Chapter 2, Record Breaker
After they left their small home, Atlas walked calmly holding tightly to her younger brother s hand keeping him from getting to far away. "You know the carnival isn't going anywhere." she mumbled to him.
Gabriel mimicked the actions of a small dog being slowed by his leash. Soon they came with in distance of the small carnival when the sounds and smell hit their senses.
Atlas blinked when Gabriel was able to wiggle out of her grasp and took off running ahead. "Bloody hell!" she sighed and hurried off after him.
He rounded a corner almost losing his balance, which allowed Atlas to catch up with him grabbing his shoulders. Their momentum caused them to stagger and collide with an unsuspecting by stander. The gasped as a man dressed in a white coat with fur lacing was quickly able to regain his balance holding his black top hat and cut his eyes at them. He suddenly smiled at them, "OH my what sweet clumsy children." he said.
"Sorry," breathed Atlas, "My brother is excited," she said wrapping her arms around Gabriel's waist holding on to him.
The man glanced at the boys hand carrying his small bag of gold and then chuckled softly, "Well, you best be off, don't want to miss any games do you?" He bent down to their level and gently tapped his cane to Atlas's shoulder, "Don't get into any trouble." Atlas felt her stomach turn when she locked with his dark brown eyes.
There was something sinister about him, "Yes sir," she mumbled giving a nod.
He smiled, "Good girl." As he stood straight Atlas pulled Gabriel away when she noticed a single barreled flintlock pistol, she knew it to be a very powerful weapon, but did not care to find out if he was good at using it.
"Sorry again sir!" she called back to him as her and Gabriel ran safely into the crowd.
Pursing his lips, he was now starting to wonder why he hadn't done the world a favor and shot the two clumsy children
...
The sun started to set when Gabriel finally came down to his last coin. He stared at it blankly as Atlas watched him, "Make it count." she said bring him back to the real world.
He looked around at the available stands since the crowd died down. He quickly spotted a bull s-eye gun stand, "Hey, Atlas look!" he pointed.
Atlas glanced, "No." she grumbled folding her arms over her chest.
"Aw, come on Sis! It'll be easy for you." he said tugging on her arm.
"I don't play games Gabe, you do it." she said.
He pouted, "fine." giving up and skipped his way over to the stand, keeping her promise to her mother the sister followed him.
He dropped the coin onto the counter, "I'll have a round my good man." Atlas clapped her hand to her face, seeing how Gabriel could barely see over the counter.
"I can't watch." she mumbled as the men started to snicker, trickery was written all about them.
"Well little man here you go!" One laughed as he handed Gabriel a musket that he could barely hold up.
"Whoa! What the bloody hell you trying to do! The backlash could crack his chest!" glared Atlas.
The man narrowed his eyes, "pity."
Atlas growled and carefully pushed Gabriel aside and picked up one of the pistols that were on the table.
The two men suddenly burst out laughing at her, "Oh so the little girl gonna show us how it s done!"
The other got ready to time her, "Ok, get re-"
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom rung out like lighting. Atlas stared at the bull s-eye targets, each one dead on without missing a shot.
"She... She beat the record Kip," breathed the man.
Shaking his head, "That s impossible... Tim... Its Reaver's record."
Atlas sat the pistol back on the counter and noticed a sign reading 'Beat the record, win the prize', she looked at Kip, "Is that what I get? What s the prize?" she asked.
Tim and Kip stared blankly past her at a figure that had joined them, "M-Master Reaver!"
Atlas turned to look and gulped recognizing the figure to be the man dressed in white with a black top hat.
"Well, now what a surprise" he started walking toward her, "When I heard those shots I expected to at least find... Well, someone taller... older... not a clumsy child." he leaned on his cane.
"Age does not amount up to skill." she mumbled.
Reaver let out a laugh, "Isn't that the truth, but if there are two things in this world that I know, its age and skill."
Atlas raised an eyebrow only replying him only with her silence.
"What is your name, my dear?" he asked.
"At-Atlas."
"Well, congrats Atlas, you've won the grand prize!" he announced raising his hand in the air. He reached to his side causing Atlas to snap her eyes shut, there was no use in running if he was going to shoot her. But the shot never came, instead she heard a jingle noise in front of her face, she blinked to find Reaver holding out a huge bag of gold to her.
"Well?" he said smiling.
Slowly she reached up and took hold right under his hand. He let go and patted her head, "Well, go on, run along back home."
Atlas backed away slowly then picked up speed grabbing Gabriel by his hand and they ran away. Reaver watched them and glanced upward staring off into the distance he could see far away a tall black tower, "That s the second time I didn't kill them. There are more forces at work here than I realized." He mumbled.
Woo another chapter, doing pretty good so far, no writers block yet... darn it. Please review.