Advent Of A Gunslinger

In Abyssinia…

Mio had made himself busy by rallying the troops under King Mau’s banner from within the small office he was granted by the latter. In addition, he had also sent a letter off to Remington and the minotaurs in an attempt to sway them to his side. Just how did he know the gunslinger would be there, you may ask?

“It won’t be long now. I know for a fact that he’ll be there. Ever since the old man’s death, I’m almost certain he’s been backing them up. Won’t be long now…”

Moments later, Wilson appeared in the office. “Sir--the convoy you requested will be ready shortly. Where are you headed again?”

“To the minotaur lands,” Mio said as he stood up from his desk, “That letter should’ve reached them by now, but instead of waiting around for an answer, I’m gonna go meet up with them face-to-face.” The tom smirked as he pushed up his glasses, “With that, they won’t be able to refuse our help, and they’ll be willing to help us.”

“Pfft. It’s like you’re playing a game of chutes and ladders, boss,” said the guardstom, “But so long as you know what you’re doing, I won’t question ya. So should we head out? What about the missus?”

“I’m headed out on my own,” Mio explained as he grabbed a revolver from out of one of the drawers in his desk, “I won’t be gone for very long, so I’m sure she won’t miss me.”

“...I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Wilson replied.

Mio had already begun walking towards the room’s exit as he tilted his head. “Why is that?”

And as soon as he opened the door…

Spitha was standing right there. “I’m going too. Don’t try and stop me, dear.”

The tom holstered the pistol and grabbed the bridge of his nose. “...Spitha, please. I don’t want you involved in this anymore. There’s no need. You already got what you wanted regarding Rongu’s downfall. But this is different. War is on the horizon…”

The dragoness folded her arms and blew a puff of ash into the air. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Eh, what?”

“It’s…about time I told you…” She placed a claw on his shoulder. “When our souls became bound by love, you were granted immunity to immense heat. Dragon flames, lava, you name it.”

“...Wait, what? Since when?”

Doctor Mona walked into the hallway moments later to aid Spitha’s point. “It’s true. It’s quite…strange. Your biology seems to have traded characteristics between the two of you once you copulated.” She pointed the pencil she hand in her hand in Mio’s direction, “You’ve inherited Spitha’s defense against heat,” she then pointed to Spitha, “And you’ve inherited Mio’s cat-like reflexes and agility. It’s astounding, really…”

“Could this be a side-effect of…? No. No time to worry about that.” Mio thought about it for a moment before replying. “So…you’re saying that we’re stronger when we’re together, is that it?”

“Something like that,” Mona put her notes away, and began walking off, “But what you decide to do is up to you, Mr. Thuong.”

With the yellow she-cat leaving the scene, Mio was at a loss. There was no convincing a stubborn dragon to change her ways--especially after all that they had been through together. He truly loved her, and didn’t want her to get hurt, but if she was this insistent…

“...Alright,” he muttered under his breath, “I suppose I have no choice. All I ask is that you flee if things get too troublesome. I won’t have your life in danger because of me.”

Spitha chuckled into her claw. “Oh you. You really don’t know the fullest extent of my strength at all…”

“...What about your mother? Is she okay with this?”

“That old pile of scales? Hmph!” she cocked her head back as she laughed, “She’s staying here for now. Klugetown has officially overstayed its welcome and I’m more than invested in trying to bring it out of the rut it's currently in. Are you willing to let me join you, Mio?”

The tom weighed her words upon his mind. The dragoness was willing to do so much for him, even follow him to the ends of the earth just to see his dreams come to fruition. Why deny her now?

“...I am,” the tom responded with a firm answer, “Quickly. We need to get to the minotaur lands within the day--right when my letter arrives so that they’ll have no choice but to accept my terms.”

Spitha gave an enthused trill and pat the tom on the head. “That’s the intellectual cat-man I know and love! But wait--what about backup from Leona and the others?”

“I’ve already thought ahead to that too,” Mio replied with a purr as he nuzzled against the dragoness’ soft claw. “I’ll explain on the way. Let’s get going.”

And with that, both the tom and dragoness took their leave from the parliament building and subsequently, the city itself…

In the Minotaur Valley…

Martha had led both Vido and Chang up to her room, and into one of her closets where she stashed away a series of weapons. Everything from rifles to machine pistols were stored there in the upright weapon’s cache.

“Axel’s gonna be needin’ this too, so I figured I may as well show ya’ll first. If ya’ll are gonna storm that city, you’re gonna need all the shit ya can carry.”

“Que bueno…” Vido muttered as he inspected the various weapons on display. “I think I could get used to this.”

“Quèshí--Indeed,” Chang added, “I have a feeling that Remington will appreciate this. I certainly do. Western technology is so very…interesting.”

Martha took a look at him and chuckled. “Oh yeah, you’re from the East, ain’tcha? I got a business partner who works out there. Help yerself, monkey boy.”

Chang replied with a bow, “Oh--uh--xie xie!”

Vido meanwhile had already picked out a machine pistol and began to get a feel for the weapon. “...Hells yeah. This is just what I need.”