Cain led Oren up the stairs to the balcony overlooking the saloon. There were two men in the hallway near the rooms almost like they were guarding them.

“Who are they?” Oren asked.

“They’re the guards. They are employed by the owner of the outpost.”

A scream from one of the rooms prompted Oren to draw his weapon. Both guards also drew but instead of running toward the rooms they fired at Oren and Cain. Oren was taken off guard and failed to shield them from the bullets. Oren was caught in in the left arm and Cain recoiled so Oren knew he was hit too. The guards both hunkered down into defensive positions.

Oren, knowing he and Cain were vulnerable used his magic on the next bullet fired and dispatched both guards. After they were struck, he winced and held his arm. He looked into his bloody hand. “You hurt bad?” He asked Cain who was also clutching his arm, except it was his right arm.

“I’ll live.”

“No one came out of the room when the shots were fired. Which one is it?”

“Over here.” Cain turned the knob and another shot rang out from inside the room striking his wrist. He yanked it back. “Whoa, whoa in there. It’s us.” Another shot splintered the door this time hitting no one. Oren kicked the door in to find four more men inside the room other than Loril and Isiah. Loril was face down on the bed. Isiah was unconscious in the corner. His face was bruised. One of the men was sliding out the window. Oren couldn’t make out much about him but he did notice he wore a fine coat. The three men left inside the room each fired off a shot but Oren was ready for them. He turned one of their bullets back on them and let it meander through each one. He rushed to the window to see the man mounting a horse and riding away. He fired a shot and could see the bullet hit its mark because the man leaned over but he was still able to ride on onto the darkness. Oren turned back to the room to see his wounded friend turning Loril over from her stomach, She slumped down the side of the bed limply with a blank expression on her face. Her dead eyes stared out into nothingness. Oren rushed to her and felt her neck for a heartbeat. There was not one.

“Knox?” Cain said.

Oren reached into his pocket and wrapped his finders around the standing bear Spell Node.

“Knox, is she?”

Oren looked his friend in the eye, “It’s my fault. I should have come in with her instead of being selfish. What was I thinking?”

“Knox, it isn’t your fault. It’s mine. I left her up here.”

“With Isiah. She should have been safe enough.” Oren pointed out.

Isiah began to moan.

“Take care of him and take care of this mess.”

“Knox, you couldn’t bring her back from death like you did those deputies?”

Oren let go of the standing bear. “No, it’s too late. You take care of her brother and handle this here.”

“Now wait one minute, Knox, you’re not going after this guy on your own. We didn’t even get a good look at him. We don’t even know if the guy who got away was the murderer.”

“I know.” Oren said. “Take care of Isiah. Don’t let him follow me without you.”

“Knox, the magic, the Spell Nodes? How will you bring back Astra if you use it on this guy?”

“I can still use spells without the power in the Spell Nodes. Magic isn’t that far gone.” He went for the window and started to climb out. He winced at his injured arm as he crawled.

“Knox!” Oren stopped halfway through the window. “Be careful. We will be right behind you.” Oren nodded and exited the window. He slid down the slanted roof and followed the trellis down the same way the other man had. He was a bit surprised Cain didn’t ask him about going out the front but he knew Cain was not stupid. People would be investigating the shots fired. At the bottom of the trellis he moved stealthily into the shadows. Even though his heart was heavy, he cast the spell to track the man who got away. His vision blurred slightly and when it cleared he could see a faint trail leading off into the darkness. He began to follow it.

He was responsible for Loril. It took him a long time to locate such a powerful Diabolist. He should have known there were others who wanted to see magic wiped from the land and they would certainly be after her. In fact, he knew they were after her and he allowed others to protect her when it was his job and his job alone. He saw that the trail led by the stable where he could get his horse. He would have to bribe the stableman but what else was new.

Once Oren retrieved his horse, paid off the stableman, and left to follow the trail, people had began to wander around due to the earlier commotion. Oren reached down and patted the neck of his horse, “I’ll try to keep an eye on you so you don’t get too exhausted, but I have to cast this haste spell, boy, We need to catch up with that son of a bitch, and fast.”

He cast the haste spell on his horse and with a heavy heart mixed with anger at himself, Oren chased after the man he deemed responsible for Loril’s demise. Oren used some of the magic to remove the bullet and heal as best he could with his limited healing skills.

He estimated it was around two in the morning when he spotted the rider up ahead. The cold wind of the ride stung his eyes and he had to clear away the salty ice from his eyelashes more than once in order to see the man. When he was close enough, he cast a dismount spell and the man hit the snowy ground hard. Oren let the haste spell on his horse drop as he dismounted and rushed to the murderer still writhing on the ground where he fell. Oren drew his pistol and pointed it at him.

“Get up!” He barked.

The man was well dressed from what Oren could see in the darkness. He wore a nice overcoat and fine felt hat. He looked up at Oren and smiled, which perplexed Oren. “You have made a grave mistake wizard.”

Oren didn’t hesitate, He fired his gun directly into the man’s face. He slumped back. Oren felt a certain amount of satisfaction until the man slowly rose back up without so much as a scratch on his forehead. He held a talisman in his hand up so Oren could see it. Oren recognized it from a time he had almost forgotten, an ancient time. The silver chain spilled over the man’s fingers. The talisman was a round medallion with the sun depicted in the middle. It was a magic suppression talisman. While he was holding it up for Oren to see the lead of the bullet dropped from it to the ground. The talisman had attracted the shot away from his head. “Where did you get that?”

“I searched most of my adult life for this talisman.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Doctor Henry Branson. I want you to know my name before you die, wizard.” He spat the final word.

Oren holstered his gun. He knew it was useless now. “Why? Why did you kill her. What the hell did she do to you?”

“She helped wizards like you. Your kind needs to die out now. There is no place for your kind in this world anymore.”

Oren’s hair on the back of his neck stood up again and he knew instantly he had fallen into a trap. The man led him away from his friends. He knew he had to get him away from the town. Oren took a step back toward his horse.”

“Ah, you realize you are vulnerable.” Branson said.

“Where are they? Where are your friends. You led me here so you would have the advantage.”

“Smart. I suppose one who lives as long as you have picks up on things.” Doctor Branson whistled, “You can come out now, Harlan.” A shabby looking man with a rifle stepped out of a snow covered bush.

Branson pulled out his own pistol. “I want you to know it’s not personal.”

“It feels personal to me.”

“My wife was a Diabolist. A wizard like you kidnapped her and forced her to find your filthy Earth Nodes and when he was done with her he killed her. I vowed to her I would hunt everyone of you down as she died in my arms.”

“You are just as bad. You killed Loril.”

“Oh, was that her name? Killing her was the only way to get you out here. In war there are casualties.”

“You think this is a war? Sounds like you are on a revenge quest, friend.”

Branson shot Oren in the shoulder and he slumped back in pain. “I am not your friend, wizard.”

“Be reasonable, Branson. We are not all evil. I am not the kind of wizard to harm an innocent woman. Hell, he was stupid to kill someone who could find him magic.”

Branson’s face was a blank, “I don’t care. A wizard is a wizard.” He fired his pistol. Oren felt the bullet strike him. He fell to the cold, snow-covered ground. The next bullet came from the rifle. He felt it sting. Oren clutched the standing bear Spell Node in his pocket. He let some of the magic flow from it to him. He hoped it would be enough.