Chapter 12 - A Worthy Duel

The figure was not at all what Peter expected.

After they threw their cloak off, the figure put on a cowboy hat, dragging their red bandana off their face. The figure turned out to be a woman as tall as him, with short black hair that fit nicely with her hat. But that wasn't the most surprising part - that belonged to the fact that she was a snake woman. Her body was shaped like a human, but her skin was definitely not. In fact, her skin seemed to be entirely made of snake scales, aside from her head. The inside of her torso was colored white, while the rest of her scales were yellow, easily visible because she didn't wear any shirt at all. The only thing she wore on her upper body were bandoliers, which wrapped around her body, holding many pistol-caliber bullets on them. Two leather holsters wrapped around her waist, each holding a classic cowboy revolver - if he had to guess, they looked quite similar to the Colt Single Action Army. She thankfully wore pants, similar to the ones cowboys wore, and black gloves covered her hands. Black boots with golden burrs protected her feet from the ground.

Overall, she was the spitting image of a stereotypical cowboy, if said cowboy happened to have snakeskin too.

He frowned. "Who the hell are you?" He asked.

"Ya didn't say anything when those four came up and pointed their guns at ya. But now that I'm showing mine off, ya try and insult me? How rude."

"Sorry, sorry... but who actually are you?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

"But I already did."

"Ya know what I mean." She bowed slowly, almost in a curtsy motion, before spreading her hands out in a grandiose manner. "My name is Scala, and I'm the leader of the best cowboys you'll ever meet in Phegolan."

"Best cowboy? Cowboys exist here?"

"Not exactly. But that's exactly why we're the best cowboys around."

"That doesn't seem like the best logic to use..."

"But it's my logic nonetheless. And it's worked quite well for me. Do ya see any other cowboys in this side of Deusterra?"

"I can't say, because I've only been in Hylokans. But there's a question I have regarding you."

"I can answer any question thrown at me! Go right ahead."

"What's an Outworlder?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's someone who came from out of this world. In other words, people who've been taken from our world into this one! Ya remember our world, yes? Cars, televisions, guns... all the things that this world hasn't had the chance to get!"

"Yes, I know... But how do you know all this? We've never met before!"

"It's just how it works. When ya looked into my eyes, ya felt it, didn't ya? That feeling that, no matter how ya looked at it, that I wasn't from this world?"

Shit. She was right.

"That's how I knew. Us Outworlders, ya see, can identify ourselves just by sight alone! Our extraordinary circumstances have bound us to each other, even without knowing each other! At least, that's what I read in a library once."

"Jesus. They've been doing this for so long, they've even got information on us..."

"Pretty strange, right? I've been here for five years! I've gone through three generations of Outworlders, all of whom were said to be stronger than the last. In fact, there's been a recent one lately! About three months ago, twelve Outworlders showed up, two for each kingdom! Ya wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would ya?"

"Twelve?! And they're already all accounted for?"

"Yes. But I don't remember seeing your face anywhere, not even on a stray book or two. Which makes me wonder: if ya weren't teleported in by any of the Six Kingdoms, who got ya in here?"

"I can't tell you that."

"I figured." She took out her guns, making him flinch. But instead of shooting, she began spinning them in circles, making sure each gun spun consistently as she began pacing around. "But I didn't come here to make ya reveal who ya workin' for. I came here to fight."

"Fight? What have I done to you?"

"Nothing. Ya see, I ain't fighting ya because you've wronged me. I'm fighting ya because, quite frankly, I'm getting a little bored. Being the fastest gun this side of Phegolan means nothing challenges me anymore, and I don't like that. But going up against someone like Largo is straight up suicide, and I'm not keen on that either."

"What kind of a name is Largo?"

"Let's not get distracted. Since you're an unknown variable, you've got something that's worth discovering: ya power. Every Outworlder has one, even the most pathetic ones. But nobody here has seen ya before, let alone use it. Ya didn't even use your powers when ya got held up by those bandits. So the question is: what's your power? That's the question I want to solve today."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Oh? Scared you'll reveal yourself? That just makes me even more curious. What kind of overwhelming power do ya have that ya want to keep hidden so much?"

"You won't make me."

"Hmph. You'll see. You'll have to use something to get past my bullets." She stopped twirling her guns and holstered them, turning her entire body towards him. "Nobody has gotten away from me without lifting a finger."

The two stared at each other intensely, watching each other for movements. Her hands hovered over her guns, ready to draw at any time. Peter, however, was ready to book it, seeing nobody else monitoring the fight. The scene fell still, the only sounds coming from the rustling of the leaves.

Then, with no visible warning, she drew her gun and fired.

Dodging the bullet, he immediately made a break for it, but was stopped by two follow-up shots at the front of his feet. He looked back; she smirked, the palm of her hand right over the hammer of her revolver.

"I don't think so," she said. "You're not running away until I say we're finished." She fanned the hammer two more times, sending two bullets his way. Incredibly, his reflexes got him diving to the ground on time, the bullets missing and instead going into a tree. He sighed in relief before forcing himself up again to dodge another bullet. Six shots, depleted in what felt like a second. Surely, she'd be done, he thought.

Unfortunately, he forgot about the second revolver.

Two more shots from her backup sent him taking cover behind a large boulder. The air stayed still, as both waited again for the other to make their move. He figured if she depleted all her ammunition, she'd finally leave him alone. He poked his head out, baiting her to shoot. When that didn't work, he jumped up, prompting a shot towards him. Three shots. He jumped out again; three more shots went towards him, and he dove back behind the cover of the rock. Six shots. Her revolvers were depleted. Just as he decided to make a break for it, a bullet shot out. He felt a pain growing in his arm. When he looked, his arm bled. Somehow, she'd gotten him. He screamed a bit, then suppressed it as he grasped his arm, which was bleeding furiously. Another gunshot, but this time, it missed. But something strange was happening. When the shot rang out, he saw the dirt get scuffed, as if someone kicked it, and a tree's trunk splinter a bit. He looked closer at the tree's splinter, which was curiously bullet-shaped. No way, was she...?

"Hiding behind that rock ain't gonna keep ya safe! I've got a bag of guns and I ain't afraid of running through all of them! Now what's it gonna be. stranger? Ya gonna die, or ya gonna protect yourself properly?"

Still gripping his would, he looked around again. Nobody was watching. It was obvious she wouldn't let him go until he killed her, or if she killed him. If he died here, that was it. The Elf and Maya would still be at that wagon, wondering what the hell was taking him so long. And, most importantly, he'd never reach his full potential. He couldn't let that happen. Not when he'd been through so much. He glanced at the blood oozing from his wound. If there was an appropriate time to use his power, it was now.

He stumbled out of the rock's cover, and into open space. He held his arms out as best he could, beckoning her to aim. He grimaced as he tried maintaining his stance, his left arm wobbling from the pain. Scala stood, observing him. Had she even taken cover once in this fight?

"Oho, what's this? Trying to get me to gun you down? Just what exactly are you planning, stranger?"

"This," he said, forming his blood into a spike.