Travis Walker

The rough gloved hand barely missed the brown haired drunk it was thrown at. He reciprocated with a blow that landed on the opposing man's left cheek. A few feet away, the burly barback hoisted a man into the air, off of the female bartender, and threw the man like a rag doll towards the door. Next to the door, undisturbed by the flying individual, were twin blond men beating on an even larger fella, who seemed annoyed with the feeble assault. The giant of a man grabbed both twins by the heads, with hands almost bigger than their heads, and slammed them into one another. The duo, knocked out, fell onto the giant man, and he just shrugged them off of him. The owner, George, was washing a dish and watching over his spirits in case someone tried to take them during the fight. Another couple of fighters tumbled into a chair, which contained a man losing his money in a game of poker. This interruption caused the table to move, and the four seated players got up yelling at each other and the pair fighting. The card players soon joined the fray after collecting their money and fighting over what was in the pot.
Soon, the majority of the room was engaged in some form of fighting, including the female bartender that now had a club made out of redwood. A few customers were still mid conversation, with one in the corner. George was finishing the collected dishes in the sink. The noise must have wafted over to the Sheriff's office as he walked in with his six shooters in hand. He tried hollering for them to settle down, but they kept fighting.
BANG BANG
The room stuttered before all turned to look at the man holding one of his revolvers in the air, pointed at the ceiling. When there was complete silence, the Sheriff spoke up.
"Settle down, or I am throwing all you in a cell or a coffin. Whichever is easiest."
Everyone looked around at the room, but when the giant blond in the back apologized and sat down, everyone followed the action. The Sheriff holstered his guns and walked towards the bar. George immediately grabbed a shot glass and poured the Sheriff a whiskey. As he looked around, he noticed a familiar hat in the corner. The Sheriff took his shot, asked for another, shot that, and then walked to the middle of the room.
"Is that you, Travis?"
"Unfortunately, Sheriff."
"What are you doing back?" the Sheriff asked as he walked towards the corner.
"More business." the shadowy figure replied.
"Business here?" the Sheriff asked, voice breaking slightly.
"Yes, Sheriff, here."
The middle-aged man quickly made the rest of the distance and whispered, "What is it this time? Is there another dire wolf?"
"No more wolves, Sheriff." The man dressed in all black finally looked over at the one with the badge.
"Well, what is it?" The cowboy hat came off his combed over white hair as he almost shuddered at the thought of another attack.
"I don't know yet." The dry reply seemed to slap the other man in the face.
"What the hell does that mean?" the Sheriff, taken aback, finally got out.
"Whatever is to happen, hasn't yet." Travis replied as he took a drink from the mug in front of him.
"How do you know it's going to happen here?" The Sheriff, now calming down, asked.
"I have my ways," Travis said, "And it happens," he pulled a gold timepiece out of his black vest pocket, "around 2 hours from now."
"What happens in 2 hours?" the Sheriff asked again.
"No idea, Bernard," the man dressed in all black offered, "Now, let me drink my beverage."
"Can't you give me a hint?" the Sheriff asked, "I can't just sit by and wait for my citizens to get hurt."
"All I know is a large surge of energy is going to originate in this town," Travis told the older man. "In 2 hours."
"OK, I will leave you be, for now, but in 2 hours, I expect to be seeing you. I need to know what we are fighting this time," Bernard said as he stood up, brushing a speck of dust off of his Sheriff's badge, "You ain't pulling that lone wolf crap with me again."
"I promise," Travis said with probably the first true grin of his life as he continued, "If you can fight it, all the better."
"That's better." Bernard turned his body before his head as he left with a reminder, "See you in 2 hours."
Travis returned to the worn book he had been reading under his black jacket and waited for the hours to pass. He kept an eye out for the patrons of the bar, too. They were just in a whole room brawl, after all.
The hours flew by as Travis read his book. Travis pulled the golden pocket watch out again and checked the time. It was a few minutes before whatever was going to happen, so he stood up. His long strides took him outside quickly after he paid his tab to George. He looked around for the Sheriff, who was leaning against his office wall, and was looking straight at him. They both stepped into the dirt and met mid street. Travis, the taller of the two, stood silent until Bernard thrust out his right hand and said, "Well met, good sir. It is good to see you again despite this …"
Interrupting his rehearsed salutations was a bright green light that erupted in the night sky. The light grabbed everyone's attention on the street as it lingered for a few long seconds. Coming from Travis' right and Bernard's left the men looked at each other, one with a look of surprise and the other with a look of another Tuesday, and before either moved the Sheriff said, "The mine!" in almost a whisper. The duo turned west and started running.
"What was that?" Bernard asked loudly a few feet behind Travis.
"The surge I told you about.," Travis replied as he kept up his pace. "Where is mine?"
"Just down this trail," Bernard said, exhaustion already in his voice, "There is a sign a ways down."
"See you there," Travis said as he picked up his pace and left the Sheriff in his dust.
It took Travis only 10 minutes to run to the mine entrance, 25 for the Sheriff. When Bernard finally caught up, the younger man was holding some sort of contraption with multiple colored pieces of glass that he was shuffling through. A loud footfall and heavy breathing alerted Travis to the arrival of the Sheriff, but he kept looking through the pieces of glass.
"What's that thing?" The Sheriff asked as he got closer.
"It helps me identify different magics," Travis answered, "And it looks like an old magic, maybe natural."
"What is natural magic?"
"Magic pertaining to nature," Travis said as he flipped through the pieces again, "Growing trees, making water, or in this case, expanding the earth to create hills or mountains.
"What does that mean?"
"Bernard," Travis turned towards the man, "I can't answer all your questions. I need to concentrate."
"Sorry …"
Before Bernard could continue with his apology, a guttural sound seeped out of the mine entrance. The men looked at each other again when another gurgling noise echoed out of the dark hole. The sounds were getting closer, and the little light the half moon provided on the clear night illuminated the hole perfectly. Travis then asked an important question, "How many people were down there?"
"Around 45. Why?"
"If I am correct, we are dealing with evil spirits. The light was the seal being broken, and now they have bodies to possess," Travis explained as he started to back away from the hole, "Did you only bring your six shooters?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because we need something more than bullets."
They both continued to retreat slowly as the noise grew to a roar just seconds before the first possessed body exited the entrance to the mine. Its eyes were glowing a dull green, and Travis could now see the glowing of a mass of eyes coming towards the moonlight. He and Bernard picked up the pace of walking backward as the first of the horde emerged. Bernard was quick to pull his guns, but Travis lowered one of his arms.
"We need to get some supplies for a more permanent solution," Travis stated.
After seeing the horde sticking close to the entrance, he motioned for Bernard to follow him. They, almost in unison, walked backward as silently as possible before then turning around. The Sheriff kept looking back at the group of glowing eyes of the miners, scared they could hear his steps. Travis kept his smooth stride and headed forward as he started to speak.
"Those possessed can be saved, but it's going to take more power than I have alone. To be safe, we need a group of people to help reinforce my power. Better yet, is there a healer or shaman in town? Is there anyone with magical aptitude?" Travis asked.
"No, well, maybe." Bernard said as he removed his hat and scratched his balding head before elaborating, "Some woman moved into that creepy old Simpson house on the other side of town. The townsfolk seem to think she might be a witch."
"We need more than might," Travis replied as he pulled a book out of a different vest pocket and started to flip through the pages as he walked. This book was much smaller and emitted a white glow as it was opened. It didn't require flipping of pages, apparently, as Travis would swipe his hand, vertically, over the open book, and the glow would stutter. Bernard was dumbfounded as he watched his acquaintance, but he kept his mouth shut and continued to walk. After a few minutes walking, Travis folded the pageless book and returned it to his pocket. He then added, "I need some ingredients, and you need to round up 10 people."
With a snap of his fingers, the man in black disappeared into thin air. Bernard had questions, but he was left without answers the last time he saw Travis 9 years ago. Now alone, the thought of that horde of possessed miners made goosebumps form all over Bernard's body. So he took off at a jog towards town. It took 30 minutes to get back but he got lucky, there was a crowd outside.
"What in heaven do we have here?" the Sheriff asked no one as he approached the crowd. On their faces, in the mud, lay the two blond men that were fighting the giant blond man earlier. The huge man seemed to take no pleasure in the win as he tried to stop everyone else from applauding. When he realized he wasn't going to win that fight, he walked through the crowd towards the bar. Bernard took a quick head count and yelled in amazement at there being 10 people left outside, not including the 2 laid out. He straightened up and, with his most authoritative voice, got the group's attention, "Ladies and gentlemen, if any of you were outside earlier, there was a bright green light …"
"We know, Sheriff."
"Um, right … well, I need you 10 people to help me deal with something related to the light. It, um, it seems it was the release of some powerful spirits that have possessed the miners," Bernard saw the look on people's faces as he explained the situation, "I have a friend that is very competent when it comes to these things. He is collecting whatever he needs to deal with the spirits. He just needs some help."
"What do we have to do?"
"I am not sure." came the Sheriff's response.
"What kind of spirits?"
"Yeah, are they good spirits?
"He already said evil spirits, dummy!"
"No, he said powerful spirits!"
"Powerful spirits that possessed people!
"Focus, please," Bernard begged the small drunk crowd, "I can't stress enough how much we need your help. I know that my friend will be back soon. Please, stay here while I go and see about another person helping. Okay?"
The crowd mumbled in agreement and watched as Bernard walked through them and headed towards the Simpson house. It was a longer walk than to the mine, so he picked up his pace. The hour it took him to jog and run his way there crept by with his beating heart in his throat. When he finally reached the fenced-in home, there was Travis, now carrying a black bag.
"How long have you been here?" the Sheriff still had his authoritative voice booming.
"A few minutes," was all the response Travis gave him as he closed the book he was reading and put it back in his vest pocket.
"Have you seen any movement inside?" Bernard asked as he opened the gate on the 4 foot fence.
"She has the curtains drawn, but there is a slight bit of light coming from one of the large windows on the side," Travis answered as he walked behind the Sheriff.
"Guess we will see in a moment," Bernard said as he reached the wrap-around porch.
The gentlemen stood on either side of the door, and the Sheriff knocked. Then, in his Sheriff's voice, he yelled out, "It's the Sheriff. I need to speak to you immediately!" Bernard knocked louder.
Before Bernard could utter a word, the metal clinking sound of locks disengaging found their ears. A sliver of light became a flood as the person inside opened it all of the way.
"How can I help you … Travis Walker? Is that you?" The soothing voice of a woman which was now framed in the doorway wafted in the air as the men's eyes adjusted.
"Winifred?" Travis looked surprised.
"Great, you know each other!"
"You know it's Winny, Walker." The auburn haired woman in her early 30s said.
"Fair enough, Winny," Travis corrected himself.
"So what brings you to my humble abode, Travis?" Winny asked as she eyed her callers up and down.
"We have a situation …" the Sheriff started but was interrupted by Travis.
"Evil spirits headed for town," Travis said, "Got any scales of a dragonfish?"
"You mean to trap them in a cursed crystal?" Winny asked as she motioned for the men to follow her inside.
"Yes."
The woman began to dig through a drawer she opened. She quickly found a white bag that was knotted at the top. After handing it to Travis, she added, "Consider us even for that thing in Paris."
"No, you owe me more than some scales," Travis replied as he opened the bag to inspect the contents.
"Then, how about I help you with these spirits?" Winny smiled as Travis looked up from the white bag.
"You think this small job will cover your mistakes in Paris?" Travis stoically asked.
"It could be a start." the woman replied.
"What happened in Paris?" Bernard interjected.
"It would be a start."
"Excellent," the woman exclaimed, "Let me grab my bag, and we can go."
"What happened in Paris?" Bernard asked again.
The two men stood on the old worn-out porch as they waited for Winifred to return with her bag. She reappeared, and after closing the door the 3 of them walked off the porch, Bernard taking the lead and Travis at the back. Once out of the open gate, they turned toward the city and kept walking.
"How many people were turned?" Winifred asked as they neared the halfway point.
"I am thinking up to 45 miners," Travis replied, "But who knows now."
"Did you lock them up somewhere?" Winifred asked, hope in her tone.
"No, we didn't."
"Hey, don't blame me. I barely know what's happening," Bernard retorted.
"I should have sealed the mine." Travis admitted.
They continued to talk as they walked. Travis going over the plan and the other 2 asking questions. The plan was finally nailed down by the time they could see the lights of the town, but they could soon hear screams. They all picked up their pace, each grabbing their weapon of choice. Bernard had his six shooters at the ready, Winifred's hands were glowing a bright white, and Travis had produced a long staff out of thin air.
They didn't have to get to the center of town before they realized the horror taking place. As they came down the main street, they could see bodies scattered everywhere, a few being crowded over by ravenous groups of blood covered people. A woman came running up to them, blood quickly pouring out of the side of her face. There was a hole in her left cheek, and as she grew white from the blood loss, her eyes started to glow a sickly green color. Within an instant, the hole sealed itself, and her plea for help turned into a nightmarish gurgling sound erupting from her throat.
Bernard immediately popped off 3 shots into the woman's face, but those holes healed themselves as well. He shot 3 more from his second gun, but again, the holes healed themselves. That was when Winifred stepped forward and pushed the woman back with her magic. Travis then did the same, which caused the possessed woman to tumble backward. They walked a few feet forward, Travis still pushing the woman in the dirt before they got the attention of a few other possessed people.
"What am I supposed to do? Bullets don't work, remember!" Bernard yelled as one of the possessed ran at him, and he emptied his left gun into the oncoming man's chest, which promptly healed.
"Here," Travis replied as he threw a coin that magically turned into a plain staff of about 6 and a half feet long, "Try pushing them!"
"Thanks," Bernard said as he started smacking the healed threat in the face, causing it to stumble.
"Come on, Bernard," Travis exclaimed, "We don't want them to come back with fractured skulls."
"But they instantly heal," Bernard yelled back as he put the staff against the chest of his enemy and pushed with all his might, which resulted in the thing falling backwards and getting caught up in the magic user's unified magical push.
"They only heal so much," this time Winifred interjected, "The spirits are not infinite. Beat them up too badly, and they won't instantly heal. You can only destroy the vessel, which would make the spirits go dormant for a few years or decades. The longer it takes them to come back, the stronger they will be, and I am not staying to wait for them."
"Neither am I," Travis added to Bernard's dismay, "Let's get them all this time."
The trio advanced down the street, pushing 5 possessed bodies in their magical push. Bernard would gently point the new interested possessed towards the magic with the staff, but it only worked until they came upon the first corpse. The guts were strewn around the body. Everything had bites taken out of it. The man could be identified by his blond hair, with everything else having been chewed off, leaving his face bare to the bone. The pushing stopped advancing as they looked at the carnage at their feet. Seconds passed, and the eyes began to glow. Bernard, free for the moment, turned and waited for the blond man to rebuild himself. When the once eaten body got to its feet, Bernard used the staff to pull and then push it hard towards the magic.
"Why are the dead becoming possessed and healing?" Bernard asked as he pushed the possessed man one last time.
"That's their nature," Travis replied, "Don't get bit."
The turn seemed to take some time as they walked up to 2 more bodies completely torn apart. Their arms were laying next to them, and their ripped open stomachs. These victims still had their faces, but little else. One was the second blond, and the other was George. This pissed off Bernard as he knelt down next to his friend and shed a quick tear before getting ready for the few possessed that were now advancing towards them.
Travis recognized the miner uniforms and stopped pushing with his left hand. His hand then went brighter white, and a pure energy tentacle started inching out of his palm. He then whipped the long protrusion towards the 3 miners and wrapped it around them. The energy soon began to drag them into the collection of possessed people being constantly pushed backward. His hand then dulled to a wispy white, and the push wall widened by 3 feet.
"You could do that all this time?" Bernard asked incredulously as he watched the remains of his friend start to reanimate.
Travis ignored the Sheriff's question but asked, "Are we putting them in your office?"
"Hell no," Bernard answered, "My place is too small. Let's put them in the bar."
"Which one is that?" Winifred asked
"The next building on the right," Bernard said as he engaged with his friend George and the second blond man, both possessed.
They were lucky enough that the bar had a regular door instead of the well-known saloon door, and it was currently open. The 3 of them then used their magical push and the staff to corral the possessed into the building. Travis then whispered into his fingers as they did a weird dance before waving his extended fingers over the frame of the door, thus magically sealing it in a blue lingering light.
"We can now push them through the door, and they can not get out," Travis said as his hands turned bright white and tentacles escaped them once again. A few possessed had crept up from around the corner, and Travis threw his hands out, which caused the beams of energy to fly towards them and wrap them up. They were then picked up and hastily pushed through the blue enchanted door.
"How many do we have left?" Bernard asked with an exhausted sigh.
"You tell us, Sheriff," Travis replied as he scanned the open streets, "You know the people better than us."
"We only have 14 in the bar," Bernard said, "How are we going to get all of them?"
"Well, I have a spell that might lure the evil spirits here," Winifred finally spoke up, "But I am going to need some nightshade, I have the rest in my bag."
"I needed nightshade too," Travis explained, "And I grabbed a bit more than I needed," he then handed Winifred a few of the purplish flowers.
"That's perfect," Winifred said as she hurried to the middle of the intersection while removing a bowl from her bag, "Watch my back for about 5 minutes."
Fortunately for them, the streets were bare. The men stood and watched as Winifred knelt in the dirt and removed things from her bag. She would pull something out, crush it, and drop it into the bowl to be mixed and set on fire. Out of the bizarre blaze came a small red light that started to increase incrementally when Winifred began lightly chanting, which also increased over time.
"What is she doing?"
"She is summoning a higher demon," Travis replied, "The spirits will be drawn to it because it is top tier for their kind."
"What if the demon shows up? This is worse than …"
"He won't show up," Travis stated confidently.
"And how could you possibly know that?" Bernard asked.
"Because I killed him."
Bernard just stared at the taller man for a few seconds and then asked, "What?"
"I killed Mot."
Bernard stared at Travis again before asking, "What do you mean you killed a higher demon?"
"Story for a different time, Sheriff," Travis answered and motioned to the end of the street, "It's starting to work," then he yelled at Winifred, "Get up, Winny, they are coming."
Winifred retreated to the porch, and the red light faded. Pulling and pushing the zombie like creatures through the magical door was rather easy and didn't take much time. Soon, the bar was full, and the street was empty. After trapping the last one, now numbering at 67, Travis took his ingredients and threw them into his own bowl and lit them on fire. The mixture turned an odd orange color before Travis dipped the 6-inch crystal into the glowing substance up to the leather handle. He held it in the bowl as it seemed to suck in the contents.
When the crystal was removed, it was shining a brilliant orange. He held it up and approached the sealed door. His other hand swirled in place, and the dull blue lit frame vanished, and the door busted open. The trio took a few steps back, and Travis lowered the weapon at the green glowing eyed people and whispered a few obscure words under his breath. There was a piercing orange light, the sound of something falling, the light started to flicker, and when it died, the horde was laying on top of each other unconscious. 2 of the trio jumped into the air and celebrated, but the one in all black just turned around and looked down the street.
"Looks like y'all celebrated too soon," Travis said with a sigh, "And the crystal is full," he showed the crystal, which was completely black.
The trio stared down the street and watched as a sea of green eyes slowly walked towards them. These people, including nude to almost nude men and women, trampled everything that was in their way. When they came upon a covered walkway, they would stumble, bump, and crash into the posts, which caused the roof to collapse down onto them. The spirits inside would then fix the exterior, and the body had to climb out of the broken debris.
"What do we do now?" Bernard asked.