Wicked Witch of the Wild West
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:00 pm
Chapter 1 - Part 1
Thunder echoed across the empty expanse of sand. A light breeze teased at a small tumbleweed as it rolled across the barren land. The horizon melted into the sky, heatwaves rising as the sun climbed to it's apex. In the distance the blue husky spied the silhouette of the train. "Alright boys, this is it. Just like ma'am asked us." He said. His compatriots nodded, and began edging their ways down the valley.
The railroad snaked it's way across the dead lands, before hitting the wide base of the canyon, where it followed the river upwards towards Safewater. But today the train was not to complete her journey, at least not all of the train. Tocs spurred his pony on, racing to make it to the far side of the canyon before the train reached the trapping point. Behind him, Rocket had reached his spot, and was fiddling with the boulder, tipping it off the edge. Cuddles and Ally watched as the boulder tumbled down the mountain.
"How's that thing gonna stop right on the tracks?" asked Ally, looking at his partner. Cuddles smiled to his hybrid friend. "Don't worry, the boss gave Tocs some potion stuff, he's got this one in hand."
Sure enough, Tocs stood right in the path of the boulder, as it hurtled it's way down the canyon walls. The train was steadily approaching, and Tocs needed to concentrate. He pulled the vial of red liquid from his jacket pocket and popped the cork.
"Well, here goes nothing." He said as he downed the smooth liquid. He coughed and spat out a little, wiping the taste from his lips. "That shits horrible!" he shouted. He looked up at Rocket who shrugged. Tocs looked down at his paws. Nothing. She hadn't actually told him how he'd know if it was working. He sighed.
Holding out his hands to brace himself, the boulder tumbled into his path, and smacked straight into his outstretched hands. It moved him, back an few inches. His eyes were clenched shut, and he could hear himself breathing heavily. Gingerly, he opened one eye, and saw the boulder, roughly twice his height, stood perfectly on the tracks. Cuddles and Ally were whooping up a storm on their perch. Rocket smiled and flashed his partner a thumbs up.
Tocs cheered himself and tipped his hat to his fellow bandits. "Train!" shouted Rocket, as Tocs turned and heard the blast of the trains horn. Dashing to his steed, he mounted and galloped to his hiding spot. They sat in wait.
The black engine screeched to a halt, sand and smoke billowing about the canyon. "What's going on?" shouted a passenger out his window. The trains conductor slid out the locomotive, eyeing out the surroundings. "Keep an eye out boys." he called to his cab mates, as he went to inspect the boulder.
Inside the train, Rocket had slid into one of the rear coaches and was now making his way up towards the heavily guarded centre coach. Tocs, treading carefully along the roof of the train, was aiming to meet him there. Both front and back doors were guarded.
"I say Dan, I wonder how that boulder came to rest there?" the dapper fox stated as he leant his head outside of his window. Beside him, his compatriot and business partner scribbled hurredly upon his papers. "Well, Lurigo, that all depends, doesn't it, on where the boulder fell from." he stated, pointing his pen matter-of-factly at his friend. The fox laughed and slid back into his seat.
"Well, Dan, it appears to have fallen from the left side of the canyon wall. It looks to me, from this distance away, to be at least eight foot wide." Dan nodded as he scribbled down the suggestions from his friend. Humming and ahaing to himself, Dan shot a worried look up at Lurigo. "What is it, my intellectual chipmunk friend?" the banter between the two seemed consistant, never letting up.
"I'm afraid dear boy that boulder was not put there by nature, but rather by force. There's no two ways about it." Lurigo shot a worried look up at the striped rodent, and grabed his hat.
"Guards, check the boxes! Immediately!" he yelled as he dashed through train. His two guards standing at the doorway to central coach hurredly unlocked the doors and burst inside. The room stood untouched, it seemed. All boxes and crates lay where they'd been placed before. Dan rushed ot the nearest crate, Lurigo grabbing a crowbar from the wall and running to Dan's side.
"Hurry, hurry you fool!" shouted Lurigo as Dan dug the crowbar into the lid of the wooden crate, placing his whole body onto the tool, the lid springing open.
The pair stumbled backwards, in horror.
"Thank you boys, for delivering the final pieces I needed. I knew I could count on you two. Love, R."
"Goddammit!" shouted Dan, throwing the crowbar to the ground. "They cant have gotten far, Dan, check the other crates, see how much of the machine they've taken. Boys, tell the conducter it is imperative we make Safewater before sunset." Lurigo said, marching towards the door.
"And then what?" Dan asked, looking up, angry and sad at the same time, at his friend.
"We set the Wulfe on them." Lurigo replied.
It took ten men to move the boulder. Dan and Lurigo had scouted out the nearby canyon for signs of hoof prints and movement, but it was chaos. The train blew it's horn as it chugged it's way forward, steam billowing from her chimney. "Onward boys, to Safewater."
Behind them, in the last coach, the four bandits sat laughing. Watching the train pull away, as the decupled coach used for hay storage sat neatly on the tracks, they couldn't help but smile.
"I tell you what boys, Miss R is going to reward us hefty for this one." Tocs said, as the group readied themselves to return the couch to their employer.
Thunder echoed across the empty expanse of sand. A light breeze teased at a small tumbleweed as it rolled across the barren land. The horizon melted into the sky, heatwaves rising as the sun climbed to it's apex. In the distance the blue husky spied the silhouette of the train. "Alright boys, this is it. Just like ma'am asked us." He said. His compatriots nodded, and began edging their ways down the valley.
The railroad snaked it's way across the dead lands, before hitting the wide base of the canyon, where it followed the river upwards towards Safewater. But today the train was not to complete her journey, at least not all of the train. Tocs spurred his pony on, racing to make it to the far side of the canyon before the train reached the trapping point. Behind him, Rocket had reached his spot, and was fiddling with the boulder, tipping it off the edge. Cuddles and Ally watched as the boulder tumbled down the mountain.
"How's that thing gonna stop right on the tracks?" asked Ally, looking at his partner. Cuddles smiled to his hybrid friend. "Don't worry, the boss gave Tocs some potion stuff, he's got this one in hand."
Sure enough, Tocs stood right in the path of the boulder, as it hurtled it's way down the canyon walls. The train was steadily approaching, and Tocs needed to concentrate. He pulled the vial of red liquid from his jacket pocket and popped the cork.
"Well, here goes nothing." He said as he downed the smooth liquid. He coughed and spat out a little, wiping the taste from his lips. "That shits horrible!" he shouted. He looked up at Rocket who shrugged. Tocs looked down at his paws. Nothing. She hadn't actually told him how he'd know if it was working. He sighed.
Holding out his hands to brace himself, the boulder tumbled into his path, and smacked straight into his outstretched hands. It moved him, back an few inches. His eyes were clenched shut, and he could hear himself breathing heavily. Gingerly, he opened one eye, and saw the boulder, roughly twice his height, stood perfectly on the tracks. Cuddles and Ally were whooping up a storm on their perch. Rocket smiled and flashed his partner a thumbs up.
Tocs cheered himself and tipped his hat to his fellow bandits. "Train!" shouted Rocket, as Tocs turned and heard the blast of the trains horn. Dashing to his steed, he mounted and galloped to his hiding spot. They sat in wait.
The black engine screeched to a halt, sand and smoke billowing about the canyon. "What's going on?" shouted a passenger out his window. The trains conductor slid out the locomotive, eyeing out the surroundings. "Keep an eye out boys." he called to his cab mates, as he went to inspect the boulder.
Inside the train, Rocket had slid into one of the rear coaches and was now making his way up towards the heavily guarded centre coach. Tocs, treading carefully along the roof of the train, was aiming to meet him there. Both front and back doors were guarded.
"I say Dan, I wonder how that boulder came to rest there?" the dapper fox stated as he leant his head outside of his window. Beside him, his compatriot and business partner scribbled hurredly upon his papers. "Well, Lurigo, that all depends, doesn't it, on where the boulder fell from." he stated, pointing his pen matter-of-factly at his friend. The fox laughed and slid back into his seat.
"Well, Dan, it appears to have fallen from the left side of the canyon wall. It looks to me, from this distance away, to be at least eight foot wide." Dan nodded as he scribbled down the suggestions from his friend. Humming and ahaing to himself, Dan shot a worried look up at Lurigo. "What is it, my intellectual chipmunk friend?" the banter between the two seemed consistant, never letting up.
"I'm afraid dear boy that boulder was not put there by nature, but rather by force. There's no two ways about it." Lurigo shot a worried look up at the striped rodent, and grabed his hat.
"Guards, check the boxes! Immediately!" he yelled as he dashed through train. His two guards standing at the doorway to central coach hurredly unlocked the doors and burst inside. The room stood untouched, it seemed. All boxes and crates lay where they'd been placed before. Dan rushed ot the nearest crate, Lurigo grabbing a crowbar from the wall and running to Dan's side.
"Hurry, hurry you fool!" shouted Lurigo as Dan dug the crowbar into the lid of the wooden crate, placing his whole body onto the tool, the lid springing open.
The pair stumbled backwards, in horror.
"Thank you boys, for delivering the final pieces I needed. I knew I could count on you two. Love, R."
"Goddammit!" shouted Dan, throwing the crowbar to the ground. "They cant have gotten far, Dan, check the other crates, see how much of the machine they've taken. Boys, tell the conducter it is imperative we make Safewater before sunset." Lurigo said, marching towards the door.
"And then what?" Dan asked, looking up, angry and sad at the same time, at his friend.
"We set the Wulfe on them." Lurigo replied.
It took ten men to move the boulder. Dan and Lurigo had scouted out the nearby canyon for signs of hoof prints and movement, but it was chaos. The train blew it's horn as it chugged it's way forward, steam billowing from her chimney. "Onward boys, to Safewater."
Behind them, in the last coach, the four bandits sat laughing. Watching the train pull away, as the decupled coach used for hay storage sat neatly on the tracks, they couldn't help but smile.
"I tell you what boys, Miss R is going to reward us hefty for this one." Tocs said, as the group readied themselves to return the couch to their employer.