Advent Of A Gunslinger

The next day…

And Axel was right as rain after being properly treated for his mounds. The hippogriff gunslinger was able to take pride in knowing that he had finally eradicated the entire syndicate that killed off most of his family. Fortunately for him, he realized that he had a second family waiting for him now that it was all over.

“...Howdy, ya’ll,” Axel called out to everyone as he approached the main foyer of the bordello to meet up with everyone near the cafe. “Guess we finally won, huh?”

“Si, we did,” Vido replied with a smile as he sipped from a mug of coffee, “Mama is gonna be super proud of me once I get back home.”

Nearby, Kora stretched her arms upwards and flicked her tail. “Nyyyyaa…indeed. I can’t wait to head back to my students. Though, I wonder if Klugetown will still be habitable for them…”

“Might be best if ye took ‘em elsewhere,” Fleche suggested, then looked up at her brother. “Oh! And how are ya feelin’ after yer operation?”

Axel took a seat at the table alongside them and replied, “Oh ya know me. Bulletproof as always. Gonna take a lot more than a few blows to the noggin’ta put me down.”

Just then, a voice called out from nearby. “Well that’s good to hear. If you really are unkillable, we won’t have to worry about anymore slave drivers for the time being.”

Everyone at Axel’s table turned to look at the source of the voice. It was Mio who was busy reading from a newspaper while sipping a glass of milk.

“Hello,” he spoke up, “...is something wrong?”

“...Nothin’ at all, friend,” Axel said with a chuckle, “Just glad’ta see ya made it out okay.”

“Agreed,” Kora added, “I’ve heard that you’re currently working for the King and Queen of Abyssinia, correct?”

Mio nodded and replied, “That I am. You’re quite perceptive indeed. I expect nothing less from one of my own. But yes. I’m still here because I’m obligated to bring Topaz back to parliament so she can be tried by the royal council for her role in this scheme.”

“Good’ta hear,” Axel added, “Shame I had’ta kill everyone else, but at least you’ll have one witness.”

“Och! Be sure to make an example of her, eh?” Fleche commented with her wings flapping enthusiastically, “That way you can make sure nobody else tries this poppycock nonsense.”

“No sé--I’m not too sure about that,” Vido added, “There’s always gonna be someone else out there that tries something as loco as that.”

“Well if our efforts have at least cut down a portion of ‘em that wanna try,” Axel mused, “Then I think we’ll be alright fer now. Speakin’a which, where’s Cap’n Celaeno at?”

And just like clockwork, both she and her crew would make themselves known from a nearby table.

“We were waiting for you all to recover,” said the bird woman, “We didn’t want to leave until we were absolutely sure that you were okay.”

“...Well I’ll be damned,” Axel got up from the table and walked over to speak with them. Sure enough, not only was Caelano sitting there, but Chang as well. “Hey, little man. Where’s Zephyr?”

“...He’s currently on the roof,” Chang answered, “But don’t worry, I believe he’ll be fine once his mind is clear. I’m just glad that all of this worked out in the--”

Before Chang could finish that sentence, he was physically tackled and hugged upon by Kora! “Lord Chang! I’m so glad you’re safe!” she purred while holding onto him, causing the monkey to chuckle.

“Of course I’m alright. We were with you most of the way and we certainly weren’t going to leave you behind,” he replied with a smile, “Is that not right, captain?”

“That’s right,” Celaeno turned to look at Vido, “...The fact that you’re all safe warms my heart. Truly. I haven’t met another crew that was as well-managed as yours, Remy.”

Axel shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Eh. I ain’t perfect. Nobody is. I’m just glad my friends and new family have come out the other side with me. Though…where is Ms. Martha? Have ya seen her today?”

“I believe I saw her walk upstairs,” Celaeno pointed out, “I think I heard her mutter about how worried she was for you. But don’t quote me on that, alright?” She grabbed her glass of coffee with a grin, “I don’t wanna be on the end of that old lady’s wrath.”

“Alrighty, I think I’mma head on up there’ta make sure she’s alright,” Axel flapped his wings and took off towards the stairs that led to the upper level’s residence…

Fleche sighed with a content smile on her face as he took off. “That’s my brother. Always lookin’ out fer others. So happy to see he hasn’t strayed from what ma and the rest of us taught him.”

Vido chuckled in response to that comment. “Ah…if only you knew how difficult it was to get him to speak up at first.”

“...Tell me all about it, please,” Fleche requested inquisitive as she leaned forward, “I’ve missed so much of my wee brother’s life that I need’ta know all I can.”

“Well…”