Who, Cerberus: An RDR Undead Nightmare Story [ John Marston x OC ]

xxii. Annesburg: a gilded city

Jasper led John and Ruby through the back trails into the northern mining town of Annesburg. John was surprised to see that the black smoke that had clotted its skyline in his younger days was suspiciously absent, the clouds breaching to reveal a bright-white midday sun, harsh on their eyes. In place of yesteryear's earthen, smoky smell of burning coal was the stink from the pool, everywhere, sharpened and chemical. Ruby's eyes watered as she glanced to John, the lower half of her face buried into her inner elbow. Their horses tossed their heads repeatedly, nickering their distaste.

"You get used to the smell, miss," a man winked at her from where he leaned against a fencepost, rubbing knuckles sheathed in gold rings against his chest. "In fact, I know a little place where it ain't so bad, if you want to join me." A gold coin gleamed from a heavy chain around his neck; when he flashed her a grin, a gold eyetooth sparkled in the light. They stopped their horses, Jasper noticing he wasn't being trailed and pulling up on his nag's reins, too.

"Sure there's all kinds of smells where you're goin'." Ruby's voice oozed charm, so much that it took John a moment to realize she'd insulted the man. The man himself still seemed unaware as she continued: "I'm lookin' for someone, actually, a Liam Flannery, supposed to work in the mines 'round here?" At the name, 'Liam Flannery,' Ruby assumed a hint of an Irish accent, as she was prone to do. John caught her increasingly mimicking his own hoarse voice back to him since their night camped by Dewberry Creek; always in jest.

"You Liam's girl?" The man looked frightened, then, glancing between Ruby, John, and Jasper; rising from the post to stand up straight.

"His sister," she replied, and he blanched still further, murmuring, "that's worse. Wait here, I'll send him out to you." Ruby dismounted from Sybil's back to pat at her neck and nose as the man trotted forth into the dark maw that marked the entrance of the mine, disappearing from sight. John found his hand travel to the grip of his pistol a couple of times, to reassure himself of its presence.

After a quarter hour, John and Jasper now both dismounted and sharing cigarettes while the three horses drank from a trough, a short, stocky man emerged from the mine entrance; conspicuously clean. His burly arms, corded with muscle, were covered in freckles, as was his stoic, ungenerous face; painted with a brush where Ruby's were spattered. Her own freckled face was smiling, now, as was Jasper's, next to John.

"Oh, he's grown, has he?" She teased, stepping forward to squeeze the man's bicep and laughing. She took his hand briefly, leading him to Jasper, whom he embraced, and then to John. John met the man's steely grey eyes, which he was certain were scrutinizing him. "John, this is Liam Flannery, my brother from the orphanage."

"John Marston, pleasure to meet you," John said, extending a hand after Liam failed to do so. Liam hesitated for a mere moment - almost missable, if John hadn't already been waiting for the courtesy - before reaching out his own broad, square hand for a shake.

"Pleasure's mine, if'n you brought my sister back to me," Liam replied, just the hint of a lilt of accent in his voice that hadn't been scrubbed away from his years in the orphanage, the same that he'd heard parroted by Ruby moments before. John noticed it was similar to the accent she used to quote her favoured play, the one she obsessed over memorizing; maybe Liam had been the one to read it to her, most. He felt a twinge of jealousy that he tried to dismiss, only somewhat successfully.

"Actually, Liam, I brought John to you," Ruby corrected kindly, grasping both of their hands as the handshake ended, releasing Liam's to momentarily seize Jasper's as well. "We've been on one hell of a ride, he and I, up and over country, dealin' with these undead."

"And you've ended up at our golden city," Liam said, and as he did so, they took stock of the gold buttons on Liam's vest, the chain glinting from his buttonhole to pocket, a stud winking at them from one ear. They didn't have time to dwell on the expensive sartorial choices of Annesburg miners, though, because what he'd said next flabbergasted them. "This is where it all began."