One in black, one in white. They stared each other down, eyes locked. The streets around them emptied, people fleeing for their lives, a few running off to find the Sheriff. Naught but the two souls remained, hands hovered by their holsters. Their revolvers remained in place, for now, as they watched each other’s eyes. Looking for the first signs of weakness. The first to blink. The first to flinch. It meant death. That was what they were both after.

The one in black, red hair, flowing down her shoulders, underneath her wide-brimmed hat. Pressed, white blouse with a collar, covered by a vest with a suit jacket, hanging just below her waist. Long trousers and riding boots, both black, matched the leather belt on her waist, the silver buckles gleaming in the sunlight along with the revolver in her holster.

Her scarred face, youthful yet wizened, betrayed a menacing aura, with angry green eyes, hardened from long years of battle. Her pale skin, a contrast to her dark attire. She unbuttoned her jacket and held it to one side, her hand resting near the revolver at her right hip.

In white, she stood equal. In height, in skill, and intensity. Frightening pale eyes, shoulder length black hair underneath her white hat with its wide brim. A white blouse rested underneath a white vest, to match her trousers and boots. White leather belt, gold buckles, and a gilded revolver at her hip, finished the ensemble of the calm woman in white, her caramel skin accentuated by her attire.

They heard her approach but refused to turn away. The Sheriff was there, rifle in hand, resting it against her hip, finger near the trigger. One of the townspeople was there with her. She turned to him. “Best head inside,” Aurora said. “No stopping these two.”

“What?? Sheriff please-”

“No one’s dying. Not on my watch. But these two... they’re dangerous. Get inside. Now.”

He didn’t argue any further, breaking for the general store and barricading himself inside with several others.

The one in black tensed up when Aurora drew near. “Starling...” she said. “Or do you prefer the Griffin’s Gun?”

Starling didn’t answer.

“I know you can hear me. And I can tell you remember me,” Aurora continued. “Just stand down now. I’m not having this in my town.”

Still, Starling remained silent.

Her opponent, the woman in white, also refused to stir. She had folded her arms, unmoving, sure to keep one hand near to the gilded pistol on her left hip.

“Leila... The Pale Shadow... nice little name for you too,” Aurora said. “You don’t have to do this here. Settle it elsewhere. Just not in my town.”

Leila, too, didn’t answer. The two women kept right on staring each other down. Hands hovering by their guns. Waiting...

The third woman, the Sheriff, closed her eyes. Idiots...she thought to herself. Not willing to listen to reason... I’ll make them.

Aurora made a show of stepping away, resting the rifle on her shoulder. “Fine then. Go on and kill each other. Winner gets a rifle bullet in the skull.”

Again, neither woman stirred. So they’re not listening. Perfect.

She stepped away, far enough out of sight and earshot to convince the pair she had left. She closed her eyes again, her mind honing in on the chambered bullets each of the combatants was about to fire.

The entire world fell silent around them. Above them, the sun scorched the dry earth, waves of heat rippling all around. From the sky, the cry of an eagle broke the deafening silence, but it was all they needed. Both heard it. Both flinched at the sudden sound. So both drew down...

The pistols emerged from their holsters in less than a blink. Who was first? Hard to say. They were equal in speed. Onlookers swore one or the other was faster on the trigger, firing off her shot, but it was impossible to tell. Matched in every way, the guns each fired, two practically simultaneous blasts, echoing off the mountains surrounding the valley. But something happened on the way.

Frozen in time, they would have seen the bullets disappear, replaced with some strange dart of light, as though by magic. They deadly, injurious path of the bullets instead turned to something else. Both darts of light struck their targets, and each combatant collapsed to the ground, kicking up dirt around them... but both remained breathing.

Aurora emerged again, rifle still slung over her shoulder, her eyelids heavy... she gave her head a shake.

“Danny!” she called.

A young man approached her. He, too, wore a badge. The newly-minted deputy saluted her as soon as he stopped in front of her. “Ma’am!”

Aurora smiled. “You know Jonas and I have both told you there’s no need to salute...”

“It’s a show of my respect for a woman of your station, ma’am!” The young man said, saluting again and standing at attention. He’d cleaned up rather well. Gone was the dusty brown suit her wore with the rebels, replaced instead by one of sharp grey, with white pinstripes, shiny new riding boots and a new pistol, with a black handle and the face of a demon engraved into it. The second of its kind...

“As you like...” Aurora said. “Mind helping me haul these two back to the jailhouse?”

“At your order, ma’am!” Danny said, saluting again. The raven-haired young man, clean shaven, short but well built, with pale eyes, always gave the Sheriff a chuckle.

He stooped low and cradled Leila in his arms. Aurora smirked. “Of course you go for the thinner one...”

“Ma’am?”

“Never mind. I’ve got Starling. Once you get her back, fetch some rope and cloth, would you Danny?”

Danny nodded. “Right away, ma’am!”

She chuckled at his enthusiasm again as he rushed off to the jailhouse. Aurora grunted as she hefted the larger woman up, slinging her over her shoulder. “Damn... ain’t making this easy...”

It was a slow trudge back to the jailhouse for Aurora but, finally, she arrived, plopping her down on the cot of one of the cells, the same one she noticed Leila laying on. She stood up and stretched her muscles, eyeing up Danny, who saluted her again.

“Rope and cloth ready at your disposal, ma’am!” he said.

“Where?”

“I took the liberty of supplying you a table in this cell, ma’am!” Danny replied.

Aurora turned around and spotted the numerous coils of rope and white cloths Danny had gathered and meticulously laid out while she had been making her way slowly through the streets with the thickly built, muscular Starling over her shoulder.

“Nice work, Deputy,” Aurora said. “Very nice work.”

“Shall I leave you to your work, Sheriff?” Danny asked.

“If you don’t mind. Go take yourself a break.” She reached into her pocket and tossed him a large gold coin. “Have yourself a drink on me.”

Danny placed the coin on the table. “I thank you, ma’am, but I cannot accept this from my superior officer!”

Aurora smirked and stood up straight, hand on her hip. “You got a military background or something, Dan?”

“No ma’am!”

“So... you do a lot of reading then?”

“War history and military fiction, ma’am!” Danny said. “Also the weekly dime novel. Ma’am!”

Aurora nodded and smiled. “I see. Got an idea where you got these notions of yours from then.”

“Ma’am?”

“Don’t worry about it, Danny. Go on and have a drink. Take a rest. Let me get these ladies feeling at home.”

“At your order, ma’am!” Danny said, saluting again, turning to leave her alone in the jailhouse. With him gone, Aurora grasped some rope in her hands and began uncoiling it. “Let’s see if I still know how to do this...”

...

“Where you headed?” Elyn asked as Jonas passed her by. “Got some lead somewhere?”

He had a rifle slung over his shoulder and his gun belt and hat on. The scruffy, tired-eyed man stopped when he heard Elyn call out to him.

“Could be nothing... going to see the old man that gave me this,” Jonas said, holding out an old watch. “I need his help figuring out where it came from. How it was made.”

“For the portal?”

“That’s the hope.”

“All right. What else?”

Jonas let out a short breath. “Heard from my guy, Danny. Letter arrived this morning. Says he and Aurora caught a couple gunslingers we might have interest in.”

“Oh?” Elyn asked, raising an eyebrow. “Those sound like my Aurora’s words. Your man seems like the type who would just tell you.”

“He would. But he follows her orders to the letter. She must have instructed him to tease us and not tell us directly.”

Elyn allowed herself a smile. “I need to get down to see her more often. We’re both too busy around here.”

Jonas shrugged and just about managed a smile in return. “This is a fine excuse.”

“And she has prisoners so... she’ll be in high spirits. Mind if I join you then?”

Jonas tossed her the rifle. “In case we need it,” he said. “Trouble everywhere these days.”

“Good call,” Elyn said. “I would’ve gotten mine...”

“Yours is too valuable. High powered thing like that ought to be spared for special cases,” Jonas said.

“Fine. This’ll do, if it comes down to it,” Elyn said. “Ready then?”

“Let’s head out then.”

The two found their horses together and rode out of the rebel town off to Gold Valley once again. They reached the town by sundown, riding up to the jailhouse and stepping inside. Aurora and Danny were there to greet them.

Jonas reached forward to shake Danny’s hand but the Deputy saluted him instead. “Sir!”

“It’s Jonas...” he said. “Come on, Danny. Shake my hand, boy.”

Danny firmly grasped Jonas’ hand and shook it. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”

“Isn’t he rather endearing?” Aurora asked. “You never told me the boy had so much spirit, Jonas.”

“Aurora,” Jonas said, shaking her hand. “Boy’s just got an imagination is all.”

“I’d say he does.” Her eyes lit up and she stepped past him. “And you’ve brought me a gift, Jonas. How kind of you.” She smiled wide as she jumped into Elyn’s arms and they planted their lips together. They pulled back.

“Read that note you sent,” Elyn said, her gleaming eyes sparkling as she looked into Aurora’s. “You’ve been up to something.”

“I’d say she has...” Jonas said.

He stared into one cell and saw two squirming figures inside, grunting and growling, uttering muffled protests.

Leila and Starling were both hogtied on the bed, facing each other. Aurora had wrapped each woman’s arms from the biceps down to their wrists in one long, thick coil of tight rope, cinched in all the right places to stay firmly in place. More rope wrapped around their chests, above and below, pinning their arms to their backs. Further rope kept wrapped their waists, holding their wrists tight as well. Adding to that, each woman’s legs had been wrapped up tight, with a thick coil wrapping up their thighs down their knees and another coil covering their lower legs, ankles, and calves just below the knees. Their bound ankles were then anchored to their wrists and upper arms, tied down and knotted on their upper backs, meeting their chest ropes.

Both women had their mouths packed full to bursting with cloth, and covered over with another wrapping their mouths, tied on tight behind their heads. Further, they were both anchored in place at each end of the cot, forced to look angrily into each other’s eyes as they struggled, rooted to the spot.

“Mmmrrphmmmrrrrmmmmnngghhh....” Starling growled, glaring at her rival.

“Mmmnngghhfff phmmm nmmm phmmrmmphnn...” Leila ranted incoherently.

Elyn smiled even wide as she let Aurora down and walked toward the muffled speech. “My girl’s still got it... what a job you did on these two.”

Both women turned to glare at Elyn, eliciting a laugh from the orange-haired gunslinger. “Jonas... I think it falls to you in the fearless leader’s stead to convince these two on setting aside their differences and joining us, don’t you?”

“You’re not helping?” Jonas asked.

This time, Aurora scooped up Elyn in her arms, cradling her girlfriend, and kissing her again. “I’m borrowing her. I suspect that’s what dear Elyn came here for... am I wrong?”

The two smiled sweetly at each other. “Care to find out the answer?” Elyn asked.

“I have ways to make you talk, mi amor....”

“Oh Aurora... let me tell you all my secrets.”

“Keeping secrets? Bad girl...”

Jonas cleared his throat and shuffled awkwardly. “Mind taking this somewhere else?” he asked.

“I don’t mind at all,” Aurora said. “Danny, draft up their exit papers. These ladies’ sentence is over. And let Jonas in to release them and speak with them.”

“Ma’am!” he said, saluting. “At your order!”

“I’ll be off duty for... several hours,” Aurora said, smiling at Elyn. “You’re in charge until I get back.”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

...

With the cell unlocked, the two untied, and now fuming in front of the tired man, sitting around the Sheriff’s desk, he did his best to explain their situation.

“The Demon in Black...” Starling said. “I was unaware you had given yourself a new title.”

“Wasn’t me. That’s what the Sheriff in Jericho calls me. Not my fault it’s stuck to me.”

“Though you have embraced it,” Leila said, nodding to the gun on his hip.

“Helps to have a frightening reputation. Keeps the law off our backs just a bit. Dials down the pressure,” Jonas said.

He leaned forward and cleared his throat. “Haven’t heard much talk of you two. Or any, in fact. Never expected to see you around here.”

“We were drawn here when you were,” Starling said. “And the Duel resumed.”

“So I heard...” Jonas said. “So before all that... what were you two doing? Aurora’s files seemed to indicate she was keeping tabs... and she didn’t tell me.”

“She had her reasons,” Leila said. “Because we will not join your cause.”

“Why not? Aren’t we allies?”

“We are,” Starling said. “And she never stated we would not help you.”

“Then what are you talking about?” Jonas asked.

“We will come when you have need. But we are not members of the rebellion,” Leila said. “And we will not join.”

“Your fight is not ours,” Starling continued. “But should you have need of our aid... we will be there.”

“Unless you kill each other...”

He leaned back in his chair and removed his hat, tossing it on the desk in front of him. He rubbed his eyes and his forehead, drawing a long breath, taking a swig from his flask.

“Still haven’t said what you’ve been doing,” Jonas said.

“Fighting, hunting... that is all we know. I claim what the law does not,” Starling said.

“As do I,” Leila added.

“Bounty hunters... I should have known.”

Jonas grabbed his hat and stood from his chair. “I suggest we part ways then. And that you two stay away from each other.”

“Even if we separate, Jonas, we will hunt one another again,” Leila said. “It is all we know.”

“Yes.. I know...” Jonas said, adding a sigh. “How will you know when I have need?”

“We always know,” Starling said, standing and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “And we will be there. I plan to stay in this town for the night. Come find me if you have something further to discuss.”

“Thanks, Starling,” Jonas said.

“I will be leaving,” Leila said. “But you will see me again, Jonas.”

“I count on that, Leila. Just do me a favour and try not to lock up any of ours.”

“I will do my best,” Leila said, leaving the jailhouse and heading back to her waiting horse in town. Starling left soon after, nodding once to Jonas before heading for the inn. This left Jonas alone with Danny. He sighed and pulled the watch from his vest pocket.

“Have you found anything about it yet, sir?”

“Even Elyn can’t get it to work,” Jonas said. “Gotta wonder how the old man did it. I wish Lanala was here...”

“What’s she like, sir?”

“Who Lanala?”

“Yes. You and the Captain talk about her all the time.”

Jonas furrowed his brow for the moment at the mention of the word ‘Captain.’ Then remembered what Danny calls Artema...

“Right. Real kind, Lanala. Smart, strong, best wielder of magic I’ve ever seen.”

“Magic? Like, real magic?” Danny asked, excitedly.

“Yes, Danny. It exists in this world, whether people believe it or not. I can only wonder what Lanala would make of it...”

“She’s... powerful?”

“After our time together in Esterlin... I haven’t met anyone more powerful,” Jonas said. “We’re lucky to have her on our side. And we’re lucky she’s kind. We’ve seen what the other side of power is like...”

“You and the Captain have had a lot of adventures together, right?” Danny asked.

“We have. Though her and her crew have had more, done more. Been better than I could ever hope to be...”

“Sir... if I may?”

“If you may what?”

“You stand in our group among equals, sir. You are a stalwart leader in the Captain’s absence. A capable ally. And a good friend. You’ve been a good friend to me.”

“I appreciate that, Danny,” Jonas said, forcing a smile. “I should leave you to your new job. You’ve got paperwork to do if I’m not mistaken.”

“I do, sir. Just know, before you leave, it’s an honour to serve beside you.” He saluted Jonas, standing at attention.

With a genuine smile this time, Jonas saluted him back casually. “The honour is mine, Danny. Now go on. We’ve both got work to do.”

He stepped outside into the warm night and eyed the dim light coming from the general store and the old man that had given him his supposed magic watch. He walked to the front door and knocked on it several times.

“Closed!” a voice barked from inside.

“This is about the watch,” Jonas answered back, raising his voice.

“Hang on...”

The door opened and the old man smiled his gap-toothed grin, spreading his arms wide. “Mr. Rebel Man! The black demon!”

“Demon in Black...” Jonas corrected. “You said I could come back with more questions. I have.”

“Come in then, my boy. Come in.”

Jonas stepped inside and the old man closed the door behind him. “So what can I help you with? Come to ask about the wondrous sight of the watch transporting a man all the way across-”

“Not here for a sales pitch,” Jonas interrupted. “There’s something we’re missing. None of us can get this thing to work. So how did you do it?”

“Me? Why, sir, I have ways to manipulate the arcane.”

“What are those ways?”

The old man let out a short breath. “There are things in this world with which we mortals should not trifle and-”

Jonas reached forward, over the front counter, and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. “We need this! Don’t spin me in goddamn circles, old man! You fucking know how this watch works, and why it only responds to you. Tell me, goddamn it!”

The old man merely chuckled and Jonas released his grip, letting out a long breath and straightening his duster. “Please... if you don’t mind.”

“My boy... there are powers at work here that are dangerous for anyone to wield.”

“I don’t care. Tell me.”

“I only wish to protect you from harm.”

“What happens to me doesn’t matter. Tell me. Now.”

The old man leaned on the counter. “In my youth... I spoke to a person. A woman. A beautiful woman in elegant, silken robes. She claimed to have come from the sky.”

“What does this have to do-”

The old man interrupted him by raising his hand. “Patience. You will know.”

Jonas relaxed slightly and let the man continue. “She claimed to have come from the sky. And she taught me incredible knowledge. And gifted me an ability...” he held his hands out. Jonas handed him the watch.

“The artifacts of her realm, she claimed, would respond to my touch. And that is how I came to possess this watch. It is a relic of the sky. But not our sky, she said.”

Jonas furrowed his brow. “Which sky?”

“She did not say. Merely that she was a visitor from this world. And that all magic came from her home. The home of the Mageians...”

“Mageians!?” Jonas’ eyes drifted to the watch but it and the man disappeared... reappearing in front of him, on the other side of the desk. The old man slid the watch back into Jonas’ hands.

“That is what she told me,” he said. “You... know of them?”

“You could say that...” Jonas said.

“Then know that the Devil of Harrison possesses one such relic of his own. A globe of snow, as they say. A mere trinket to some. But there is word he hears the whispers of Hell from within such a trinket. That it is what brought him here, to Harrison County.”

“I knew Jade had something... So how do I make this respond to us?”

“You require the touch of a Mageian... and I cannot give you that. But there are two who can.”

“Two?”

“Outlaws. Named Mala and Alaani. The woman I met? She said they are Mageian outcasts, exiled to our world.”

“There’s... more Mageians? And they’re here?”

“They are. Those women are vicious outlaws of this land. Some claim them to be witches. But they are no end of trouble for the people on the outskirts. And none who have tried to apprehend them have returned. It would take a truly skilled hunter to take them in. And skill to convince them to grant you the touch of a Mageian.”

“A skilled... all right. Thank you. I need to be going.”

“You are welcome back any time, my boy. Do be careful with this knowledge and this power. It is more curse than blessing...”

“Yeah, I got it. Thanks.”

Jonas left in a hurry, leaving the confused and worried old man behind to lock up his shop again. He rushed off across town, to the inn, and found Starling’s room, knocking on it until she answered.

“Jonas?”

“Starling, I need your help. Something’s come up.”

“What is it?”

Jonas took in a heavy breath and collected himself. “I need you to hunt a bounty for me...”

Story Theme Song: Andrea Wasse- Ain't No Devil