Wild West Part 9
They found the first body not too long after Wufei had assured Quatre that his wife did not like the taste of human flesh.
There wasn't much left of it. Not only was the head missing, but also it had obviously been chewed on.
"I guess we can assume that this was Mueller." Trowa frowned at the corpse as the dragon sniffed it and then snorted something at her husband.
"I wonder where the rest of them are," Quatre looked around at the thick undergrowth.
"Eaten more than likely," Duo replied. He glanced at Heero. The Sheriff's face was shaded by the brim of his hat, but his lips were visible and they were folded tight.
Mueller had been one of his to protect, and Heero was blaming himself for his failure, Duo thought.
"Meiran said the trail is strong, the beast is close. She recommends that you leave the horses here."
They dismounted, tethered the horses, and followed the dragon deeper into the underbrush.
The sunlight was weak here, filtered through the branches of the overhanging trees, giving the appearance of twilight.
The men walked in a group, the easier to guard each other's backs if the beast were to attack.
A shriek from the dragon alerted them. She reared up, a dark furred shape attached to her neck. Meiran whipped her head sharply to the side and the beast flew off, striking a nearby tree with a crack.
It fell to the ground with a thud. Duo raised his staff up, thumbing a hidden button. A long silvery blade snicked out at the end in a graceful curve.
"I got it!" He called out, as the others raised their guns. "Shoot only if I miss!"
He approached the fallen were cautiously.
Heero watched the preacher approach the beast. The thing was easily twice Duo's size. Wufei had his gun out, but his attention was on his injured wife. Trowa and Quatre had moved to flank the dragon in case the were sprung that way again.
So Heero was the only one who saw another swift moving dark shape head for Duo.
The were on the ground raised itself up shakily, growing at the man that stood over him, aiming for his throat.
As Duo raised his scythe, swinging it down in an arc to slice into the were, he noticed the other shape lunging for him.
In a movement too quick for human eyes to follow, he swung the scythe in an arc.
He cut through the beast on the ground, the one leaping towards him, and the figure that had moved to protect his flank.
"Heero!" Duo dropped the scythe in horror, reaching out to catch the Sheriff's body as it fell. "What the hell were you doing?"
Blood was spilling out of the slice in Heero's side. Duo put his hands on it futilely, trying to stop the bright spill.
"I didn't know you could react that fast..."
"Of course I can." Duo said as the others joined him. Quatre began tearing at his shirt so that they could bind Heero's wound.
"I told you that hiding information... would get... someone killed." Heero turned his head slightly. "I don't... think that... will help... now, Quatre. Are they... dead?"
Duo couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the wound he had inflicted. Quatre was still ripping material. So Trowa raised his head and looked at the beasts.
Except now they weren't beasts at all.
Two men lay dead on the forest floor, heads neatly separated from their bodies, their eyes wide and glazed.
Alex.
Milliardo.
"The reverend?" Trowa blinked in shock. "Didn't expect that one." Quatre looked away from his task for a moment.
"Nothing on this damned assignment has gone as expected."
"That's for sure," Duo smiled mirthlessly.
TBC...
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