:
Cool! 
PS: Slightly off topic, but great avatar! Kimahri FTW! |
Hehehe. Thanks. ^^ Anyways, here's the newest Chap! ^^
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Alex groaned as her eyes fluttered open. She sat up and felt something tied against her side. She looked and saw a small pond in front of her with tress surrounding it and the worst sound coming high up from one of their branches. She was in some sort of oasis. “Hello?” Alex called weakly as she stood up.
Alex cried out in pain and fell backwards, landing hard on a tree. “Perfect. Just perfect.” She muttered, “Hello? Anyone here?”
Alex looked up in the branches of the trees and there he was: the thing that had saved her. He was laying on one of the thickest tree branches, dozed off in a heavy sleep. He snored louder than fifteen chainsaws against a metal pipe, and his mouth drawn wide open, taking in deep breaths with his snores. His limbs hung over the branches, one arm dangling while the other placed upon his chest in a small curled fist.
She smiled. Alex walked over to the tree and looked up at the thing that had saved her. It was snoring so loudly that Alex had to laugh. She touched her side where the dagger was and then sighed, it was still there.
Alex turned and started to walk away from the oasis when a voice stopped her. “'Bout time ya woke up. Been waiting forever.”
Alex turned to the voice and saw that thing then that was sleeping a few seconds earlier was awake and standing behind her. As she turned to face it, she looked it over carefully, wondering if she even stood a chance of out running or fighting it.
The thing was much larger than her; its body was covered in wiry light-brown fur. Its face was darkened from the shadow of its broad scraggly hat, ringed with small, red darts left unused. Two, brown, triangular ears poked out from the hat. Over its body was a worn out and obviously many times repaired patchy poncho over a jade-green over-shirt. It also wore stitched tan tights over its mascularate legs, and heavy brown tattered cowboy boots that jangled each time the thing took a step.
Its beautiful eyes were the catchiest of all; two brightly lit neon-green eyes illuminated from the shadow of its face, staring down at the frightened human. It was a creature Alex had never seen before.
Alex swallowed and took a step back. “Who-What are you?” She asked, reaching for the knife attached to her side.
The thing smiled. “Folks call me Stranger. Who 're you, 'uman?”
“My-My name’s Alex.” Alex muttered, taking a step back. She was frightened, but this thing had saved her life. Then again,
he did too, but that didn’t stop Alex from running away.
“Pleased teh meetcha.” Stranger said, grinning. “Yer lucky I came by otherwise-”
“I’d be sitting in a cage in Sekto’s dam. I know, believe me, I know.” Alex finally managed to tear her eyes away from Stranger’s neon eyes. “So, uh, why’d ya help me…Stranger?”
“Ya needed it.”
“Well, yeah, but-”
“But nothin', kid. Ya needed help an' I gave it teh ya, got it?”
Alex nodded, “Yeah. But why-”
Stranger held his hand up, telling her to shush. His ears twitched and his lips curled into a grin. “Sounds like we got company.” He turned to Alex, “Can ya fight?”
Alex smiled and licked her teeth. “Do Steef have horns?”
Stranger flinched slightly, but unlocked the crossbow on his arm. He loaded it with wasp-looking things-Alex knew that they were Stingbees-and spider-looking things on the other.
Bolamites. Alex thought as she pulled the dagger out of its sheath that was attached to her side. He uses live ammo. Literally. Weird.
Stranger looked at Alex and then smiled. He mouthed the sentence: outlaws, be careful, kid. He then looked back into the dessert, watching and waiting for his prey.
Alex nodded and pulled the knife out of her belt. She listened carefully for any movements just like her father had taught her. She held the knife at ready when a hand grabbed her throat. Alex made a noise.
Stranger turned around and saw an Outlaw Shooter had its hand around Alex’s neck. He let out a growl and lifted his crossbow, but didn’t fire. His bright green eyes glanced at Alex and then at the outlaw once before dropping his hand.
“I…can’t believe you.” Alex managed to groan.
Stranger saw a grin appear on Alex’s lips and he became confused but he watched what she was going to do. And he didn’t have to wait long.
Alex twisted the knife in her hand and then plunged it deep into the outlaw’s gut. She wiggled free from it and then pulled out her knife and wiped the blood off on her shirt. As the outlaw died, Alex put her dagger away and turned to Stranger. “Was that the only one or d’ya know if there are more?” She asked, folding her arms over her chest.
Stranger smiled. His ears twitched once and then he shook his head. “Naw. There ain’t no more outlaws close by. This one must’ve seen ya an' thought he’d be set with enough moolah teh last 'im.”
Alex shrugged. “Works fer me. I wonder how he found us…must-a been yer snoring. Yer loud enough to wake the dead!” She laughed quietly.
“I’m a light sleeper, kid. I don’t snore.”
“That’s what you think.” Alex paused, “Well, thanks.” She said after a minute.
Alex turned to leave when Stranger put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. She flinched, but Stranger didn’t know why. He hadn’t tried to harm her once. “Now where d’ya think yer goin'?” He asked.
“Away. Here. There. Wherever. I don’t know. I’m tryin' to survive, Stranger; I don’t need to be making friends. Don’t want 'em, don’t need 'em.” Alex spoke quietly, but firmly.
“Now, hold on. D'ya really think it’s smart fer ya teh be travlin' on yer own? With all the bounties on yer head, it’s dangerous. Not teh mention stupid.”
“Thanks fer the news flash there, Mr. Obvious. I’ve know travelin' was dangerous since before I could talk. Now, as I said before, I’m goin'. Goodbye an' thanks fer the rescue.”
“Yer comin' with me, kid.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I ain’t goin' with ya. Steefs gotta hunt, bounty hunters gotta bounty and humans gotta run an' hide. That’s how it’s been for years. Before my grandparents were born. An' who are you to tell me to come with you?”
“I’m a bounty hunter. As you said, we gotta bounty and, well, it wouldn’t look good if I let a bounty go…”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Should-a known.” Was all she said before dropping to the ground. Her leg flew out and tripped Stranger where he stood.
She laughed once before standing up strait and running as fast as her human legs could carry her. Alex heard Stranger grunt from behind her and footsteps and the sound of his boots jingling from behind her, chasing her.
Alex was the fastest prey Stranger had ever chased before, but that didn’t mean she was going to get away. Stranger started running on all fours and soon caught up with the human. He grunted once and then ran into Alex.
The pair tripped over each other and then rolled down a hill. Once they reached the bottom, Alex got out from under Stranger and started to claw the ground, trying to regain her footing so she could run again when a hand grabbed her shirt and pulled her to her feet.
“Now, hold on there ‘fore ya start runnin' 'way from me 'gain.” Stranger said, holding onto Alex’s shirt, “I didn’t say I was gonna turn ya in fer yer bounty, did I?”
“What else could ya have meant?”
Stranger smiled.
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Thar you go! ^^