Advent Of A Gunslinger

Axel approached the main lobby and was greeted with Kora who had been sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea at one of the cafe tables near the bakery. “Howdy. Where’s our boy?”

“Vido told me that he was looking to get some rest,” Kora replied while idly swirling the teabag within the cup, “I’m a tad worried for him, but I’m also happy to know that he’s feeling better.”

“I betcha are,” the hippogriff remarked as he took a seat with her at the table, hitting her with a snide verbal jab, “You two have been gettin’ awfully close, haven’t ya?”

But much to Axel’s surprise, the she-cat would deny this outright. “Oh no. He’s not my type if I’m being honest. Besides, I believe his sights are set on someone else. Someone…in the clouds,” she said with an amused purr.

“Oh yeah--the Captain Bird Lady,” he recalled Celaeno and the time they had spent with her crew. “You got a point. Wonder how they’re all doin’ now…”

“Tis a very valid question indeed,” Kora replied, “I’d love to see Chang again, myself.”

Once again, Axel shot her a smug expression in order to tease her. “...Oh?”

And in response, the she-cat hissed and scrunched her face up into a neutral expression. “No. Whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking it. What’s got you so invested in my love life all the sudden?”

“Well we ain’t had much time’ta chat with each other on a regular,” he lamented as he thought over their journey thus far, “It’s been helluva road gettin’ here. But my apologies--if ya don’t wanna speak on that subject, we don’t gotta.”

Kora gave it some thought as well. The last time they were able to have a proper discussion was when they were aboard Celaeno’s ship. Even then, the fear of attack was ever-present and they weren’t given any time to themselves or each other.

As a result, she could understand Axel’s more light-hearted approach.

“Hm…I see now,” she purred, “You’re just trying to make conversation. This is quite the turn-around from when I first met you, isn’t it?”

“Whatcha mean by that?”

Kora leaned back in her seat and looked outside of the nearest window. “When I first met you, I was rather put-off by you. You seemed like all the other outlaws that roamed these barren lands. Someone who simply wanted to let the world know that they couldn’t care less…in the loudest, most obnoxious way possible.”

That comment visibly stung, causing Axel to look down at the table. “Yeesh…was I really so callous?”

She turned her attention to him and made herself clear. “Oh, no no. I meant when I first met you. When I got to know you more over time, you proved yourself to be a reliable companion--a friend even.” She had a wide smile on her face, “You also helped me realize that there’s more to life than what I was forced into doing. So for that, I thank you, Lord Remington.”

It relieved him to hear that he wasn’t insufferable as he took a small breath. “Ah. I see now--you’re mighty welcome, Miss Kora. So what’s next for ya?”

“Hm--I think I’ll stick around with you for a bit longer--if you’ll have me, that is.” She took out the Abyssinian spellbook, and opened it upon the table. “Admittedly, I’m still trying to figure this out. I haven’t desired to make use of it lately due to the extreme strain it placed upon my body the last time I tried.”

Axel recalled just how fiercely it harmed her body. “...Damn right. Put you in the hospital. You sure you even wanna hang onto that there book?”

“Of course I do,” she assured him, “Maybe, just maybe if I figure out how it works, I can use it to benefit the lives of those in Klugetown. I might even get support from the King and Queen of Abyssinia themselves…” She then giggled with a snort and a purr. “Hmhm…nah. They wouldn’t take note of someone as low as me.”

“Hey now, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Axel corrected her with a small grin on his face, “After all, we certainly made an impression on them Chimp-folk out East. Ya never know…”

“You’re right. Speaking of which, I wonder how Ms. Rufang is doing. She seemd as if she was getting along well with Chang when we left, hm?”

Many varying possibilities ran through Axel’s head--some of which he’d rather not think about. “I think they’ll be gettin’ along just fine. Everything we’ve done so far has had a lastin’ impact with some positive and some negatives, ain’t it?”

Negatives. Kora looked away as she continued to sip her tea. While she was one to normally use peace as a primary option, her capacity for violence had increased tenfold over the course of this adventure.

“Yeah…I’m starting to wonder about myself and where I am mentally…” she muttered under her breath.

“Pardon?” Axel called out to her, “If you’re hurtin’, don’t be afraid’ta speak up. Ya hear?”

“Hm? O-oh no…don’t worry,” she spoke up with a smile on her face, “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with at the moment.”

Normally, he’d be willing to press the issue, but given what they had all been through, now wasn’t really the time to pry into his friends’ heads. Axel respected her wishes. “I getcha. If you ever need anythin’, just lemme know, alright.”

“I will--” she paused, and sniffled at the air, “Hm? Peculiar…is that apple pie and various cobblers? But the scent isn’t coming from in here.”

Axel looked around but found nothing. His sense of smell wasn’t as acute as hers, so he decided to check out the source of the smell himself. “Let’s have a look-see…” He walked over to the front door of the manor, and pushed it open so that he could look outside…

And what he saw caused his jaw to drop.

“What the BUCK--”