Samuel gave an easy going smile to his new companion. He had so many questions... though he was of two minds at the moment. Death was not something one generally shrugged off, as much as he was prepared for it. Ironhand wasn't just his boss, he was also a friend. Samuel often thought he might have become a sheriff too someday... the realities of the job though, were laid bare on this day. Would it ever get better? In this free land...
Still, he was glad to have Erica and her... friend? Well whoever she was, Nikki was quite an interesting person as well. despite their appearances, they seemed so human. This was extraordinarily apparent a few moments ago. He had already guessed when he saw Erica wearing the dress, but it was cemented by her reaction when she offered to 'spray' the varments...
"It's not appealin' is it," He said, his tone even.. not quite a question, more a statement.
"Is what?" Asked Erica uncertainly. "The meat smells rather nice," she said as it was cooked on their campfire.
"I mean... the idea of you usin' your... spray," He explained.
Erica gave another shy look. "It would work though..." she said blushing quite a bit now.
"I can tell you find it.. undignified to say the least," He said softly. Would an animal be concerned about dignity? Definitely not. A species with such abilities would not be shy to use them naturally. He could only draw a few conclusions from this. The girl must have at the very least, been raised by humans... or something like a human?
It was the only possibility.
"Where are you from Erica?" The young man asked, placing his hat at the side.
"Far away," She explained. "We can't... easily go back."
"Pity, I might like to see your world. Could be... interesting." He said with a smirk.
"You really wouldn't want to go there," Erica explained. "We're... that is... humans..." She trailed off. Should she explain it? "The world is very different. If you go there, you would have to give up everything." Erica looked down at her own body sadly.
Nikki leaned closer interested in the conversation as she listened.
"Here, we live young... die young," said Samuel. "Law is a rare breed. I think it's worth fightin' for though. That's why I volunteered to help the sheriff. Didn't do so well in school I guess," He grinned.
"You seem smart to me," Erica said after evaluating him. He couldn't have been older then eighteen?
"Most people in town are all smiths. Never had the hand for that sort of work. I'm a fairly good shot, so had that goin' for me."
The skunk girl sighed. This time felt.. barbaric. The mordern world was like living in a vast hotel sometimes. There was no wildness to it. But here, this was untamed nature. Beautiful, but so deadly. People here lived on the edge, with little medicine, and a very short life expectancy. "There will be other kind's of jobs eventually," The skunk girl said thoughtfully. "And... I'm impressed by your skills to survive."
"Listen... I don't want you to suffer any indignities," Said Samuel. "Cutler is trained to search. He will find them I'm sure. When he does, I'll take em."
"That's suicide," Erica said aghast. "The plan is sound... you need me." She was still a bit worried about it though.
Nikki looked up. "My glands aren't as strong as yours yet... but I might be able to help too," She said with surprisingly less embarrassment, though she did seem a bit reluctant all the same.
Samuel shook his head. "I feel like I'm askin' way too much of you gals. You both seem so... human." He said surprised he actually said it.
"We..." Erica wanted to say it. That she was human... but.. she just couldn't. It would make things even worse. "I just..."
"You worry about what others think of you?" Samuel said tilting his head.
Erica blushed again. "Y-yes..." Though it was specifically, what Samuel would think of her. She didn't want him to be angry about her abilities. It was a sickening, and embarrassing thing to have... but it was there. Right now, it could be used... they would be incapacitated with ease and there would be no bloodshed.
The young man gave an easy going smile. "We're pretty close to nature ourselves here. You ain't got nothin' to worry about it from me. You are what you are, you know?"
Erica smiled a bit and nodded in the end, the warmth of her cheeks spreading down a little making her shiver. she went back to the campfire. She glanced down at her dress, annoyed that she was even wearing one. When she changed back to this form, her clothes had also reset to this. It wasn't a bad fabric really... though right now, it felt like it was rubbing her nipples a bit. She glanced down... noticing them poking out despite her petite and small form. It must be the wind... she got closer to the fire, sighing.
Keith wolf grinned. "You boys did well. We got the sheriff good."
"Word is, you lost the gold" said one of them. He was a lot older, and very unkempt.
"Relax... relax... have I ever stirred the gang wrong?"
"You sent my pa to jail, I felt you should have rotted there too."
"Well you'll be a richer man and trust me, you'll get your pa out of jail once we get the loot." Keith grinned. "I burred some more of it around here... I just need to walk around a bit to get my bearings...."
In the church, the lizard man looked angrily at the devil creature, as she continued to sweep. "We'll see what the priest says about this! Where is he!"
"Indeed... where is he," Robert asked sighing, looking at the podium. "He's not here... any more."
The lizard looked annoyed but said nothing, as he sat on the benches.
Robert sighed again as he took away more of the ash. They were waiting for something... they were waiting for a priest. She finished tidying and sweeping... She could feel something calling. Something more to clean up... something she couldn't see but knew intimately anyway. With a strength she never thought she could have, she actually walked up onto the podium..
The congregation looked aghast at her. There was a lot of murmuring amongst them.
"Some of you..." Robert began, her husky voice being slightly held back as she tried to speak seriously. "Some of you... are wondering where the priest is... He is not here. He left... but... I am here."
The church fell silent.
Robert looked at them. "Our church was burned... in the name of religion. It is not right... if we can do this to a building, what do we do to each other?" She was asking this to herself but the church people seemed to be thinking about this. "We.. want answers. You expect the priest to know... A priest.. is expected to know. But... it is the height of hubris to believe we know God's plan in this..." she braced herself to reveal the truth. "I am... what is left of Father Robert."
There were shocked stares again.
"... and I have committed sin. The destruction was mine... the taint of hatred, encouraged by my hand. I beg... your forgiveness. Those who are transformed into devils are not devils... not the Enemy. They are our children, our fathers.. mothers... our families. Please, we must not hate them... Please.... I was wrong." The young devil girl was almost in tears as she said this.
"You really pretended you were normal for weeks?" Asked Jon talking to Steven.
"Yeah.. well.. I was only hit by the light for just.. a fraction of a second. Not long. I looked at it with a shutter. I thought I had got away with it."
"It must have been awful," Said Jon sympathetically.
"To be honest.. I'm... rather relived not to be hiding it any more. Also it seems a lot of people have it really difficult, I can't really complain." She said. It was true wasn't it? She was a plant but she still had mobility... she didn't lose anything a normal human had... did she? She was a girl, but half the population was.. and they got on just fine. It was just a bit strange that she could sense the needs of flowers around her... but again, that was not really a loss or a gain in of itself. Looking at Jon, being forced to crawl her way around the classroom, leaving a trail of slime everywhere... she felt terribly sad for her. How could she possibly say that though?
Mrs summers, the teacher walked curiously to Jon. "I have.. a special reading assignment for you Jon," She said taking out a book.
"Yes miss?" Jon asked looking up.
"I want you to read... the first chapter, of 2001 A space odyssey."
Jon blinked. That seemed... very off topic. "What's... my assignment?"
"The character of moon-watcher... I'd like you to write about him. The ape who became the master of the world, gaining knowledge before all others... and who had to think of something next."
