Moonlight On The River [ SukuFushi ]

Chapter 1: A fistful of dollars

The train is stopped.

The recurrent beating of the wheels hitting the tracks had created a lulling tune that put Megumi right to sleep. Much needed sleep too as he had been traveling for the past couple days, by train, coach, horseback, and again, train, and he was ready to drop dead.

On trips like this, Megumi wishes Gojo would spend the extra couple bucks for him to have a private car. He always offers but Megumi never likes to indulge. But when it comes to actually feeling the bone-deep weariness and back pains, he cannot help but regret it each time.

Nevertheless, long train rides in the middle of the night have become the equivalent of booking a hotel room for him.

So, when the train gives a tremulous jolt and begins to shriek its way into a sharp stop, sparks flying off the metal of the tracks, it yanks Megumi out of his drifting sleep, straight into a confused stupor.

The train is nearing its destination, having passed the Scarlet Peaks an hour or so ago, when Megumi was last awake.

Yet now the train is stopped. Something is holding it up.

Pressing his face to the glass of the window he is leaned on, his eyes track the tree line, flicking back and forth as the scenery finally chugs to a grinding halt. The train gives a long stuttering sigh before the engine dies completely.

The night sky sits above luminous and haunting with its smiling moon. A watching specter, it illuminates the forest and train tracks below, casting everything in an eerie glow. Something about it does not sit right with Megumi.

"Why have we stopped?" one finely dressed lady to his right asks, clutching onto her husband's arm.

Megumi casts his eyes over the other passengers, watching them stir from the clutches of sleep and begin murmuring amongst themselves. An undercurrent of worry grows. The longer they wait listening to the night's silence, interrupted by the occasional hooting of owls and releasing steam from the locomotive, the more people whisper and grow agitated.

He is starting to worry himself. A sudden train stop is the biggest concern for when one travels at night along lonely paths. And there's really only one reason for a train to be stopped at such an odd hour.

His eyes can barely make out the blockage in front of the train. It looks to be a carriage of some sort. Squinting, the warning text on its side reveals it to be an oil tank. A shadow moves on top of it, a person. The hair on the back of his neck stands up in warning – this, this was not good.

Then, as if answering his very concerns, his eyes catch onto lights coming out of the woods. Lanterns.

Megumi's heart plummets to his stomach. Are you fucking kidding me.

Men are coming out of the woods. At least twelve of them.

The orange metal lamps they carry cast shadows across their profiles, but it's enough to see that their faces are covered, pistols drawn, glinting in the moonlight. With hats sitting low on their heads, only flashing eyes are visible. Dangerous, ready.

There's a beating of horse hooves. Two men ride up next to the side of train by the expensive looking couple. The wife lets out a scream, and all hell breaks loose.

Another man comes fast on Megumi's right – oh, this was a big gang – and by now, the group of bandits have arrived at the train and are aiming.

A shot rings out and Megumi flinches. Someone screams again, and then, a volley of firing begins. Rattling against the metal of the train and successfully bringing everyone to the floor. He understands it for what it is, an intimidation before the actual robbing begins.