Back in the Day

[Aiden]

The sun was nearly directly overhead as the black thoroughbred horse came clopping into town. Atop it rode a man of twenty five, dressed in a black shirt and thick pants, beige trench coat and black hat. The horse slowed, allowing the glint of the sawed off shotgun to appear in the sunlight, causing people to both pause with caution as well as notice the newcomer. One thing was obvious about the place: Maravilloso was a ghost town, or at least quickly becoming one.

Alphonse Wood dismounted the horse, and tipped his hat at a nearby group of women that stared at him as he holstered his pistol, which was forged with pure silver. He approached the doors of what appeared to be a well-traversed building compared to the rest of the town, The Salvation Saloon. He pushed the doors aside, and walked in with slight urgency, bathed in sunlight.

In actuality, it was relatively empty, with a man standing behind the bar top, and someone in the back, only apparent through the audible clues thanks to the clashing of dishes. Al took a stool in front of the man, and slid a note across the counter. “I’ll take a whiskey,” he said, getting comfortable on the stool. He glanced at a nearby newspaper: May 23, 1884. The headline read of a fire in another town. On the bottom of the paper were various bounties, though none of them interested this hunter.

“This place seems to be lacking in business. You must be able to notice the men from out of town, yeah? Seen a fella with black hair, probably Spanish?”

[Teagan]

The day had been slow, for working anywhere in Maravilloso. More like a slow couple of months. One of the least affected establishments had been the Saloon. Affected, but less than a number of the establishments who had to close up and leave town. Roger Rook thought over the sudden closure of the silver mine and the months that followed. His younger brother, Joseph, lost his apprenticeship when the man that ran the print shop packed up. Now the young man had taken a job as a ranch hand to save up and travel to one of the big cities to further his education. With each passing day, the idea seemed more appealing to Roger as well.

Even before Salvation began losing its residents, Roger was recognized by everyone. Before becoming the local bartender he had worked on the ranch Joseph was now employed at. Before that he became infamous in the local schoolhouse, made life difficult for his brother when he started attending, just by having the misfortune of having the same surname. He was taller than most of the men in town and had dark brown hair. Roger no longer had the tan ranch days but he kept the built, he found having a physical presence helped discourage fights when you told some idiots to settle down. Been called to break a few fights around town because of his reputation for handling brawlers. No fights really happened anymore, not enough people in Salvation for one.

He looked up the sound of the double doors and raised an eyebrow at the man. Not many new faces around since the closure.

“Good afternoon,” He nodded and poured up shot of whiskey, “pass through or do we have the pleasure of seeing your face for longer?”

Roger blinked at the man’s question and leaned against the bar, “You the only new comer for a great while. As for a Spaniard, have a few workin’ on the local ranch. There’s also that one that bought up the silver mine but it closed.”

[Aiden]

“No, I’ll be around for a few days,” Al said, taking the whiskey when it was slid across the bar top to him, and taking a sip. The alcohol was nice after days of stale water from his canteen, and even then he had to conserve it and make it last. “I’m a bounty hunter, following a lead. Figure I can do some pokin’ around without too much attention here, eh?” Al said with a grin, amused by his own joke.

The reason the town was so empty caught the attention of Alphonse. Who bought a mine and then let it close?
It wasn’t the actual business aspect of it that stuck out in his mind, but the material: silver. Bounty hunting was just a front and side job for Al, his real job was as a hunter of the supernatural. And silver dealt a deadly blow to some beings, and there just happened to be a supernatural that Al was chasing, though he’d lost him for a few months. And in that time it sounded like this being had purchased a silver mine and closed it down. That was awfully suspicious.

Al kept this to himself, and decided to continue on with his investigation. “Short guy, dark hair, scar across his face?” If the description matched, he was in the right place. If it didn’t, he’d be gone by nightfall. He glanced at the current customers in the saloon, noting that only a barmaid had appeared in the time he’d been there, and the sound of whoever was in the back continued.

“Another identifier is a gun, with a star in a circle engraved on the hilt. Seen that?” That was Al’s real goal; the Colt, a gun that could kill any supernatural being. Even good ol’ Lucy wouldn’t be able to stand up to him.

[Teagan]

When living in town with nothing to do but listen to the wind, a new face is more than welcome. Cordelia did her best to sit politely as the stranger walked in but the second he was at the bar she was up and standing. If he was willing to have himself a drink he could handle some conversation.

“Gun don’t sound familiar,” she said hopping on the stool next to him and smiled. Some men didn’t like it when a woman got to close, so for now she’d give him distance. “Man kinda’ sounds like Landen though.”

Roger nodded in agreement with her two statements. Since arriving in Salvation during its boom days, the Rooks had treated her like family. Didn’t matter what other opinions surfaced, she’d always attest they were good men and when it came to Roger, he always charged a fair price. With the town closing and all, concerns about prejudice went down (dissatisfaction stayed the same) and Cordelia rarely ever found herself defending their honor and a few others when the town gossips got out of church.

[Aiden]

The bar maid had apparently been listening in on the conversation for she slid onto the stool next to him, and picked up where he left off. He knew that he didn’t have to worry about staring at her—the full bar maid get up meant that she was ogled all day by the drunks and the regulars, most likely. On top of that, Al wouldn’t be afraid to admit that she was easy on the eyes, or maybe it was just that he hadn’t had relations with a woman in a while. After all, the job was demanding and he was constantly on the move.

No gun, but the name Landen struck a chord. The demon used a variety of names when it was mixing with civilians, and that was one of them, though it wasn’t used as often as the name Luke was. But that meant the demon was here, and for now Al had the element of surprise, as Landen hadn’t been alerted to his presence yet. He planned on keeping it that way.

“When did Landen get here? ‘Bout four months ago?” he asked, taking more interest. “He might have some information about that lead I was following, see, and it would help plenty. Any idea where I could find ‘im so I can talk?”

[Teagan]

Roger watched and chuckled slightly as he watched the two in front of him. There was something wrong with a man if they didn’t take the time to observe Cordelia. Crazy or sly were the only excuses he could think of. She wasn’t neglectful of it either, Cordelia leaned forward and gave him her best grin. The one she used to hustle, get tips or whatever else it was she wanted out of a man. Too soon to tell what of the three she was going for this time around.

“Landen,” he gently cut in, “Is the fellow who bought out the mine.”

He turned his back to the two and continued, “He did show up around that time. You can get a hold of him just as easy as anyone else, personally never had reason too. Mind if I ask why it is that you’re curious?”

Like most of the people in Salvation, he had no love for Landen. He just hid it better than everyone else. They all knew he was lying about the mine going bust but no one could get past his hired security to prove it or got accused of fraud. The man having a bounty on his head sounded mighty appealing.

“By the way, did you want something to eat, Mister….?”

[Aiden]

Yep, the bar maid was definitely cut out for the job. Al had run his number of scams in the past, and he could tell from that grin that she was used to getting what she wanted through using it. He gave her the credit she deserved, though, because it was probably all she could do to keep from going belly up in this town. However, the full information that the two probably wanted wasn’t going to be extracted from him that easily.

“He bought the mine?” That was strange for a vermin like him. Was he trying to prevent the eradication of other beasts like werewolves? It made some sense, but…to destroy the town, full of potential hosts and other hosts for his gang? It was strange, though the last couple of towns that Al had passed through had also been on the decline. So was he using the deserted towns to his advantage? It would only make him more known, stand out more. Strange.

“Yeah, do mind actually. Part of the terms of the bounty contract, see. Won’t get all my money,” he made up on the spot. “Still drawing together information anyway. And Ryce, Mister Ryce will due. Sure, what’re you fryin’?”

[Teagan]

Cordelia sat up a bit and tossed some of her red hair over her shoulder. The man wasn’t falling for her charm, if anything he looked amused. That somehow made him more interesting, or maybe she was just that bored.

“That he did,” she snorted. Cordelia didn’t bother hiding her disgust like Roger did.

“Food’s pretty much whatever you’re craving and we got,” she smiled, “Can’t afford to be picky about the menu these days. Names Cordelia by the way, you just tell me what you’re hankering for.” She held out a hand for him to take and winked.

[Aiden]

“Just minin’ silver out here, or you findin’ other gems?” Al inquired. If Landen was going after silver, was he going after iron, too? “Or are you full of rattlers and coyotes guarding yer silver?” Outside, several passerbys paused when they heard the new voice, peering over the saloon doors to get a glimpse of Alphonse. His horse called out and pulled at his reins, but submitted soon after. It almost seemed that a tumbleweed should roll by to complete the scene, but if one did, Al didn’t know.

“You got some meat back there goin’? How ‘bout the pretty lady surprises me,” Al said, taking her hand. “Jack.” When Cordelia left the room, Al looked over at the bartender, and in the mirror behind him. “So the mine closed, and the people started movin’. Nothing else is drivin’ the people out? At least, if they don’t much mind the heat anyway, am I right?”

“Got a room up there fer me?” he added, sliding a few coins across the bar top, coins that he had…’liberated’ from a goon in the last town back. A nice hefty bag of them was stowed away on his horse, where one would have to search to find them.

[Teagan]

Back in the kitchen, Keagan Sprice was up to her elbows in cold water, attempting to scrub off the remaining bits of chili that had burned on the bottom of her kettle. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered to herself, taking a moment to break. “Next to no one lives in this town and the whole lot ‘o them decide to come here for lunch.” Maybe not the entire town, which had a population a cemetery wouldn’t want, but with Roger’s declaration that she had to make anything the payin’ customer ordered, the range of delicacies she was forced to cook was extremely broad. Some bright one had ordered a vat of chili, which took hours to simmer to perfection. Hours she could have spent working on other, more important tasks. The kitchen needed to be swept, she had to take a trip to the next closest town and restock on supplies soon, and firewood needed to be moved from outside to the kitchen to keep the fire in the stove going. Not to mention the laundry Roger requested be done weekly.

Keagan sighed and continued back on her bothersome task. At least she had paying work. With the town on the verge of collapsing, the orphan had no way to get by on her own. Sure, twenty two years meant something…only if she wanted a job as a wench somewhere. She shivered at the thought, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. Never would she stoop to that. No, working in the slowly dwindling town did her good. In the least, she had saved a small sum of money and had a roof over her head.

The stain finally surrendered the fight and Keagan sent it one more glare before placing it on a table behind her and grabbing a rag to dry it. She didn’t care if Roger pleaded with her; never again would she spend the entire day making chili unless all they wanted for a week was the dreadful substance.

As she returned the pot to its place on a high shelf, Cordelia strolled into the room, red hair bobbing behind her. Thank the heavens Roger didn’t make her wear those skirts. Keagan was perfectly happy with her simple blue dress.

“Sugah, we got a customer. Wants some food and for you to surprise him.”

Surprise him? A mischievous grin crossed over her face. No one had ordered that for awhile. Keagan could’ve sworn that the entire town knew better than to ask for one of her surprises. Maybe the day would end decently. What would she prepare this time? Oh, the possibilities.

Cordelia leaned against the door, another thought popping in her mind. “Oh, and honey? Don’t forget what Roger says: whatever you make has gotta be edible.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Keagan grinned, internally disappointed. Cordelia knew her too well. She was fond of the girl who also happened to be her roommate in the abandoned boarding house down the street. Reluctantly, she grabbed the remaining chili that sat in a porcelain blue bowl on the stove, keeping warm. She was going to save the rest of it for when she met Joseph later that night in their secret place, but if the traveler wanted something, this was the fastest thing available. She threw a dash of parsley on the top.

“Here, this should do,” Keagan handed the bowl to the red-head. “Tell him if he don’t like it he should make it himself next time.”

[Chase]

“More than a few,” Roger said picking up the coins, “Just name the one you want window, balcony, next to the stairs…” he trailed off and gave Jack a humorless grin. While he was curious as why the man wasn’t going to stay at the hotel but he wasn’t going to turn down more business. Heck, after he paid for the food, they could call the day productive.

Cordelia walked in and set the bowl in front of Jack. She walked to the other side and set down a spoon. With that she smiled again and asked if he needed anything else.

“So when do you want to meet up with Landen?” Roger asked pouring the man another shot. No point in saving it. Under her breath muttered, “Diablo”.

[Aiden]

Al considered his options: the balcony left him completely exposed to attackers, the window gave him more protection, but there was still a security issue. The safest and most effective would be the one next to the stairs, saving him time, and giving him an easier, faster escape if one was needed, or similarly a call to action. He chose the latter and paid another few coins to the man, nodding his head as the transaction was completed. With the room taken care of and the food coming, Al was content for the moment. After he finished his meal, he would move his belongings upstairs, remove some of his travelling garb, and then search the town for anything suspicious.

Cordelia soon returned with a bowl of food, of which Al promptly dug into. It tasted good, actually, and in between bites Al looked up to answer the bartender. “I’ll do it when the time is right, ‘spose. Not really in any rush, but time is a factor after all. And you’d be right to call him the devil, he’s done some not so good things as of recent. Human coyote, he is,” he said, referring to the Native American lore about the animal.

“What else you got in town here that’s still goin’? Don’t ‘spose that you got a local whorehouse, eh?” he said, and would have elbowed Roger in the side had he been close enough. It wasn’t so much the concept of the whore but more the fact that they heard more than the local bartenders sometimes. “If yeh did, ‘spose the town wouldn’t be so empty, though.”

[Teagan]

Cordelia was next to Jack again, “Good to know I got justification.”

She smiled and moved the seat closer before sitting back down. Leaning against the bar she listened to him. Mulling over the Coyote comment Cordelia got distracted by the next question.

“Sorry honey,” she gave a fake pout, “Miss Flower and her girls packed up two weeks back. Just gonna have to find some noncharging tramps. Though I’m sure they wouldn’t be opposed into taking your money seeing as these trying times.”

She smiled again and finally said, “You sure you don’t need anything else?”

[Aiden]

Oh, Landen was much less than the devil, though he wouldn’t let that on. One of his cronies, to be more specific. The demon was exhibiting some weird behavior, and Al couldn’t quite place his reasoning. More information would probably come from his tour of the town, once he got there. For now, that chili was really hitting home and filling him up. “Great man yeh got back there,” Al said, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Should raise his pay.”

No more brothel, eh? Twas a shame, but at the same time Al could deal. He grinned at Cordelia and shook his head. “Sorry ma’am, but the noncharging tramps don’t have quite the skill that the paid ones do,” he said.

“Well, you could tell me if that herb shop up the street would be of any use. Still open?”

[Casey]

“I’ll be sure to tell her you said so, but I don’t think I’ll be able to any time soon.

Roger shook his head at Jack’s comment and said, “I think you’ve gone and insulted this pretty lady. Though I am sad to say for you my friend your choices are limited.”

“That on the other hand is still open,” Roger tapped on the bar, “the woman who runs it on the other hand is a little odd.”

He tapped his finger on the surface of the bar. There were very few shops open but that herb shop was one of those stubborn establishments. Through hell, high water, drought and plague it stayed open. Some people thought the woman who ran it was a witch and cast a spell to keep tax collectors away. Roger thought she was a witch sometimes but she never needed magic. Besides the fact that apothecary supplies could only be found there probably helped it stay open, even when the town was going ghost.