A Problem

A Problem is a short story by BionicleChicken. It takes place in the Westernverse, where Bara Magna takes the form of a Wild Western frontier.

Story
The Agori fell over the stairs and fell face flat on the dirt ground.

The bottle in his hand rolled away and was stepped on by a Rock Steed. The Steed's rider cursed at the fallen Agori for scaring his ride with his shattered bottle. As the traveller rode off, a set of legs appeared next to the Agori's body. They belonged to the Agori Marshal of the town, Gredec.

The town was small, made up entirely of fifteen buildings, all of them easily mistakable for simple two story huts. Their signs clarified whether or not they were homes or businesses. Behind the fallen Agori was a building marked as the town's obligatory saloon. Inside, music and unsober laughter leaked out into the night air.

The Agori rubbed the dirt off his face and smacked out any particles that might had managed to sneak into his helmet. He struggled to stand. The Glatorian bouncer that threw him out had a rough touch.

Gredec sighed, and exchanged looks with the bouncer. His hands were rested on his dual revolvers, each holstered on both of his hips. "What's happened here?" Gredec asked in his natural baritone voice.

The bouncer smacked his hands, as if wiping away any grime that the Agori had on his person. "Disturbin' the peace, Marshal," the bouncer replied. His tone was surprisingly respectful towards the shorter Gredec.

"I wasn't disturbing no peace," the Agori grumbled. "At least not yet, anyways."

"This fella thought it'd be funny to threaten us all with his gang if the saloon didn't pay a proposed tax," the bouncer explained, crossing his arms like a sentinel.

"I wasn't and I ain't joking," the Agori was on his feet now. He wiped the dust off his belly and legs. "Now you've gone and made me mad. I would've let y'all off with a warning. Maybe. If you did so politely. But now you've gone and made me mad."

"We heard you the first time, young man," Gredec spat at the ground to his right. "Here, we don't tolerate threats to our good town."

"Well, it's no longer a threat," the Agori pointed at Gredec intimidatingly. Gredec didn't budge. "Me and my friends, we're coming for you and your 'good town' now."

"Oh please, you know how many gangs we've already gotten rid of?" Gredec asked retorically. Despite the retorical nature, Gredec turned to the bouncer and asked, "You know how many gangs we've warded off?"

"Four or five these two months, Marshal," the bouncer answered quickly and consistently.

Gredec raised his hands up, as if displaying his victory in whatever argument he was having with the Agori. The latter growled and began to walk away. "You just wait, you old bags. We're coming, and you better pay up after what's coming."

"If you boys are so scary, why'd they send you to threaten a saloon all by yourself?" Gredec asked. The Agori's face, in the light of the saloon spilling out onto the street, grew red with anger. He spun around and stomped off.

The Agori grumbled as he made his way to his Rock Steed. Next to it was another Rock Steed was just hitched by some Glatorian wearing a Skrall shield as a hat. In his frustration and irrational annoyance at the hat, the Agori intentionally bumped past the Glatorian.

"Excuse me," The Glatorian said, turning to the rude Agori who was unhitching his Rock Steed. "Do you have a problem?"

"You're damn right I have a problem," the Agori snarled as he climbed aboard his Steed. "And it's none of your damn business." The Agori stirred his Steed and it ran off.

To Be Added...

Trivia

 * Like the previous story, this story is inspired by a mission from the video game Red Dead Redemption.