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Thread: (M) The Treasure of the Lost Mountains IC (bluemoon x Siks apocy RP) (M)

  1. #21
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    Ez looked up at Jackal, a genuine smile of amusement playing around her lips and in her eyes. His presence was not a surprise, anyone could smell his fragrant tobacco smoke from afar and she was no exception. She had to admit he was stealthy like a wild cat and without it he may have snuck up on her despite her good vantage point. She had not spared him a glance until his words, surprised to find his gaze focused on the horizon--any other man would have been staring into the clear depths. An actual gentleman? she mused inwardly.

    "Is it my nudity that makes me vulnerable, or perhaps the fact that I am submerged in water?" she asked, her tone light. "I could be out of this pond before you made it to the edge...nude or not," she teased. Her hand still gripped her gun, but she made no move to lift it in threat. She was playing with him, gauging his reaction. "Hopefully, you're not that type of 'asshole'."

    Across the way, Gabriel was now standing, his hand twitching towards his weapon as he observed the interaction. Ezra caught the movement and shook her head, dismissing him with a stay of her hand. "Besides, I have my trusty watchdog to guard my back," she said sarcastically. "The one and only Gabriel, angel of death...he'll cut your throat in your sleep just for snoring." Her words were light, but their meaning was not. In the passing of a few seconds, the Black Jack outlaw relaxed his pose, narrowing his eyes as he continued to watch the pair.

    With the situation hopefully controlled, Ezra leaned back in the water, bringing both of her hands into the pond, the weapon now dismissed. Call it female intuition or just plain foolishness, but she no longer felt threatened by the company. A cool breeze played over her exposed wet skin and her body responded, goose bumps covering her flesh and her nipples going taut. Under normal circumstances, she would have invited Jackal in to bathe with her, but Gabe would be a problem with that scenario, and she dismissed it quickly. Instead she languidly turned in the water and dove under, splashing water onto the sand. When she surfaced, her hair was dripping, the wavy curls framing her face. She was surprised by the vigilante's resolve. Fully dressed he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and now that she was exposed completely, he changed his tune and looked away. This one is going to be fun, she thought. She had never met a gentleman before.

  2. #22
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    Jackal chuckled at the woman's teasing and glanced at the big goon watching the interaction. There was Watchdogs then there was former lovers and the way he looked at them the tall man would learn towards the latter.
    Hmm maybe she does look like bad road below the belt if something like Gabriel got a ride. The man thought puffing gently on his pipe his eyes narrowing on a herd of Kufu darting across the dunes likely running from something. Kufu is good meat, but a bitch to catch and you need good marksmen skills to hit their small twitchy bodies.

    "And I could've shot you in the few seconds it would take you to lift yourself up from the water and get your bead again. As for your guard back there. The thing I've learned about dogs is unless they're fixed they can always bite the hand that feeds them. Then they must be put down." He took a long drag of his pipe and walked to the edge of the small ledge getting a closer look at the Kufu herd while his peripheral vision kept the nude form of Ez and her dog in sight. He caught glances of her body and taut nipples, but while it's perfectly fine to stare at an attractive woman in the relative safety of a town getting distracted by them in the Wastes is a risk generally not worth taking even if she was naked and willing to let you stare.

    Leaning on his right leg he pulled small telescope from the long pocket in his coat and extended it. Kufu are skittish by nature, but they were running a good distance and some were dashing out away from the rest of the herd as if dodging something. Not many predators in the wastes could keep up with the Kufu, most relied on ambush or in case of the few flying predators a well-aimed divebomb. There was too much dust for him to really see anything, but it would be something to keep in mind especially since they are going in that direction.
    "You ever have Kufu meat?" He asked still looking at the animals herd.


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  3. #23
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    Ez ran her fingers through her hair and squeezed out the excess water before climbing out of the cool pond. She used her hand to wipe off her skin before starting to put on her discarded clothing. Her state of dress did not bother her--eventually all riding companions would see each other naked and she had grown used to it and the attention it sometimes drew. Her gaze wavered between the figure of Jackal and Gabe as she spoke.

    "No, can't say that I have," she answered in a distracted tone, still thinking of his previous comment. She dressed slowly, allowing her skin to dry in the hot air before finishing. Lastly, she pulled on her dusty black boots and tightened the laces, one section at a time. She took a few steps towards the man, her gaze on the dusty trail of the beasts.

    "You could have shot me while I was in the saddle or on the ground also. No difference. And I don't think my chances of beating you to the gun would have been any better. You are the vigilante, after all." She pulled up beside him, hands hanging loosely at her side. "As for Gabe, he's already in the doghouse, just a matter of time before he gets that bullet." She didn't elaborate, merely shuffled the sand at her feet. "Most of the men here paid me to take them out scaving, few days at the most. Only Gabe and Deck are with me as guides." She pointed her chin to a squat man with a long scruffy beard and cowboy-style hat. "This treasure trip--it's yours and you can decide who we take along. Deck is reliable and no trouble--not so bright, but he has good eyes and is quick on the draw. Good cook too. Gabe, well as I'm sure you have noticed, he's a hot head but not squeamish when it comes to dirty work. He's been with me for a few months and follows orders fairly well."

    She untied a small satchel from her waist and took out a square of yellowed paper and a pinch of tobacco. She rolled a cigarette with deft fingers, striking a match against a boulder to light it. She drew the smoke in, holding her breath for a moment before exhaling. The tobacco had a light minty aroma, the dried leaves mixed with a common wintergreen plant to create the scent.

    "You really think this treasure of myth exists?" she asked. "I could see myself living in the mountains, away from all this dust and heat, if I got my hands on some of that fortune." She let out a soft sigh, her body close enough to his to feel the added heat coming from his skin. She wiped away the sweat on her forehead, already missing the cool water of the pond.

  4. #24
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    Jackal inhaled the minty smoke of Ez's cigarette. It was nice and complimented the clean smell coming off the woman after her bath. But scented tobacco always gave him a headache if he took too much in. But for now it was nice and the closeness of the Scavver was kinda cozy, he wondered if putting an arm around her would be too much...probably. Besides getting close to anyone out here was bad especially a woman.

    Shaking the thought from his head he tried to think of small talk. He was a man of many skills, but conversation wasn't one of them. At least he'd enjoy her closeness. Finally he thought of something.
    "Hmm too bad, Kufu is good. A little stringy, but like rabbit or even Jackalope if you can find one they taste great in stew or as jerky." He noticed his Guide beginning to sweat and reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautifully stitched red, white, and blue bandana and moved to hand it to her. But he'd dislodged the battered black leather bible tucked into his belt. The book tumbled down and the man moved in an urgent jerky way and quicker than most people could and snatched the old book's cover before it hit the dirt. The way he caught it the contents could be seen, it was all hand-written. Though anyone could tell it wasn't written in a man's hand. The lettering too flowing and neat. It opened to Genesis to where God had just made Eve for Adam.

    Jackal let out a relieved sigh and quickly inspected the spine and cover for damage. Luckily there was none. He quickly put the bible back to it's place and handed Ez the bandana to wipe her sweat away with. He was sure she had seen the book and might have questions, but that was a conversation he was not ready to have with someone he'd only known for not even a full day. So he quickly came up with a subject change.
    "If we ever manage to catch one I'll have to show you my mother's recipe for Kufu burgers, very tasty. We didn't have them much growing up since my Grandfather was the only one in the family who could shoot quick enough and well enough to kill one without ruining the meat. A skill he learned in the old Pine Runner Bounty Hunter group, and a skill he lost when a Black Jack destroyed his right hand." Jackal didn't know why he just shared a personal detail like that but it was less personal than talking about his mother's bible.

    He pondered how to answer her last question. In his gut he knew it existed, but his gut wasn't agreeing with his head or his heart. Grandpa Gregor always said trust your gut, but sometimes his head knows what it is talking about when it begins to doubt things. He pulled his extinguished pipe out of his mouth and tapped the bowl of ash into the palm of his hand. He couldn't let the woman know of his doubts or this whole thing could go to hell.
    "Yes I do Ez, and you're more than welcome to join me in the mountains if you wish." He let out a smirk giving the woman a wink and walking over to the pond. Kneeling down he dunked his hand into the water and let the clear liquid dissolve the ash and dissipate it. This was another one of his habits. Destroying the evidence of his going anywhere was key in staying alive out in Ragged America. Once the ash was gone he stood up and rubbed his hand against his pant leg drying it and cleaning his hand off. He nodded to Ez again joining her once again.
    Last edited by SikstaSlathalin; 01-12-2018 at 05:23 AM.


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  5. #25
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    Ez enjoyed the comfort of the vigilante's closeness, taking it for what it was--a move on her part to bring intimacy into their conversation It was a ploy that had worked many times in the past. His talk of Kufu seemed forced, but she listened to his idle chatter with rapt attention. They would be spending a lot of time together and she was sure they would discuss many things, both personal and arbitrary, before it was over. She wanted to be sure to remember any details that might come up later. Showing the unusual side of himself again, she was surprised and amused when he reached for a bandana when she began to sweat. Ez took the proffered kerchief, a quizzical look on her face, but not due to the offer of a hanky. The book. She had reached for the falling item that had resided near the hanky at the same time as he, her speed no match for his. She had a few books in her possession and she had read them all many times--even the red covered one that he had projected at her wall earlier that morning. Books were a rarity now, most of them destroyed by fire or time, but she had seen his book before, one that had been very common before the pre-fire. The page title of "Genesis" was so familiar to her... Before she had a chance to work out the title, he had slipped it back in its place, quickly changing the subject.

    Ordinarily, Ez was a very curious person, but she knew when to keep quiet, and this was one of those times. Kerchief in hand, she dotted the soft material against her face, soaking up the beads of perspiration gathering there. "Thank you," she said softly, not wanting to interrupt him as he continued his conversation. It's lovely, she thought, wondering if his mother or perhaps a girlfriend has made it for him. ...and the colors where a symbol of some sort also. Another memory she couldn't quite grasp.

    And then she started, her body becoming erect at the mention of his grandfather's right hand being destroyed by a Black Jack. Diablo, her mind screamed. She had heard the story, from Diablo's own lips, while he and his cohorts sat by a fire. Bragging. She had been strung up by her wrists to a tree branch, her body aching from their beating and her back screaming from the burns. She had been unconscious for a large part of that day, finally awaking to the sound of their laughter, and wishing she could slip back into the darkness. She shut out the memory as quickly as it came, and without thought rolled her shoulders, feeling the pull of the scars hidden by the large tattoo that covered her back.

    Lawless' voice pulled her in again as he affirmed his belief that the treasure in the mountains existed. His flirtatious offer to join him in the mountains was answered with a brief smile from her lips--she might enjoy joining with him in another way, and long before they reached any mountains. Her mind played more with that idea as he bent over the water, giving her a nice shot of his behind. She forced her thoughts elsewhere when he rejoined her, chastising herself for having those thoughts so soon. She blamed Liddie, the woman had driven the idea of him as a lover into her mind to begin with.

    She cleared her throat, stubbing out her cigarette on the ground. Like Lawless, she picked up the evidence of her presence and put it into her satchel. "Perhaps," she started, responding to his offer in the mountains. "...if you play your cards right. But tell me, were you close to your grandfather? I only ask because you said he was a bounty hunter...similar to you. Did you follow in his footsteps?" And then the title came to her...Bible! Although the word did not escape her mouth, she had formed it silently with her lips. It also had a feminine touch to it--the writing had been very neat, more commonly associated with a woman's hand. Mother? Girlfriend? She believed his mother was more likely than a common whore. Her curiosity nagged at her, something she would keep in check for another day.

  6. #26
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    Jackal hmmed softly at Ez's reply to his invite. She would be a good choice, but he would still keep that particular tidbit of information to himself. The herd of Kufu had finally run by and the dust was settling from their stampede. There was still no sign of whatever was chasing them, so Jackal pocketed his pipe alongside his telescope and turned back to see the men had a quick camp set up and gentle wraiths of smoke were drifting up from a couple of fires burning merrily below them.

    As she brought up his Grandfather, a deep frown creased his face.
    "Yes, very much so." Was all he said before he took a step towards the camp. "Looks like that Deck fellow has some lunch cooking for us. Come let us get some before the rest of your men eat it on us, as long as they don't eat everything they're welcome to come along with us as long as they wish." Adjusting his pistol belt the tall man slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat and began walking slowly back to camp.


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  7. #27
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    Once again the man changed the subject following the brief answer and a look of discontent on his face. His family seemed to be off limits and Ez decided to respect that for the time being. She followed him to the camp, their footsteps the only sound between them. After everyone ate their fill, they packed up their meager belongings and headed along the dusty trail made by the Kufu. Bellies full with food and water, the company was quiet, most content to digest the meal and wallow in their own thoughts. Ezra was no different.

    They rode several hours in the hot sun, the temperature finally starting to drop when Ezra deviated from the Kufu trail and traveled to a sparsely vegetated spot. There was little beauty to the place, sand and more sand for all the eye to see. In the distance, there was a small rocky ledge, the only break in the desert terrain. Sitting on her mount, she waited while the men started to set up camp before she broke away. Gabriel lifted his head to watch her leave, a barely discernible shake of his head his only reaction.

    Ezra rode to the small outcropping at a moderate pace, her horse's cloven hooves taking the steep upward climb easily. His hooves had earned him his name, Clove, but she rarely called him thus. From this vantage point, she could see their camp...and that of the Kufu. The area the beasts had chosen would have been her first choice--the only difference being the lush growth of vegetation. Whatever had been pursuing them was surely in the distance, waiting for nightfall to finish their hunt. She had no plans of being in their path when that happened, hence, the location she had chosen.

    Dismounting, Ez searched the area for any signs of human disturbance. It didn't take her long to find the remains of a fire that had been hastily buried, the cinders no longer radiating heat. On hands and knees she dug into the rocky sand, finding the butt of a cigar and small chewed bones, the marrow sucked clean from them. Whoever had been here had stayed at least long enough to have a meal. It was a good vantage point, but not one that would cause any trouble for her camp--unless the person was a sharp shooter with a high powered rifle. The vigilante was the only one who came to mind--his skills or better would be required. Even so, she would double up on the guard duty tonight. She couldn't help but wonder if Lawless had other reasons for joining her group. She did, after all, have a few Black Jack members in her midst, and she had seen the glances they had speared at each other. She would team him up with her, just in case he decided to "retire" them permanently. She wasn't going to fool herself by thinking she could stop him, but perhaps her presence alone would be a deterrent.
    Last edited by bluemoon; 01-13-2018 at 05:20 PM.

  8. #28
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    Lawless spent most of the ride to the night camp studying the map and adding features to it as he rode by them. He wasn't the one who originally drew the map to the Lost Mountains, a Hermit he saved gave it to him after Jackal dropped a pair of Rhindragons that had been killing his sheep herd. But it only showed the Hermit's house and a few towns like Durcell and Carousel and a dotted line that ended with an X marked "1 month's travel East." The Vigilante had no clue how the old man knew that, but he looked to be the Treasure Hunter type and Jackal had no use for trinkets and treasures at that time so he took the map and began venturing out himself and completing the map. Adding more towns, safe spots, dangers and the like. Though once they reach about half way down the dotted line his map is bare of information.

    He'd never been able to go much further than the Silver Mine Oasis on his own. The mining town told him the area past their borders is filled with bigger meaner creatures and rumors of a Tribe of Mutated Humans living among them. Jackal was a good shot, but he didn't have enough bullets for either of his guns to make it past creatures and Mutants like that. But now that there were this many people with him, maybe he could have a chance.

    He finished the additions right as they were reaching Ez's chosen camp site. Rolling the map up he placed it in his pocket and watched Ez wander off to get the lay of the land. It was a good idea and he contemplated following her. But there were a couple of things he wanted to check on the low ground around them. They've been following the Kufu trail since the first stop and their footprints were all zigging across the sands, but with some luck he could find the prints of whatever predator was after them. Could be Rhindragons, Takkadors, Glawvos, or God forbid a family of Crawlers. None of which he very much felt like being attacked by especially with night coming. That was the Crawlers favorite time to ambush, especially if they weren't able to catch their day meal.

    Staying on Vash's back the pair walked slowly around the perimeter starting at 200 yards and working their way inwards. This was at the very edge of the Kufu herd so it'd be the most likely place to find tracks. The males didn't find any at the edge, but as they wound in back to camp they saw some canine prints. The man let out a big sigh, that means he could eliminate most of the big and nasties though Wolves and Coyotes were still an option. Less nightmare inducing but still dangerous especially if they're hungry. Aside from a few partial prints he couldn't tell how many were after the Catalopes, too obliterated by the prey tracks.

    He returned to camp and tied Vash to a grassy patch to enjoy himself then started after Ez to tell him what he found. But a firm hand grabbed the back of his coat and pulled him back nearly taking the tall man off his feet. But the reflexes of a Vigilante are quicker than a normal man's Jackal spun into the yank and turned around his pistol out and the hammer cocked. He stared into the angry ugly face of Gabe and a couple of his former Black Jack comrades behind him. The goons cringed back and half drew their own weapons, but Gabe grunted at them before turning back to Jackal.
    "Where the fuck do you think you're goin'?" He asked fearlessly staring into the gun barrel of the Lawman.

    Jackal kept his gun aimed at the center of Gabe's head.
    "To tell Ms. Bastian what I found scouting the area."

    The man sneered.
    "I'm Ez's second in command, hows about you tell me and I go tell her? Even guys like you gotta respect the chain of command."

    Jackal shook his head taking a step closer to Gabe then smirked that dangerous smirk from the bar as the man took a step back himself.
    "I'm the Client and Financier of this adventure. No Chain of Command applies to me, now move before you force me to waste a bullet on you." Jackal really didn't want to burn through any of his ammo before they even got to day two of this trip.

    But Gabe growled and step back letting the Vigilante's barrel rest against his forehead.
    "Do it then ya big fop, cause we don't like murderers like you gettin' so close to the boss."

    Jackal rolled his eyes and simply pistol-whipped the man across his face sending him into a crumpled pile to the left.
    "When I say move Black Jack, you move. Cross me again and I will kill you." He holstered the pistol and walked up the hill to Ez leaving the goons to pick up their Alpha dog.
    Last edited by SikstaSlathalin; 02-02-2018 at 11:00 PM.


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  9. #29
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    Ez did not miss much that went on around her, as long as she was sober, and the altercation between Gabe and Jackal was no exception. From her perch on the craggy outcropping, she could see the two men face off, although the words spoken were beyond her ability to hear. It was obvious they had disagreed on something and both were too hard-headed to back down in their decision of how to handle it. In some ways, they were very much alike. Curiosity kept her from returning to intervene, that, and the fact that this tension between them was inevitable and would have to be dealt with at some point. Either the men would figure it out, or one of them would be defeated, one way or the other. She had her suspicions who would be the victor.

    When Gabe collapsed to the ground, Ez put her attention solely on the vigilante as he walked towards her vantage point, his stride long and confident. She positioned herself near the furthest edge of the cliff, her heels barely on solid ground, facing the pathway. The abundant scree on the path made it almost impossible to disguise one's approach and with the addition of Clove's nickering, she knew the moment the lawman had arrived.

    "Interesting way to solve a disagreement," she reproached as soon as Jackal appeared. She chanced a glance behind her to assure the fate of Gabriel, satisfied when she saw him standing with the support of the other Black Jacks. "He isn't going to forget the scar you forced on his pride...damn near impossible to keep the peace now."

  10. #30
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    Jackal nodded then shrugged pulling out the map and writing a note on Wolf track around their present location.
    "I know, but letting him get away with something as thinly veiled as jealously would've made matters worse as well. At least now he may think twice before trying to pull that shit again." He showed the woman the map and pointed the pencil around the small hill. "Wolves were chasing the Kufu before, I don't know where they are now. But it's safe to say they wouldn't have gone far from such a meal." He rolled up the map and put it back in his pocket.

    "I don't know how you normally do the watch posts for your expeditions, but I'd recommend four man shifts. One guy up here looking out, one guy walking the perimeter of the camp, and the other two a bit further out within eye shot of the guy up here." A cool wind blew across the look-out point and it caused the Vigilante to flip the collar up on his long coat.


    Xbox One Gamertag: Free Today56 just say who you are first.
    Breath deep as the snow falls around you. Let it fill your lungs and purify the fires of doubt within you.



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