Advent Of A Gunslinger

“Alright, brother,” Fleche flew into the air as she rounded another bend towards the final frontier of Klugetown. “There’s only one place where that pussy-lass could’ve gone.”

Axel flew into the air right alongside her and took a close look at the lone hill that stood in the middle of the open desert. The shed that sat at its top was a dead giveaway as it was the logical place that she could retreat to at this point.

“Blech,” the hippogriff snarled beneath his mask, “Ain’t no way in hell we’re gonna make it through--it’s obviously some kinda trap. We need’ta be careful.”

“Bein’ careful and wastin’ time ain’t mutually exclusive, brother,” Fleche commented with a flick of her tail, “No time fer dawdlin’. I got an idea.” She looked up, and saw that there were a few clouds in the sky. “Watch my back, Axel.”

And without a second thought, the green pegasus took off into the sky with the intent of gathering clouds thanks to her passive magical abilities.

In the meantime, Axel kept his various weapons at the ready--his armor poised to defend him against anything--

BANG!

A gunshot. But it wasn’t directed towards him. Rather, it came from a patch of dry desert that was located just a few feet Westward.

“...” With his revolver raised, Axel quickly took shelter behind one of the nearby rocks. Once he peeked out, he came across a rather unexpected scene. “...What in the devil’s name…?”

Just over yonder, Monocrow could be seen clutching his left shoulder with his right arm as it bled profusely as he knelt to the ground. Standing across from him was Typh--the eagle woman was bleeding from the opposite shoulder and also had to take a knee from the sheer pain.

“...You…you’re no brother of mine!” she ornery Ornithian lady squawked at him. “You never should’ve left! Now look where we are! You’re just like that shitty old man of yours…”

“...And you aren’t my sister either,” Monocrow muttered from his beak, “Your mother came into our lives and actively ruined my father’s. Whether or not you want to see that is something I can’t control. Do not sully his name with your words. You’re not fit to speak of him you dirty lapdog!”

“You ain’t no better, workin’ for a pirate!” With the remaining use of her good hand, she tried to fire off a shot from her flintlock…

WOOSH!

Only to be completely interrupted as Monocrow expanded his wings and dashed forward. In an instant, he bent the muzzle of the weapon and redirected the shot to the ground. He then stared his half-sister in the eyes as he forcefully flinched against her grip with his own. “...My name is Zephyros. And I will have my--GAH!”

SHINK!

“Then die with it,” Typh spat back as she stabbed him in the gut with a knife she had pulled from her hip. “Blegeh…time to put this family feud to rest…”

“...!” In an instant, Axel leapt from behind the rock with his gun raised, poised to fire off a shot--

That is, until the bird woman turned the tables by spinning Zeph’s body around where it was facing Axel. The knife was removed from his bleeding midsection and now pushed against his neck thanks to the bird woman’s claw. “Don’t take another damn step, bird-boy. You move and he dies.”

“If yer his sister, you should treat him better than this!” Axel yelled, “You only get born into one family. One! And you choose to throw it away like trash?!”

“You don’t know me!” Typh screamed back, “It’s because of his father not being able to properly get along with my mother that we have this problem to begin with!”

Axel refuted her outright. “That don’t mean you need’ta inherit the struggles of yer folks!”

But Typh was quick to verbally shoot back. “Oh really? Ain’t that what you’re doin’ by comin’ out here in the first place? Aren’tcha doin’ all this fer yer so-called family? But sure, call me out fer doin’ the same just cuz I’m about’ta kill someone who ya got attached to! Oh cry me a goddamn river ya punk!”

Her words cut deep as Axel was forced into a silence for a moment. “...No…I ain’t…I ain’t like you!”

In those few seconds where Typh was fixated upon Axel, Zeph slowly reached his claw up to take the knife…and suplex her forwards--flipping her over his body and throwing her onto the ground!

“AWK!” she squealed as her back hit the ground with a loud thud!, “How dare y--?!”

Before she could say anything else, the osprey man had placed his talon-foot on her head while twisting her arm to fully restrain her. “I tried to be reasonable….I really did. But you don’t deserve my pity.”

Before she could say another word--

CRACK!

Her neck was snapped and her body went limp.

“Ghh…” Zeph let go of her, and kicked her body aside. Then he collapsed to the ground, taking a seat on the sandy earth as he lamented what had just happened. “...Why…why did it have to be this way…?”

Axel holstered his pistol, and attempted to console the bird man. “...Let’s get you some help, huh?”

“...Leave me be for a bit,” Zeph muttered as he placed a cigarette in his beak with his good hand, and used the same hand to flick, and turn on a lighter in order to give it a spark. “...You’ve got business to finish, don’t you?”

Axel turned his head to look at the shed over yonder, and sighed. “...Don’t go anywhere. I’m comin’ back for ya.” Without hesitation, he flew into the air…

Zeph chuckled and coughed up some smoke. “...Not like I want to.”