The New World

In the middle of a wide desert, where the wind moans and the sand sleeps, under the purple blanket that was the sky filled with countless stars and moons were two tents.

A warm fireplace with a bright lilac and blue flame barely stood in the middle, where a woman and an old man were sitting around it.

The young woman had long, dark hair, half of her face was concealed by it, she had intentionally hidden half of her face with the bangs of her long, silky, hair, for she had hidden a dark past with it.

She also wore a long, emerald robe. She sat there by the fire, pondering at a dirtied teddy bear she was holding in her hands. "Should I go into the caverns and try again?" she asked the old man.

The old man from his hunched back, looked up at the woman under his large hat. He had dark eyes and a beard long enough to be dragged against the sandy floor. The thing that stood out about him was the bright glow from the badge he was wearing. 

"Of course, still, just, be careful around... there," the old man stuttered, his tongue was barely able to find the words he was looking for. "I saw those... there were two men walking by here. They were, some sort of, they... took something from someone. What are they, called?"

"Thieves?" replied the woman.

"No. I don't know who they are. But they won't gut ya. They'll take ya against your will. They'll drag ya somewhere. Beware of these men."

"I understand." The young woman looked towards the mysterious revolver the old man was carrying. It was a revolver burned and covered in soot. It looked sturdy despite the cuts and dents it had. Most of all, it was missing a barrel. "I still wonder who does that belongs to..."

"This. This gun. I doubt we'd ever find its real owner. For now, I'm just stuck with it. But that!" he pointed towards the teddy bear in the woman's hands. "That, in your hands, Elizabeth. That must be returned..."

"I'm losing hope, Sheriff... I don't think I can find the person there in the caverns."

"Hope is irrelevant, Elizabeth. Irrelevant. It's only a matter of time, before you find, him. Hope means nothing here, it means nothing, and you know that."

"I know..."

Noises of a man heaving through the rough sands were heard from afar. Out there, in the middle of the wide ocean of sand and the skies' shadows, was a dark figure dragging his feet to approach the two.

Elizabeth stood up in alarm, her eyes were staring at the mysterious phantom with her hand on her chest. Her heart was pounding.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Elizabeth. That, he, the man there, is no threat. I've seen him before when you was... you were away."

The man who managed to appear himself before the fire was a man wearing a large metal helmet that concealed his face along with a breastplate. The rest of his body was wrapped with a coat and had sticks bandaged around his right leg that was limping.

"Hello," greeted Elizabeth. The man simple nodded and sat down, quite a distance away from the two. He was barely able to receive any warmth from it.

He sat down with his right leg stretched out. It looked stiff and hollowed out, like wood. The old man, named 'Sheriff' looked at him and nodded. He nodded back. He acknowledged the similarity between the both of them, that The Sheriff had the same case with his legs. Both of his legs dried out and were empty. He only had his upper legs, everything from the knees below where gone.

"W-What's your name?" asked Elizabeth timidly.

"Ted." replied the Sheriff. "I name him Ted."

The man looked at the Sheriff and stared at him, before giving another nod. "I like that name," his voice echoed through his helmet. It sounded like he was trapped in a well. "

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked again.

Ted took out something that was strapped tightly around his belt. It was a huge piece of a diamond the size of an eyeball. 

"Gracious. So... did you have any luck?"

Ted, with his blackened eyes, looked at Elizabeth. He gave a long sigh and shook his head. "It's caverns now."

"Caverns? I'm going there too."

"Isn't that, perfect, Elizabeth?" The Sheriff smiled. "There is someone watching you after all. Ted can help, you can help Ted... to the caverns."

Ted then started chuckling beneath his helmet. He then nodded sharply.

"Then what about you?" Elizabeth turned to the Sheriff.

"I'll be fine, I'll be fine... I'll fulfil my duty once you and Ted, fulfil yours. Those relics must be returned, first. They must be. Mine can wait... I can wait..."

Ted looked at the both of them back and forth. Elizabeth noticed and gave a smile. "I'm Elizabeth, nice to meet you."

Ted gave a strong and slow nod, bowing his head.

"We lost souls should, we should stick together. I promise it's hard to find allies in this world. You are lucky, Elizabeth. You are."

Elizabeth nodded, now calmed seeing Ted being an ally soul. She sat down and continue her rest, for the next moon, where would start their journey to the caverns, but what they don't know, is that they would soon meet the owner of the barrelless revolver... The man named Eastern North.