Chapter 2: A Town Called Somerset
The town of Somerset was far from peaceful. It had been violent since its foundation over a hundred years ago.
Regardless, it wasn't used to seven strangers showing up at the same time. All seven strangers rode in together, stretching from side to side of the street. They blocked the entire road, and made their way to a shop located on the main street.
“Bradlerek is just up here.” Calistoga said, as he climbed off his horse. “I'm leaving as soon as I know that you're getting away from all this.”
“Alright, thanks.” Dante stated.
“Just get yourself out of this mess. I've watched one too many people get killed over markings.” Calistoga turned his head towards Zeeland and Finjo.
“Are you two alright? I know how both of you feel about markings.”
“Not much I can do except help out people with them.” Finjo announced. “After all, I watched my brother go through one.”
“Yeah…it's a damn shame what has happened.”
“Your brother went through a marking?” Dante asked.
“Yeah, he apparently was supposed to marry a chick from New Brunswick. I don't know what went wrong but he got shipped off to prison after he canceled the wedding.”
“Oh…just be glad it wasn't your sister.”
“I have no sisters, thankfully.”
The group grew quiet, and soon Calistoga led them to a store called The Ranger Outpost.
“Here it is, are all of you coming in?” Calistoga asked.
“Yeah.” Vickery said, as he walked past Calistoga and entered the store.
Dante followed suit and found a store that sold no products. It was empty, except for a few tables and chairs. Two people sat at a table at the corner, both seemingly unaware of the guests.
Calistoga walked in. “Bradlerek! I need your help!”
The man named Bradlerek Stasukelis stood up, and reached for his revolver.
Calistoga shook his head. “Always a paranoid bastard eh Brad?”
Bradlerek stood still, ready to draw out his revolver at any point.
“Calm done will you? Who's the other guy?”
The other guy turned and faced Calistoga. “Risch Loherty, I'm a friend of Bradlerek.”
Bradlerek finally spoke. “Why are you here, Old West?”
Calistoga smirked. “I have another victim of marking. You still doing charity work?”
Bradlerek shook his head. “I can't, the army came for The Reapers, it's high tide to lay low.”
“Oh come oh. The army doesn't do shit about markings. It'll be easy transport.”
“Easy transport? Who is it this time?”
Dante nodded. “Dante Cottonwood, I'm marked for Lady Telah Xawes.”
“Ah…well I suppose that I can do it. Let me ask you this first, do you know a Peterborough O'Halloran?”
Calistoga's mood changed instantly, he quickly pulled out his revolver and aimed it at Bradlerek. “What about Peterborough O'Halloran?”
Vickery and Dante walked towards the door, where Piedmont and Berrian were watching carefully. Zeeland and Finjo had already disappeared, seemingly already on other business.
“You talked too much Calistoga, apparently trying to find people to talk to gave Stroudsburg the wrong idea. Now he's demanding answers.” Bradlerek explained.
“Why the fuck do you care?” Calistoga asked.
“Because idiots like you caused Stroudsburg to make threats against guys like me. Now, since I'd consider you a friend, do me a solid and get the fuck oughta here.”
Calistoga growled and quickly left the store. Dante, Vickery, Piedmont, and Berrian all quickly followed him.
“What's the plan now?” Dante asked.
“I don't fucking know, Stroudsburg is a bigger threat right now.”
“Okay, great. Where is Blackeye and Mortimer?”
“They left, I guess this bullshit was too obvious.” Berrian stated.
Calistoga placed his hands on his face. “Shit, I guess we all ought to split up now. Dante, head to a boat if you can.”
Dante shook his head. “Nah, I say me and you go take down Peterborough. It's the least I can do.”
Calistoga shook his head. “That's a bad idea now. Peterborough likely knows that I'm coming.”
“You robbed the Coalesce National Bank a week ago, right? You and I could rob the bank at Trenton.” Berrian offered.
Dante shrugged. “Sure, but we'd need a third person for that. I only got access to the vault at Coalesce because I was viewed as a trusted member of society.”
Berrian raised an eyebrow. “That's how you robbed it? I thought you were tough shit.”
“Tough shit isn't all that's needed. You see, there are two ways to deal with a bank, you either pull out a gun before you're in a vault, or after you're in a vault.”
Berrian smirked. “You rob banks by tricking employees into thinking that your investment in their vault is purely out of legal reasons?”
“It's less risky than going in guns blazing, I'll tell you that much.”
“You two get outta here.” Calistoga ordered, interrupting the conversation. “Go do whatever the fuck you want, just go.”
Dante shook his head, and went to his horse. “Alright then, just don't get mad at me if you suddenly need my help.”
Calistoga shook his head. “I've been alone before Dante.”
“So have I.”
Dante was soon trotting out of Somerset, following Berrian as she headed towards Trenton.
Calistoga watched the two depart. He went towards his horse but stopped when he saw a familiar face.
Zeeland and Finjo had both reappeared, seemingly in the exact same state before they left.
“You two are back?” Calistoga asked.
“We thought Dante was safe. I guess we were wrong.”
“The O'Hallorans are after me. So I'm going to get away from everyone before I get someone killed.”
“Alright, but just to warn you, Peterborough is here. He's holding up at the inn.” Zeeland proclaimed.
Calistoga raised his eyebrows. “Well shit, I guess he's watching out for Bradlerek Stasukelis.”
“Maybe, or maybe Bradlerek wasn't as trustworthy as you thought he was.”
“A guy named Risch Loherty works for the O'Hallorans, it seems as if he keeps an eye on Bradlerek.”
“Shit, Risch is in the store right now.” Calistoga announced, before he quickly went to the door of the store. Calistoga looked to the window, and saw the two men sitting together at the exact same spot.
“Alright, what's the plan then?”
“I'll take care of this myself. You two ought to leave.”
Zeeland shrugged. “Alright.” He and Finjo left, riding out of Somerset, and headed towards a town called Bareback Hills.
Meanwhile, Calistoga Owensboro waited outside of the store for the rest of the day, only entering it when he saw a familiar face.
The town of Somerset was far from peaceful. It had been violent since its foundation over a hundred years ago.
Regardless, it wasn't used to seven strangers showing up at the same time. All seven strangers rode in together, stretching from side to side of the street. They blocked the entire road, and made their way to a shop located on the main street.
“Bradlerek is just up here.” Calistoga said, as he climbed off his horse. “I'm leaving as soon as I know that you're getting away from all this.”
“Alright, thanks.” Dante stated.
“Just get yourself out of this mess. I've watched one too many people get killed over markings.” Calistoga turned his head towards Zeeland and Finjo.
“Are you two alright? I know how both of you feel about markings.”
“Not much I can do except help out people with them.” Finjo announced. “After all, I watched my brother go through one.”
“Yeah…it's a damn shame what has happened.”
“Your brother went through a marking?” Dante asked.
“Yeah, he apparently was supposed to marry a chick from New Brunswick. I don't know what went wrong but he got shipped off to prison after he canceled the wedding.”
“Oh…just be glad it wasn't your sister.”
“I have no sisters, thankfully.”
The group grew quiet, and soon Calistoga led them to a store called The Ranger Outpost.
“Here it is, are all of you coming in?” Calistoga asked.
“Yeah.” Vickery said, as he walked past Calistoga and entered the store.
Dante followed suit and found a store that sold no products. It was empty, except for a few tables and chairs. Two people sat at a table at the corner, both seemingly unaware of the guests.
Calistoga walked in. “Bradlerek! I need your help!”
The man named Bradlerek Stasukelis stood up, and reached for his revolver.
Calistoga shook his head. “Always a paranoid bastard eh Brad?”
Bradlerek stood still, ready to draw out his revolver at any point.
“Calm done will you? Who's the other guy?”
The other guy turned and faced Calistoga. “Risch Loherty, I'm a friend of Bradlerek.”
Bradlerek finally spoke. “Why are you here, Old West?”
Calistoga smirked. “I have another victim of marking. You still doing charity work?”
Bradlerek shook his head. “I can't, the army came for The Reapers, it's high tide to lay low.”
“Oh come oh. The army doesn't do shit about markings. It'll be easy transport.”
“Easy transport? Who is it this time?”
Dante nodded. “Dante Cottonwood, I'm marked for Lady Telah Xawes.”
“Ah…well I suppose that I can do it. Let me ask you this first, do you know a Peterborough O'Halloran?”
Calistoga's mood changed instantly, he quickly pulled out his revolver and aimed it at Bradlerek. “What about Peterborough O'Halloran?”
Vickery and Dante walked towards the door, where Piedmont and Berrian were watching carefully. Zeeland and Finjo had already disappeared, seemingly already on other business.
“You talked too much Calistoga, apparently trying to find people to talk to gave Stroudsburg the wrong idea. Now he's demanding answers.” Bradlerek explained.
“Why the fuck do you care?” Calistoga asked.
“Because idiots like you caused Stroudsburg to make threats against guys like me. Now, since I'd consider you a friend, do me a solid and get the fuck oughta here.”
Calistoga growled and quickly left the store. Dante, Vickery, Piedmont, and Berrian all quickly followed him.
“What's the plan now?” Dante asked.
“I don't fucking know, Stroudsburg is a bigger threat right now.”
“Okay, great. Where is Blackeye and Mortimer?”
“They left, I guess this bullshit was too obvious.” Berrian stated.
Calistoga placed his hands on his face. “Shit, I guess we all ought to split up now. Dante, head to a boat if you can.”
Dante shook his head. “Nah, I say me and you go take down Peterborough. It's the least I can do.”
Calistoga shook his head. “That's a bad idea now. Peterborough likely knows that I'm coming.”
“You robbed the Coalesce National Bank a week ago, right? You and I could rob the bank at Trenton.” Berrian offered.
Dante shrugged. “Sure, but we'd need a third person for that. I only got access to the vault at Coalesce because I was viewed as a trusted member of society.”
Berrian raised an eyebrow. “That's how you robbed it? I thought you were tough shit.”
“Tough shit isn't all that's needed. You see, there are two ways to deal with a bank, you either pull out a gun before you're in a vault, or after you're in a vault.”
Berrian smirked. “You rob banks by tricking employees into thinking that your investment in their vault is purely out of legal reasons?”
“It's less risky than going in guns blazing, I'll tell you that much.”
“You two get outta here.” Calistoga ordered, interrupting the conversation. “Go do whatever the fuck you want, just go.”
Dante shook his head, and went to his horse. “Alright then, just don't get mad at me if you suddenly need my help.”
Calistoga shook his head. “I've been alone before Dante.”
“So have I.”
Dante was soon trotting out of Somerset, following Berrian as she headed towards Trenton.
Calistoga watched the two depart. He went towards his horse but stopped when he saw a familiar face.
Zeeland and Finjo had both reappeared, seemingly in the exact same state before they left.
“You two are back?” Calistoga asked.
“We thought Dante was safe. I guess we were wrong.”
“The O'Hallorans are after me. So I'm going to get away from everyone before I get someone killed.”
“Alright, but just to warn you, Peterborough is here. He's holding up at the inn.” Zeeland proclaimed.
Calistoga raised his eyebrows. “Well shit, I guess he's watching out for Bradlerek Stasukelis.”
“Maybe, or maybe Bradlerek wasn't as trustworthy as you thought he was.”
“A guy named Risch Loherty works for the O'Hallorans, it seems as if he keeps an eye on Bradlerek.”
“Shit, Risch is in the store right now.” Calistoga announced, before he quickly went to the door of the store. Calistoga looked to the window, and saw the two men sitting together at the exact same spot.
“Alright, what's the plan then?”
“I'll take care of this myself. You two ought to leave.”
Zeeland shrugged. “Alright.” He and Finjo left, riding out of Somerset, and headed towards a town called Bareback Hills.
Meanwhile, Calistoga Owensboro waited outside of the store for the rest of the day, only entering it when he saw a familiar face.