El viento de Texas ( the west Texas wind )

Chapter one, Texas man of El Oeste 1882

"Another round of whiskey" I yell in my drunken haze, "little boy you've had 5 shots in a ro-" I cut the stupid bartender off. "I said give me another round buddy" slightly nodding to my double action revolver, "alright boy I'll get you the shot" finally after getting the shot and stumbling out of the bar I hear behind me, "ay little greaser" I barely collect myself and look back. "What'd you call me part'ner?" I say with the best sober impression I could muster, "I said at greaser, now give me that watch boy" the man says to me standing in the alley between the saloon and hotel, "how about this greaser, puts a nice greasy hole in your stupid fucking face" I snap back sobering myself up. The man lunges towards me with a knife, "should have given the watch grease boy" I run towards back into the saloon but before I do I feel a quick sharp gash across my right leg, The fucker tied to stab me but missed. "Ah fuck" I yell and draw my revolver at him "I told you I'd put a hole thru your skull part'ner" he slashed at me again and nicks my arm before I forfilled my promise. As I stumble back into the saloon, clutching my leg and arm in pain, the bustling atmosphere suddenly falls silent. A few curious onlookers cautiously approach, concern etched across their faces. The bartender, surprisingly concerned, rushed over. "What in tarnation happened out there? You look like you've been through a wolf ambush boy"
I responded in pain now fully sobered. "Some lowlife tried to rob me. Said something about a watch and... well, it escalated. But I managed." The bartender handed me a shot of whiskey "Well, you're lucky you got away. Those knife-wieldin' gray boys don't play nice. Drink this, it'll help with the pain." As I downed the shot, a rugged stranger at a nearby table caught sight of my wounds and approached me "Looks like trouble found you, partner. Mind if I take a seat?"
I respond after downing my shot. "Be my guest. Trouble seems to be my middle name lately." "Well, I can lend a hand. The Name's Sam, Sam Marlin. I've seen my fair share of scrapes and shootouts in El Oeste" He hands a cigarette, one of the premium ones from the cities. "My Name's Oscar raynott. Pleased to meet you Sam. Any advice on dealing with these 'gray boys'?" He responded back after liting both our cigarettes "First off, watch your back. These fellas can strike faster than a big iron. Second, keep a cool head. Panic only leads to mistakes. And lastly, always have a trusty sidearm on ya, like that double action you got there." "Seems like you read my mind, Sam. This trusty old thing has saved my ass more times than I can count." Just as we finished speaking, the swinging doors burst open and a rowdy gray boy entered, eyes scanning the room. He spotted Sam and I sitting together, exchanging words. The Gray boy charged up to the table and grinned maliciously. "Well, well, look who we got here. The greaser boy and his new friend. You think a peashooter and some friendly advice can save ya?" He snickers through some yellow teeth and snake tongue. I snap back to the ugly fucker "I may be a 'greaser boy,' but I ain't no pushover. And with Sam, I bet we've got a chance against some stupid cowboy wannabe fucker."
Sam drew his own weapon "Let's teach this fella a lesson he won't forget." The tension in the saloon rises as the gray boy reaches for his LeMat revolver. Sam with the speed of lightning grabs the back of his colt and shoots the bastard thru his bottomless hostler. "Alright, all of you come out with those guns holstered". sheriff o' Malley and five officers waited with their guns drawn on the saloon, "we didn't do nothing wrong mr o' malley", Sam yelled crouching behind a falle table, "then explain this body and the gun shot we heard" two more officers ran to commotion. "That was self defense malley, my friend here Oscar was jumped by a gray boy. You of all people should know what them bastards get up to sheriff". Sheriff O'Malley and the officers approached the table where sam and I were crouching behind, he pointed his gun at us. "I know what those Gray boys are up to, but I can't just let a killing go unpunished. You two will have to come with us to the jailhouse for questioning," he said sternly. I winced in pain as I tried to stand up, "Come on malley, my friend here needs help. Can we at least get him patched up before we go anywhere?" The sheriff hesitated for a moment, looking at My injuries, before finally nodding in agreement. "Alright, but don't try anything funny. You're still under arrest." I winked at Sam as I pulled out my gun. I shot two officers to the right and Sam shot the rest. Seven officers fell dead on the floor, o'Malley turned around to shoot us but before he got an inch closer Sam put three bullets in his head. The bartender and everyone else runs out in panic. "Come on Oscar my camps just a bit east, get on your horse and let's get before some more officers show up". After he exits I pick up a whiskey bottle and right before I pocket it sam shoots it and says "if we're gonna ride together we won't steal from the people, we'll steal from the rich". A piece of glass flys and cuts my check. We get on our horses and I follow Sam to his camp, "so Oscar what brings you to this part of Texas since you obviously don't live 'round here" "well sam, I've been running from deming just north west of El Oeste. My pa was arrested and hanged for drunken murder, without anyone or anything remaining i left." The trail fell silent for a minute as Sam lifted his coat sleeve. "You see this?" Pointing to a scar 5 or 6 inches long. "I got this fighting my father, he was a drunk after my mom died, he took out his anger out on me, so one particularly bad beating I pushed him back and shot him with the colt he wore on his hip, when he fell into the window a shard of glass cut my arm clean open." Once again that silence befell the trail. As the sun began to set, casting an orange glow across the horizon, Sam and I rode towards his camp in silence. The sound of our horses' hooves pounding against the ground was the only noise that filled the air. The gravity of our situation hung heavy, and it seemed that the weight of our pasts was catching up to us.
Finally reaching the camp, I dismounted from my horse, wincing in pain as my wounded leg protested the movement. Sam rushed over to help me, offering support as I limped towards the crackling fire he was starting. The warmth of the flames brought some comfort, and I gratefully sank down resting on a rock. Sam disappeared into his tent and returned with a bottle of whiskey, the same kind he had shot earlier. He handed it to me and took a swig from the bottle before speaking. "Well, Oscar, it seems like we've had quite the introduction. Two strangers brought together by a common enemy. The world can be a cruel place, and sometimes, we have to fight back." I took a deep gulp from the bottle, savoring the burning sensation that bloomed in my throat. "You're damn right, Sam. There ain't no room for weakness out here. We gotta do what we gotta do to survive." Sam leaned back against a tree, the firelight dancing across his face. "We make our own path now, Oscar. No law to tie us down, no past mistakes to haunt us. We can be free men, living by our own rules." A sense of liberation washed over me as I listened to Sam's words. For the first time in a long while, I felt a hope. "I like the sound of that, Sam. No more running, no more looking over our shoulders. It's time to embrace the wildness of the West." The night grew darker, the stars shining like beacons in the vast open sky. As I nursed my wounds and shared a drink with Sam, we began to plan our next move. "We need to lie low for a while, let the dust settle," Sam suggested. "Maybe head out to the state of Cascadia, they say it's still mostly untamed out there." I nodded in agreement, the idea of a fresh start appealing to me. "Cascadia it is then. A land full of opportunity and new beginnings. A place where we can leave our pasts behind and forge a new path." "Though" Sam chimed "heading west to Cascadia isn't a good idea, on account of the grays and the likely chance there's already bounties for us." Once again that silence befell our conversation. "But" Sam said. "The east might give out to Cascadia, here I have a map" I shuffled over to Sam from across the fire and watched him mark out a route. "Here, through Louisiana, around Choctaw and creek." Sam continued on and we were satisfied. He set up a spare tent for me to sleep in. As we drifted off to sleep under the starlit sky, I couldn't help but feel a mix of apprehension and excitement. The road ahead was uncertain, but for the first time in a long time, I had a sense of purpose. The Texas man of El Oeste was ready to ride into the east  alongside Sam.