Guns of Legend: Chapter One

Story by ThisAdamGuy on SoFurry

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This is the first chapter of a story I'm experimenting with.  It's a

fantasy story set in a cowboy western type of world.  It's currently

untitled, but I'd like to know what you think of it, if you don't mind.Chapter One

The sharp crack of Kulgan's pistol

rang out six times through the cold desert night. Six bullets were sent flying towards the

massive goyles as they sprang up from the sands around him, and then he flicked

the chamber open and loaded six more bullets into it.  They were sandgoyles, so their bodies

exploded into fine powder wherever the bullets struck them, only to be replaced

as more sand shifted to fill the holes.  Still

more goyles rose up from the sandy ground as he watched, and he quickly took

aim and fired again.It was stupid of him to venture

this far into the desert so close to sunset, and Kulgan knew it.  His tail twitched in annoyance as the monsters

converged on him, snarling with bloodlust.  Sandgoyles were difficult to kill on solid ground, a task made nearly

impossible on their natural habitat where they had limitless sand to heal

themselves with.  There were no less than

twenty gathered around him now, and if the shifting sand below his feet was any

indicator, there were plenty more ready to join them.  He'd inadvertently walked directly into their

nesting grounds.The goyle closest to him raised its

hand, its claws ready to dismember Kulgan. 

Before it had a chance to strike, though, the nimble zik fired again,

shooting off its hand and placing two bullets into its chest and stomach.  They weren't enough to kill the monster, but

they would at least cause it enough pain to force away.  With a howl of rage, the sandgoyle backed

off, glaring at its furry foe with animalistic hatred.Despite his skill, Kulgan knew was

in trouble.  There were simply too many

goyles for him to fight.  If he kept this

up, he would be out of ammo within ten minutes, and then the sandgoyles would have

him at their mercy.  His only chance was

to escape.  Before the goyles could work

up the courage to come at him again, he reached up and tapped his claw against the

pendant that hung around his neck.  Magic

spewed out of it, seeping through his body like sludge water through his

veins.  Two large bumps formed on his

back, straining the fabric of his shirt before bursting free with the sound of

tearing fabric.  Two wings now protruded

from his back, thin and fleshy like a bat's and growing larger with every

passing second.  The sandgoyles recoiled

in terror.  A zik was not supposed to

have wings!  Even a stupid monster like a

goyle was smart enough to recognize the Dreadwave that accompanied a Twisting.  He was throwing Nature itself out of balance.  Kulgan grimaced at the thought.

Kulgan raised his new wings and

thrust them down, rising off the ground a few feet.  He flapped three more times, putting himself

safely out of the sandgoyles' reach before angling himself to the north and

flying away.  The goyles made no attempt

to follow him, but he still flew more than a mile before landing.  Tapping the pendant again, he felt the magic

retreat back into the necklace with an obscene slurping sound.  Without the magic to sustain them, the wings began

to shrivel and die, the flesh rotting and falling off while the bones retreated

painfully back into Kulgan's spine.  With

a gasp, the zik was in his normal form once more.Removing the tattered remains of his shirt,

Kulgan cast it upon the ground.  It was proper

to burn any clothing that was destroyed by a Twisting, but he wasn't willing to

risk attracting whatever other predators might be stalking the night for a

stupid superstition.  Hopefully the dull grey

fur that covered his body would be enough to ward off the desert cold until he

reached civilization.  He plucked his hip

flask from his belt and considered taking a long swig to fight off the

cold.  Instead, he put it back.  The Dreadwave was still coming off of him hard

enough to make the flies steer clear of him, and would most likely still be in

effect when he made it back to Everdry. 

If he used up all his whiskey now, he'd have a very hard time getting

more from Olgi's pub until he was able to be around other people without his

mere presence frightening them away.  That

was the price of Twisting, but in his line of work it was worth it.  The real problem would arise when he was

forced to tell his employer that he'd lost the tracks once again when the

sandgoyles appeared.

Oh well, one more child wouldn't be

too high of a price, right?