Danger in Numbers

A Legions of Lyric tale.

Portico Saloon, Haver Street, Naurlinz, South Wisana
12:11am, Lowenmoon 28th, 456 NE

Ricky came to consciousness from the overwhelming scent of smelling salts. The odour was competing with the cat stink still clinging in his sinuses.

He tried to sit up. Esther prevented that with a firm hand and words. “Just hold it there, brother. Everything is under control. Praise Lanaril’s blade it was cudgeons and not dirks.”
He relaxed with relief trusting that his sister’s assessment would be valid. He had never known another so honest. Closing his eyes, he dealt with the pain, square breathing until he could speak one word “Update”.

As she plied his eyelids open and shined the cold torch into his eyes, Esther sketched out what had happened.
“Returning from the Riverfront with Zepata and Jazabole, we three had caught up with Rick D. and Steev and a drunken Charalot at the horses.”
She grunted as she cinched his armour tighter onto his torso for his ribs then calmly went on.
“When Zepata and I came checking back here, Chazzz, Ear and Greggy had one on the ground.
He, actually she, is over there now. Jaz and Zep have her held there.
The other two, they got over the fence. Chazzz, Ear and Greggy are after them now.
That arm is gonna hurt for a while.”
Indeed, Ricky thought.
She finished with, “Everyone else is saddling up and headed around to the back here.”

Getting up on his elbows, Ricky looked around with a throbbing head. Jazabole sat on her haunches watching the hogtied woman. The woman was middle aged and breathing heavy but did not struggle.
Zepata had moved over to the back wall and locked gateway. She moved slowly looking all about, sniffing and pondering. As one of the better trackers in the platoon, she was hopefully getting something.
I should have done some intel on this Winston character. He thought as he watched her. Then his thoughts began to wander.
This voluptuous yet muscular woman moved with the grace of the fox that her hair matched.
The word callipygous came to mind. Her scent of estrus was prominent. Her lips on his came to mind. “Now is not the time.” his inner voice tweaked his rudder. Amber now. Zepata later.

Grummlet District, Naurlinz
12:18am
Chazzz and Earman stood still below the second story-window where a candle had just been lit. Gregones had already bound, gagged and hauled off one of the two they had followed. That one had stayed outside on watch while the other went inside. It had been easy. The scared winded boy that was maybe nine years old, surrendered without a peep.
Wether they were actually going to where Amber was, was any ones guess. If one was keeping watch it was unlikely to be their safe house.
They had decided not to interrogate the boy yet.
Gregones had taken the boy, slung over his shoulder, back to the saloon to get the others.

Shortly after Gregones left, Chazzz heard sounds. Above he could barely discern Winston’s whispering voice.
“So…” There was a pause as the candle was snuffed out.
“…you failed and then you came here.” The whisk of a drawn blade whispered.
“Thus, I have made a terrible mistake in trusting you.”
There was a faint whimper from someone else.
Winston continued. “If I can’t trust you and you know things, that makes you a liability to me. I will need to correct my mistake.”
A nasally man voice whined. “Oh, please!”
“Shhhh.”
The whining quietly continued. “No, please. I will do anything. Oh no, no, no. Please. I’m sorry. Gaaa…aaagh” It was cut short with a gurgling gasp and a soft thud.
Shuffling and padded steps, a few low whispered but not understood commands culminated in a door opening then closing. The sounds of steps, two pairs(?), faded away inside the building.
Communicating in the near dark with hand signals, Chazzz and Earman moved into ambush positions near the door where the now likely dead man had entered.
They waited listening. After a good while, Chazzz heard sounds. Straining his sight into the darkness he saw two shadowy figures emerge from another door, a gateway from the courtyard, further down the alley. The taller one led a horse. It was them, Winston and Amber.
Winston closed the gate and paused as he helped Amber mount up. Even in the dark it was obvious by her movements that she was cuffed.
“Psssst.” Chazzz got Earman’s attention and pointed it out, signalled he was going to stealth up and for Earman to get ready to cover him and or block Winston should he bolt this way.
Once mounted, Winston pulled out a hank of rope and began to tie her wrists to the pommel. All of this was slowing them down.
Clutching his new amulet, Chazz stalked forward. When he had covered about half the distance, he kicked a broken bottle. It wasn’t loud on the packed earth but it was loud enough.
Winston hastily sped his actions and was quickly on his steed with Amber. Putting heels to flanks, he drew a pistol and fired at Chazz. Its percussion and flash were brilliant in the dark and quiet back alley. The bullet grazed across Chazz’s side causing him to miss a step.
Chazz drew his amulet and charged towards Winston.
“By the light of truth!” He yelled and began to levitate as blue glowing armour pieces appeared around him.
Winston fired his pepperbox at Chazzz again. This time missing. He then whipped his horse around. Amber sat affront of Winston holding on with her thighs and being held onto by Winston’s left arm. She was wide eyed and gagged. Her eyes and Chazz’s connected briefly.
Guiding the mount with his knees, they galloped away.

Chazzz landed clad in glistening silver armour without breaking his stride. He raced at a full sprint but his speed could not match the horse. Chazz was losing him but kept his pace.
Earman was hupping his hulking frame up behind. As the quarry escaped he began to slow.

Ricky had just stood up with Esther’s help when lantern light flooded into the back courtyard of the Portico Saloon. The angry proprietor stood pointing accusingly at them. He had come with several City Guards led by the Aoelian officer and debutante, Sergeant Perfluous. Her crimped blond hair was glowing from the lantern behind. The two forward guard had their muskets at ready.
She had a grave look. She raised an eyebrow as she observed the hogtied woman on the ground.
“Sergeant.” Ricky said as he stood straight and gave a quick nod.
“Dink..er…ton. Esplain zis, pliess.” She signaled for two more guards to take position.
Zepata leaned casually against the now unlocked gateway with a hand inches from the latch.
Jezabole had stood up with her hands showing. Esther stood next to her brother scowling at the soft handed sergeant.
“I was assaulted ma’am. I had come out to the loo and this woman and two others assaulted me. I know not of their intentions other than to rob me or kill me. If it were not for my friends here, I may have been worse off or even dead.”
One of the guards, one that had been at the explosion aftermath a few days ago, spoke quietly to Sergeant Perfluous.

“Copowell, Derwin ere, saez tis woo-man, Gabaya, issa well known ne’er do well.” She stated. Several of the guards gave enthusiastic nods. Pushing up a pouty lip she stood looking at the woman. Seeing how derelict and foul the hag was led her high-brow nature to reluctantly confirm it could be no other way.
With obvious disappointment she shrugged. “Verzy weell tszen Wicky. Zou getsa off tis a nitetimes.” She directed the guards to get the woman.
“I ain’t done nothin’ these people are crazy! You gotta let me go!” The sparse toothed hag droned. Esther could tell the despicable woman could not even believe her own lies.

Zepata now stood with one arm out the cracked open gate hand signalling the other members to hold. She flashed Ricky a hand signal - In coming allies.

“Ooya! Hapenen now hee-ya.” The proprietor piped up. “Woots ‘bout me compensensations?”
Ricky could not understand why the proprietor needed compensation but tossed him a couple gold dollars anyway, a hefty sum. Not worth the fuss.

Ricky watched as the guards took one of his would-be assassins and potential leads to Amber away. Corporal Derwin gave Ricky a firm nod and wink as he passed.
Once the guards were gone, Gregones came in with haste. He had arrived as the mounts did and had left the boy with them.
“We gots to go Ricky.” The furry Gensii urged.
Jezabole handed Ricky what she had confiscated from the woman. He held a razor knife, a garrote, a pouch of coins, a pendant on a chain and a rolled cloth bundle. He knew what the bundle was, lockpicks. This was indeed an unsavoury player. He checked the razor’s edge. Yes, it would have slit his unconscious throat with ease.
“Mount up. We ride. Steev and Jinxy, you take Charalot with you back to the hacienda. Esther, Zepata, Jezabole, Gregones, Rick D. with me. Gregones, lead us there.”
They were a posse.
“No!” Charalot belched out. “I can…hic… find her.”
“You are in no shape for this Charalot. You will be going back.” Ricky commanded.
“No, I won’t” she said intractably.

This was extremely unusual behaviour for the meek maid servant.
Ricky really didn’t need this now.
She held on to Steev for balance while pushing her chest out and lifting her chin defiantly.
He walked up to her and quietly spoke. “Charalot, there is nothing you can do right now. We will get her. Now don’t worry.”
She leaned in close to him, stretching up she whispered in hi ear. “I haff a secret. I can sense her if she can shummon me.” She breathed warm, heavy bourbon fumed breath on his neck. “I haffa go. Jush in case.”
“No.” Ricky said firmly. “You will not.”
The maid pulled back a bit then pulled back her head scarf and exposed the side of her neck. Just behind her ear was a small tattoo of a bell. “Yesh. See this?” She put a finger on the tattoo. “It’s maaagical. Lady Aylmira jush needs ta tap her heart. Then I hear this bell. I know the direshtion frim whish it comes. Please you must let me! Look! I heard her juss a bitago! I wass tryna tell Steev. Thaa way!” She did point in the right direction.
Ricky gave in. “Right then, we all ride. Steev, she is on your horse with you.”
He shot Jinxy a harsh glare. “You will be dealt with later.”
Jinxy hung his head in quiet drunken shame.
A splash of light appeared at the alley’s end further past Winston. The cool bluish glow of a cold torch gave a sparse indication of several riders. They were accelerating into a gallop towards the bounty hunter.
Winston spun his steed around with deft horsemanship and burst towards the way he had just come, towards Chazzz.
The crusader swept out Padillac his glowing bastard sword and crouched ready to intercept. Earman moved in next to Chazz with a large knife in hand. Together they threatened the breadth of the alley. It was lined on one side by shrubs and wooden fences. A mix of two-story adobe buildings with recessed balconies and high adobe courtyard walls ran along the other side. Walls crowned with broken bottles set in mortar.

Yard dogs were beginning to bark and bay.
Soon Winston would be bearing down upon them with their team hot on his hooves.
As he did he levelled his pistol at Earman’s chest, wrenched Amber to his right using her as a shield between him and Chazzz’s intimidating blade. This while pushing the mustang to leap high between the two.
He fired. Earman staggered back into bushes. Chazz came in tight to disembowel the horse but had to hold back in fear of taking Amber’s foot off as well.
Then Winston was past.
“Bruh!” Ge gasped. He had remembered too late the blade is magic and hurts but does not cut. It can stop but not kill. Dropping the blade he turned and lunged after the horse. With his heightened strength from the armor he surprised himself as felt his hands grasp onto the back of a saddle. The rest of him was skipping and dragging free behind and to the side of the horse. His greaves and cuisse were being hammered by the back kick of hooves but did little bodily harm.
Dude…this armor is magestic…his positive vibes encouraged him.
He felt the hardy mustang dig in and barely lose momentum. If he could hang on long enough, the beast would slow.
Looking up at the rider he saw naught but the six holes of a pepperbox inches from his face.
He let go and pushed off to the side as a flash of flames burst out aside his face.
Rolling, slamming then sliding on his armor till he came to a skittering halt on the cobbles. His ear was deafened. His vision was hazy and blurred.

Esther had had stopped behind to tend to Earman. Steev lowered Charalot as he stopped for Chazz. Zepata and Ricky rode on in pursuit.
Winston fired off two shots. One hit Zepatas horse. It reared up with a blood curdling whiney. It would have thrown a lesser rider but Zepata’s powerful thighs clung like a baby possum to its mum. Still, Zepata fell behind as the horse cantered and half bucked.
Then Ricky saw the orb with the sparkling string that Winston had dropped behind him. He hard-stopped the horse as the grenade burst.
Ricky did not stay on his horse as it panicked and threw him. He smashed through a wood fence. In a dark space with splashes of moonlight. He heard growling and snarling dogs. They immediately pounced and then lunged.

Steev had managed to intercept and control Ricky’s horse while holding on to his own startled steed.
Esther, squatting in the glow of her cold torch as she attended to the bloody bare chest of Earman, stood up and looked for her next patient. Not seeing anyone down, she squatted and resumed her healing craft. She had just saved his life.
Chazz was up, surprisingly unphased, standing with Charalot. They peered at the smoked dust glowing in the moonlight, an opaque cloud obscuring where their quarry had gone. The breach by Ricky was hidden in the cloud.
Zepata had dismounted and absently held her horse’s reigns as it jittered about with blood pulsing from its shoulder. Her focus was on scanning for Ricky.
Chazz sprinted into the cloud. No sooner had he entered than he came flying back out backwards and under the hooves of Winston’s horse. Leaving Chazz down and behind, Winston barreled onward, pistol pointing forward, first past Zepata who did not have time to react.
Next, was Charalot who held her ground for a bit but buckled and leapt aside at the last moment. The pistol was tracking her head but did not fire.

Then suddenly three more horses with riders came riding out of the cloud. Rick D., Gregones, Jinxy and Jezabole, under Ricky’s order, had gone around to the other end of the alley.
Steev, with two horses presented more of an obstacle.
Winston fired at Steev and missed. As he came closer he fired again. Grazing Steev’s shoulder.
Steev was half Gensii and Gensii are incredibly acrobatic.
He leapt up using one of his horses for purchase. As he came up and over the riders, he grabbed onto Amber, dragging her from the horse. But she kept a pace as her wrists were still tied to the pommel. She grunted through her gag as the bindings dug and twisted into her wrists.
Winston was still moving through the chaos. He had managed to stay on his saddle. Then his saddle began to slide to the side.
Amber’s shackled and roped wrists with her and Steev’s weight on them had yanked the already harried saddle loose.
An accomplished rider, Winston jumped from his horse to one of the others, which were not attended. Steev was desperately clinging to Amber. The both of whom were being dragged under a running horse. Charalot was running after them screaming. By hanging on, Steev was making the situation to Amber’s wrists much worse.

Ricky scrambled up as a dog bit into his already smashed arm. He could feel its weight. He punched it in the head, dropping it with a sickening crunch and a whimper. A second smaller but not small dog clamped onto his pant leg. With a flicking kick he sent the pooch flying along with a piece of his pantleg in its teeth. The dog did not come back for him but began barking in earnest.
A lamp ignited in the house.
In a flash he was through the fence and back out into the settling dust.

Winston had just got his new horse under control when Rick D., Gregones and Jinxy surrounded him. Gregones had his own pistol pointed at the bounty hunter. He also still had the restrained boy draped over his saddle.

Esther and Jezabole caught Winston’s mustang. While Jezabole held the horses, Esther and Charalot began untangling and ungagging Amber.
Steev, feeling a hero, hustled over to join the others surrounding Winston.

Winston dropped his pistol. He raised his arms. Then he disappeared. There was an astounded pause of disbelief broken by a rustling in the bushes nearby. The four of them converged on the spot only to find nothing.

Ricky showed up directed everyone to get their shit together in short order for a hasty retreat. They let the boy go. They had Amber. The mission was complete.
He quickly reloaded Winston’s pepperbox and handed it Amber.

“Keep this handy.”