Prologue

Lightning fast Gunslingers. Infamous Outlaws. Resolute Sheriffs. Undefeated Gamblers. What do they all have in common? Legends.

Out in the wide open desert of the Char Flats, there was a bright red train chugging along the dusty tracks. It kicked up dirt into pluming clouds as it rushed along, the only thing audible around it being the spewing of smoke and steam from the engine, and the rolling noise of the wheels on the tracks.

The smothering sounds of the train moving itself along the tracks drowned out the sound of a man being choked from behind, within the fourth car of the train. The hired gun in his fine vest and clothes flailing in the sleeper hold he was being clutched in. 

The struggling slowed to a stop as the man's breathing slowed to a crawl, now unconscious in his assaulter's arms. After the man was pulled slowly back into the shadows of the cargo car, out came a woman in a long multi-colored poncho with vibrant reds, greens, and dull browns for contrast. Around her neck was a small red bandanna with little golden accents. She bore a rifle on her back and a pistol at her hip, which she swiftly hid beneath the flaps of her poncho. She wore a black wide brimmed hat, one of much finer make and smoother look than the dusty and gruff make that most wore on the frontier. 

She huffed some and began to walk towards the door to the next car. Her shoes clacked on the ground some, her leather gloved hand gripped the door and pulled it aside, wind and dust whipping into the room around her. As the mysterious woman brought her hand up to protect her face, she walked into the rushing sand beyond the door, a crimson curtain of hair flowing behind her. The woman’s teeth clenched around the toothpick she held in her mouth, a smile slowly creeping on her face as she gripped the door to the next train car.

Throwing the door open, she stepped through and hooked her boot onto the door. With a smooth slide of her leg, the door shut behind her, leaving her in the dead silent passenger car. Looking out over the people in the lush car, she saw exactly what she usually loved to see. 

Posh suckers, looking at her and subtly clutching their purses, and a very small amount of lawmen. Two men each with gun belts by the end of the train, which meant there would be one more in the seats somewhere, and probably four or five in the car ahead. That was where what she really wanted was. But for now, she had to deal with a pair of goody two shoes. One on the right with a shiny pistol with golden accents, and another man with a five o-clock shadow and a dirty black hat.

“Now look boys, no need to be heroes.” She said slowly, raising her hands with a confident smirk on her lips as the light illuminated her face. She was fair skinned with vibrant blue eyes, but had a set of three scars on her face in the shape of an odd shaped triangle, like a triangle that had been melted down and had drooping points.

The two mens eyes widened and flashed with recognition, instantly raising their guns up. The man with the fancy gun looked at her and huffed. “You got some nerve! Comin’ in here, tryna rob the train all by yer lonesome and telling us to not stop ya?!” The man with the rather fancy pistol said, the golden hammer glistening in the light. The passengers of the car remained silent, not wanting to draw the attention of this would-be train robber.

“Just keep yer hands right thar’, n’ we’ll be turnin’ you in.” The more gruff looking man added, starting to move towards her. However, he hadn’t taken his second step before the woman began to flow away in a phantom wind, her body turning to sand before their very eyes. 

“My oh my, I have some words for your mothers, pointing a gun at a lady like that.” The woman's chiding voice taunted from behind them, the two men whipping around in shock at the fact she had gotten behind them.

Her hand lashed out, grabbing the arm of the man with the fancy pistol as he turned and forced it up. Splinters rained down as the wood panel ceiling burst from the impact of a bullet, eliciting cries of fear and panic from the onlooking passengers. The few people in the seats of the train were frozen with fear, tucking their heads down. All except one. A man in a suit began to stand and draw a pistol, aiming at the scuffle.

‘There he is~!’ The woman thought to herself in a sing-song voice. Now to give these rich folk a story to go home with. She spun on the gold pistol boy's arm, lashing her leg out to the gruff man’s revolver. She caught his gun barrel in the crook of her boots heel, using the momentum to guide his arm to force him to aim at the man in the crowd. Deftly she twisted her foot to force him to fire, the bullet ripping through the air before hitting the man in the suit in his chest. He fell to the seat, the impact enough to get him to take a seat and put a hand on his chest in pain.

Having dealt with the initial shots, the woman twirled her own pistol in her hand before whipping the golden gun boy's head with the butt of her gun, the boy's body slumping down unconscious. She released his arm as he fell to the ground, straightening her leg into a standing split to force the gun out of the gruff mans hand, and in the same motion she brought her leg back, her knee impacting his temple as he fell down from the impact, knocked out cold in a clean hit just as the first man. 

Standing up straight and dusting off her poncho, the woman smiled as she looked out over the fearful onlookers, her almost shining blue eyes clearly visible under her hat. “You’re in luck, petunias. I’m not here for those pretty little purses. So just sit right there, and you’ll be right as rain.” She said with a chiding voice and a finger on her cheek, resting her arm in her hand before turning about face, and whipping the door open ahead of her. 

She knew there would be more resistance. She expected it coming to this job. This was a brand new model of train, and with one of those on board, it’d be armed to the teeth. But that’s what was bothering her. Only four guards so far, when there should have been at least twenty. She couldn’t think about that right now. She had her prize in front of her. 

“If that damn tycoon wants to be dumb, let ‘em I say-” 

However, the crimson haired woman was interrupted from her suspicion as she saw a shadow at her feet, whirling around and looking up at the roof of the train car she had just come from. There was a silhouette of a man in the sun, looking down at her. He had a black vest, dressed up with a white dress shirt beneath. He had black dress pants, with shoes to match.. His visage was immaculate, not a single unkempt or out of line piece of his ensemble. And most importantly…

Shining upon the man’s chest was a silver sheriff’s badge, glistening in the sun. 

“A lawman hmm? How much Vandell got you on his payroll for?” The woman taunted, standing on the moving train with a hand on her hip, looking up at the man. 

“Nothing. I’m here on my own business, which is putting a dangerous criminal behind bars.” The man said, placing a hand over his gun, looking down at her. “My name is Duke. ‘Red Mirage’ Millie, you’re under arrest for counts of robbery, theft, and assault! Come quietly and you’ll receive a fair trial under the law of Hudson County. Resist, and I’ll have no choice but to take you by force!” He shouted out over the roaring wind and rushing train. 

The two figures stood there, staring at one another. Millie grinned some, looking up at this sheriff that had decided to get in her way. She could tell from the way he carried himself he was confident, that was fun at least. But she’s been in this business for a long time, he looked around 30, putting her 20 years older than him. Millie wanted to shout back she’d take the hard way, but this boy needed to learn that criminals won’t spare him the small talk. 

So she’d show him that the world isn’t so keen to talk things out. Willing her Lot from her chest, she felt that satisfying warmth over her skin, like bathing in the sun after a long swim in the river. Her Mirage was left behind, the shadow of sand standing where she once was. With the distraction in place, she scrambled towards the ladder between cars, getting up with the sheriff and standing behind him. “Sorry boy, but the world ain’t so kind so as to-“ 

“Thou shalt not speak.” The man’s voice echoed out as from his form came a ripple through the air as he gave the command. 

The world went silent.

 The wind, the train itself, all of it went silent immediately. Millie felt even her own movements and clothes making no noise. Her eyes stared around, everything still doing exactly what it was before, just silent. ‘What kind of Lot could do something like this?” She thought, unable to speak it, her mouth moving but not letting words leave it.

Questions aside, if that was all he could do, she could still take him. Bracing herself, she hovered her hand over her pistol, seeing this sheriff do the same. They stared at one another for what felt like forever in the deafening silence of the hushed world. Then, something came to break the silence.

“We’ll do this with honor. A count of three, and then we fire.” He stated evenly, his voice the only thing that had been heard for 20 seconds. Millie saw him look to her for confirmation or agreement, where she smirked some and gave him the nod he was looking for. With both of the parties agreeing, Duke began to raise his voice.

“3!” Millie reaffirmed her stance, steeling herself for the moment it was time to draw and fire. Her muscles were relaxed, simply staring at the man across from her on this train car. The wind caused her hair to flow behind her, forming that crimson cape-esque visage she had been associated with for so long.

“2!” With his second call, she could see Duke’s own body tense up, his hands tense and the muscles firm over his gun. He was still not touching the grip of the gun, content to keep his hand off until the last moment seemingly.

“1!” Millie’s own body tensed, her muscles tensing to show how refined and developed they had been after so long of the work she did. But now it was time to put her reflexes to the test as she saw Duke’s lips part for the last call.

“DRAW!” Millie smirked as her hand moved to the grip of her pistol, her Lot flaring up once more as she activated her Mirage. Stepping to the side, she saw the barrel of Duke’s gun fling forward and fire, destroying the sandy shoulder of her little illusion. With his first shot wasted, Millie’s hand ripped the gun from her holster and pointed at him, her invisibility fading off with the destruction of the clone, with Duke’s eyes making contact with her own as she pointed her pistol at him.

“Thou Shalt Not Pierce My Skin.” With Duke’s echoing voice and the ripple through the air again, noise rocked through Millie’s ears once more as her bullet left her gun, rocketing towards Duke’s chest. She barely had time to realize that he had spoken with how fast he had said the command.

Millie’s bullet bounced off his chest, Duke calmly taking his aim once more. With noise returning to the world, she put her fingers to her lips and whistled out, trying to call out to her horse. She began running for the side of the train, fighting against the rushing wind to escape this now losing fight. Taking a desperate attempt at escape, she leaped off the train car for the ground beneath.

From behind Millie a loud bang pierced the air, a burning pain rising in her left shoulder causing her to scream out in pain. The impact of the bullet threw off her jump, making her spin out of control towards the brown desert sand. Desperate to catch herself she lashed out with her right arm, grabbing the rail of the outside of the train car.

 She was able to stop her spinning descent, but the momentum carried her body to slam into the side of the train, her head slamming against the railing itself.. With the pain of her new wound and the forceful slam into the train and the pulsing pain in her head, her hand released the bar causing her to tumble into the sand beneath alongside the train. A sickening squelch came from the wheels as she pushed herself away from the tracks. 

With the plume of dust consuming her blurred and fading vision, she saw the train racing off down the tracks, her horse in the distance running down towards her. With her vision fading, she reached out to her horse, before her hand hit the dust.

Chapter End