Ahiga took a step forward, his stance firm despite the ache in his limbs. "Look, sir, I don't know who the hell you people are," he said, his voice sharp and unyielding, "but I'm gonna need that crystal. I need it to save my tribe. So here's what's gonna happen—you've got one chance to hand it over, or you'll both be in a world of pain."
Jacob raised an eyebrow, amused by the audacity of Ahiga's demand. He exchanged a glance with Paw-law, his expression calm, even bored. With a faint smirk, he nodded toward his companion.
Paw-law let out a low, gravelly chuckle as he slid off his horse, the bear skin draped over him swaying with his movements. He took the reins and nudged the horses back a few paces. "Get the horses out of the way," Jacob ordered casually, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.
"You got it," Paw-law said, his voice carrying a mocking edge he whistle for there horses to move back. He turned his attention to Ahiga, his lips twisting into a wicked grin. "Hey, Native brat, you're gonna regret that big mouth of yours. Think you're tough, huh? Think you can talk shit to us?"
Ahiga squared his shoulders, his jaw set. "I've dealt with worse than you," he shot back.
Paw-law snorted. "Oh, you'll wish you hadn't said that." He crouched low, placing his hands flat on the ground. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then the earth beneath Ahiga and Charlie began to tremble. The once-solid ground started to ripple like water, turning into a shifting, unstable surface. "What the—" Charlie managed to shout before his legs were swallowed by the liquefied ground.
Ahiga lunged to move, but the earth beneath him dragged him down with startling speed. The horses panicked, their hooves thrashing in vain as they too sank. The liquefied earth clung to them like thick mud, pulling them deeper by the second.
"Shit!" Charlie growled, clawing at the edges of the sinking ground, but the terrain was slick and offered no grip.
The last of the horses vanished beneath the surface, their muffled cries fading away as Paw-law stood up, brushing his hands casually. With a final motion, the rippling ground solidified, leaving nothing but a smooth, hard surface.
Paw-law smirked, turning to Jacob. "That should hold 'em."
Jacob exhaled smoke from his cigarette, his expression cool and detached. "No one's climbing out of that. The ground shimmered faintly beneath Paw-law's hands, rippling in a way that seemed unnatural. Charlie and Ahiga remained trapped below, their struggles muffled by the dense, liquefied earth. Paw-law sat there gritting his teeth. "You know," he said, his tone tinged with irritation, "this ability of mine? It's a goddamn joke. You think it's all grand, turning the ground to liquid and all that, but to keep them down there? I gotta stay perfectly still, not moving my damn arms. It's pathetic."
Jacob exhaled a thin plume of smoke from his cigarette, unfazed. "That's a real shame, partner. Truly tragic. How do you even sleep at night?"
Paw-law rolled his eyes but froze at the sound of hoofbeats approaching. The two turned their heads as Jed came into view, riding with a slow, deliberate pace. The old man's eyes narrowed beneath the brim of his weathered hat as he surveyed the scene.
Jed's voice was calm but edged with suspicion. "Yo. You two wouldn't happen to have seen a kid wearin' a beanie and a native fella 'round here, would ya?"
Paw-law didn't hesitate. "Nope. Ain't seen 'em."
Jacob kept smoking, his eyes on Jed, unreadable.
Jed tilted his head, his grip on the reins tightening slightly. "Funny thing, though. I got this nagging itch in my gut that says you're full of shit. But hey, maybe that's just me."
Jacob's cigarette paused halfway to his lips. "You callin' us liars, old man?"
Jed gave a humorless chuckle, his hand resting on the revolver at his hip. "Well, I'm not exactly callin' you saints, either."
Jacob's lips twitched into a small smile, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. "You know, I've been lookin' for an excuse to try somethin' new. Seems like you might be volunteering."
Jed's revolver was out in a flash, the muzzle steady as it pointed at Jacob's chest. "Try it, kid. I'll put a bullet in you before you even think to blink."
Beneath the ground, Charlie clawed upward, his lungs burning as he struggled against the dense, liquefied soil. He gritted his teeth, pressing his left arm against his right. A faint golden glow began to radiate from his index finger, faint but growing stronger. One shot. Make it count.
With a forceful thrust, Charlie fired three concentrated beams upward. The golden light sliced through the ground, breaking through with explosive force. Paw-law leapt aside, dodging the first beam, but the second and third struck his legs with brutal precision.
"Shit!" Paw-law cursed, stumbling as pain seared through him. The liquefied ground destabilized instantly, solidifying with cracks and fissures. The trap dissolved, and Charlie the horse's burst from the earth, coughing and gasping.
Ahiga followed seconds later, collapsing to his knees as he drew in deep, ragged breaths. Jed's jaw tightened as he saw them emerge, his earlier suspicion now confirmed. "Goddamn it," he muttered, his revolver shifting slightly to cover both men. "Knew somethin' didn't sit right."
Jacob sighed and flicked his cigarette away, his calm demeanor barely changing. "Welp. Should've figured this peaceful little moment wouldn't last."
Before Jed could fire, the old man's reflexes as sharp as ever, he squeezed the trigger. Four shots rang out in rapid succession, each one hitting Jacob dead in the neck. Blood sprayed, and Jacob staggered back, his body limp as the cigarette fell from his lips.
For a second, everything was still. Jed exhaled a tense breath, his grip loosening slightly on the revolver. "Well, hell. Guess that's that."
But then, reality itself seemed to fracture. A sharp, crystalline sound, like glass shattering, filled the air. The colors around them warped and bled, creating a kaleidoscope of swirling chaos.
Jed's head snapped up, his eyes widening as he watched Jacob's form dissolve into fragmented shards, moving in disjointed, surreal motions. The air vibrated with an unsettling hum, an eerie echo of something unnatural.
And then, in an instant, it was over. Jacob stood in the same spot, whole and untouched, a cigarette back between his fingers. He inhaled deeply, exhaling smoke with a faint smirk.
Jed froze, his mind scrambling to process what just happened. His voice was low, almost a whisper. "W-what… wait… what the hell just happened? I shot you. I know I shot you."
Jacob grinned, tapping ash from his cigarette. "That's the funny thing about reality, old man. Sometimes it just doesn't go the way you think it will."