The rhythmic sound of hooves echoes through the air as they gallop down a bumpy dirt path. The caged wagon jostles and shakes with every bump and jolt.
"Hey, buddy! Can't you make this ride any smoother? I surrendered willingly!" Eyanosa barked, giving the bars a swift kick to the bars closest to the lawman escorting his wagon.
"Sorry, sir, but I'm afraid I can't comply. Although you surrendered, you also lunged at one of our officers. Safety first, you know?" A young voice says firmly, seemingly coming from the lawman.
"Whoa there, cowboy! Are you telling me that safety means rattling my brain by slamming my head into these bars?" Eyanosa retorts as he eyes the young lawman with disbelief and irritation.
"I suppose so. My orders were crystal clear - keep you locked up and take the roughest ride possible," the lawman blurts out. His gaze shifts to Eyanosa, his eyes brimming with sorrow. "It's a shame. We go way back, you and I. Who would've thought you'd end up robbing trains?"
Eyanosa's frustration boiled over as he kicked the bars once more. "You don't know me, and I don't know you!" he exclaimed. His mind raced back to the memory of his lost friends, Ethel's lifeless eyes haunting him. "I'm all alone now," he muttered, finally sitting up.
"Come on, Gaagii! Let's chat. We've got a long ride ahead to Saint-Denis." The lawman grins, eager to pass the time with his caged companion.
"What is there to even chat about?" Eyanosa sighs, his cuffs rattling on the bars behind him.
"You've made quite a name for yourself! Four assaults and three train robberies? I'm impressed," the lawman said, his curiosity piqued. "But seriously, how did you end up here? I'm genuinely interested in hearing your story. Come on! We have loads of time until we get to Saint-Denis, where they will either hang you or send you to Sisika."
"Whoa there, curious one," Eyanosa grumbles sarcastically. "My life's not worth your time. Only Ethel knew my story." His gruff tone softens to a melancholy sigh.
"Ethel Margret? The one Cayde shot?" The lawman's eyes widen in shock. "Oh my, why her?"
Eyanosa chuckles wistfully. "Believe it or not, she had a thing for me and made a few moves. But I didn't feel the same, so I spilled my guts to her about everything instead."
"Ha! Gotcha talking!" The lawman chuckles, pleased with his success in breaking the silence.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, you bull." Eyanosa taunts the lawman with a smirk. The tension between them is palpable as they ride in silence, the only sounds being the rhythmic clatter of hooves and the creaking of the wagon's wheels. Suddenly, the air is pierced by the deafening sound of gunfire. The lawman springs into action, grabbing his trusty lever action rifle from the seat beside him and scanning the nearby woods for any sign of danger.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Put that rifle down! What's going on? Why do you have your rifle out?" Eyanosa says with a slight panic peaking out.
The lawman's heart pounds as a bullet whizzes past, causing him to jump off the wagon and seek refuge behind it. He frantically searches for the shooter, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
"HEY! IF YOU ARE GETTING SHOT AT, LET ME OUT! I CAN HELP!" Eyanosa frantically yells out as he savagely slams his body against the cage door.
"If I do that, I could lose my job." The lawman says bluntly as he loads his rifle.
"YOU WILL LOSE MORE THAN THAT IF YOU DON'T LET ME HELP!" Eyanosa's words pierce the heavens. A bullet whizzes by, colliding with the cage's metal bars. The tension in the air was palpable as the lawman stood there, keys in hand, contemplating his next move. Eyanosa's heart was pounding as he watched the lawman's every move. Suddenly, the lawman decided and swiftly inserted the key into the lock on the cage door. Eyanosa wasted no time leaping out of the cage, narrowly avoiding a bullet that whizzed past his ear. The lawman wasted no time in freeing Eyanosa from his cuffs. The lawman quickly pulls Eyanosa into cover behind the wagon.
"Now, hand me that revolver in your holster," Eyanosa says quickly, holding his hand out.
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Do you want to live?" Eyanosa replies. With a heavy heart, the lawman resigns himself to the inevitable and draws his trusty silver navy revolver. However, before he can even blink, the wily Eyanosa snatches it from his grasp, taking off toward the woods, the weapon held confidently at his hip. The thundering hooves of three horses and their fearless riders emerge from the trees, galloping straight toward Eyanosa. He takes a deep breath and grips the revolver's hammer with his other hand. Game on. Eyanosa holds the revolver's trigger down, its first shot striking a rider in the chest. Eyanosa quickly strikes the hammer back again, still holding the trigger, and hits a second rider and their horse, causing them both to slam into the ground. He watches the two fall and removes his hand from the revolver's hammer, aiming for the last one. He cocks the hammer back, the iron sights trained right between the rider's eyes. In a flash, crimson liquid spews from the rider's head, his body falling from the horse.
The rider tumbles down; his gun goes off. The bullet whizzes through the air, hitting Eyanosa's hat dead-on. The hat flies, landing in a cloud of dust. Relieved his noggin wasn't blown off, he glances at his trusty cap. Suddenly, a faint noise from behind steals his focus: the poor horse he had shot trying to get its rider. He slowly walks up to the injured, yet incredibly angry, animal calmly sitting next to it. He puts a hand on its neck, silently whispering before putting the revolver under its chin and pulling the trigger. He stands again, walking to his hat, swiftly picking it up from the ground, and putting it on his head in one elegant movement.
"What the hell was that? That was some crazy shooting!" The lawman says as he walks toward Eyanosa from behind the wagon. Silence falls as Eyanosa slowly turns to face the lawman, his revolver raised and aimed. The lawman jumps back in shock, but it's too late. With lightning speed, Eyanosa fires a single shot that tears through the lawman's neck. The lawman's body falls to the ground as he gags on his blood. The gagging slowly calms down, and then silence. Eyanosa eagerly sifts through his seized items, heart racing as he spots his holster and belt. With a purpose, he dons them and slides his sleek navy revolver into place. Stepping off the wagon, he strides purposefully toward the fallen lawman. He slightly picks up the corpse and searches the lawman's pockets. Eyanosa pulls out a bag of extra bullets, ten bucks, a golden badge, and a knife still in its sheath. With a forceful thud, he drops the body and sprints towards the horse, its hooves pounding the earth.
With a flick of his wrist, Eyanosa's knife slices through the ropes that bind the magnificent horse. The animal takes a few steps back, its eyes fixed on Eyanosa as if to thank him for his newfound freedom. Eyanosa places the knife on the ground; his movements are slow and deliberate, not to startle the horse. As he approaches the majestic shire, he puts a gentle hand on its neck, feeling the warmth of its skin. For a moment, the two share a silent understanding, a bond. With a swift leap, he mounts the horse and gallops towards Saint-Denis, leaving the sluggish wagon in the dust.
After quite some time, Eyanosa blows into Saint-Denis's city streets and toward a large church. As he dismounts, arriving at the church, he forcefully slaps his horse's rear, sending it off into the distance. He walks up to the doors and pounds on them heavily.
"Whoa there, partner! Ease up on that banging!" A voice booms from within. Eyanosa takes a step back, respectfully tipping his hat to honor the sanctity of the space. The doors creak open, revealing a towering figure on the threshold. A pale, blue-eyed, white-haired man stands there dressed in preacher garb.
"Hey, Father. I messed up big time," Eyanosa admits, taking off his hat and placing it solemnly on his chest.
Father Wolf's eyes light up as he sees his son for the first time in years. With a tight embrace, he welcomes Eyanosa back into his arms. "I've missed you so much," he says, leading him into the quiet church. Nestled in the pew, he gazes at Eyanosa, "Tell me, why are you here? Banging on church doors isn't a good sign."
YOU ARE READING
Land of Misfits
Action"Now I've seen Heaven without dyin' Met the Devil without tryin'," Meet Eyanosa Gaagii, a Native American outlaw, as he recalls his time during the turn of an era in American history. This is a story of life, love, despair, and greed. Eyanosa makes...
