Walkers

Aiyana had always enjoyed her job at the Shiner Shack, an underground bar and general store that sat beneath a moonshine production camp. Of course, there was no longer a government to tell them that producing their alcohol was illegal, but the name was catchy and most people knew what it was, so it persevered. The bar was alive tonight, the band was happily playing their music and almost every patron was tapping their foot or nodding their head as they conversed with each other. She found herself swaying to the familiar beat as she served the people drinks, the charms on her belt clinking as they lightly hit each other. Her attention was drawn to the door, which swung open to let a trio of wanderers enter.

“Welcome!” Aiyana called to them. “Have a seat anywhere and we’ll get right to you.”

The party moved to one of the larger tables, sitting down and perusing the menus. One of them, their leader by his confident gait, leaned on the bar to speak with her.

“Hello there little lady,” he said, smiling. “What’s a girl like you doin’ in a place like this?”

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. “Building an immunity to jokers like you.” Her icy stare broke his macho persona. “Whatchu want?”

He stammered, taken aback by her abrasive attitude. “We uh… we just wanted to know if there were any jobs in the area. We’re bounty hunters.”

She pointed to her left, where the wall was covered with posters and papers asking for help. “You’ll find everything over there.”

He leaned in closer, pulling something from his pocket. He set it on the counter, causing Aiyana’s eyes to slightly widen. It was a medallion of shining gold, and engraved into it was the depiction of a flower with many clustered petals: a marigold. “I was hoping you’d have something a little more… exciting.”

Aiyana had heard of groups like these before. Groups that specialize in the most dangerous of bounties, and are sponsored by large organizations like churches. She had never interacted with them before, but she was trained on what to do. She pulled a wooden box from beneath the counter, giving it to the man. He opened it, smiling at the modest pile of papers within. “Thank you.”

As the man went to join his friends at the table, she couldn’t pull her eyes off the group. They wore finely made garments, as well as customized guns and bandoliers. One of them, the largest of the three, wore two massive shields on his back. The one that caught her attention the most, however, was the slender girl that sat beside the big one. She wore tight clothes, and even though most of her form was shrouded in a dark cloak, the parts that peeked out from underneath trapped Aiyana’s gaze. Her eyes traced every bit of the woman’s body, moving up to her face. It was then she became hyper-aware that the girl was looking at her, smirking devilishly.

Aiyana quickly looked away, trying to find something to do with her hands to calm her racing heart. The woman’s eyes were a deep green, contrasting with her fiery red hair. When Aiyana tried to sneak another glance, the girl was gone.

“You’re not very subtle.” A silky voice said from beside her. The girl had appeared at the bar without so much as a sound, startling Aiyana and causing her to almost crush the mug in her hand.

“I’m sorry. I meant no offense.”

The woman laughed. “No need to apologize. What kind of shine you got here?”

Aiyana collected herself, returning to her customer service personality. “Today we have a batch of Spiced Rum Moonshine, made with rum from the Caribbean, as well as currants and apricots.” She poured, giving it to the girl. When she took it, she let her fingers rest on top of Aiyana’s for just a bit longer than normal, as if savoring the warmth of her hands. The woman sipped from the cup, a wave of pleasure cascading over her face.

“That’s good.” She said, “What’s your name?”

Aiyana was entranced once again, taking a moment to snap out of it. “I’m Aiyana. What about you?”

“I am Rhea. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aiyana.”

“What brings you guys out here? We don’t ever get bounty hunters this far out.”

Rhea took another sip before answering. “My group specializes in smaller areas like this one. We try to avoid the bigger cities and come to places like these that go neglected.”

“It must be pretty exciting, going from place to place, seeing all different kinds of people and places.”

“And killing them.” Rhea laughed. “We rarely take jobs that require the bounty to be taken in alive. Most places like this usually don’t have the option to be picky though.” She looked Aiyana up and down, making the bartender wish she had used more makeup today. “Have you ever been out in the world?”

Aiyana poured a drink for herself, taking a sip to steady her nerves. “I grew up around Colorado, but other than that I've pretty much been here my adult life.”

Rhea smirked again. “That sounds boring. You wanna come out with us on a hunt? See if you like it?”

Aiyana laughed. “Very funny, but I can't just leave the bar unattended. Besides, I'd only get in your way.”

“Oh, nonsense. We’ll tell your boss that we’re going to use you as a guide, and you can hold my hand if you get scared.” She stuck her tongue out, taunting the nervous girl. “Unless of course, you actually want to stay in this hole forever.”

Aiyana thought for a moment, unsure of what she should do. The offer was beyond tempting, but the anxiety radiated from her entire body.

Rhea leaned forward, pressing her breasts together with an impish look in her eye. “I’d really like to get to know you better.”

Before Aiyana knew it, the large man with the shields was tying the laces of a leather chest piece to her torso, while the man she had correctly guessed as the boss was showing her how to fire a rifle.

“You’ll wanna match it with your breathing, aim on the inhale, and fire with empty lungs.” The man said, adjusting her stance. “I don’t think you’ll need to use it this time around, but y’know. Just in case.”

Aiyana couldn’t shake the twinge of guilt she felt at how she had treated this kind man not an hour earlier. “Hey, I'm sorry for being so cold to you before.”

The man chuckled as he fitted her with an over-the-shoulder bandolier. “No need. It’s never a bad idea to keep your walls up, especially with such a charming stranger.” He flipped his hair dramatically, making Aiyana smile. “All right, you look like a bonafide Bounty Hunter! Ain’t she cute Rhea?”

Rhea came out from behind a nearby tree, looking their new companion up and down. “She sure does. How you feeling?”

Aiyana punched the air, psyching herself up. “I feel good, I feel ready!”

Rhea patted her on the back, trying to maintain a straight face. “Lemme brief you champ. We’re going after a fella by the name of Josiah Stephens. He’s a conman who’s been running scams all across the territory. We think he’s holed up in a cabin for the upcoming winter, so we wanna try and get him before he slips away again.”

“Let’s get movin’ folks.” The leader said, motioning for the group to follow.

“What’s a group of hunters like you doing going after some little grifter? Seems like a waste of talent.” Aiyana asked as they walked.

The leader turned, walking backward as he responded, “If it were any ol’ run-of-the-mill con artist, you’d be right in thinking it’s a waste. But this guy has made some powerful enemies, enemies that are paying fat stacks to see this guy’s head on a platter.”

“Fat stacks?” Aiyana had never heard that expression before.

“It just means a lot of money.” He put his hand up, motioning for them to stop. “Look ahead.” Ahead of them was a small cabin, the rising smoke from the chimney an indication that someone was there. “We’re just gonna bust in and overwhelm the guy. Four of us, one of him.”

Aiyana giggled. “Hardly seems fair.”

Rhea smiled in agreement, and then they were off. The four hunters moved swiftly and silently towards the cabin, something that surprised Aiyana. She figured the large one would’ve been loud and clunky, but his steps made nary a sound as he positioned himself to knock down the door.

“Three.” The leader said, cocking the hammer of his revolver. “Two, one!”

The tank let out a mighty roar as he rammed into the door, which gave in to his might as if it were made of paper. Instead of the shriek of a cowardly swindler, there was instead a sharp cry of pain and the sound of flesh being pierced as he entered.

“What the hell?” Rhea exclaimed, shocked. The trio looked down at the now-dead bruiser, who lay at the bottom of a pit filled with spikes, his muscular body spread among the pikes like holiday tinsel.

The gurgling sound of choking drew the girl’s attention to their leader, who was grasping at his bleeding neck. A horrid beast stood behind him, clutching his throat with razor-sharp claws.

“Run. NOW!” Rhea said, pushing Aiyana away. The beast threw the dead man aside with ease, standing up to reveal its full form. It was emaciated, and it looked like a cross between a mangled deer and a bear. Thick, uneven antlers sprouted up from behind its ears, and its eyes were pools of white.

“Hardly… seems… fair…” its voice sounded like something had crushed its windpipe, and saliva dripped from its gaping maw. Rhea was petrified, falling to her knees in sheer terror. The beast raised an arm to strike, but before it could, a gunshot rang out through the woods.

“You’re so greedy,” Aiyana said, sounding displeased. Rhea slumped to the ground, the hole in her back leaking blood that pooled around her. “Couldn’t leave just one for me, could you Keekuk?”

The beast shook, its raspy breathing almost sounding like a laugh. “Sorry… too… much… fun…”

Aiyana rolled her eyes, squatting down to look through the pockets of Rhea’s body. “I barely got a taste. She liked me too, the confusion would’ve made it so much better.”

“Who… they… after?”

“This time it was Josiah Stephens.” Aiyana’s unamused face remained stoic as the beast’s body began to twist and shrink, taking on the form of a finely groomed man. Patches began to form around its body, protruding and morphing into the clothes of an esteemed gentleman. The now dapper young man twirled his black mustache.

“Ah Josiah, I remember eating him. Feels like so long ago now.” he began to rummage through the pockets of the leader, humming a jaunty tune. “Where should we go next?”

Aiyana shrugged. “I like the shack. Alcohol is good at getting rid of our smell. Humans really hate it.”

Keekuk held up the magnolia medallion. “There’s alcohol in Mexico.” He smiled, taking her hand in his. “We could pass through the forests of the Diné on the way there.”

Aiyana smiled. “That sounds lovely.”

“Tell you what, I'll find the face of an especially handsome man and lead the next group of suckers to you!” Keekuk waved his arms as he spoke, making Aiyana laugh. Together the two walked into the woods, leaving the grisly scene behind them.