Wanagi Yata - Place of Souls IC

[Aya MacArthur]

It all started with a small tribe of Indians who lived here, in the Superstition Mountains. They were a peaceful people who loved their piece of Heaven that the Gods had given them. It was a utopia. As the Indians called it, an inland sea. The waters were full of fish, the lands full of game, the soil perfect for crops, and the sky was always willing to give water; however, like many stories of utopia, this one had a horrible ending.

The people of this tribe grew lazy, and greedy. They stopped praying to the Gods, believing themselves to be the cause of all their wealth and success. Their selfish behavior started to show on the land. Their inland sea began to die. The waters began to dry up, the games began to die off, the soil became barren, and the sky never let a drop of rain fall. The people of the tribe became angry with the Gods, asking what action was done to deserve such a punishment. The Gods answered with more disaster. The chief of the tribe went to the highest peak of the mountain to talk with the Gods himself. He asked why they got no rain. A voice responded: “If it is rain you want, than rain you shall have...”

The skies instantly drew dark, and rain began to fall. At first, the tribe was ecstatic but their happiness was short lived. The water never stopped. It flooded their crops, their houses, everything. The tribe was forced up the mountain til their was no room left to go. The tribe elders tried all their magick to stop the rain, but all was in vain. They would never best the Gods. The chief, exhausted, told his people that he had one piece of magick left to save them. He conducted his magick, and turned himself and his people into rocks.

From then on, these mountains were cursed.

The Spanish came, in search of gold and other treasures, but only found their demise. Geronimo’s Gold Cave should have been proof enough for me, but it wasn't enough.

I allowed many fellow minors to go into these mountains, and come back cursed- or not at all. I watched for many years.

Then it came my turn, to selfishly go into the mountains in search of my own treasure. I am a scientific man. I never believed these stories of curses and legends, but I must say now, I was naïve. I went off- alone- in search of my fortune. What I found was horrendous. It was a portal, to another plane of existence, and I opened it. I should have listened. The demons I released upon this world are deadly to anything living here. They are very reptilian like- like walking lizards. They can only come out of the portal when someone uncovers it, and I did. I went back after I had realized my mistake, to bury the portal, but those mountains can be very tricky. The doorway was no longer there, another one took it's place. This one released giants. I covered the hole to the other worlds, but it won't be long til it is accidentally uncovered.

I am writing this letter, to be found after I die. I hope that this knowledge will help some future persons to get rid of this evil I unknowingly allowed to walk this Earth. There is no way to atone for what I have done, but with this letter I give my life- a sacrifice- in hopes that all will once be peaceful again.

I leave with one last message: the pure of heart can only succeed in this task. The Gods have turned their backs on this place, as have the people. You will face this task alone, due to there are no more people pure of heart, poor soul. I wish you the best, and apologize again for leaving this to someone who does not deserve it.

Signed,

Jacob Heins


Jacob Heins gave his life in 1883 in hopes that one day some brave soul, or souls, would come to the aid of the town at the base of the Superstitions. Five years after his death, his worse fears would come to light. The portals from Hell opened up, and took the lives of everyone in his town- leaving no survivors. A group of Indians and other folks came to the town, in search of a new life. Little did they know that the life they left behind would be Heaven compared to what they faced now in Wanagi Yata - the Place of Souls...

________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Aya MacArthur]

Isabella walked quietly behind the caravan. Her thoughts were more on her past that the future she was so anxious to arrive to. Thoughts of her parents, her ex husband, and her sister clouded her mind. If Elizabet had not beaten the yellow fever, she would be all alone in this world. It was a miracle that she thanked God for ever day.

Ella looked down at her sister walking besides her. It was so wonderful that they were gaining a new life together. This new start in Wanagi Yata was exactly what they both needed. Ella had enough in her pocket to get a house and a place for her tavern she wanted to open. It would be nice if she could find one of those buildings that had an apartment on top of the place of business. There, she would rebuild her life with Liza. All they needed was each other, at least at first. She did not plan on running a business by herself- she would need a staff of some sort after her tavern became a popular thing among these people, and she knew it would. People out west loved their drink, just like they did in Louisiana.

She would not let her thoughts wander to that place. Sadness only awaited her in that corner of her mind.

"Are you tired of walking yet, Liza?" She asked her sister.

Liza simply shook her head. "Not yet sister. I have a few miles left in me."

"That's my girl..." Ella replied. Isabella was so proud of her little sister. No matter what happened since the death of their parents, Elizabet just seemed to only want to be with Ella. Her replies were always short, but always seemed to be what Ella wanted to hear. Liza never seemed to talk to anyone else though. She used to be such a playful girl. But such things were to be expected. Elizabet would soon become more social when they got to their destination- or at least, that is what Isabella hoped for.

[Dio the Awesome]

An unsually heavy bump in a carrige caused the cargo in the back to lift off the floor. Among the cargo lay a man who bolted up in surprise. "Dear mother of Jesus!" He shouted and quickly glanced around to get his bearings. Sacks of potatoes, several boxes, a basket of vegtables he couldn't name, and his own personal satchel. He eyed the satchel suspiciously, before remembering it belonged to him, not that it mattered otherwise. He ruffled through it until he found an unlabled bottle of whiskey, and downed several gulps. Then he pulled his jacket aside, and looked at his guns. They were both where he left them. They were both loaded with six rounds each, which told him that he didn't kill anyone the night before. Not with his guns at least.

He unstably walked to the rear of the carrige, and pulled aside the cover. The bright light blinded him, and the pain in his skull told him that he had a hang over. "Moses save me! Curse the man who ever invented scotch! My achin-"

Another bump flipped him from his unstable perch, and spilled him, as well as his whiskey on the ground. He lay there for a few moment, before groaning and dusting himself off. He checked his bottle. He estimated he'd spilled about half of it, and the remainder was filled with dirt, and some grass. He shrugged, and took another gulp before surverying the open landscape. Behind them lay blue sky, open plain and the occasional hill. Ahead loomed ever growing mountains that somehow seemed darker than the rest of the world. He cursed the brightness, and pulled his hat down over his eyes. He walked forwards keeping his head down. It wasn't long before he began to overtake a woman.

He noticed her looking at him. Suddenly it dawned on him that she must have witnessed him falling out of the carrige. He dusted himself off again embarassedly, before opening his mouth to embarass himself more. "Morning ma'am." He tipped his hat, accidently blinding himself again, "Sh- Ah, how're you this day?"

[Aya MacArthur]

Ella looked at the dusty man in front of her, sizing him up. She knew from the moment she saw him, he would be a regular in her tavern. Protectively, she moved in front of Liza. "It is well past morning, sir." She said in reply. "That fall was pretty nasty, are you alright?"

Isabella looked him over again. If he was a clean man, and didn't smell of sweat and scotch, she may have found him attractive. His blue eyes were clear as the day, but his blond hair needed to be trimmed. He was indeed a dirty man, but had the potential to be handsome.

"I don't recognize you. Did you join the caravan at the beginning or late?" She asked quietly, her Louisiana accent coming through.

[Dio the Awesome]

"Alright?" He asks sounding confused. Oh right. I fell. He spins around once trying to look himself over. "I feel fine." He announces before taking two large steps to catch up and walk beside her. Here was a looker, he thought to himself. He stared at her awkwardly for several moments before opening his mouth again. "Oh. Where'd be my manners? Names Erin Whillicks. You ken just leave off the Whillicks part." He offered one hand for her to shake, and put his bottle of whiskey away with the other.

"As for the caravan, I was hired on as a last minute thing. Always looking for work, can't be too picky nowadays no ma'am. What about your little self, what do you intend to find in Wangit Yaty?"

[Aya MacArthur]

Isabella looked down at his hand before she finally took it after a sigh. "My name is Isabella; however, you may call me Ella." She let go of his hand. Ella slowed her walk so he would be able to keep up with her, why she did so, she did not know. She cast a glance at Elizabet to make sure she was alright with her talking to the man. She was a little upset over the fact that Erin did not even acknowledge Liza's being there. It was probably for the best. No use letting a stranger talk to her baby sister.

Liza just shook her head and smiled. "I will leave you two be." She said as she ran off into the crowd of people in front of her.

"I plan on starting a new life for me and my sister, Liza." Isabella sighed as she watched her sister disappear into the crowed. "I want to start a tavern of sorts- a local spot for all to be welcome." She said distantly.

[The Melancholy Spirit]

The trail was covered in a blanket of white noise, a mixture of the caravan wheels, clopping horseshoes, idle chatter, and the wind overhead; shaman road in silence off to the side, his head downcast as he chipped away at a stick with his knife, trusting his horse enough to keep them going in the right direction. The cacophony created around him was nothing more than a backdrop, something to make sure he knew that he wasn’t alone. Not until a bumbling man fell from the back of a carriage with a loud thud, kicking up a hail of dust, did Shaman look up.

He twisted his face at the carelessness of the man. After shaking his head he looked upward, squinting at the pressure of the sun. Their destination was still some distance away, he wagered, though was uncertain in all truth. Shaman had never been to this part of the country before, his life having kept him mostly to the north and at one point back east near the great lakes. Soon a conversation was struck close enough to him that he could make out the words.

When he glanced to the pair he noticed it was the dust-covered youth from the carriage. He was chatting with a young woman, roughly the same age as he. Shaman rolled his eyes at the looks the man gave her here and there. Men sizing woman up in a fashion that spoke only of pleasure, not realizing they were as much a threat in the proper circumstances as any man. When the girl mentioned her desire to start up a tavern where they were heading he smirked. Surely the men would flock to the place, if nothing else to look at the pretty girl behind the counter and do their best to get into her pantry.

He looked forward, slipping the knife into its sheath and tossing the stick off to the side. Removing his hat he ran a hand over his hair, looking to the youthful pair again. The way the boy had been chugging at the bottle he took him for a drunk, a wasted specimen of possible talent. Slim, but still possible.

Turning his horse gently, he ushered the steed toward them. As he neared them he reached into his a pouch at his side and pulled out a bundled of dried herbs and leaves.

“Boy,” he said in a deep voice. “Chew these, don’t need a gun flying wild and shooting half the caravan,” he added, tossing them down to Erin.

[Aya MacArthur]

Isabella looked at the man on the horse and suppressed a laugh, but a smile did break out onto her face- it even reached her eyes. She could tell that this man would be a good friend to have, or at least good company. He had an air about him, a sarcastic one, that just appealed to her. His brutal honesty was a quality she would cherish, as should any living person. Too many people out west lied.

"What is your name sir?" Bella asked as she looked up at him, her green eyes glowing in the sunlight. "Your horse is lovely." She didn't dare reach out to touch the steer, however. Men like this one probably trained his animals to avoid strangers.

She looked away from the man to scan the crowd for her sister. Bella did no see her anywhere, nor did she sense her presence. Panic over took her quickly. "If you gentlemen would excuse me, I need to go search for my sister..." She left the men standing there fast. Bella did not need distractions on this trip. She needed to keep her sister close.

Spotting her sister, she went up to her and grabbed her hand. Once she felt calm, she realized she didn't catch the man on the horses name before she ran off. Oh well... she thought to herself. There is much time to befriend and mingle once we reach our destination.

[Dio the Awesome]

"Who the Hell are yew callin' boy ya crazy son nu va-" He stopped as something was tossed at him which he barely caught. He looked up at the man on the horse. Erin thought he reminded him of one of those crazy eyed redskins, but he seemed to be just an ordinary man, even if he did have a dark tan. Then he looked down at the bundle of herbs and poked it with his finger. Still not satisfied, he sniffed it instead.

He recoiled from the smell, "What's this shit you've given me? Smells just like the colic mom made me drink! Phew!"

Suddenly Isabella rushed off before the guy on the horse could even get a word out, not that he minded. Erin frowned to see her go, but perked up again as he turned to the only other person in ear shot, "Boy golly I sure could watch her walk away a several times more how about ya? Names Erin by the way, and I'm only tell ya that so's ya don't call me boy again, ya hear? An' what is this sh-stuff anyway?" Erin asked, making some small effort to be civil.

[Shekinah]

This was her last chance. If this wouldn't work out, Anoii would just go back to where she came from to face everything she now ran from. Maybe that made her a coward - something she would never desribe herself as - but she also knew she didn't stand a chance if she'd go back. The headlines in the newspaper screamed for her head and if people would find out she was back, the dust would simply get blown off of these headlines and the journalists would put them back up again.

She stared to the mountains, blocking the sun from her eyes with a hand of which the fingers were tattooed. There, somewhere in the distance is my life waiting for me, she thought as she kept on walking. People around her were talking, some in nervous tones, others in more relaxed ones. She wondered why all of those people were here, what had made them decide to join this trip to an unsure future. Men, women, children, she wondered what they were like in the days before all of this. Maybe they wonder the same about me too. Isn't that just why I decided to join the caravan? To not have to think about who I was, but to create a new me? Or at least a new life?

She put down her hand and her eyes drifted across the people walking in front of her. Behind her, she heard a thumb and when she looked over her shoulder she saw a man on the ground who soon got to his feet again. Within seconds it seemed he was walking alongside a good looking young woman. Anoii looked to the mountains again, wondering how long it would take them to get there. Her feet weren't really sore, but she wouldn't refuse a break, if only to get a proper look of her surroundings. She grabbed a water bottle out of her bag and took a gulp. Then, a little girl passed her by. Soon after the woman she saw before walking up with the man who had fallen down passed her by too, and she grabbed the hand of the little girl that was walking in front of Anoii.

'Is that your little sister?,' she asked, not really being sure whether the girl was her sister, but feeling it would be better to ask if she was her sister instead of asking if she was her daughter.

[Squall Reyes]

The horses have seemed to get more and more jittery everyday, thought Jonah as he kept a tight hold of the reigns. The wagon they pulled held all of Jonah's possessions, including the parts he needed to start his own blacksmith shop once they reached their destination. With his whole life being pulled by these horses, it was understandable why Jonah was uneasy by the slightly aggravated movements they were making. Jonah, though preoccupied with keeping control of the beasts in front of him, still had his head on the swivel which had kept him alive through many hostile lands.

A glint near by caught Jonah's attention, and his body acted on instinct by reaching under his duster. He tried to act nonchalant about it, seeing as no one knew of his real name and past trade but the instinct one develops dies hard. A murder of crows flew from the bush in question, with the glint now coming from one of their beaks. Jonah's body relaxed, the crew must had taken it off of some unlucky bastard. In any case Jonah decided not to think to much on it as the horse again fought against the reigns.

The horses once again seemed to settle, and Jonah leaned over the side of the wagon and took a long look up and down the train. He heard many voices, some kind, some wise, some that were as nails on a chalk board. The more he had thought about the members of this caravan, the more he couldn't help but think that it was perhaps one of the more stranger groups he had been in. Well you haven't been in many, have ya? Jonah thought to himself, No, you have robbed more caravans than been parta one.

As Jonah looked back up ahead of the train, he caught sight of the one he recognized as running this show. Jonah gave the man a tip of his hat, both out of respect and to cover his face slightly. It was still unknown to him, just how well known his face was. Far as he could remember, all attempts to sketch him were laughable. Still he hadn't lived this long by taking chances. "Howdy." He said as the man came within audible distance.

[The Melancholy Spirit]

Shaman glared down at Erin. “A drunkard fool?” He asked rhetorically in response to the first question the boy half-spewed at him. “Just chew it like tobacco; the smell is worse than the taste. That or drown yourself further in your firewater and force one of us to shoot you down when you start firing at hallucinations.”

He felt his brow narrow as Erin went on about the girl again. “Several things you’re best not knowing,” he remarked, casting a glance in the direction the girl had gone. He ran a hand over the neck of his horse, Iktomi. “Perhaps you should pay more attention to where you step than her backside,” he paused, eyeing Erin sternly, “boy.”

Not waiting for him to respond, Shaman nudged Iktomi and maneuvered through the caravan until he was a decent distance from the youth. He passed several people, none of which he paid much attention to, before peeling off once again and steering Iktomi up a small, gradual rise in the terrain until he was some distance from the group, and looking out over a grand panorama that lay sprawled before them. He drew in a deep breath, hoping they would arrive soon.

[Dio the Awesome]

Erin looked up at the man riding away, then down at the bundle of weed, then back at the man. He cursed the weeds, and threw them down to the ground, not even bothering to try them. Maybe he was a drunk, but it was definately by choice. He also didn't need to cure his hangover, when more alcohol worked just as well. He took another drink from his bottle, before placing in the satchel for good.

Suddenly lacking any desireable company, Erin dashed a short disatnce to the wagon he fell out of, and hopped on the back, prefering to ride the rest of the way, rather than walk. He decided to pull out his IOF, and clean it. He decided to leave the marshals weapon in its holster. It was always tough to explain to strangers who inquired how he got it.

The wind picked up speed, throwing down the cold mountain air around the caravan. Erin had to grab his hat to keep it from blowing away. "Shittin' wind. If I knew it was gonna be this cold in Wangit Yattiny, I'd've got to Mexico, yes Lord."

[Aya MacArthur]

Isabella looked towards the woman who spoke to her. "Yes, this is my little sister." She replied while quickly looking Elizabet over. Noticing everything was alright with her, she looked back towards the woman. "I am Isabella, or Ella as people call me. This beautiful little girl here is Elizabet, but if she so likes it, you can call her Liza."

Ella tightened her hold on her sisters hand as if to say, never run off again. Liza knew what she meant, and smiled with a nod in the way she always did when Isabella fussed to much. Liza knew why Ella fussed, Elizabet was all she had left in the world. She was desperately afraid to lose her.

"What is your name stranger?" She said to the woman as she got closer. Once the woman caught up, they began to walk side by side, as if life long friends. This girl here, Ella thought, could make a good amount working for me... The woman was handsome, as many would say. Isabella needed all the good looking girls to be tavern maids once her place of business got off the ground. She would just have to remember this girl first.

[Shekinah]

"Yes, this is my little sister. I am Isabella, or Ella as people call me. This beautiful little girl here is Elizabet, but if she so likes it, you can call her Liza."

Anoii looked down on the little girl whose hand Ella was now holding. She indeed, like her sister, was very beautiful. Anoii smiled at her and then turned her look at Ella again.

'Nice to meet you both,' she said. 'My name is Anoii.'

She fell silent for a bit, feeling kinda nervous for what was inevitably to come: asking each other what brought them here and what they hoped to find in Wanagi Yata. Anoii's right hand tightened on the bag she was carrying. Then she decided it shouldn't have to be any problem, maybe these two wanted to keep their true reasons to themselves too.

'So,' she said, what brings the two of you here?' She looked down on Elizabet every now and then too, letting her know that she was part of the conversation too. It was cute to see how easy going the kid was with her big sister. Anoii couldn't remember herself being that easy when she was her age. Hopefully the little girl would make lots of friends here. Anoii imagined it wasn't easy for her to leave all her friends behind at the place where they came from.

[Aya MacArthur]

Isabella smiled. "The same reason as anyone, I guess. A new life." She looked down at Liza, who said nothing. It was odd for the child not to make conversation. Before her late parents had died, she was so talkative. Most of the time, you could not get the girl to close her mouth for anything. Elizabet even talked in her sleep. Ella just amounted it to trauma from both the death of their parents, and her recently late husband. She internally made a note to ask Liza about it when they were in the company of themselves.

"What about you, Anoii?" Ella asked. "What is your reasoning for going to Wanagi Yata?" Isabella hoped she didn't pry too much, though she was curious. Anoii's reasons for moving were probably as simple as hers, just wanting a new life- as far from anyone who knew her as possible.

Isabella looked towards the horizon, and hoped that they would reach their destination soon.

[Dio the Awesome]

The wind swirling around the caravans began to pick up. Erin cocked his head and turned to look to the north. The wind brought with it more than just cold air. The sky was filled with a brown hazy cloud that was drawing ever closer to the caravan.

"Mother of Mary." He whispered in disbelief. He downed the last of his whiskey before standing up and belowing to the rest of the caravan in a raspy voice. "DUST STORMS A-COMIN'! Get those shittin' flaps closed an' the little ones inside! Move!"

Erin closed up the flap of his the wagon he rode in, before jumping out to assist with the next one. The call was already traveling down the caravan line. He barely made it to the next wagon before a gust of wind blasted sand in his face. He drew up his jacket closer, there was no telling how long this storm would last.

[Shekinah]

"The same reason as anyone, I guess. A new life."

Anoii nodded, that's what she'd figured already. And it was true: probably everyone here was here because of that reason, that, everytime Anoii heard someone saying it - including herself - started to sound more and more like a cheap excuse. But there was no rush and Anoii wasn't the type of sticking her nose into business that wasn't hers, unless people wanted her involved.

"What about you, Anoii? What is your reasoning for going to Wanagi Yata?"

Anoii shrugged, laughed a bit. 'Like you said, to start a new life. Guess I was tired of the same old, you know?'

She grabbed the water bottle out of her bag, took some water and reached it out to Ella. 'Want some? It's pretty hot, with that sun beaming down on our heads like...' Anoii didn't get the chance to finish, because before she could a male voice screamed "DUST STORMS A-COMIN'! Get those shittin' flaps closed an' the little ones inside! Move!"

'Come on Ella, we gotta get your sis inside!'

A blast of sand hit her in the face, scratched her cheek, and left a burning feeling behind. She didn't pay attention to it, quickly put the bottle back into her bag and started moving towards one of the carriages to help Ella get her sister inside. She narrowed her eyes so much, they appeared as if they were shut, keeping them safe from the whirling sand around them. If only she had worn a scarf or something!

[Squall Reyes]

Jonah waited a moment with his hat still tipped until the man had passed by. Jonah gave a sigh and stretched his long arms to the sides. He hated riding in wagons, he had spent to many years on the back of a horse to ever be comfortable on these hard wooden benches.

Jonah heard the man's yell and reacted instantly, thankful that for once he had a wagon to take cover in. Quickly leaping from seat on the wagon, Jonah reached across both of his horses unstrapping them to the wagon, and quickly turning them around so their head were inside the wagon. As sand was beginning to skin his exposed skin, he made sure the close the flaps of the wagon, tying them down so the wind would not simply blow them right back open. He made extra sure that they were secured around his horse neck so their faces were not bothered by the stinging sand. He had come too far to lose his steeds to something like sand.

Once secured Jonah brought his scarf up over his mouth and nose, but then saw a pair of woman pass by, ones face in obvious discomfort from the swirling sand. She seemed to be moving to the back of the train, which he knew would be a rough walk without some kind of protection for the face. Jonah quickly shoved his own scarf into the woman's abdomen. "If you still need to secure the horses take it. If not jump in." He shouted as the winds volume increased. And before she could say anything Jonah quickly jumped into the back of his own wagon.

[Aya MacArthur]

Isabella looked towards her sister as the sand started to blow. Her calm little sister seemed even more at place in the chaotic time of the sand storm. "Come on Liza, get in the back of the wagon!" She picked up Elizabet, and handed her to Anoii. After her sister was safe and in the back of the wagon, Ella climbed up, and into the wagon herself.

Sitting next to her sister, she tucked her head between her knees to keep the sand from getting in her eyes. Elizabet followed suit. The storm seemed to be something supernatural, something alien. Dust storms were normal out west in Arizona- but there was usually some sort of sign as a precursor to warn everyone it was coming. This sand storm literally came out of no where.

They must be close to Wanagi Yata. She heard about strange happenings of this place, but just put them in the same category as myths. It was wonderful, too bad she still didn't believe in the mystical.

[Dio the Awesome]

The flaps of the wagon where Isabella was hiding from the storm suddenly opened. Erin jumped in, bringing with him a cloud of dust, before he closed it behind him.

"Hoooooo Weeeee!" He shouted, banging sand and grit from his hat. He turned to face Isabella, "Well, we finally got the last of the wagons sealed up. I reckon we'll be stuck here a while. Ain't no sense in trying to move with a storm like this, no Jesus."

He ruffled through his satchel, and pulled out a handful of sand. Frowning, he unceremoniously dumped the bags contents on the wagon floor, using his legs as walls to keep it all in one spot. Among the sand lie bullets, bottles and a few other oddities. After banging out his satchel, he began to put everything back in its place. He picked out a mostly full bottle, this time brandy. He took a swig from it, and handed it to Isabella.

"I know it ain't no kinda polite to offer a lady a drink like this, but it'll sure take the edge off the cold and wind." He tried his hand at a smile.

[Aya MacArthur]

Isabella took the bottle from Erin with a slight smile. "I learned that people from out west don't have any manners to speak of, so I am kind of used to it." She took a swig from the bottle as she looked to her sister. Normally, Ella would have a drink to herself every once in a while, but never in front of Elizabet. Her sister didn't seem to care much. If they were in the comfort of their own home, she may have offered Liza a drink, but not in front of company.

She passed the bottle to Anoii with a smile. "No use all of us having to worry about nerves."

Isabella looked towards Erin. "Why didn't you stay in your own wagon? Why join ours?"

[The Melancholy Spirit]

Shaman had tilted his head down as the storm surged up around them. From his perch he could see those near the caravan bolting for shelter. Without a wagon of his own the best he could do was pick a random one and jump in with the others. That would mean leaving Iktomi on his own in the storm, unless Shaman could manage to tie the reins to the back of a wagon. He wasn’t willing to make the risk though, deciding instead to get close to a wagon and grab unto it, keep his head bent against the storm and his eyes closed.

As fate would have it, however, that wasn’t to be the case. He nudged Iktomi in the flank and they started back toward the caravan, only to be interrupted by a torrent of sand that uplifted from the ground as if someone had planted a stick of dynamite below its surface. Iktomi reeled back from his. Shaman fought to stay in the saddle as his horse turned and wheeled on two feet, avoiding the creature that rose from the sand. Doing his best to see against the grain, Shaman locked his eyes on the area as he tried to calm Iktomi.

His eyes went wide at the sight, though he quickly narrowed them at the sting of sand. A large, humanoid shaped creature of solid rock had risen from the desert. Thrashing arms the size of Iktomi, the creature roared loudly. At least it seemed to be the creature. For all Shaman knew it was the sand storm that truly made the noise and only his imagination tricking him to believe it was the rock creature. Cursing under his breath he kicked in his heels against Iktomi and steered him toward the caravan. Half way between it and the creature a though occurred to him and he reached for his pistol, drawing it and aiming it at the distant mountains. He fired a single round at nothing, hoping the sound would get the attention to the wagon drivers and alert them of the situation.

[Dio the Awesome]

Erin looked around awkwardly, "Well, truth is ma'am, I ain't got no wagon of my own. I just find one, to sleep in every night, and walk during the day. On account'a'tha dust storm though, I needed a place to hunker down til it blew over."

After explaining, he turned to the other girl in the wagon, and introduced himself. "My names Erin Whillicks. Nice to meet you..." He paused, waiting for her to give him a name. Suddenly there was a loud crack outside.

"Sweet mother of Mercy!" Erin jumped, "That sounded like gun fire."

He pushed aside the cover of the wagon to investigate, forgetting momentarily that there was a storm outside. Dust and grit slammed into Erin's face, and he fell back into the wagon, clutching at his eyes. He took a few moments and a lot of tears to recover. Eventually he got back up. He tied a rag over his face, and drew his IOF.

"You ladies stay put, I'm going to see what the ruckus is." Erin announced, it seemed cliched and he knew it, but he said it all the same.

Normally I don't give no shit about random gun fire... Maybe it's a' cause a' bein' around all these women. He thought to himself.

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