The Ballad of the Red King: Chapter 3 – Gunslingers from Beyond the Grave

 

Chapter 3 – Gunslingers from Beyond the Grave

Before we even make it to the shortcut, we’re found by more of the Red King’s rivals and “fans”.

“You’re more popular than I thought you were,” I say as I shoot at our pursuers.

“Just keep them off us.”

You’d think there was something on the Red King because of how many times we’ve come across trouble while traveling. I know bounty hunters make the most enemies out of everyone, but this is ridiculous. At least we’re in the forest now. Huh. How did we manage to get through the vines, but they’re trying to find another way around? I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

“They’re off our tail, for now,” I say.

“Good-”

Something tripped up the horse. We’re fine, but the horse’s legs are tangled up in vines. I try to cut the vines with one of my bunny ear blades.

“Man, these vines are thick. I don’t think I can even scratch them,” I say.

“Maybe the rumors were true,” the Red King suggests.

“What were the rumors anyway?” I ask as I continue to try to cut the vine.

“The rumors were that a band of dead bounty hunters lie in wait to kill the sinners that pass by. These bounty hunters managed to make an act of final repentance pleasing enough for God, but they must serve their penance by being instruments of His justice.”

“Well, you’re a saint and I just got out of confession, so we should be good.”

“Not exactly. What I mean by sinners is everyone with debts since everyone is a sinner with a debt to God that they have to pay.”

“That doesn’t make sense. What if someone innocent comes by to take this shortcut and gets gunned down?”

“Assuming they were in a state of grace, they would just go straight to Heaven since this death would pay for whatever sins they had left to pay for.”

“Geesh. I hope these rumors aren’t true. What about the horse?”

“They’ll probably let it go when we leave. We probably have to walk through the forest.”

“Well, it’s a good thing the walk isn’t too long.”

We leave the horse, but I start to regret our decision a few minutes in. The ground in the forest is uneven and it’s a pain to walk on.

“Are you okay?”

“Not really. Walking in this place is hard with my heel boots on.”

“Do you need help?”

“No, I got this-ah! Sprained my ankle!”

“Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“No, I’ll just walk it off-hey!”

He picks me and carries me on his back.

“Walking with an injured ankle will only make it worse. I’ll carry you.”

“You have no right to carry me! You should let a lady deal with her own problems that she can handle.”

“I think you’re making up the lady things that you keep talking about.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because you always mention it when you disagree with me. It makes it seem like you use it just to be right.”

“That’s because I am right.”

“Okay, so I’ll let you walk on your own.”

Wait, hold on. Ah! It’s harder to walk than I thought-ah! I almost fell on my face, but the Red King caught me…and is carrying me on his back again. I won’t say thank you to prove him right, so I just let him carry me. At least he knows that he should help me when I need it, unlike some other people that I’ve worked with before. He’s not such a bad guy, but I won’t admit that to his face. Huh? What’s that shaking sound? I can hear the horse behind us running away so something must be happening.

What the? Corpses are rising from the ground. The rumors are true. They raise their guns and try to kill us. Our guns can hardly do anything to them. The Red King keeps switching his pistols, but nothing works. Even a handcannon like Brandon only stuns them for a few seconds. We retreat to cover so he can look through his guns.

“Do you have anything that can deal with them? Surely something like MacMillan or Vash can do something,” I say.

“I think Wesker will be a good option.”

“I guess that makes sense. It’s supposed to be effective against the undead, but I thought was just something the owner made up.”

“You must’ve really done your homework on the history behind this gun.”

“I’ve done my research on all your guns now use it to see if the rumor is true!”

Wesker’s old owner was a traitorous man who sought out immortality and experimented with countless people to try to obtain it. He was serious about becoming a god and stopping his experiments that he thought even came close to it so this pistol better work, and surprisingly, it does. The pistol cuts through the undead like it should. A red light that comes out of the pistol helps the Red King shoot better. I wish I had something like that on my pistols, but I’m not sure if I’m technologically savvy enough to make it.

“I cleared us a path. Let’s get out of here,” the Red King says as he picks me up.

We use the many trees around us as cover while the Red King shoots down the undead gunslingers, however, I don’t shoot because my guns aren’t effective. Now I know what a damsel in distress feels like. First, I was wrong about coming here and now I feel useless. What could possibly…why do I even wonder? Another group of undead bounty hunters come out of the ground, but this one is lead by a one that I’ve heard of before. He’s a tall man with a missing right eye, a skull badge, and belt buckle, and a revolver with a barrel that has a skull on it.

“Jericho the Wall, it’s an honor to meet you,” the Red King says with a bow and tip of his hat.

“Haha, they gave me the nickname of the wall?” Jericho asks.

“Your story is told to all the bounty hunters who serve God and His Church. In fact, you’re going to be canonized as a saint soon.”

Jericho’s story is told as history, but most people think it’s just a legend. He gave up his evil ways and defended a church by himself only to be gunned down at the front door. His blood then somehow formed a barrier around the church that sucked in the sinners that tried to harm it. It’s no wonder why most think this is a legend despite the fact that no one has been able to scratch the church that Jericho defended even to this day.

“I’m afraid that I still have a debt to pay before I enter Heaven and claim the title of saint.”

“I’ll gladly get you there, Chris,” the Red King says before firing Wesker only to find that the gun is empty.

The Red King puts away his gun, puts me down, puts his red coat on a tree branch as if it were a coat hanger, and takes out his shotgun Kar en Tuk. This is shotgun was made to kill demons or rather demon-possessed people and the undead. The hulking man who owned it died while fighting alongside the Red King. It was a gift to him who was a friend and fellow bounty hunter of the Church.

“This is a fairer challenge. I’m sorry, lady, but this is a dual between us two.”

“Let me handle this, Sargrantina. I promise you that I won’t lose.”

“Always the gentleman, Jackie.”

Took the words right from my head-wait, did he say the Red King’s real name? It’s Jackie?

“Is this going to be a fair fight or are you going to let the other undead join the fight?”

“This is a fair fight.”

“Then I’ll take the first shot.”

Jericho dodges Jackie’s first shot that hits and kills two undead. To even the odds, Jackie goes after the other undead and kills them all in three shots with dodging Jericho’s shots by using the trees as cover. Now that the battle is one-on-one, the two stand behind a tree waiting for the other to pop out. Jackie pops out first before Jericho and shoots him. The shotgun blast cuts a chunk out of the tree it hits along with Jericho who it cuts in half. Jackie goes up to Jericho and points his shotgun at him.

“Finally. My debt has been paid,” Jericho says.

“Pray for me in Heaven, Chris,” Jackie says while making the sign of the cross.

He then shoots Jericho and stands still for a moment before coming back to put on his jacket and pick me back up. Everything seems to have quieted down now, so it seems like we can finally take it easy. It isn’t long before we make it to a small inn. There aren’t many people who appear to be a threat here, so we should be safe. We buy the last room available and go to rest in it to find that there’s only one bed big enough for two people. When we bought the room, the man at the desk didn’t ask what kind of room we wanted. He must’ve assumed we were a couple because Jackie was carrying me and gave us a couple’s room.

“It looks like we’re going to have to share-”

Jackie throws me on the bed and goes to sit down on the floor. I’ve never felt so rejected before.

I get back up and ask the Red King, “Jackie. Is that your real name?”

“Yes, it is. Please don’t use it in front of other people.”

I get up in his face.

“The real names of bounty hunters are worth a fortune, especially the real names of a top bounty hunter like you.”

“Can you put your love of money on the side for now?”

“Why should I?”

“Shouldn’t my help in saving your life, giving you all the reward money, and getting you to confession be enough for you to at least be grateful to me?”

“…tch. I guess so, but what would you do if I give up your real name?”

“Then I’d have to kill you and everyone who heard it.”

“Why?”

“Because this is my last bounty. After this, I want to find a wife, create a family, and live in seclusion.”

“Oh.”

“Can you please get out of my face now? The only woman I want this close to my face is my future wife.”

“What if I am your future wife?” I jokingly suggest.

“Hahaha!”

He laughed. A man known for being no-nonsense and stoic just laughed. I want to feel proud of managing to pull a laugh out of him, but he laughed in my face about the possibility of me being his future wife.

“You got a lot of nerve laughing about that!” I say while hitting him.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, hahaha! It’s too funny! Hahaha!”

“You have to make this up to me for laughing at me like I’m some kind of fool!”

“What, hahaha, what do you want me to do?”

I try pulling Jackie up and onto the bed, but he doesn’t move so I just throw myself at him.

“You have to sleep with me.”

“I told you-”

“I don’t mean that. I just mean to sleep with me and nothing more.”

“Isn’t there anything else that I can repay you?”

“No!”

“Fine. Do as you wish.”

I try to get myself comfortable with him, but I can’t for some reason. His eyes as he looks at me get me to blush when it’s usually me who makes the men blush.

“Sleep on the bed!” I say as I pull him up.

“Okay, but we have to sleep as far apart as we can.”

“There’s no argument from me.”

He’s finally on the bed, but I thought I could get him to blush or reaction, however, it’s me who’s blushing even more now, so I stay as far away from him on the bed as possible. I’m not falling for him. I’m not falling for him! He’s already laughed at my face at the thought of us being together. He probably doesn’t like me as a person either because of my focus on money. Yeah. It’ll never happen, but…why does it bother me? Maybe…no! I’m not going to prove my parents right! Never!