Otto's ass remained firmly planted on a log, his eyes locked with the strange woman of metal. He had never seen something like her before, he had heard tales of metallic sentient demi-humans that reportedly lived below the very earth of his world, but this woman was different.
So life-like, so Human.
It was as if someone had simply replaced a person's flesh with that of cold, unyielding metal.
Otto thanked whatever force out there that she hadn't killed him in his freak-out after being kicked awake. He had to admit that coming out of that nightmare only to be greeted by a stranger who kicked you in the side wasn't the greatest for a heart.
Nor seeing your friends somehow still fast asleep, as if they entered into the deepest slumbers they ever had.
Plus, seeing two armed Strangers in your camp in the middle of the night when you had already managed to piss off a bandit didn't lead one to believe that said Strangers were here for a good reason.
But they cleared it up; this was the same woman that saved Petra. The one that gave her that book. It didn't answer all his burning questions, so they would talk after Otto calmed down.
Otto wished that they'd apologize for kicking him.
"Are you done calming down?" The woman's accent was hard to describe. It felt formal, not regal, but very formal. That and her voice carried an odd effect; Otto simply chalked it up to her unique body, considering that he caught flashes of light in her mouth whenever she spoke.
He probably was right.
Otto took a deep breath and relaxed his tense shoulders, his eyes looking up to the woman of metal, "Yes, I am. S-sorry, I am just stressed." That was a way to put it politely.
"I understand. The world isn't fair to people like you or them," She gestured to the sleeping members of the Emilia Camp. Otto wasn't sure what the stranger had done to keep his friends asleep; the metallic woman assured him they were unharmed.
"Do you-"
The Stranger raised her hand, silencing Otto midway through his sentence, "Before you even ask, no. I will not explain anything to you that isn't important, and I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain."Her head craned over her shoulder, barely looking at Otto, "So I'll keep this brief. You need to leave. Tomorrow, sunrise."
"What? Why?" Otto questioned with surprise in his voice.
The metallic stranger scowled and squinted at Otto, "Because Shang's men will kill you. They already tried tonight, and your lucky they were easy to scare off. But you made enemies."
Otto's heart almost jumped out of his chest; he swallowed as adrenaline pumped through his veins, "What, are you serious?" Had he been that close to death in his sleep?
The metallic stranger nodded and spoke firmly, "Yes, I am. Things are going to go from bad to worse, and you already have an ambitious Fallen hunting after you," She made a small gesture to her companion.
The second stranger, who sat next to the comatose Rem, tossed a beaten-up and weathered assault rifle in front of Otto, the magazine removed from the gun, "Is that proof enough?" The metallic stranger tone, almost snarky lips almost curled into a smile?
It was hard to read her expression, her metallic face while life-like in so many ways as a human but lacked certain qualities. But If someone could make a person out of metal or replace their flesh with metal, what stops them from fully articulating human expressions on their new metal flesh? Then again, Otto wasn't sure if that was the case or simply because the metallic stranger was good at hiding her expression.
Otto glanced down at the rifle and gulped, and he recognized the wooden stock, the gray metal, and the heavy stench of alcohol that clung to it. No doubt in his mind that this belonged to one of Shang's men, but they couldn't leave now, "I… we were waiting for the caravan to show up, and we're not going to make it far if we don't have the transportation and supplies." He looked up from the rifle and stared the metallic stranger in the face.
She gave no tangible expression, "You'll live, trust me," Her inflection was flat as a board, her eyes looking back at Otto with cold indifference. The metallic stranger was so sure about their survival that she didn't see the need to argue her point as if everything was a matter of fact. Like she knew they would be fine.
It scarcely reminded Otto of Subaru at times, and at the back of his mind, it reminded him of Roswaal and the Book of Wisdom.
Otto wouldn't easily relent, though, and he wasn't just going to get up and leave because an amicable metallic stranger told him to do so, "There's a Guardian that came to the town recently. Maybe we-"
He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before the metallic stranger cut him off, "Hold up a Guardian?" Her voice carried a sharp tone of curiosity; her vibrant, luminescent blue eyes stared into Otto's, "Are you certain." Her tone shifted into a more serious one.
The mere mention of a Guardian had thrown everything she had said prior into a ditch and set it ablaze.
Otto returned the stare and firmly spoke, "Yes. A Guardian showed up in town yesterday."
The woman continued to stare Otto down before sighing as she disappeared in blue flecks before Otto's very eyes.
"Huh, put her through a loop." Spoke an unfamiliar voice.
Otto flicked his gaze over to his right. He had utterly forgotten the second stranger, another woman who sounded like she could be around Ram's age. Otto cringed though as he watched the strange, calmly stroking the comatose Rem.
"Where did she go? She certainly has time to disappear for someone that doesn't have time to explain," Otto voiced his thoughts, hoping the second mysterious woman would explain.
The second stranger stood up from her seat next to Rem, stretching her arms into the air and groaning as she popped her back, "Ah, well. I'm getting all cramped. She ignored Otto's question. The second stranger stood roughly half a head shorter than her compatriot, unlike the skin-tight suit and hood of her fellow stranger. The one she wore bared padded armor and platted her whole body, and her face was hidden by a helmet.
The helmet was tinted an unfamiliar metallic blue which was shared with the rest of the armored padding. A sleek black onyx surface stared back at him, and where the metal and the onyx touched gave it a distinct, almost V shape.
It reflected a cold mirror of the fire on its surface.
It was a little intimidating for Otto to look at the young woman, only slightly lessened by the relaxed tone the second stranger spoke with, "Say, Mista' Merch', what are you going to do?"
Otto cringed at the nickname, but the question made him think, "What am I going to do?" He spoke to himself.
"Yeah, what are you going to do? I don't see someone as smart and cunnin' as you avoiding confrontation for much longer."
Otto frowned and glumly looked at his friends; he even turned around his seat and stared in the direction of the town, "I… I don't know. I don't know what to do."
The second stranger walked over and picked up the empty rifle with one hand, "I think you'll figure it out," She answered casually, "It's not like you're dealing with the end of the world." She gave a firm pat on his shoulder with her free hand, making Otto wince as his shoulder bones ached. For someone of her size, she certainly was strong.
Otto rubbed his shoulder, groaning as he watched the second stranger return to her seat, "Say, your friend is taking a while. Can you explain some things to me? Like what you did to my friends here or where you guys come from or go?"
"Mmmm, no. I won't."
"Why?" Otto immediately shot back.
The second stranger laughed and slapped her knee, "Sorry, it's a looooooong story, and I don't have time to explain it all." She answered with a blunt joking tone, "Buuuuuuut, we didn't drug them. Honestly, it's tough to explain, but they just can't hear us; that's the digestible answer."
"You two say that a lot don't you?" Otto frowned as he began noticing a trend between these two strangers. But he was glad that his friends weren't drugged, but he wondered what they meant by can't 'hear us.'
The second stranger paused momentarily before nodding her head, tone amusedly if not annoyingly happy, "Mmmm, yeah." She rolled her shoulders as she nonchalantly confirmed it.
"Not even a name."
She tapped the bottom of her helmet, "Mmmm."
"It would be nice to know at least one of your names. I already gave mine," Otto spoke exasperatedly.
She tilted her to the side, tapping her helmet's bottom still, "Mmmmm."
"Come on," Otto begged pathetically, hands clasped together. The lack of answers was beginning to get on his nerves. He felt like he was about to scream at the young woman.
The second stranger leaned back and crossed a leg over the other; she stared at the begging Merchant. Before reluctantly sighing, "Okay, fine. Well, my name is-"
Just before she could get a word out, the metallic stranger reappeared where she had left.
Otto practically jumped in his skin at her sudden reappearance while the second stranger simply giggled, "Oh, your back!"
The metallic stranger glanced between them, her eyes curiously examining the situation, "What were you two doing?"
The second stranger stood up and waved her hand dismissively, "Eh, nothing important. Small chit-chat." She placed a hand on the metallic one's shoulder and leaned in, Otto wondered what she was doing, but after a moment, the second stranger pulled away.
The metallic stranger glanced at her partner and then back at Otto, an annoyed sigh escaping her mouth, "Alright then, well… Sorry about the wait Otto."
Otto chuckled, "It's fine. What exactly were you even doing?" He just wanted to get through this whole thing and get more sleep, if possible.
"I don't have time to explain that, but you'll be fine since a Guardian is involved. You should stay around." Her tune had changed so suddenly in only ten minutes at best. What exactly had she gone off to do?
"I-What! Just like that, you change your opinion." Otto spoke, flabbergasted at the sudden heel turn.
"Listen, you need to trust me-"
Otto didn't give her a chance to continue further, "No! You listen! I end up in another world, I lose someone I could call my brother, and I find myself having to pick up the slack and take leadership because I can understand people-Then there's this! I am lost! I need answers! Why do you care about us? Why help us? Can you at least give me something?" He didn't regret shouting at the metallic stranger. In all honesty, he was getting fed up with the people of this world. It seemed like even basic promises might be something they would easily break.
"I can't tell you everything, but I made a promise to someone like you. To help people like you survive in this new world, I intend to keep it. It's just." Her voice trailed on as she looked off to the side.
"You don't have the time." Otto defeatedly finished having realized the metallic stranger wouldn't budge an inch. At the very least, the metallic stranger aimed to keep her promise to whomever it was.
The metallic stranger nodded their head, "Yes. Now can you trust me, Otto?"
"I… Fine. I'll trust you. But I want answers when everything is over and when my and friends make it to the city. You do work for the city, right?" His gut twisted into knots
The metallic stranger clicked her tongue, and she hesitantly spoke, "No. But I promise you'll have your answers one day. If we make it out of the storm, that is to come."
Otto gave a confused look at the metallic stranger, "What? Wait, never mind. You don't have time to explain," He already knew the response.
Surprisingly it earned an amused chuckle from the woman, a small crack of a smile, "Take care, Otto, and we'll meet one day again. Oh! And don't speak of this to any of your friends."
Before Otto could even speak in objection to that last part, both the strangers disappeared into blue specks. By whatever means, Otto didn't know, but he wished he could have access to it. It seemed so efficient for a method of travel. But just irritating as, yet again, he was left wanting answers to the many mind-boggling questions that plagued his stressed mind.
Otto cursed to himself and arched his back, letting a deep sigh escape his lips, his head positively throbbing in pain. Who were those strangers, and what was happening in this world?
He missed the simplicity of his world. Witch Cultists, Sin Archbishops, and Witch of Envy be damned. Otto would take his world any day of the week if he had the choice over this complex and stress-filled journey.
Otto spoke of nothing from the night prior the following day; he didn't say a word, and when they asked why he was so tired, he played everything off like it was a bad night of sleep. No one questioned or suspected that anything had happened the previous night. Part of Otto hated himself for not telling them, but ultimately a promise was a promise. He wouldn't speak of the events, and he didn't go back on his word.
Ultimately Otto decided to head into town; he wasn't sure what the day would bring him, but he wanted to get something important done. He made a silent journey into the town with a duffle bag.
"Then you better tell me where my men went!" It was barely a minute into the town, and Otto heard that oh-so-recognizable voice that sent shivers down his spine. Shang. He turned his head to the left, catching a glance of the Bandit Leader, a gun pointed at the head of Mayor Grisby, who was backed up against the tavern wall.
Otto gulped at the sight of the two men; he went still and didn't speak, hoping that Shang wouldn't notice him.
"I-I don't k-know! Now let's not be hasty and p-point f-fingers." Grisby was a stuttering mess, his skin pallid and sweat beading down the sides of his face.
Two of Shang's men flanked Grisby's side, holding him by the shoulders, "Shut up, you pig! After trying to find those newcomers, some of my men went missing last night! I haven't seen them since! Which means someone must've done something to my men!"
"P-Perhaps it was the Fallen!" Grisby argued back, his panicking eyes flicking between the barrel pointed at his head and the ground.
"Fallen? Ha! That's a fucking riot!" Shang pressed the barrel into Grisby's forehead, "If it were, then we'd be all dead, moron!"
"I-I." Grisby's words stumbled out his mouth, his eyes searching around for someone, anyone. And they just happened to land on Otto.
Otto's skin ran cold, and his heart picked up the pace; this wasn't something he wanted to happen.
Shang immediately noticed where Grisby had turned his attention and turned around, taking steps toward Otto, "Oh! If it isn't our new face around here, what was your name again?" His tone was still full of anger, "Don't you move, fat fuck," Shang snapped his head back towards the scared shitless Grisby.
Who silently nodded his head, both of Shang's men let go of his shoulders, allowing the portly mayor to slide down the exterior tavern wall and onto his ass.
"Now, where were we? Oh, right!" Shang strode up to Otto and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him in, so they were face to face. Eyes locked with eyes as the bandit leader spoke venomously, "What the fuck is your name?"
Otto gulped, feeling the barrel of the gun press into his side, "O-Otto Suwen!" He dropped his duffle bag, hoping Shang wouldn't check or notice it.
"Otto Suwen? Well, that wasn't hard." Shang chuckled and then grinned. Otto's eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, the bandit leader's knee firmly planted in his gut. The air was knocked out of him, and Shang let go of his collar; Otto dropped to the ground gasping in pain. He clutched his stomach holding it as he curled into the fetal position, his eyes straining as he caught sight of Shang aiming the barrel of the gun at his head.
"Now, my men went looking for you last night! Do you mind telling me where they ended up? Mind telling me what happened to three of my guys?" Shang sneered, "You didn't happen to kill them, did you? I am not mad. You can tell me, bud." Otto wasn't sure if Shang cared about his men being dead or if he was annoyed they had ended up dead.
Last he checked, the mysterious metallic woman from last night had assured him they had been scared off. Had she lied?
"N-no. I didn't see your men, and I didn't even know they were looking for us-" A loud bang filled Otto's ears; he flinched as dirt splashed onto his face and raised his hands to cover his now ringing ears.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! DON'T YOU FUCK WITH ME!" Shang snapped at Otto as he immediately followed up his shouting with another kick to Otto's stomach, "COME ON, YOU WANNA DIE, YOU FUCK! Tell me the truth, or the next one goes between your eyes!"
Otto gritted through the pain inflicted on his body; he felt like a universal punching bag. He groaned as he got himself to sit up and stare Shang in the face, to face down the barrel of his gun and meet the gaze of the deranged murderous bandit.
Something snapped within Otto, "I… I didn't see anyone last night, and I don't know what happened to them. So why are you taking it out on EVERYONE ELSE!" Otto yelled as he grabbed the gun by the barrel and pressed his head into it; he grimaced as the somewhat hot barrel pressed into his scalp.
Shang's eyes widened in shock at the sudden move, "COME ON, AREN'T YOU GOING TO SHOOT ME? AREN'T YOU! YOURS JUST GONNA KILL EVERYONE HERE EVENTUALLY! DOES IT MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR MEN!" Otto's blood raced his adrenaline pumping, his heart pounding, threatening to burst as his life hung in the balance of some psycho's hand.
"Don't you fucking stare at me like that!" Shang stared back at Otto and then off to the side; he clicked his teeth and tightened his grip on his weapon, "DON'T YOU FUCKING STARE AT ME LIKE THAT!" He screamed, and then a loud bang filled Otto's ears again. Dirt kicked up onto him again as the smoking barrel of a gun pointed off to the side.
Otto gritted through the ringing pain in his ears and stared at Shang's with unflinching bravery in the face of a ruthless bandit. Shang let out a huff and holstered his hand cannon. He stepped away, turned to face the terrified Grisby, and looked around at the other ten townspeople gathered around them.
"WHAT! WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT!" Shang screamed, his face a tinge red, "Shouldn't you all be making the rounds and getting my supplies ready!" Shang began to pace, looking at Grisby, the crowd, and then Otto.
The bandit leader's left eye twitched, and he swung his gun around at the crowd, a few stumbling back as the unhinged Shang flagged them. "You know what! I have to put my foot down! Remind you all what bravery gets you! You have two days! Two days to get your shit together! If you don't do it well, you already know what will happen." Shang declared as he looked back to Otto, "And you. I better not catch you around again after today, or I will string you by your guts and drag you around the fucking town." His words were so bitter that they could freeze Otto's heart as he gave a stare that could stop a Wolgarm in its tracks.
Otto's gaze never waivered against Shang's, and he would not submit to the bandit leader.
Shang walked off, his two bandit companions following behind, the eyes of the town's occupants soon falling onto Otto. His body ached, his knees weak, and his heart raced. One of the townsfolk walked up to him, a mature woman whose face vaguely resembled that of the young man's from when they first arrived in this town.
The woman helped Otto to his feet, and as lightheadedness rushed over Otto, he barely croaked out a thank you to the woman in return. The woman whispered thanks back to Otto and embraced him in a hug.
At that moment, Otto knew who the woman was—a mother. Darkness rushed over Otto's vision as he blacked out in the safety of a mother's embrace.
Otto awoke to an unfamiliar wooden logged ceiling; he blinked as he stared at the brown sight. It didn't take long for him to notice that he was on a bed, nor that distinct and familiar smell.
With unease, Otto got out of bed and looked around the room, noting it lacked anything save for a dresser and closet. The door to the room was open, leading into a lit hallway. As he stepped out, the distinct smell grew stronger.
Otto walked down the hall, following the scent as it intensified until he was in a large open room. An unlit fireplace sat against the right wall off to the side, and to the left, he saw a couch and coffee table.
A muffled sound came from behind, and Otto turned around; he saw nothing but the empty hall. Then it came from the right. He followed it back and realized the main room was connected to a kitchen.
He recognized half of the kitchenware, but then there were things he didn't. But what drew Otto's attention was in the middle of this Kitchen was an open hatch with a ladder, and that muffled sound was coming from it.
While Otto preferred not to have any more surprises today, his curiosity was at an all-time high, and he figured it couldn't get worse than it already was. Having one near-death situation was hard to top; perhaps dying in of itself could? The morbid thought left as quickly as it came as Otto climbed down the ladder.
The merchant's eyes met with metal flooring, ceiling, and walls. On the ceiling were lights that illuminated what was a passageway. There was no other direction but forward, and that damn smell hung heavily in the air.
The muffled sound from before hit his ears, this timeless muffled that he recognized as the distinct bang of a gun. Otto's blood ran cold, but he kept taking steps down the hall until he was met with a metal door.
The door had no handle, but it had all the distinctions of being a door. Otto stepped forward only to jerk back as the door slid open automatically. Almost falling on his ass, he caught his footing and stepped through the opened door.
In the next moment, Otto's ears rang, and he was clutching his head, gritting his teeth, and holding back the pain yell in his throat. He looked to the source and, with surprise, saw it was the sheriff.
The same sheriff was pulling off a device from his head, setting a hand cannon on a table, and approaching him.
"I am glad you're okay, boy." Spoke the older man softly as he kept the embrace with Otto, "Sorry," He soon let go as Otto let out a pained groan.
"It's fine, not the worst I have ever been roughed up." Otto waved it off; there was no need to apologize. He got a good look at the room.
It was spacious and built like the hallway he came from. To the room's north end was a series of metal cabinets, to the west was a door, and to the east was a series of rows with metal panels separating them. It had been where the sheriff was shooting his hand cannon.
"What is this place?" Otto curiously asked
"A shooting range, a gun room. A lot of words to describe what you call this? For me, it's where I smoke on the days I find ugly."
"Right! That's what that smell was!" Otto should've recognized it the moment he smelt it!
The sheriff laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "Heh, yep… I tend to air the place out and clean up for guests."
"Right; how long was I out for?" Otto hoped his time blacked out was a few hours at maximum; if he had been out the whole day, his friends would have been worried sick.
"Not even close to an hour; Sally brought you over after you passed out. The poor woman cried, saying you reminded her of Manny," The sheriff's lips curled into a frown with that last statement. A mother pained by the loss of her child was something that could make grown men weep. Even Otto felt it. He may not have known the woman, but he understood the pain she must've been going through.
Otto coughed into his hands and quickly changed the topic, "Anyways, you said this place was a shooting range and gun room? If you have all this, why not use this place to fight back against the bandits?"
"Otto… I. Listen. We use this place to sharpen our hunting skills or to defend against any small fallen raid. Besides, most of this stuff has been down here for years without repair," The Sheriff paused, scratching his chin before continuing, "What I am trying to say is those bandits will kill us, destroy us, and make our lives a living hell. The fallen it's quick and over. They won't leave survivors to suffer, and they won't torture us. They hate humans and will end us as quickly as possible."
Otto had doubts about that last part, but Araksis could be quite an exception to the rule; after all, the people of this world were far more familiar with the race than he was, "It's not like what the bandits will do." He finished the Sheriff's statement.
The old man nodded his head, "Exactly."
"Can you teach me to shoot?" Otto asked as he looked at the hand cannon the sheriff set on the table. He stepped a bit closer to get a good view of it. The grip was made of refined wood, while the rest was of aged blackened steel with notches and scratches lining it.
"I can. But what are you going to do with that skill?"
It wasn't easy putting into words the Emilia's Camps situation. The merchant looked off, scratching his head, "Self-defense, in case we are attacked by fallen. We can't keep going like how we are, and we're getting, I think, weaker the longer we are in this world. It's hard to explain how it feels to someone."
The sheriff nodded and turned around with a wooden stock hunting rifle, "No need to. I'll take your word for it, and I figured you'd asked. I looked through that duffle bag of yours and found a hunting rifle. Not a bad choice. Though you could've chosen something a bit more beginner friendly, you let Ivana talk you into this, didn't you, Otto?" Otto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head; he hadn't the faintest clue as to what was an easy gun to use and had listened to the suggestions of the blonde shopkeeper, "Anyways, If this training can help you survive and make your way to the city, I am willing to help."
Otto appreciated the kind words, "Thanks, Ivana said you'd be a good teacher… I was hesitant to ask." After all, Otto didn't quite believe they had that great of a relationship, but the surprising answer made him smile.
And feel a little embarrassed.
The sheriff chuckled as he stopped inspecting the rifle and held the gun in one hand, "Well, I am a pretty damn good shot." He approached Otto and placed his free hand on his right shoulder. The merchant whinged as his shoulders were crushed, "So, ready for your first gun lessons?" The sheriff smiled as his firm hand tightened on Otto's shoulders.
"Y-Yeah!" Otto sputtered out through a bit of pain as he gave a thumbs up.
Otto smacked his head against the table in the middle of the room, the metal pleasantly cool to his skin. Mentally, he felt exhausted as his expectations of learning proper firearm use had been thoroughly wrong.
He thought a gun would be a simple tool with little maintenance. He quickly got the simple rules under his belt, but then he had to learn about proper maintenance: how to take it apart, what supplies he required, how to clear a malfunction, and so forth!
It was a lot to take in for someone like himself all at once. But it was significantly less stressful than anything he had faced in this new world, and it gave him a good feeling of security knowing he could use a gun.
Otto got up from the chair and got back to it. There was no better way to learn than to put it into practice, after all!
The two would eventually take a break from all the practice; the sheriff made and prepared a plate of sandwiches for himself and Otto and brought two big bottles of whisky. They both would sit at the metal table in the firing range, relaxing in the seats, the plate of sandwiches in the middle, and the sheriff preparing the glass for the booze.
"This whisky is some good stuff, Otto, homemade. Perhaps I'll share the recipe with you one day. But it'll knock you on your ass if you can't handle it, or you'll blackout after a few swigs. Hope you can handle your whisky 'cause you'll hate yourself if you can't."
Otto's lips curled into a smirk, "I can handle my alcohol," Otto assured the older man.
"Can you tell me about Shang?"
"What do you wanna know?" The sheriff worked the cork off the first bottle of whisky; he grabbed both glass cups getting ready to pour.
Otto watched the sheriff as he worked out his first question, "Do you know why he is so unhinged?" It had been easy to come up with; he simply wanted to know all he could about the bare basics of the bandit leader. Otto would take any information he could, especially if it meant he could use it against Shang.
The sheriff paused and looked at Otto, scratching his chin before he rolled his shoulders, "Couldn't tell you, honestly; if you asked me to put money into it, the man isn't right in the head. Some people are just inclined to that type of nature." The sheriff poured whisky into his glass and then Otto's before sliding the glass back to the merchant
Otto moved on to the next question reaching for his glass, "When did he and his bandits come into town?"
"Ten years ago," The sheriff downed his drink in one go, placing it back down and wiping his beard.
Otto tasted the whisky before tipping it back, his insides feeling warm as he downed the glass in one go. He placed it back on the table and wiped his mouth clean before sliding his drink back to the sheriff, "How many men does he have? It's not just twenty or so people, is it?"
The sheriff gave Otto a sideways glance, but after a minute, he answered, "Forty-five last I checked… But now, with a few of his friends missing, forty-one or forty-two."
The sheriff refilled Otto's glass before sliding it back, "Yeah, I forgot about that," Otto took another bite of his sandwich and placed it back on the plate.
The sheriff touched Otto's shoulder, "You're fine, Otto, that isn't your fault… it's just the way things are. We'll make it through this, but you and your friends need to get out of here soon," He gave a reassuring smile before removing his hand and drinking.
Otto returned the smile in kind, the weight on his heart lighter.
Otto spent the remainder of the day drinking and talking with the sheriff exchanging stories with each other; eventually, he would emerge from the wooden house and head back to the campsite. He had so many stories to tell Petra, exciting tales from the sheriff and his firearm handling experience.
Of course, the night would lead to sleep, and sleep would lead to an early and bright morning.
/.\./.\
Otto ate a quick breakfast, prepared for the day, and promised his friends he would return before nightfall. Petra had been adamant that he come back with more stories, and Garfiel was insistent on coming along so he, too, could learn about shooting. Otto promised Garfiel to talk about it with the sheriff when he got into town; he figured the older man wouldn't enjoy another unexpected guest.
Especially a guest that was easily excitable as Garfiel.
Ram was indifferent to the whole thing, and Frederica did not comment. And Emilia was quiet, not even speaking a word if anything though she seemed more out of her shell than she had been for the past few days. At least she was taking an interest in reading with Petra.
The progress in learning english was going well. Petra and Garfiel quickly picked up on it, while Ram, Emilia, and Frederica took their time. But Otto was just relieved that soon enough, he wouldn't be the translator for the group.
Otto set on his walk and arrived in town in no less than an hour; he waved at a few locals, passed Ivana's shop, and waved the shopkeeper before heading to the end of town and up the trail to the Sheriff's house.
The porch was empty, and Otto approached the door with his free hand and knocked on its wooden surface. He received no answer and knocked again.
No answer.
Otto knocked again before he reached for the doorknob and turned it, the door opened, and he stepped inside the house, "Hello? Sheriff, are you there?" He called out as he looked around; there was no clear sign that the sheriff was home.
"Sheriff, are you there!" Otto called out once more before pausing in the middle of the living room. He stood in place for a minute before looking at the hatch in the kitchen. Otto sighed before heading into the kitchen, opening the hatch, and yelling down it.
No answer.
"Is he not home? Maybe I should wait outside then?" Otto talked to himself before sighing heavily, "Hmm?" He perked his head as he heard a sound from below, his curiosity getting his attention as he entered the basement.
It was hard to describe what Otto heard, but it sounded like an ambient, faint, ethereal call whispering his name. He stepped into the firing range and looked around before his attention drifted to the other door in the room; he headed to the west side of the room and stood before it.
Otto swallowed the saliva in his throat and stepped forward, and the door opened. The lights in the room flicked on, and Otto saw another big room, but against a wall was a suit of armor.
Otto wasn't sure what it was, but it was set up and displayed on a mannequin; it was tight-fitting with a helmet with a curved glass surface and a hood that covered it. He looked around, noticing the images placed around in frames, the guns stored on racks on display.
"What is this?" Otto spoke to himself, curious as to what this all was. He looked at the images mounted on the frames noticing that in all of them were armored figures, including one that wore that same armor. Curiously in one image, he saw the armored individual without their helmet, a young man with ginger hair, a youthful face, and a vibrant smile among happy townsfolk.
The young man carried a familiar hand cannon at his hip.
"I see you snooped around a bit Otto."
"Sorry! I wasn't looking to intrude," Otto's blood was pumping, and his heart was beating heavily; he felt so embarrassed intruding on the sheriff's items and invading his privacy as he stepped toward the sheriff.
The sheriff stared at Otto with a weary look before sighing, "You're fine; I just didn't think you were the type to do that," He wasn't disappointed. No, he sounded more tired and worn out, "Seriously, don't worry about it," he gestured for Otto to sit at the metal table in the main room before taking a seat himself.
Otto turned his attention back to the armor, "This is armor, right?" It wasn't the most conventional armor and was different from what came to mind. When Otto thought about armor, If anything, it vaguely looked like what an assassin would wear. He headed back out into the main room of the firing range.
"Yep, you found my armor from back in my Guardian days," The sheriff confirmed before coughing into his hand and shaking his head.
Otto swallowed the saliva in his mouth before croaking out, "You… you were a Guardian?"
The sheriff nodded his head calmly, his hand shaking briefly, "A long time ago."
"How old are you? You said-" Otto didn't get to finish his sentence as the sheriff shot him a look to be quiet.
The sheriff placed his pipe on the metal surface, his shoulders resting on the table as he clasped his fingers together, staring down at Otto, "Older than you, boy. Now, what other questions do you got?"
Otto spoke the first thing that came to mind, based on everything he had been told about Guardians, "So you have the power to do something about the bandits. To wipe them all out and free your town."
The sheriff unclasped his hands and rested them on the table, both beginning to shake, "Otto, I have outlived many people. I left that life behind after my partner Lu left me. I can't call upon the powers I was gifted anymore; I can feel it around me, in me, but… I just can't use it," His tone was laced heavily with sorrow, "I even aged."
Otto didn't speak; he instead allowed the sheriff to continue to tell his story, "There's more to my story than I told you; after that village I protected was destroyed, I became vengeful, reckless. I slaughtered so many bandits the corpses could be stacked upon each other like firewood. I never got the group that destroyed my town, but I sure got many others, some of whom I could've convinced to turn over a new leaf, but I…." He didn't finish the sentence before he paused.
After a minute of silence, the sheriff said, "I drowned myself in booze, and I lost sight of who I was until one day," The sheriff paused and grimaced, eyes starting to water, "I-I killed a little boy. I didn't mean to. I had heard something, and I reacted, a-and I did kill a bandit, but he had a boy in his arms," He raised his shaking hands, presenting them as his sinful instruments of death.
Otto swallowed spit down his throat and steeled himself as the sheriff continued to speak; he understood where the old man was coming from, "There was nothing left of them. After that, it was all downhill, my partner left me, and I was lost. I traveled for so long alone that I started over when I wound up here in this place that would become this town. No one recognized my face, and no one knew what I did. The rest is just history after that," the sheriff hung his head in shame.
Otto took a moment to collect himself, ensuring he would not go off on the older man; he understood the pain and could see where he was coming from, "So that's why you don't want to fight back; it's not your fault for what happened. You couldn't have known that the bandit would've had a hostage."
"I should've! I was a Hunter; we're supposed to be quick and fast," the sheriff paused before shaking his head, "I realized a long time ago that it all began on that day I swore vengeance. That's why we can't fight Otto, because if we do, then we risk losing everything about ourselves, and you know what happens if we lose? Either way, we end up worse than we were."
"You need to let go of the past," Otto firmly spoke.
"I told you a million times, boy, we can't risk it all, and the consequence-"
"I don't care about the consequences! You've lost so much, and I get that. But you are just wallowing. Some people want to fight back. I saw it yesterday when Shang was threatening me, and the way they stared at him… People want to fight back," Otto's tone raised as his eyes disdainfully looked at the sheriff, "You have to accept the fact that what happened in the past happened, but it won't happen again because this time, you know better!" He exclaimed to the older man.
Otto walked right up to the sheriff, placing his hands on his collar and lifting him out of his seat, "You can't just keep wallowing in the past and not fighting back because, sheriff, you need to look at the town you were meant to protect. It's being drained of every resource, and history will repeat itself, and you'll have only yourself to blame!"
Otto let go of the old man letting him sit back down, and looked at the ground shamefully; he shook his head and looked back at the sheriff, "You need to evaluate your position. You were a Guardian, which means you were meant to save and protect people, right? That's why you were chosen! Weren't you given powers by some godly entity who had blessed humanity in its golden age and protected them during a time of need? Unless, of course, that's a lie too! And you just ended up stealing those powers for yourself! Make a choice your people are hurting…." He stepped away and headed for the door before he paused.
Otto glanced one more time at the sheriff, who sat silently staring down; he turned around and headed out of the room.
Otto emerged from the sheriff's house, stepped off the porch, and headed along the path he came through. Only about part way through, something struck the back of his head, and for a moment, Otto's vision turned black.
When he regained sight, he looked up at the tree line. He heard footsteps approaching but could not lift himself to see who they were.
"Well, well, what do we have here, Otto? I think I told you If I saw you again, I would make your life a living hell." Spoke that all-familiar voice as Otto's blood ran cold; he helplessly watched as Shang stepped into view with a smug smirk, a wooden club relaxed against his shoulder, a little bloodied.
Otto couldn't form the words nor a sound to scream out in pure panic as not only Shang stepped into view, looming over him, but several other bandits, each holding a sadistic grin.
"You and I are going to have a nice loooooong conversation, Otto; I've got some people juuuuuust interested in you," The last thing Otto saw before blacking out was Shang's boot coming down.
Otto awoke to a stinging pain, his vision blurry for a moment; at the same time, the taste of iron hit his senses. His arms felt tense as if someone had pulled them back and left them hanging; he attempted to move them only to find that something had pulled back against his movements.
With enough of his senses gathered, he moved his head and found that chains restrained his arms back. Otto felt the cold metal cuffs secured to his wrists and gritted his teeth in discomfort. He attempted to stand up only to find that doing so rewarded more pain; instead, he was forced to sit on his legs.
With no way out of his bondage, Otto took a moment to look around his surroundings, and it became clear he was in a tent, a single candle hung above, illuminating his prison—just enough light to see the blood stains on the dirt ground, and lining the walls of the tent.
To Otto's immediate left was a wooden table; old blood stains covered it, and he could make out vague items that sat on it. They were torture tools, and he knew that because they were covered in blood, it made his heart pound in his chest.
"So Otto, are you gonna talk?"
Otto stared at Shang silently, not speaking to the crazed bandit.
Shang frowned as he grabbed Otto by the head with one hand and pulled the other back before punching Otto across the face, not once, not twice, but three times, "Now, are you gonna talk?"
Otto hacked up spit and blood onto the ground, and he got out a few words "F-fuck you."
Shang's eye twitched, and he nodded, "Close enough, I guess," Shang punched Otto in the gut, causing the merchant to gasp, "But I am not of the lip you're giving me."
"Just kill me."
Shang grabbed a knife off the table, poking the end with his index finger, "I'm not gonna do that, Otto; you're a lot more valuable than I realized," he slashed the knife across Otto's chest, leaving a shallow wound.
"W-what?"
Shang smirked as he lashed the knife across Otto's chest, leaving another wound, "Someone is interested in you, and they're looking to pay in guns, and guns are my business."
"You have to understand Otto, and I'm a businessman. I get what I want and get it when I want it."
Shang sighed, shaking his head, "So you back to being silent; well, aren't you just a wonderful piece of shit." This time he slashed closer to Otto's stomach, "If you tell me what I need to know and how to get your friends to surrender, tomorrow will be much easier! No one is going to have to die."
That got an answer from Otto, "What?"
"Tomorrow, buddy! Two days are up after this, and I will spoil this for you! But, well, that whole town will end up in flames if things don't go well." Shang nonchalantly spoke as he leaned his head back, chuckling as he murmured about something inane.
Otto was horrified by his statements, "You wouldn't… you still need them. They aren't even fighting back. I am not even from this town!"
Shang nodded, "Sure, sure, I do need them, but if things just don't work and it gets messy, then we just need to clear house," He grinned as he placed the knife across Otto's chest, slowly dragging it across his flesh, "Move on," He used the cutting motion to emphasis his word.
Otto gritted his teeth, barely holding back the screams forming in his throat, arching his back in pain as Shang ranted, "We'll find another sappy place and do the same things. It's an easy-to-do thing once you've been scamming a place for years."
Shang spoke about his actions as if it was a simple job, a casual affair to handle the lives of people like cattle, "But that's why in the end, you'll be our example," He put the point of the knifed against Otto's chest and spun the point around never applying pressure to penetrate the unslashed skin.
"W-what?" Otto stuttered out.
"Yep! Our example!" Shang stepped away from Otto as he placed the knife back on the table. He turned around and headed for the tent's exit. Just as two of his men walked in, he put his hands on both of their shoulders and patted them, "Boys make sure to rough him up a lot; I want him broken for tomorrow, and extract what you can from him," Shang walked out of the tent, and Otto watched as both of his men approached him with grins.
The night had not been gentle to Otto, and Shang's men were brutal in their torture; a swollen bruise covered Otto's right eye, and he could not see; when he tried to, there was a distinct pain in his right eye. His chest was slashed and punched. The wounds had dried up and begun to scab. His body was bruised general, though, and his bones ached; he could not move fully, and Otto barely had the energy, if anything. He was almost about to pass out.
But Otto was kept awake through it all, kept alive by Shang's men who never went too far, and when the morning came, he was dragged through the bandit camp, brought into an improvised armored truck, and thrown into the back seat. Two of Shang's men sat on either side of him, ensuring Otto wouldn't pass out on them.
They drove until they reached the town, the doors opened, and the same two bandits pulled Otto out of the car. He barely caught a glimpse of the gathering townsfolk, and he saw Shang standing in front of the crowd, looking at him with a grin when he arrived next to the bandit leader.
Otto was forced to his knees by his aids, and his head was forced to stare at the ground; Shang stood next to him, keeping his hand cannon aimed at the back of his head. His bound arms and legs kept him in place. He could hear Petra, Frederica, and Garfiel. But he also listened to the heavily armored truck and its machine gun turning and leveling, most likely in their direction.
He didn't focus on what was said, but he knew they were screaming at them to get back. Otto felt weak, sick to his core as the blood on his body had dried, his bones likely broken in a few places.
Shang spoke with a firm and strong tone, his voice booming loudly to the assembled townsfolk, "Now! Let's settle this like civilized people! Hand me my supplies and the newcomers in bondage. I want them both! Give them! And I'll leave you allllll alone for a while! Get you all the chance to breathe! Wouldn't that just be great? Awesome! No more Shang for a bit, and you allll get to breathe," He gestured slightly toward Otto's friends with one hand and pressed the barrel of his gun into the back of Otto's.
"Course, if you don't, I'm happy to gun you down and take the newcomers by force! After all, what will you all do against machine gun fire? Fight back!" Shang spoke with a laugh as he looked back to his men, gesturing for his men to aim.
Shang sadistically smiled as he waited for the town's surrender; it quickly turned into a frown as he shouted, "Come on! Give it up, and you'll all live! Do any of you! Want to end up like dear Otto here!" He gestured down to the beaten Otto and further pushed the barrel of his hand cannon into the back of Otto's head.
"ENOUGH, SHANG!" A voice yelled from within the crowd, the townsfolk parting and opening up a path as the sheriff dressed in his duster jacket walked out in front, his gun at the hip.
Shang cautiously examined the sheriff before cracking a smile, "Sheriff! Heh. Sheriff, what are you doing here!" He gestured widely, taking the gun off Otto's head.
"I've come to put an end to this!"
"Oh! Have you! What army do you have? I don't know if you've noticed, but I've got some armored trucks mounted with machine guns unless you have an army. How are you going to stop me?"
The sheriff glanced over his shoulder back at the towns folk before facing Shang again, "A duel Shang."
"A duel?" Shang spoke, almost offended by the suggestion; he looked back to his men and then to the sheriff, "Are you fucking serious?" He could barely hold back the laughs in his voice, "What got into you, old man? Where was this bravado before? Aren't you one of those people constantly talking about how you shouldn't fight back?"
"That doesn't matter, Shang; what matters is that this all ends here and now!" The sheriff spoke with a firm voice and confidence that Otto had never heard.
Shang smirked, his lips curling into a wicked grin as he laughed, "Oh… Oh! Oh alright! I can run with that!" He paced around Otto, gesturing to his men to hold their positions, before he spun on his heel and faced the sheriff, "What's the deal, old man!"
The sheriff held his cold gaze on Shang, staring him down, "If I win, your men leave this town forever and don't return."
Shang shifted a bit and scratched his chin with his free hand, "Hmm, alright… what's in it for me," He cracked a sick smile.
The sheriff answered bluntly, "You can do whatever you want," A few shocked gasps came from the townsfolk and a few cries calling the old man a bastard.
Shang glanced at the gathered townsfolk and shot them a snarl; one of the mounted trucks aimed its turret back at them, getting them to quiet down, "Heh… Alright! I'll take that offer."
Shang looked back to his men and gestured at one of them, and they ran up to Shang, handing him a small black object, "When this timer rings, we draw. Is that alright, old man?" Shang spoke as he started to set the timer.
The sheriff nodded his head, "Acceptable. One more thing, though, Shang! One shot only if we miss, we restart the timer and wait again."
"Alright then, but you know I am not missing my first shot, so are you prepared to die, old fuck?" Shang spoke with overconfidence in his skill.
"Always; how about you?" The sheriff spoke with a slight smirk.
Shang sneered and mumbled, "Brave bastard," He set the time down on the ground, the device ticking loudly.
Otto watched the two men step out and circle each other until both faced each other from a distance; Shang looked to his men and gestured for them to get the timer started as he came to a stop once more in front of Otto. He holstered his hand cannon and kept his hand resting on the handle, and so to did the sheriff.
The air grew tense as the timer ticked, ticked, and ticked.
And ticked
Shang and the sheriff were counting down, waiting, hands ready to draw and end this conflict.
And ticked.
The crowd watched in anticipation; Otto's friends watched, astonished by the two men dueling it out.
And ticked.
Both men tensed up.
And- The timer suddenly went off, and both men drew their weapons; Otto couldn't keep up with the action. All he saw was the hand cannons go up, and a loud bang filled the air. Both Shang and the sheriff had their guns aimed at each other, Shang firm in his grip and the sheriff his grip shakey.
But only one barrel was smoking.
Shang stood silent, his arm still pointed out, but there was nothing from him, no words or taunts. Otto had to listen in close to hear the gasps for air; he watched as the legs of the bandit leader gave out, and his form fell back. Otto saw it, and he saw the face of Shang. It was one of confusion.
Sharp metal had lodged into Shang's throat pieces of shrapnel, blood flowing from the wound, his left eye impaled by shrapnel, and his hand cannon ripped apart at the back, blown out from the inside. Otto wasn't sure what had happened, but he turned his attention to the sheriff.
The sheriff lowered his hand cannon slowly, the smoking barrel pointing down to the ground, and he turned his attention to the bandits that stood stunned and aimed his hand cannon at them, "What will it be, boys?"
It took a moment for the bandits to speak; they were processing the event that just happened to their boss, "H-holy… Shang's dead a-and what do we-"
"I'll fucking kill them, that's what!" One of the bandits mounted on the machine gun shouted, but the sheriff, swifter than the bandit, aimed his hand cannon at the truck and fired the shot passed through the truck's metal like butter, and an explosion followed as quickly as the vehicle erupted into flames.
Once more, the bandits were stunned; none could say anything, but the roar of approaching vehicles and loud engine from above sent them into a frenzy! Otto kept his head low; the pain he had from holding it up grew too much; he couldn't see what was happening but heard the panic cries of the bandits.
"Fuck retreat! Run, get the fuck out of here. This place isn't worth it no more! There's too many!" Another shouted as the remaining bandits and vehicles began to pull out of the town in a mass panic.
Otto sat wide-eyed as the sheriff approached him silently; he looked the older man in the eyes and breathlessly whispered a thank you to him before finally passing out from exhaustion.
Otto awoke once more, this time greeted with a wooden ceiling and beeping, he barely could move, and he felt things in his body, and bandages were wrapped around his limbs and torso. His right eye was less swollen, but he couldn't see through it.
Otto heard a book close off to the right; he craned his head a bit only to be met with the sight of a bearded man in a thick coat having finished reading a book. He didn't seem to notice Otto was awake, but when Otto went to speak, he croaked out sounds. The man saw this, and his head snapped to Otto, "Ah! You're finally awake!" The man stood up and placed the book aside, "I've been told you have been looking for a way to the city."
"You and your friends are in quite a predicament, ya?"
Otto's eyes followed the man as he paced about the room. He still couldn't muster an answer, "The old man informed me of everything you've told him. I will not lie when I was told what happened in this town over the past week or so, I did not believe it, and I am a little angry that the town isn't using the supplies they saved for us. But… That is not your fault." The man paused in his tracks and cursed.
The man shook his head and groaned, "Agh! I am getting sidetracked," He turned to Otto and approached him.
Otto watched as the man sat beside him on his left, leaning towards him, "Mister Otto, would you like to join my caravan and travel to the Last City?" His hand outstretched to the merchant.
/.\./.\
Overlooking the town from a tree sat a Fallen Vandal, quiet, unseen; its form was wrapped in the technological prowess of a cloaking field. It watched the whole showdown between the humans and the arrival of another group of humans and a Guardian; the vandal listened to the cheering townsfolk. Through the scope of its invisible wire rifle, the reticle followed the group of out-place humans. Precisely, it followed the white-haired one watching intently.
The vandal was one of many searching for this group of humans.
Its Captain, Araksis, told it to do whatever it took to locate them. So it approached the aggressive group of humans two days ago and offered them a bargain. It did not mention what happened to their allies that it had killed a night prior, some scared human mongrels that had lost their weapons. But what the humans didn't know wouldn't hurt them. In the end, the bandits accepted none the wiser but, in the end, failed. Just like the useless worms that they were, they were disposable and forgettable, even their leader.
But honestly, the vandal's expectations had been relatively high of those filthy humans. It expected a fight would break out had they been successful in some marginal way; there was no reason to doubt that, considering thieves were involved and could use their light-blessed abilities. After all, that was why its Captain called on favors from other houses; it would be a chaotic fight!
But the outcome was not what it had hoped for; considering the loss of the bandits, it wasn't bad or great just there. But Araksis and his marshaled forces wouldn't have arrived on time.
The last time the vandal had checked, the annoying Barons from other houses couldn't see past their vainglory that Araksis was indeed the future of their people. In the end, Captain Araksis still had to muster up his allies' forces, and they were still discussing the terms of such an agreement.
Thinking on it, the vandal wondered if it had accomplished anything or simply stirred chaos and caused humans to fight amongst one another; whatever the case, it shook its rampant thoughts and watched as its targets slipped into a building with the wounded one.
Perhaps it should've just been observing its captain's prey.
A soft click escaped the vandal as it craned its head and relaxed its rifle; it had much to report back to its mighty Captain and, one day, Kell of House Devils and then Kell of Kells. Araksis needed to know.
The Hunt was still on.
Authors Note's:
Hey guys, the chapters are over and done, I had a blast writing this one, and I got this out faster than normal. Though I don't expect this to be me going on a schedule, I won't lie; I was worried about the pacing of these last three chapters, but I think it turned out well. There were reveals and things that I am sure many of you didn't expect or left confused.
Again I won't lie; I am sure I could've explained things better and maybe hinted at things more, but writing is a learning experience, so I am excited to see what you guys think.
The next chapter will be back to our favorite ambitious villain Araksis and the bullshit he has been dealing with.