Snake-bitten Devil

"This is the greatest motherfucking thing ever invented!"

Just when Rellana thought William's ingenuity peaked at the colt, she was astonished to get her hands on what he dubbed a lever-action rifle.

The slick cocking of its lever foreshadowed the grim fate of those the gunslinger would set its iron sight upon.

The smell of gundpowder and metal lingered in William's workshop. Tools for casting iron and other equipment laid all over. There was no time to clean up since they aimed to make a brake for it before sunrise.

The rest of the vipers assisted him in loading up everything he would need for the move to Elaria.

Spinning the revolvers in each hand, Morrgen rebutted, "Ain't no way it's better than wielding two of these bad boys."

The work now finished, Miryam let her subordinates fool around with their new toys. Even she had a change of heart once she tried the new revolver for a spin. No longer must she replace her pistols every shot. Her aggressive style with the scimitar complimented the continuous firing capabilities of the revolver well. For six shots, Miryam would expect her foes to be down by the first or second, the remaining four is a welome excess.

"Careful with that! That is my pride and joy you're carrying!" William guided the sweating orc, lifting what appeared to be a massive object hidden by a black cloth.

"Shut it, or I'm going to smash this precious thing of yours into the ground!"

And with that, William was quickly reminded that he wasn't dealing with labor workers, but with outlaws. Whom will have no trouble double crossing him if he ever as much pressed them.

The strained orc loaded the last piece of equipment, into the wagon.

Hoping to make a break for it before the Dyablos learned about their plan to sneak their golden goose under their noses, Miryam hatched the plan to leave Havardin before the sun rises. They are not afraid of conflict, but they are also not suicidal. The Dyablos are an organized crime group compared to them. When their paths cross, it ain't going to be pretty.

"Let us depart." Miryam said, making her way to one of the 3 wagons ready to take on the journey.

Unfortunately for them, a gang of outlaws already awaited them outside. Men numbered around a hundred men wearing grunge vests and coats.

"William, william. Do you think you can simply abandon your debt to us just like that?" Slow and deliberate to inspire fear, the man questioned. Clothes finer than the rest, one fit to represent all of Dyablos.

A crime boss hidden under the guise of a top-hat wearing gentleman.

His cane thumped, the gang leader of the Dyablos scanned the outlaws that his foolish debtor hired.

"You riffraff group of smallfries better know who you're messing with. Since you dared sneak away with a Dyablos property, I'm afraid letting leave this place unharmed is now off the table. Surrender whatever meager gold you have and we'll promise to make it painless. I, Antonio Moltisanti, a capo for the Dyablos give my word."

'Riffraff? Smallfries?' Miryam smiled at the face of the numerous outlaws. "You should've brought more, this 'Riffraff' crew will put all of you 6 feet under."

The ground trembled with every step. From behind Antonio, a hulking minotaur appeared. In his hand, a greatclub large enough to flatten even Garuk with one strike. Raw might is not the only that a vicious gang can offer. Tiefling mages, both stepped forward, their hands both conjured this huge fireball, flames that would incinerate the vipers on the spot.

Antonio thumped his cane once again, "This will be the last I'm warning you. Surrender and you shall meet a quick and painless end. If you do not...my men torture in ways you where death will be a reprieve. Think carefully now about my..."

The entire town went silent as the sound of gunfire cut-off Antonio. In his top-hat, a bullethole.

"Tread on a viper, and you'll get the fangs."

The barrel of Miryam's revolver smoked hot. The Dyablos might be the most feared cartel in Havardin but nobody threatens a viper and gets away with it.

"Boosss!" One of the gang member shouted!

As vengeance for their fallen boss, the Dyablos mages threw fireballs to eliminate the Vipers. Long before the flames could touch them, special bullets soaked in Mana dispersed the fireballs. Counterspell? The Sand Elves need it not for they can simply shoot and deflect spells with their guns.

Guns drawn, Morrgen taunted, "Never bring spells to a gunfight, friend."

Right before the mage can cast another, a bullet flies through in between his eyes. The dread of his comrade in crime falling dead were shortlived as lead travelled into his skull.

Cocking the lever of her rifle, Rellana did not let off from her sight, ready to pump more into into whoever would be foolis enough to charge at them.

In an unstoppable bull rush, the minotaur swung his giant club down into Miryam, the Naga evading by a hair's breadth. The sheer weight of its weapon combined with his strength buried the club into the earth.

Quick to back-up their leader, Morrgen and Rellana fired at the Minotaur. His skin tough as a platemail, the bullet punched through, but could never penetrate deep into its flesh. Shielding his head to avoid any fatal damage, Miryam took advantage of the supressive fire and launched a garage of scimitar slashes upon the Minotaur's knees.

"Get 'em, they can't stop all of us!" One of the Dyablos rose to the occasion, disoriented without their leader, all it took was one brave sentence to rally them into a frenzy, into their demise.

Even with his kness shredded, the Minotaur stood. The endurance it possed bordered on the undying. Each step filled with vigor as it ran to trample them.

Rather get squashed into gore, Morrgen and Rellana rolled to evade. Morrgen, turning his guns to the Dyablos shooting and closing in with their knives.

In an arc, Morrgen's revolver hit all targets in the head. After an empty click, Morrgen waved his coat to reveal undeneath even more armamaments that shimmered in lethal silver.

A fluid draw by both hands, Morrgen emptied another set of chambers into the skulls of their foes. Each pull of the trigger, done so with masterful precision.

"RAAAAAAAGH!" Eeach step, Rellana daringly marched at the Minotaur, pulling the lever and freezing the Minotaur in its place by the sheer firepower of its rifle. Reckless doesn't even begin to describe, Rellana traded her safety by increasing the stopping power of her gun, shooting at close range.

Its left arm filled with bullet holes, the only thing stopping Rellana from pumping its head full of lead.

"Don't be shy now." Rellana smirked. "Come on and let me see yer ugly mug!"

Walking into a Minotaur's striking range. Utterly deranged, no two ways about it. It was this derangement that will open a path for victory against the humongous brute. Her hand drawing from behind her coat, Rellana pulled out one of William's strongest hitting arsenal. A double barreled shotgun. Rellana licked her lips in anticipation of the delicious violence it can inflict.

Pulling the shotgun's trigger, the sound of gunfire echoed even more brutal than thunder.

At point-blank range, the Minotaur's endurance was broken, brutalized into pieces of gore and bones.

For the fraction of a moment, Rellana became the tantalized by the sight of the flesh sputtering in the air. Its innocence, remind one of a child's first witnessing the fireworks up in the sky.

"Rellana, look out!" Morrgen shouted. Snapping Rellana out of her trance.

Too little too late...

The Minotaur's right fist slammed into Rellana's arm, an instant retribution of her blood debt. Rellana's bones snapped like twigs before the unrestrained power of a Minotaur's punch, sending her flying into the chaos of the gunfire.

Miryam slithered through the battlefield, slashing everything in her wake with her scimitar so she can be by Rellana's side.

Cowering behind the wagon, William covered his ears while under the protection of the orc. Garuk fired from cover, while William lay beside him.

"Use it, Garuk, use the weapon!"

Not a single second wasted, Garuk stepped up and undid the covering of the cargo.

If the Rifle and Shotgun were both wyvern and wyrm respectively, this hunk of cylindrical metal can be considered a Dragon with the lead it can breathe out.

The Gatling Gun.

Cranking its lever, the Machine slowly ramped up the Dyablos' doom along with its fire rate. Garuk mowed down ALL the Dyablos with a rain of bullets. Horrified screaming shrieked upon upon the battlefield, followed by their bodies pierced through by the gatling gun's ammunition.

With all of the Dyablos swatted like flies. The piece of deadly cylinder turned towards the Minotaur. Shredding even the Minotaur, tearing chunks of its flesh until it collapsed into the ground.

A gruesome sight of bodies sprawled on the soil welcomed Miryam and Rellana that emerged from cover.

Rellana's foot stepped upon the Minotaur's head. And a spit for a good measure of disrespect.

"Good riddance, off to Elaria we go."