanted an out, something to break this hellish stalemate, and he got it. The soldiers had brought with them firebombs, Lord knows for what reason, but they had. This was it, all he had to do, was to throw one of these things at the house, and this dreadful matter would be settled. Simple enough./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"And so, slowly, he crawled up to the satchel where the bombs were. His hands were shaking with excitement and dread when he grabbed one and headed for the house. Closer, ever closer he made his way in the lead maze./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The young private rose to throw the damnable thing away, and in a nice arc it flew, away from him. The private did not see the bomb hit, he had been shot through the throat as soon as the bomb had left his hand./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Venom was busy reloading his repeater when he suddenly saw a bright flash of light. Suddenly the world was on fire. He saw as a woman named Lewdnep ran across the house, engulfed in flames. The desert dried wood caught on fire quickly, and soon almost the entire house was like a pyre./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Panic overtook the remaining gang members. They hopped out of the windows and ran through the doorways. They threw their weapons on the ground hoping to surrender, only to be gunned down like dogs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"Venom jumped out of a window, his lungs and eyes filled with smoke. He ran across the yard, vaguely aware of the people shooting at him. He crashed through the doors of the barn, and dove into a dark corner, and collapsed there./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"He had been hit. He was bleeding, his sight was blurry, everything pointed toward death. Better this than becoming a human torch. He was drifting away, almost losing consciousness, until he saw a stark figure standing before him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"At first, he thought it was an enemy, here to finish him off, but then he recognized the familiar form. It was GNRC, offering his hand. Venom took it, and with feverish strength, GNRC pulled him up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;""Alright, new plan," GNRC croaked, "You and me, we'll go out there, and we'll kill every one of them, understood?" Venom tried to focus his dimmed sight on GNRC. GNRC had a gaping gash on his forehead, the gushing blood gluing his dark hair against his brow./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"When Venom leaned on him, he noticed that GNRC was trembling. Both of them were clearly on death's door. But now was not the time to lick their wounds. GNRC's plan was solid. They gripped their revolvers as they stepped ahead, side by side, from the land of the living to the realm of western legends./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;"The smoke from the smoldering ruins made a large black pillar. There, on sight of battle, it rose to the skies, as if it were a memorial to the fallen on that day. The sound of the dead echoed in the wasteland and were then never heard again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: FI;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black; mso-fareast-language: FI;"End./span/p