The sun was already high in the sky as Rika Bennet climbed the hill overlooking the old fort.
Remmy had passed on a rumor of strange lights and screams in the area last night. Nothing too strange, she figured.
Every now and then some group would hunker down in the place to use as a camp or a base. Never for long, though.
Either way, it was worth checking out. Something to do, anyway.
She reached the top of the hill, dropping down to one knee in the shade of an old tree.
There was a decent view of the fort. Tall, white walls on all four sides, showing wear from exposure and lack of maintenance.
It was boxy, with a few enclosed rooms around the large courtyard. She couldn’t see much over the walls, even from the hill. She figured it was better than nothing.
She couldn’t see anyone patrolling the walls up top. Most groups would have at least one lookout. The smart ones anyway.
“Oh goodness,” said a panting voice from behind her, “I wasn’t ready for so much hiking…”
She turned around to see Duncan Clearwater finally making it to the top of the hill.
She wasn’t sure how he talked her into letting him tag along. But she figured a quick look-see wouldn’t be too dangerous for a guy like him. Or at least she hoped so.
They had to walk there, seeing as Duncan didn’t have a horse and Nightingale wasn’t about to let Duncan ride her with Rika.
If he wanted to make it out in the west he was going to have to start getting some exercise in.
“Do you think maybe we could rest a minute, Rika?” he said, pulling a canteen from his rucksack
“Shoot, you’re a real softy, huh?” she replied, pulling her own canteen from her bag and taking a sip
“He isn’t as well traveled as you are, Rika” said a third voice
Rika looked down and watched as her shadow darkened and Rondo the Umbral Hound rose out of it.
“That’s funny to hear from you, considerin’ you stowed away the whole trip” Rika said with a slight smirk
“Such a long, bright walk wouldn’t agree with me. However,” he paused and glanced at her for a moment, “if it did agree with me, I would have little problem.”
“Course ya wouldn’t.”
She pet Rondo’s head as Duncan knelt down beside her, adjusting his glasses.
“So that’s Fort Manifest, huh? I guess I expected something a little more grand. Why was it abandoned?” asked Duncan, pulling a pair of binoculars from his rucksack and preceding to survey the fort
“It’s a frontier fort, there’s not much room for grandeur.” she said with a shrug, “As for why it was abandoned, I dunno.
My mom told me one time that the army wanted to get a foothold out here past the prairie towns to be a stepping stone for western expansion or somethin’.
Course, they didn’t stick around too long. No one’s sure why they abandoned it. Ain’t no official answer, anyway.
Some folks think they got wiped out. Others say they got spooked and fled. Can’t really say for sure. See anything?”
“Sorry, I’m afraid not. Maybe there’s nothing there?”
“No,” Rondo said, stepping past them, ”I can smell it. There is blood in the air. However, I cannot see or hear any carrion birds. Normally they would be circling overhead for something like this.”
“You pickin’ up anything weird?” Rika asked
“I am…unsure. If anything, it is the lack of something I find strange. I would advise caution.”
“A bandit squabble, maybe?”
“Perhaps. We will know soon enough.”
“Um, maybe I’ll just stay behind for this one…” Duncan said as he inched back
“Stay behind?” Rika scoffed, “Who’s the one always asking me to take you out somewhere? You coulda stayed behind in Shinbone.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“Sheesh, it’ll be fine. We’ll be all nice and sneaky like.”
She hopped up, pulling Duncan to his feet along with her. Slowly they made their way down the hill towards the old fort, sidling up to its wall and quietly making their way to the main gate.
Once they reached it, they noticed it was ajar. Rika took a breath and drew one of her grandpa's six-shooters as she slipped inside with Rondo at her heels.
Duncan entered a few moments later, and quickly covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a yelp.
Strewn about the grounds were a number of bodies. Perhaps a dozen or so. Sliced up with some of their limbs severed. Even a couple heads were off.
Among the blood spatter were bullet casings, guns, and knives. The inner walls were peppered with bullet holes. Whatever happened, it looked like quite the fight.
As Rika slowly looked over the scene, she noticed how eerily quiet everything had become.
“Rika.”
She jumped slightly as she quickly turned to Rondo. He didn’t turn to her, instead he was staring intensely. She turned again to follow his gaze.
Sitting on a stack of crates near the back of the fort was what looked like a man. One leg was propped up, his arm resting on the knee.
He was dressed in what looked like some sort of uniform. The rest of his body appeared to be covered in bandages or wrappings, wrapped tightly as if to hold him together.
His head was lowered, his body completely motionless, seemingly not aware of their presence.
A ripple seemed to move through Rondo from nose to tail. And a sense of crawling restlessness filled Rika and Duncan.
Duncan in particular was trembling, it seemed like he might faint at any moment.
“Calm down, Duncan.” Rika said, “We don’t know about ‘em yet. You picking up anything, Rondo?”
“No. It is like he is not even there. Devoid of information. And yet, it feels so very wrong. I can not explain it.”
Duncan began to stammer, trying to get words out. Rika and Rondo glanced at him as he pointed with a trembling hand.
They looked back to the stranger to see his head slowly lifting up.
Rondo rippled again, and they felt another wave of restlessness crash against them.
The stranger opened his mouth, releasing a long, raspy breath.
“Well now,” he began in a harsh and graveled voice, "more people come to welcome me? I hope you’re more hospitable than these fools.” He gestured to the bodies strewn about.
“Here I am, finding myself in an unknown land, and what do they do? Try and take advantage of me. A poor, defenseless stranger.”
“S-so you k-killed these men?” Duncan asked, filled with terror
“Men? Hardly. They were trash. The weak, pretending to be strong. They told me of their outlaw deeds, in an attempt to intimidate me.
Or perhaps it was fear. They demanded I give them what I had. But sadly, I didn’t have anything to give. So I took something of theirs.”
He reached behind him and pulled out what looked like a cavalry saber.
“My usual blade didn’t make the trip with me. So I’m still learning the ins and outs of this one. Not quite what I'm used too, but it did the job.”
“Just like that, huh?” Rika asked
“Just like that.” he said as he leaned forward, “They were willing to kill me, after all. It only seemed fair. But they spent so long preying on the weak, they weren’t warriors of any caliber."
“Warriors…?”
“You, on the other hand. You seem ready to use that gun you’re holding. You got the right eyes. A bonafide gunfighter.
What would you have done? If you found yourself surrounded by this filth.”
She glanced away for a moment.
He flashed a grin, the skin around his mouth seemed to crack apart. He slid off the crates he sat on, making a show of slowly drawing his saber.
“I should warn you though, their guns didn’t help them very much.”
“The hell’s your problem?” Rika demanded
“You seem like the real deal. Fight well and you’ll make it out just fine. My comrades call me Geist. Let’s begin!”
He dashed forward with startling speed, but it only made him meet Rika’s bullet all the more quickly. He staggered back with a surprised howl.
He stared at her and gave her a smirk as a dark mist flowed from the bullet hole for a moment.
“Well isn’t that a surprise. Those guns CAN hurt me.” he said with a slight chuckle
“Feel like changing your mind?”
“Of course not, that just makes it more interesting.”
Duncan quickly scrambled away as Geist renewed his attack. He leapt high and thrust his off-hand out. The wrappings around it unraveled, shooting forward and winding around Rika’s gun.
With a powerful pull he wrenched it from her grip. She cursed, drawing her second gun from its holster.
As he began to fall back down, a shadowy ribbon quickly wrapped itself around his waist and flung him into one of the fort’s walls.
The ribbon quickly shrank back down to its normal size, becoming Rondo’s tail once more as he let out a snarl.
Geist was quick to get back to his feet with another wide grin as he made another dash towards them. Weaving around with inhuman speed, making it difficult to land a shot.
Rika quickly holstered her gun, making Geist skid for a moment in confusion. She took a deep breath, time seemed to slow town for just a moment.
But it was all she needed as she quickly drew her iron and landed a solid shot, causing Geist to tumble.
Rondo was on him in an instant, sinking his dark fangs into their foe and viciously shaking his head. Geist roared and seized Rondo’s throat and slowly began to push him off.
Rika took aim, but couldn’t risk hitting her friend. A strange, vile energy seemed to arc around Geist's arm as his fingers began to sink into Rondo’s shadowy form.
The hound let out a whine as he was lifted up and held as a shield in front of Geist to protect him from Rika’s bullets. Geist quickly began to advance towards her.
His advance was suddenly halted, however, by a sudden scream ringing out. Geist turned to see Duncan charging at him holding out a large knife.
Truly stunned, he did nothing as Duncan sunk the knife into his side. He stood motionless for a moment before roaring in pain and confusion, releasing Rondo in the process.
Letting out a snarl, he sent Duncan flying back with a powerful shove. He pulled out the knife, releasing more of the strange mist, and hurled it back at Duncan. He barely missed.
“Looks like Duncan found himself a Dead Man’s Knife!” Rika said with honest pride
“Rika!” Rondo cried out as he swatted over the gun Geist has pulled away from her
With a quick catch she dropped to her knees as Geist attempted another lunge, but he was too late. She unloaded both guns, and each bullet hit its target, with a final, lucky headshot to top it off.
Geist crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap. They stared at him for a few moments. Rika quickly reloaded. She kept her gun trained on him as she rolled him over with her foot.
After a few moments, he twitched, followed by a slow, growing chuckle. Duncan yelped and quickly lept back and Rondo growled fiercely.
“The hell ARE you?” asked Rika
“A warrior, just like you.” Geist replied, with labored speech
“I ain’t a warrior or anything like that.”
“Whatever you say. But I think we’ll get along just fine. Your little mousy friend found some spirit too!”
"Mousy friend? Wait do you mean me?" Duncan shouted incredulously to Geist's amusment
“Heh, I’m gonna be gone for a little bit after this. I’m barely holding myself together.” Geist continued
“What does that mean? Are you dying or not?” Rika asked with growing annoyance
“See you around, gunslinger.”
Geist grinned and began to laugh as his body turned dark and melted away into nothingness. The three stood there for a time.
“Hey Rika? I think maybe I’m ready to head back to town now.” Duncan muttered
“Yeah, me too. Don’t forget your new knife, you earned it. C’mon Rondo, you can rest in my shadow.” Rika replied
“Can we rest on the way back, too?”
"Yeah, alright."
Rondo made his way back into Rika’s shadow, and the two began the hike back to Shinbone. Rika wouldn’t say it out loud, but she was damn glad she agreed to bring Duncan.
Otherwise…well, best not to dwell on it.
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