Realistic or Modern A Hero Lost in Time

[Menagerie]

"I've already told you, that won't work!" her voice filled the small room in the ruins of an old city hall that was barely still standing. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, her bright blue eyes closed heavily, shaking her head. Strands of her dark chestnut locks fallen down her face and back, even being pinned back. "We've already tried the head on approach and we lost dozens, you really think sending them in again is going to yield us a different response? Do you know the definition of insanity? It's doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. We've done what you are proposing multiple times now and the result is always the same, death and a loss of territory. We've lost miles of territory because of this and I'm done with that, we need another route, another decision or else we may as well just give up because this..." her hand waved as she shook her head, "this is not working."

"So what are you expecting us to do Ms. Marshall? Just lay down and die? If you ask me that's the definition of insanity!" growled one of the older council members who towered over the 5'7" petite woman by nearly five inches. He was roughly thirty-five, if not a little older, with dark hair and piercing green eyes. Most would have backed down from him, and then...well then there was Elisabeth that as Markus took a step towards her she took a step towards him.

"That isn't what I've suggested at all and you know it! But this idea that we can just send enough people in their direction that they'll turn and run is ludicrous, it hasn't worked, it won't work. They have us outnumbered, even more so after the last massacre. I have no intentions of bowing down to their bullshit ways, especially with how they view women, but we need a different plan, a better plan."

"And yet you've failed to give us one," scoffed Markus, causing her eye brows to furrow.

"You self-righteous bastard, I've told you what you need to do and you won't do it. We are losing to fucking magic, our technology is non-existent, and last I checked, none of us used magic or understood it. You know what that leaves us left with, research! Trying to upgrade our technology or even learning basic magic! There has to be a way to summon or build something that'll help us! We have the books if you idiots would learn how to read and invest a little time in to what needs to be studied, but instead you just keep sending people to the front lines to die, regardless of their abilities," she snarled. God if only he was there, he'd have her back and she wouldn't be dealing with a council of seven that only two of them had a spine to discuss the issues, and unfortunately the two of them didn't see eye to eye.

"You want us to use magic!" he scoffed at her. "And who the hell do you think is going to do that?" he asked as he rolled his eyes. "None of us know magic."

"And yet I've provided you with dozens of different manuscripts, books, and studies on it, but you don't even try! At this point I'd be willing to summon a demon if it meant stopping them from taking more of our land and killing less of our people!" The audible gasp made her shake her head. "Really? You all want to send your children to the front lines to die?"

"You've lost your mind!"

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Federal Marshal Jason stone was not having a very good day. Since first light he'd been on the trail of a pack of train robbers and the slippery bastards had been eluding his every turn. Every time he thought he made some headway his Nightmare, a magical horse that gave bad dreams to everyone it crossed but its bonded rider because he was stuck in the past with the sudden peerless expertise to use magic so why would his horse be normal, would come across a stream the muddled the scent. That was frustrating on its own but the fact that Nightmares as a species of magical horse were fire element related animals. "Bastards!" he growled unloading his colt into a large tree beside the latest stream that seemed to kill his trail. Forcing a deep breath he span out the cylinder and smacked out the spent shell casing into his hand before casting them aside. The reload took a minute before he re-holstered his colt in the left hand side holster of his belt. The whinny of his mount tore his attention back to it. "Easy girl, I know that water isn't your friend."

The mare stamped her hoof and gave another whinny.

"Yeah yeah, I know Artemis. Damn giving them a chance, it's straight to death for them when I get my hand on those vermin" Jason said running his hand along the mane of the mare. "Let's get a shelter set for the night. We'll get you squared away and try to find a trail at dawn."

The night went by with a slightly nippy breeze after setting up a fire to keep warm. Artemis' reins were tied to the lowest hanging branch of the oak he shot up in frustration and some food set on a steel plate. He began to whistle lowly as he his food roasted over the flame. Absently his eyes lifted to the stars enjoying the peace and serenity that came with being in this simpler time. The yearning was still there, the yearning to get back to the time he was born in, but there was charms about this time. Albeit it he could have done without the big drawback being that the time period question was the wild west and he very nearly killed far more times than he cared to account for. Lowering his gaze back to the fire he saw his food was done and stopped whistling. His hat and gun belts were discarded behind a log before taking the skewered meat from the rocks. "Ain't no gourmet kabobs from Fire and Ice but it does the trick. Eat up girl, we got another long day before we hit tracks. If this doesn't pan out we run out back to Dodge."

Sun up came and a long day later came up with nothing. "Seems we're getting back on to Dodge. It's not worth the headache I have to keep on em. Come on, git!" The thundering of hoofbeats heralded his return back towards Dodge City. It would take him three days to get back to the city and between the time he got there he was certain he'd be able to cash in on a few open bounties to cut down the amount of villains that plagued the good people.

When he got back to Dodge three days later Jason was slightly less annoyed and his saddle bag was significantly heavier with double eagle gold coins, a collective five thousand dollars with of double eagle gold coins. Artemis was stabled with the local witches coven and his first stop after was the saloon. "Amy, why if it isn't my favorite lady of comfort. Have you missed me darlin?" he asked with a grin and a chuckle.

(this is somewhat of an idea of his looks within the past)

 

[Menagerie]

"Lost my mind?!" she nearly screeched, her blue eyes focused on him. She was seething, her blood boiling. "You think you know it all, you think you have this figured out, but the reality is you are just a stubborn imbecile unable to think for yourself, unable to protect yourself, and all you do is throw others out there to deal with it because you can't!"

"You've lost it. Why you are even on this council is beyond me! You are nothing but talk and absurd ideas. Magic! HA!" he scoffed at her before she threw a book down on the table. "You have no idea how to use magic. We don't know that they are using magic."

"You are right, on both ends, but unlike you," she smiled, opening the book to the front page where the symbols were already drawn. Her hands set themselves on the book as she began the incantation, her eyes focused angrily upon Markus, the spell memorized. Every word that came out of her mouth was focused and enunciated.

"What is the witch doing!" screamed Markus as he moved to try to stop her, only to have two others grab either arm.

"We've tried it your way Markus, it can't hurt to try it her way. Eve if it fails it will only take a couple minutes and then we can work on your battle plans again and see if we can't make something work," calmed Alexander as he watched Elisabeth continue the spell, surprise forming in his eyes as he watched a white portal start to open in front of them. "Son of a..."

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Jason was caught in the middle of a bar fight with a right hook. He was actually quite pissed as he smashed a barstool into the head of the local drunkard. The whole fight was a stupid thing to begin with. Wallace, the drunk he smashed over the head with the barstool, was angry with Jensen for taking up time with his favorite whore. Which was ludicrous, it was frickin whore for God's sake! "ENOUGH!" A round was fired into the ceiling of the bar freezing everyone in their tracks. "I don't care who started this because as Federal Marshal for this province I AM ENDING IT! If there is so much as a thrown drink from this moment forward I'm tossing you in jail! I have spent the last three days on the trail of those damnable Kirkwood boys and-"

A chair smashed into Jason's side sending him backwards in a stumble. A stumble that knocked him into a glowing white portal. "Son of a bit-"

When the world stopped spinning Jason found himself in what looked like a horribly blown out building. "The hell in Satan's fire and brimstone filled balls am I?" Seeing armed guys draw weapons on him he reflexively drew a colt in one hand and threw the other in a wide arc using a gravity based spell to make the guns drop from their hands while the men pinned to the wall. "I don't know what you people want but you're going to tell me where I am. Pulling a Federal Marshal from his duty is a federal offense that will see you hung from the gallows." Dark green eyes flashed dangerously as he took in what looked like exit points.

A click turned his head on a dime and the trigger was pulled instantly dropping a man dead to the ground with a bullet hole between his eyes. "I'm waiting folks, where the hell am I and where is the witch who opened that portal?" His voice carried an annoyed tone since he had two options before him.

 

[Menagerie]

She jumped as he appeared through the portal. There was surprise deep in her eyes as she stood there. Swallowing hard she just stood there, not sure what the hell happened. She hadn’t really expected that it would work, yet there he was.

“We don’t have gallows,” she finally spoke. She jumped as he fired a weapon. “Do you mind not killing our men, that wasn’t the purpose behind bringing you here, though I’m not sure how the spell brought you here. And I’m not a witch,” she sighed, running her fingers slowly through her hair.

“I’m not exactly a witch, I don’t think,” she paused at the thought, “if I were maybe I wouldn’t have had to use a summoning spell that I don’t really understand or know. And let me tell you, being a Federal Marshall in this time frame…”

“God damn it Elisabeth, what the fuck is this! He’s already killed one of ours!” started Markus, still being held back by the others.

“Shut up!” she growled. “Put your fucking weapons down, and stop being on edge. Even if we die by his hand, without help we’re dead anyway.” She turned her attention back to the man who stood there. “I’m Elisabeth, and as I said, I think I’m the one that just summoned you, though, I don’t think I was anticipating summoning a human. Wait…” she paused as she stood there, “you are human, right?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“Elisabeth, why don’t you talk to our new guest outside so we can get this cleaned up?” asked a slightly older gentleman.

“Of course Richard,” she nodded before looking up at Jason. “Why don’t you come with me and I will try to explain everything the best that I can?” she asked before moving to grab the book, not trusting it with Markus.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"I can just as easily shoot all of you" Jason shot back as his eyes swept the room over the other people present. Of the people present the witch with the spell book was the most dangerous. Being shot was nothing next to magic damage playing all kinds of mayhem with your mind or body. His attention was stolen to the yelling man making him scowl. "Sir, if you don't shut up I'll put one in you where I know for a fact it won't kill you for interfering with a Federal Marshall so I suggest shutting up now before I do it for you." The threat seemed to work at the cocking of his colts hammer. "What about my job? Laws need to be enforced and I do that. Simple as that."

His eyes tracked to an older gentleman in the corner and narrowed his eyes. Did this old guy just call him a guest? Being a guest implies an invitation he accepted of which he most certainly did not! "I want answers witch" he said following behind the woman. She seemed vaguely familiar but he wasn't sure why at the very second. Something about her looks struck a cord in his memories. Had he met her before? If he had met her before then where did he meet her? Not knowing the answers to the questions annoyed the hell out of him. Lack of information was what got people dead in his parts of the world. Wherever this place was it looked like a cave full of dynamite went off and was barely left standing.

"Now answers, where am I? Why am I here?" Jason demand with a scowl seeing nothing but destruction around him. The buildings were fancy and rubble, most of them were anyway. Skeletal remains littered the ground and he was getting a sinking feeling he may have gotten his wish at last. "Or let me ask the simplest question of all... When am I?" he asked. A screech to his left pulled his gun to the direction and swift as the wind three shots brought down just as many men with rifles. "What have you pulled me into?"

 

[Menagerie]

“You could but what good would that do you?” questioned Elisabeth with a shake of her head, though she wanted to laugh when he threatened Markus, after all, he’d been such a pain in her ass lately. Rubbing the bridge of her nose she stepped over the dead body and headed outside, looking around before taking out a pair of sunglasses from her pocket.

“Laws are essentially non-existent here,” she finally spoke again as she looked around at the mostly destroyed town. “Laws haven’t really existed since most of the destruction and the fall of the world powers. Instead it’s a battle for survival and land.” She walked quietly down the street, heading to another small building that would at least give them shade from the blinding sun.

“And please, my name is Elisabeth, not witch. I’m far from a witch, I just was lucky and the spell worked. It’s the first spell I’ve ever cast, though I’m glad to see it worked, maybe if I keep studying…” her mind drifted for a moment before she looked up at him with a sad smile as he finally asked when he was. “I suppose you have figured out the where, the where is essentially where you were, give our take some miles I am sure. The difference is the when,” she stared blankly down the road. “The year is 2326, the reason for why you are here…” she paused with a shake of her head. “Well I used a spell to summon someone to help save us from those who we are at war at, from those who are trying to destroy or convert us, and take what little land we have left from us.” Her eyes closed heavily. “I ran out of options and the only option they were providing sent more men to their deaths, so I acted rashly, and did what I had to do. To be honest with you I never imagined it actually working.”

She was quiet for a moment before looking at him. “I’ve pulled you into our own personal, lawless hell,” she sighed. “I never imagined the spell would bring a human to our aide.”

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Hearing the name Elisabeth and the date had Jason freeze momentarily. The nagging sensation digging at his memory sharpened as it drove a metaphorical ice pick inside his ear. Why was the name so familiar?! Yes he spent ten years in the wild west era and it was hard on him for obvious reasons but it shouldn't have done that much damage to his long term memory. "2326 you say?" Jason asked with a tone that suggested skepticism. His memories were practically scrambled eggs but some stuck out prominently. He remembered the riots of 2315 when democracy was on the verge of collapse. He remembered Halloween 2316 when the members of the United States House and Senate were executed by Chinese bomb drones.

Without his kit he was a liability to this shit storm. "Cover your eyes" he ordered pulling off his gloves and drawing out his big knife. One precise cut across the center of his palm had blood flowing freely. His free hand drew a pentagram in his blood on a stone wall with runic sigils making the circular wall around the pentagram. "Akute!" he growled. The pentagram and sigils lit up before he reached through the stone and pulled out a larger version of a standard duffel bag. As soon as the duffel bag was clear he pushed Elisabeth back as Artemis' whinny was heard before she jumped through the stone. Flesh black as tar and flames licking off from her hooves the Nightmare was a beauty to behold as the portal like spell closed. "So let me get this straight. You pulled me back from cozy time in 1845 where I am the only Federal Marshall to run three provinces by myself, provinces with next to no crime, and near five hundred years into the middle of a war that threatens your continued survival."

Artemis snorted and stamped her hoof while letting out a whinny.

"I'd agree girl but the girl could become a witch yet" Jason said bopping the mares nose gently with his bloody hand. "If you ignored the option to summon me, I'm guessing you were actually aiming for something since the book in your hands the Libro Inferorum Animas Excitat- or the Book of Soul- is used to summon creatures of power, then someone was going to throw more people to die like cannon fodder. Judging by the way you and the idiot inside were acting toward each other it was probably that guy being held back." He waved his hand instantly healing the wound that opened the rift like portal to summon his things, thank God he inscribed the summoning sigils into them and branded Artemis with it, before turning his gaze fully on Elisabeth. "Since I'm as prisoner to you as any demon until this thing is done with, give me the enemy logistics. Manpower, weaponry, a map with their base location or locations, a structure to their forces- any information you have on them hand it over."

 

[Menagerie]

“Yes, 2326,” she sighed, running her fingers through her hair, a yawn falling from her. She was exhausted to say the least. The spell had seemed to suck up most of her energy, though that was to be expected. She had read something about needing an exchange, though she hadn’t quite understood it. As he ordered her to close her eyes she did, why though? That she wasn’t sure of. It wasn’t like she had a reason to trust the man standing there with her. Then again, if this didn’t work what would it matter? She’d be dead regardless.

The smell of blood was one she was accustom to, though it made her raise her head for a moment before realizing where it was coming from, yet she kept her eyes closed. The whiny however, and the slight push caused her to open her eyes. Watching the horse for a moment she smiled. “She’s beautiful,” she shook her head, a slight smile crossing her lips for the first time.

“And yes, you’ve got this straight, though again, I never imagined pulling a human through,” she shook her head at the thought, ”but if the spell thinks that you can help save us, that you can help ensure our survival…” she fell silent. “I didn’t know who, or what, the spell was going to pull through.” Perhaps it was her thinking of her long lost friend, the thought that if he had been there then Markus wouldn’t be such a problem. Maybe it was the hope and wish that he’d show back up from somewhere since they never found his body. Maybe the man who stood before her was an ancestor similar to him. She didn’t know, all she knew was maybe it was those emotions that caused a human to be pulled from their time to come help them.

As he spoke to the horse she tilted her head slightly, “you can understand her?” she asked curiously before watching him again and nodding.

“Yes, I was aiming to summon a creature of power, something to help us, something to prohibit the loss of more lives instead of just sending them like sheep to the slaughter,” she sighed at the thought.

“You aren’t a prisoner,” she shook her had at the thought. “I don’t have exact numbers as to how many they have, but it’s at least twenty-thousand, we are down to about two-thousand. Their weapons vary but it’s mostly magic right now, it’s all they need. None of us practice magic which means we don’t have the range that they do. Base locations are on maps in one of our planning rooms, along with other information I’ve been able to gather over the years, I try to keep it written down in case I die, at least then it’s there for others to try.”

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Jason frowned thoughtfully mulling over the information presented to him. They were surviving outnumbered at least ten to one? Either they had some skilled shooters or the enemy was torturing them just for shits and giggles. "Most magic users are soft and squishy. No muscle, no reflexes, little survival instincts in combat." The whinny from Artemis made him scoff and pat her mane. "Doesn't everyone have the ability to understand animal speak?" he asked seriously. Back in the time he was just ripped from everyone had a translation talisman provided by the witches coven that made everything you heard understandable no matter your base language. "Never mind, probably a stupid question. Show me to your highest observational post that has line of sight to the nearest enemy encampment."

Artemis stomped her hoof twice and snorted.

"She also said to hop on and keep a hold of the reins. Can't have you dying on me since you have to be the one that sends me back home once this all done." Did he want to go back to 1845 though? Sure he got himself settled in and his job was technically a lifetime appointment but this was also technically his time as well. Jason shelved the thought as he waited for Elisabeth to climb up onto the saddle. "You do know how to climb up on a horses saddle right?" he asked as if it was the most obvious question in the world. When he went to ask another question all sound in the immediate vicinity went dead setting him on edge. "How often do you have enemy scouts penetrate your borders to attempt mass execution?" he asked scanning the area with narrowed eyes. Scout ambush tactics like that were common in the west but to have such brazen and obvious use of them in the modern world was obscenely stupid. These people were armed to the teeth making it extremely if not suicidal for someone to try this kind of tactical exercise. Then again no one in this fighting force could use magic.

A snap of his fingers made his eyes glow gold as a tracking spell taught to him by a Cheyenne Shaman. A silent curse escaped his lips as five auras glowed from high above. The three he shot were advance scouts and the ones about were charging a big area of effect destruction spell. "How many people are in the building we exited? There's five magic users high above us charging up some sort of destruction spell. If that spell launches the building is going to collapse and kill everyone inside." Even as he spoke he dropped his duffel bag and withdrew a buffalo rifle with long sight. Lining up his shot would be difficult given the hazards of the many crumbling broken facades. "Their auras tell me they need five minutes to fully charge that spell. I pull this trigger and kill even one of them it disrupts the charging and sets it off giving away our location. Do your people have a secondary location if this one is compromised?" he asked already starting to line up his sights.

 

[Menagerie]

“I wouldn’t be able to tell you the shape that most of them are in, I can’t get near enough,” she shook her head at the thought before looking at him. “I cannot say that everyone knows how to understand animal speak, I certainly do not. It is not something I ever learned I suppose,” she shrugged at the thought before looking back at the horse with a smile.

“Highest point?” she asked as she stepped towards Artemis for a moment, her fingers gently resting on her nose for a moment. “Know how?” she asked as she tried to think, shaking her head. “I suppose I never really have,” she shrugged at the thought. “But it looks simple enough.” She looked up as even the birds went silent.

“About once a week, we are constantly on the move,” she shook her head as she looked at him with a bit of sadness in her eyes. “There are so few of us that taking us out in such a manner would be quick and easy if we weren’t willing to fight back.” She looked around slowly.

“How close are they?” she asked softly, “and there’s five, plus the man you shot dead, the others are in a completely separate area with plans as to successors in line if need be,” she shook her head. “The others are in secondary or tertiary location. There are too few of us to keep us all together,” she sighed at the thought, biting on her lower lip. “But there are too few of us to lose any of us and expect survival in the long run even if we survive against our enemy.” She swallowed hard at the thought. “There are roughly two hundred people in this entire area, though they aren’t all in the building.” Taking a deep breath she tried to focus her own thoughts to figure out where they were. “Again, tell me, how close are they and how fast can she go?” she asked, finally swinging herself up fairly gracefully onto the back of the horse, her shirt having moved just enough to reveal the two pistols on her hips, knowing that there was a knife in either boot.

“And the reality is, Mr. Marshall, this area is already compromised if they know to hit that building.”

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"They're high up that way. Maybe close to fifty or sixty feet." Jason used the rifle to gesture to a partially crumbled office building. Taking into account the numbers being fed to him he cursed internally. If this group was to fall and successors were set in other locations that meant he had the leaders not even fifty feet away from them. "How fast can she go? Artemis is the fastest Nightmare in the Three Points Province. I have to assume that these secondary and tertiary locations have duplicates of the notes inside the building we just exited from correct?" he asked. Very briefly he saw the flash of her shirt raise to reveal dual pistols on her person. That was good to a minor degree, Elisabeth wasn't a sitting duck. Even still, pistols were not nearly as effective at dispatching a magic user who could conjure shields or use magic to reject the projectile from their flesh and heal the damage in an instant so it was like they were never injured.

"The moment I pull this trigger that gathering magic is going to take the top of the building they're in down soon as the idiot dies. It's a powder keg effect, light the fuse and watch it burn. When that building top goes we have maybe if we're lucky five minutes to evacuate the people inside before we have a forward regiment of enemy troops pouring in from all sides of this disaster field. These partners of yours, do you all keep your necessary plans and information in some sort of escape bag with weapons and ammunition? This is site is compromised by your own saying so we need to get to the next safe place that your people has. One that has more people with rifle training preferable. I'd prefer my deputies but I must make do" Jason groused cocking the hammer on the buffalo gun. "Count of three this trigger is being pulled and the clock is on us. You ready to ride little lady?"

Without waiting for an answer the trigger on the buffalo gun was pulled and seconds later the top three stories of the building where the magic users were was blown to smithereens.

 

[Menagerie]

“My notes aren’t anywhere near those morons,” she shook her head at the thought, “and I don’t know what a Nightmare is, let along the Three Points Province.” Her eyes focused on the area that had indicated in. She listened to everything he had to say. “My escape bag is in a building about a quarter mile from here, all of my notes are there. Weapons…” she paused to think, “are on most of the people carrying them, ammunition is minimal here but my bag has plenty for my pistols.”

She gave three short whistles, intermixed with a couple of different sounds, people quickly beginning to do what was necessary to evacuate. “As ready as I am going to be,” she replied simply.

She flinched as the shot resonated in her ears, looking down at Artemis, “he’s not very good at counting to three or given warnings, is he?” she asked, the people around them already taking off, or disappearing underground. “Quarter mile,” she looked at Artemis before looking at Jason, offering her hand. This man was going to be the death of her, there was no doubt about that. He talked in tongues, mentioned things she had no idea what he was talking about, and acted before talking things out. It was familiar but strange. She couldn’t quite place it, then again, she’d been dealing with the idiots in the building, specifically Markus who couldn’t formulate a plan to save his soul. If the damn spell thought that this man before her was the way to win this war she was going to do her damndest to see it through, even if it meant her own death in the end. “I need that bag, there’s a rifle next to it,” She smiled thinking back to when she received the rifle before the smile quickly faded from her face.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Artemis snorted stamping her hoof as if in agreement with the female human.

"Oi, I saved your life as a foal so a little respect would and siding with me would nice" Jason said with a put out huff as he took her hand and swung up easily after stashing the buffalo gun in the oversized duffel bag & magicking it to a size big enough it fit into his pocket. "Point the way so we can get this bag and rifle of yours." Once he had the direction need he gave the command and they were off like a shot with the reins tightly clasped in his hands. Given his internal compass was refined so well by the ten years as a Federal Marshall he yanked the reins making Artemis stop on a dime. "Get the bag and the rifle so we can get to the next safe location. I need to look over you notes and maps so this fight can swing in my favor. " There a deliberate use of him phrasing it as 'my favor' instead of 'our favor' since he was already going over scenarios to do the biggest amount of damage to kill the most enemy combatants he could without exposing the members of this resistance group.

Once they finally made it to the safe house Jason tied up Artemis though his eyes trailed to Elisabeth. The way she seemed to care about that rifle in her hands suggested there was sentimental value to it beyond its worth as a rifle. "So what's the story with the rifle? You holding that thing like it's your youngin" he said following her inside to hopefully find a big table to read over the maps and notes. A part of him itched seeing the rifle but he couldn't understand why. Was it related to the earlier nagging within his mind? He wasn't sure but he was beginning to get annoyed by it.

 

[Menagerie]

She laughed before she nodded, "north, a quarter mile," she replied with a nod. As they arrived she had swung herself off Artemis and ducked inside. The bag went to her shoulder, the rifle in her hand. With little effort she had swung herself back up onto Artemis with a smile, resting the rifle over her legs. "Southwest, fifteen miles, it'll break the group up but for now I think that's probably wisest." She took a deep breath as she tried to relax, knowing that the rumor she died would spread but it was necessary for now to keep them apart, especially with as trigger happy as her new comrade was.

"The rifle?" she asked as she set it in the corner of the house, near the door before moving inside to the dinning room, setting the bag on the table. "It was given to me by a friend for safe keeping," she replied with a shake of her head. "He's been gone for quite some time now," sadness etched her voice as she went to work on taking out her notes after laying out boxes of ammunition for her pistols and the rifle itself. "It's as accurate as any, if not more so." She smiled sadly at the thought, her stomach growling angrily at her. She couldn't remember the last time she ate, not that it mattered, there was no time for such luxuries. Right now she needed to focus on the issues, focus on how to end this damn war and make it safe for others to live. "It's fine, don't worry about it, it isn't important as to what it is or where it's from, you want to get home and I want this over with so why don't we focus on that so we can both have what we want?" She was turning cold, part of which was probably due to her hunger, the other part was not wanting to think back to the pain of losing him. She'd grown quite cold to most people after he disappeared, after all, she didn't want to go through that pain of loss again.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Jason frowned thoughtfully looking back to the rifle in question after tying Artemis to a column outside the house Elisabeth directed him to. It looked like a new fancy version of his Henry Rifle though he was certain there was a lot more to it than that. Letting the subject lie he went to the table and began to look over the spread out maps and notes. The details about routines and types of troops were vague at best but he had to assume it wasn't for lack of trying on her part. Magic users as a majority were not very strong or capable of close quarters combat but they were damn smart, especially the kids who could weave illusions with just a snap of their fingers. "From where we are, which of these locations is the closest to us?" he asked tapping the map.

Crazy as it sounded to him, a lot was just plain crazy in the less than an hour since he was yanked out of 1845, he swore could smell something fruity. Discreet as possible his eyes darted around looking for the source but found nothi- His eyes landed on the back of Elisabeth's head. It was her hair. Given the state of the world he would gather hygiene, while important to not getting sick, related to vanity like hair care wouldn't be near the top of the list.

Suddenly his mind was assaulted with flashes of images. A young couple chasing each other laughing. The same couple kissing under a moonlit sky, the girls back against a tree as the young man ran his hands through her hair. Declarations of love being made before they made love.

Shaking his head to clear the images away distracted Jason. Where had the images come from? He had no memories of such events even if the two in the images somewhat looked like a younger him. "Give me a minute. I need some air." He was out the door a second later as he leaned against the column Artemis was tied to as a dizziness settled over him. What the hell was wrong with him?

 

[Menagerie]

She looked quietly at the map, shaking her head for a moment. "There's two," she replied softly, nodding at the thought. She took a pen, marking two separate location. "There's one to the east and one to the north of us, both about the same distance." A small shiver rolled through her as she took a deep breath. Her fingers ran slowly through her hair. "They are about thirty miles in either direction," she sighed at the thought.

She was staring at the map as he spoke of needing to get some air. "Of course, I'm sure it's been an eventful day for you," she replied as she watched him walk out. A sigh fell from her as she picked up one of the books. There was no reason to stare at the map without him being there to try to explain it to him. She silently read the book, curling up on a chair. Her eyes closed heavily for a moment, realizing how exhausted she was. "There's no time for sleep," she reminded herself, turning to look at the rifle again, smiling sadly.

"I miss you," she whispered, swallowing hard. "God do I miss you," she sighed at the thought. "I keep hoping, I keep praying," she sighed, shaking her head at the thought. "I don't even know that there is a God above and I keep praying." Her tears began to fall, grasping a small pendant about her neck. "I keep hoping but you just never come home." Her eyes closed heavily as she curled up on the chair, slowly beginning to fall asleep as she sat with the book on her lap and her hand still holding firmly onto the pendant, a gift he had given her at a much younger age.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

For maybe ten minutes the wind bit and nipped at Jason's skin. Something was wrong with him and he couldn't for the life of him begin to finger a place to begin. Whatever had tossed him back to 1845 had impaired or damaged conscious recall of his long term memory that he couldn't recall any family he might have but he could remember with startling clarity some things about this, his birth time period. It was maddening. Shaking his head as the feeling dissipated almost ten minutes later he went back inside. Spotting Elisabeth on a chair in what looked like a sleeping state with tear stained cheeks he couldn't understand why his heard broke with such sorrow and yearning to comfort her. Seeing her hand guarding something around her neck curiosity reared its head as he ever so cautiously nudged her fingers from around the object revealing an engraved pendant. 'Ego reddam tibi semper, Elisabeth' was carved with a seeming masters grace against the gold pendant. "I will always return for you, Elisabeth" he muttered softly recalling the latin that he learned that was crucial to his job as a Federal Marshall.

The pendant must have been a gift from someone she loved, possibly a lover? The thought angered him for an unexplainable reason. She was a beautiful woman and even in trying times like this love should prosper to help give a reason to fight against the darkness. A blanket was spotted out of the corner of his eye. Covering her up was a quick momentary affair before he took a chair and made himself comfy on the hard wood chair as he pulled out his bag of weapons & resized them. His repeating rifle was loaded before being laid across his lap, his dual pistols disassembled and cleaned before being reloaded. It was going to be a long sleepless night but it wouldn't be the first of its kind for him.

Dawn came faster than he thought while idly cleaning a rabbit that happened to run by the house. It wasn't much to eat but he was of the personal belief an empty stomach impaired the mind and they both needed to be on their best to plan out the next few moves. A simple spell burned a snapped branch in a constructed fire pit so the meat would be edible. Once that was completed he brought it inside on a metal plate from his saddle bag. "Rise and shine, first light was ten minutes ago and we need to start planning" he said shaking Elisabeth's shoulder.

 

[Menagerie]

There was a soft whimper as he moved her fingers from the pendant, her body tensing horribly. Holding on to the pendant was something she did nearly every night that she finally was able to get some sleep. Within thirty seconds her hand once more grasped the pendant, her body beginning to relax again as she took hold of it. She curled up a little tighter into the chair as he covered her in a blanket. Slowly her knees drew naturally to her chest, protecting her vitals out of habit.

Her sleep was fevered, waking every hour or so to look around before falling back into a light sleep. She was utterly exhausted, she hadn't slept in about seventy-two hours, her body needed to rest.

As he grabbed her shoulder her left-hand went to his throat and her right hand having grasped the pistol off her hip. Slight surprise entered her eyes as she quickly let go. "I'm sorry," she shook her head, "I guess I forgot you were here," she sighed, "I'm used to being alone," she took in a deep breath before looking up at him and standing slowly. "I'm just exhausted." She moved towards the table, looking at the map. "One of their main camps is about seventy-five miles to the south of here. They have two others, one to the north about a hundred and fifty miles and one to the east about two hundred miles." Her eyes closed heavily. "But it doesn't matter, without getting through the smaller camps," she shook her head. "I need to get to the one near the east...that's where I need to be," she whispered softly, grabbing the pendant once more.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

Jason wasn't fazed by Elisabeth nearly attacking him first thing as soon as he grabbed her shoulder. The gun being grabbed though brought a scowl to his face though before she apologized and got on with giving him the details of the camp. "These smaller camps you mentioned last night, the ones the north and east, you said they were thirty miles out either direction right?" he asked chewing on a strip of cooked rabbit. The use of outpost camps before the main ones was smart and obviously the decision of someone from above with an eye for history. It was something he would do back in 1845 for any of the forts of wagon convoys headed for the military forts, have checkpoint camps along the way to not only make sure the good arrived as ordered but that it was all there quantity wise.

"A thirty mile ride east is about three days ride with Artemis going full lick and stopping to feed every few hours. Factor in constantly keeping our eyes on a swivel for those undoubtedly trying to kill us along the way, worst case scenario is a five day trip weather permitting." It could be a shorter trip but Artemis couldn't manage full tilt with two people and gear for more than four hours without a rest to eat and drink. His eyes caught her grasping the pendant again and furrowed his brow. "What's so important to the east?" he asked trying to plot the day based off what he saw on the map. At best they make some headway in the ruined wasteland though not nearly as much as he could if it was just him. "The south camp sounds like it would be more important. The greater distance is a tactical decision that would mark it being a higher priority location. Any good field commander or leader would draw that assumption without having any sort of reference like these maps."

Was east the direction this friend of hers disappeared? Did she hope to find them there after only God only knows how long? It was impossible to guess and he was willing to bet that she wouldn't answer him directly either. "East it is. Get everything together and saddle up in ten minutes. Heavenly Father permitting we can cover a good chunk of the distance by sundown and in one piece."

 

[Menagerie]

"Thirty miles," she replied with a sigh. "East is...is...." she sighed with a shake of her head. "It needs to fall," she replied softly, "it just needs to fall." Her eyes closed, her hand tightening around the pendant as she stood there, swallowing hard for a moment. As he asked about what was out there she shook her head. "Just know it needs to fall," she whispered softly as she went to pack up her bag. "I just need to get out there, that's all," her eyes closed tightly as she shook her head.

Quickly she checked both of her pistols, ensuring they were loaded before going to check the rifle. "The camp to the south can fall after if you really think it should, but I need to get out east. I don't care how long it takes, it has to be done." Her emotions were riding higher than normal, struggling to stay focused as her body began to shake horribly. Swallowing hard she placed the rifle over her shoulder. "Dead east," she whispered, her eyes closing heavily as she stood there.

Quickly she went outside without much else being said. She didn't eat, her stomach was upset with her as her emotions hit levels they hadn't in a long time. She looked at Artemis with a sad smile before looking up at the sky. "Some day," she whispered, "someday I'll know." She leaned against the wall, trying to pull herself together. "Fuck I need more sleep," she whispered to herself, rubbing her eyes. She didn't want to delve into it with a stranger, hell she hardly delved into it with herself and it had been years since it occurred. She hadn't discussed it with anyone since his disappearance and the idea of his body just out there somewhere caused the tears to start to form again. "Son of a bitch," her fist hit the wall hard.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

**apologies for length, its been a long and exhausting day**
A few hours passed with little of consequence happening on the ride before the first stop was made in the shade of a ruined community center. Jason drew out some food from his saddle bag and hand fed Artemis while discreetly taking glances at Elisabeth. She was too emotionally invested on going east which just affirmed she was clinging to false hope that maybe she find him alive or at the least clung to a hope of finding his body. It was foolish to cling to hope like that. He wasn't here twenty four hours and he saw clear as day that if you were going to go missing you weren't going to be found unless the people responsible wanted you found. "We should drink and eat something before continuing on" he said indicating the saddle bag with rations in it. The sun was past noon by now and he didn't like the cloud cover rolling in. It gave too many shadows to keep track of.

His gaze swept the open ground with a slow methodical turn. A flash off of shattered glass made his eyes narrow. His buffalo gun replaced his Winchester Repeating Rifle with a single command word, eyes turning gold to activate the same spell from yesterday. "We have three watchers. Two Blasters and a Summoner. Third building to the left about twenty feet up" he said with a gruff tone. This was part of what he expected but this soon was not what experience told him was the appropriate time for artillery units, the ones he called Blasters, to be taking scouting hits at them. "Our main issue is the Summoner, artillery units like Blasters are glass cannon in application." The term was relatively new speak his mind spoke up from a dark corner fighting him to remember...something. "How good a shot are you with those pistols on your hips? Those vermin can't be allowed to report back about our movements."

 

[Menagerie]

She had been silent on their trip thus far, keeping an eye out for those things around her, making sure nothing snuck up behind them. She didn't want to talk about it or think about it, they needed to fall, they could help the fall from the east, but it would also give her a chance to know whether he was still there. She knew the likelihoods but she had to see for herself, that was just life, she couldn't give up the chance if it came to her.

As he spoke there being those around them she just nodded. "What they are doesn't mean a thing to me, they all need to be wiped out," she replied softly, watching the building from the corner of her eye. "My aim?" she wanted to laugh but just shook her head. "Good enough," she gave a weak smile. "You just tell me which ones you want me to worry about," she shrugged. If there were six of them and they only really needed to really worry about the summoner that would mean he could focus on the summoner while she took care of the other five, at least in theory. "The question is how close do you want to get before we open fire." There was a part of her that figured their movements had already been detected and relayed. After all, but maybe it was just odd luck. It didn't much matter at this point, they just couldn't have them coming up on their back.

 

[Gr1mmReaper2020]

"Tell that to me when they rain down hell turning this disaster field into a shrapnel hell hole, Lizzie" Jason muttered with a roll of his eyes. He didn't realize that he had called Elisabeth Lizzie even as he quickly chambered two rifle rounds. It was something that, unbeknownst to his currently messed up mind, Jason Stone the teen who'd been madly in love with his girlfriend, Elisabeth, had done and drove her crazy with. It was sad in a way. Hidden under magic and suppressed memories that young man still existed albeit trapped in a mystical prison only escaping in moment flashes of images like a magic lantern show. Despite the memories being locked away, feelings were a far different story. They were readily making themselves present leading to confusion in the Federal Marshall. "You take care of the two Blasters, leave the Summoner to me. Their aura tells me their longest spell could hit three feet in front of us, it'll make a crater though. Make a dash for the building and them out quick as you can. Their spells are fast launch but big effect on contact. Put them down like wild dogs."

Without another word Jason was gone taking an advantageous position behind a destroyed wall as he saw the tell tale red light of a summoning spell being started. "NOW!" His first shot was a deliberate miss as the bullet tore through the air by the Summoners ear. it would not only disrupt the spell but it'd force the three casters to change position. His head peeked up over the wall only to duck down narrowly avoiding a bolt of what could only be lightning. The explosion of shrapnel from where the bolt struck the ground showered him making him curse as he guarded his face. An angry snarl escaped his lips as he popped up and pressed on a marking on his rifle. "Shate Manu!" The second bullet left the rifle and glowed a black-ish red as it not only hit the Summoner in less than the blink of an eye but turned him into a bloody mist. Using two spells like that taught to him by the Cheyenne was draining as he fell on his ass breathing heavy.

Elisabeth only had two Blasters to deal with, she could and would have to handle them on her own.

 

[Menagerie]

"My name is Elisabeth, not Lizzie, no one calls me Lizzie," her voice was cold and harsh. Pain flashed across her face as she grasped the pendant about her neck once more. "No one," she whispered before focusing on the two blasters he'd spoken of. She quickly took off herself, ducking behind walls, never once staying in a straight line. She knew better. She knew she needed to stay focused and keep her head down.

She watched as the first bullet went whizzing by, knowing it was a golden opportunity to move in closer. She wasn't going to lose the opportunity either. She moved quickly, keeping herself a building apart. The shot he had originally taken had thrown the two blasters off enough to keep them from coming anywhere close to getting a good shot towards her, rather their aim had been quite off. As the second bullet went by she nodded to herself, seeing him hide behind the wall again. Swiftly she moved in, focused on the targets. A weak smirk crossed her lips, "consider this a bit of payback," she whispered before two shots were fired, right into the backs of their heads. "Bastards, you deserved a much more painful death," she snarled to herself.

Slowly she took a seat against the wall, staring blankly at the ground. He had called her Lizzie, a name she hadn't been called since her had disappeared on her. She took hold of the pendant, her head falling hard against the wall behind her, stilling holding firmly onto her pistols, keeping her ears open for anyone that might come near her.