Dawn and Bullets

20 MPH

While Gregor had spent the last five days curious if Dawnden was alive or buried, Dawnden's mechanical horse trotted across the sands and stone of the northern Sacramento desert. The last time Dawnden had seen signs of civilization was that morning. Now, the afternoon sun was hammering down, and there was only sand and the grotesque smell of radiation in the air.

Why would anyone want to live in a desert? No matter where you travel in this region, it's all the same. I don't know how Gwendolyn once managed to live here. he figured.

In three of four directions, there existed solely sand, stone, and decrepit vehicles from a century past. At least north, Dawnden spotted an aged car belonging to a lost year now caging someone underneath. The figure struggled and thrashed their arms about, but provided no words. "Hey, you alright!?" Dawnden hollered as his horse brought him closer. "Do ya need a... hand." About 20 feet from the car, the air smelled atrocious and nearly burned his own skin. A creature almost resembling a proper human swung its arms for Dawnden's legs, but everything below its heart was sunk into the ground. Their skin was gray, the same shade as and covered by ash. Its face was missing nearly all of its flesh, just a reanimated skull was left.

"Radiation, sorry about it, buddy. I don't think anyone would wanna be born into the world in your position." The losdrac didn't quit struggling for a single second, Dawnden's words fell on deaf ears. It bitterly hissed at Dawnden with unfortunate determination to finally find food. The bot pulled out a used revolver decorated with blue highlights and scratches from the ages, he aimed the tool at the losdrac, and - BANG - ended its misery.

Dawnden raised his brand new shiny revolver with sparking blue highlights for what was probably the thousandth time. Gwendolyn found the revolver respectable, but couldn't quite understand the endless love Dawnden demonstrated. "You got 80 rok from the most recent bust, right? In just two transactions, you've managed to lose it all and put five rok into our kitchen funds. Don't you have any regrets?"

"Hmm... Nope. Nada. Couldn't be happier. Only regret is that I couldn't give more to the food kitchen!" Dawnden confirmed looking up to Gwendolyn. "I'll make this bad boy last, I promise ya."

Gwen replied, "If you say so, bub," while pushing out a new bowl of bread for the afternoon.

"How's your day been?"

"Same as any other day. Calm, easy, simple. Opposite of your life, I bet. Any new bounties you've been eyeing?" Then under her breath, "Preferably ones that aren't likely to kill ya."

He put away his revolver and leaned on the counter, uncertain. "I dunno. I've been thinking of thrashing Grace Wanda's crew. Paper said that their combined worth almost doubled after they tore up a desert village."

Gwendolyn wasted no time becoming concerned. "They're a gang of fifteen and growing, do you really want to drag in all of them? I mean, maybe you're in over your head on this one."

"Aww c'mon, I'll bust who I can and split when things get spicy, okay? The village they ruptured wasn't that far, so I promise I won't be gone long," the bounty hunter assured with a soothing smile.

Gwen couldn't block her grin from coming through, but there still lied a sliver of concern. "Okay, tell ya what; bag half of them, and the town will serve you a special meal at the upcoming anniversary festival. Just make sure to come back alive. Sounds like a deal?"

With his usual golden retriever face now packing double the energy, he exclaimed, "Really!?"

Gwen laughed, "Sure!" as she scooped up a loaf of bread and stuffed it into his stretched out grin!

"Den id's tie to ged goin'!"

Dawnden stormed his horse into the desert! It dashed up a hill, hidden from the sun's reunion with the horizon. Once the bounty hunter reached the peak of the dunes, he came across a sign labeling the city as Dabledug, and he witnessed the 5:00 o'clock sun set to the buildings in the distance. The city seemed large no matter how far back Dawnden viewed it from. Buildings stretched out of the city and tried to reach for the sun, but most of their roofs had collapsed who knows how long ago. Dawnden could only imagine what Dabledug looked like when it was in its prime an unknown number of decades ago. But for now, the bounty hunter only wanted to see what the city looked like in Vost's hands. With a flick of the reins, Dawnden's horse shot ahead so fast the cowboy nearly fell off!