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Chapter 5 - Strange New World

What a strange new world it was indeed. 

As the Gunslinger and Cathy walked the streets, smelling strongly of smoke and dew, they passed many regular people, albeit dressed in a strange sort of wear, but also a good number of oddities. A ram headed man in a loincloth. A coyote made of metal. A slime-ridden reptile with tentacles. A golem of glass. A three-breasted woman. Each one caught the Gunslinger's eye and he had to keep himself from staring. 

The entire walk seemed to carry the same scenery of houses and, what the gunslinger now knew to be, cars. There was some greenery, but every house took a different level of care. Still, it was certainly more vibrant than the desert.

Less vibrant thoughts filled the Gunslinger's mind, clawing their way back every time he tried to admire his surroundings. He had to ask.

"So Cathy, what happens if you die? I mean, to me?"

The poor girl's face went pale as the clouds and was matched by wide eyes. Up to that point she had been cheery, pointing out every little thing to the Gunslinger with gleeful explanation.

"Oh, well then you'd die too. No longer being anchored to this plane and all. Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity. Pardon my rudeness."

"No, it's fine. I mean all of this has to be pretty confusing. Having a replica of your soul captured in a moment and pulled to another world where you half exist and half don't. Never to change, never to be the same. Well, what I'm trying to say is, it's alright to ask questions. Do you have any more?"

The Gunslinger scratched his temple.

"Does the sun set in the west?"

They continued their walk through the neighbourhood, and the Gunslinger could not help but take a break to look beyond at the distant city. He had thought the houses were imposing. It seemed these people had perfected the tower of Babylon and then some.

Crash!

The Gunslinger looked back down towards a parkette. A fight was taking place between two oddities while two men, who can be presumed as their summoners, eagerly watched. 

A massive black bear who pummelled a man dressed oddly in a silver suit with a bowl helmet. Beams of red light escaped the strangely dressed man's strangely designed revolver. They hit the black bear doing little but agitating him. So, the black bear threw him aside. Towards Cathy, who had stopped to admire.

Without thinking the Gunslinger went to tackle Cathy, only to realise that she was as fixed as a mountain. The strangely dressed man hit her, but she was unmoved. Of course she was. The Gunslinger still needed to get used to the disconnect between summoned and this world they inhabit.

Smoke rose with the Gunslinger as the strangely dressed man vanished. Not dead.

The two summoners shook hands, and they decided to go get drinks to celebrate the win and wallow in the lost. They seemed like good buddies.

"What was that fight about?" asked the Gunslinger.

"It wasn't a fight, it was a duel. The two summoned fought to determine who was stronger. It was sport. All done in good fun."

Sport. The Gunslinger supposed that it was possible to get away with such violent fun in a world where the competitors did not really die. Though, from experience, he could say that it was still painful. Maybe a summoned could get used to it after so many times?

There was no point in thinking about it. It was not like the Gunslinger would ever partake.