Argus: Hah, "Sweet Strawberry."
Argus: Let's hope it's a fitting name.
Their "rodeo" is just a few old cowboys and ranchers standing around a riding pen. Modest in every way, except for the bull.
He is two tons of rippling Texas beef covered in deep gray scars. Snorting hellfire and stamping before they even put the flank straps on.
"Sweet Strawberry": Snort ...
Resident I: Woah, woah! Easy there, big fella! I ain't stupid enough to challenge you.
The bull knocks the sides of the fence with its horns aggressively, causing the crowd to step back.
Wade: Miss, I think you oughta reconsider that bet you made with Adam.
Wade: Thing is, Miss, this ain't a game. I've seen ol' Strawberry flatten out men twice the size of you. It wouldn't do right by me to have to bury a clueless girl.
Argus: So, you think a girl can't hack it, do ya? Well, now I've got one more reason to prove you boys wrong.
Argus: Don't worry now. I ain't going to ask for a red cent after all this. I got my own reward lined up.
Wade: sighs Here are the reins.
Wade: On the count of three, you need to link it to the buckle on his back. Remember now, don't get on until you make sure it's buckled tight.
Wade: You gotta get steady as quick as you get up there. Grab the rope, hold on, don't think of nothing else. Not the horns, not the ground. As soon as your ass hits his back, the stopwatch starts counting.
Resident I: Enough with the lecture, Wade. The little lady's clearly an expert. Hand her the rope, and we'll see what God's got in store for her.
Resident II: Get along now! You know how much these lights cost to run?
A harsh beam of light shines on Argus's face, like deer caught out on a highway. The whole thing feels unnecessary, given it's broad daylight.
Still, she hops over the fence and grasps the rope from below the bull's belly. It's coarse and heavy, liable to wear a hole in her gloves if she makes it to the end.
Wade: You ready?
Argus: Any time now.
Wade: Good. One, two, three ...
Wade: Hit it!
He swings a copper pipe down across an iron board to signal the start, and Argus straddles the bull steadily.
"Sweet Strawberry": Snort ... Snort!
In an instant, "Sweet Strawberry" charges out toward the middle of the field, as he does his back buckles up and down with astounding force, and he begins to spin like a top.
Argus clings hard to the rope and entwines it around one of her hands. Each time the bull bucks, she twists another circle round until her hand is fully tied in.
Argus: Hey, hey!
Argus: Woah, buddy! coughs
Wade: Three ...
The three seconds in; as he rocks her up, she accidentally bites down on her tongue, realizing too late there is a reason you never hear bull riders yell.
Just as she had expected, the rope has already cut through her gloves, it slices open the skin of her hand from her index finger to her thumb.
"Sweet Strawberry": Snort! Snort!
Wade?: Five ...
The fifth second passes. She's lost all sense of sight and sensation besides pain. Her teeth are clenched. There's no conscious thought in her headâonly the instinct to hold on.
The rope at least feels less coarse after being drenched in blood and sweat, but now it's slippery instead.
She tries to hold on to it with all her might.
Argus: Ugh!
Wade?: Seven ...
The seventh second, it feels as if that pipe were hitting her brain instead of the board. Her muscles are exhausted and cramped. She begins shaking involuntarily. She can't hold on ...
Wade?: Hang in there!
Argus: Ugh!
The pipe hits the board for the ninth time. Argus can't help herself, as he bucks again, her grip fails and she flies off of the behemoth in a violent twist. Fortunately, it's her shoulder that hits the ground first, not her head.
The world becomes dark and silent for a second. Even so, she can feel the eyes of everyone around her.
"Sweet Strawberry": Snoooort!
Her sharp senses save her life once more. As the bull turns around to stomp on her, she opens her eyes and manages to roll up to her feet, evading his charge.
Her arm is twistedâmaybe broken, but she won't give upânot until she finds Kayla.
Argus runs for her life, jumping the fence in a fluid motion before stumbling toward Wade.
Wade: Sweet Jesus!
Resident I: No f**king way! She did it?!
Resident I: Even the Texas state champ only managed eight seconds on him.
Argus: What's my time? What is it?!
Argus: Tell me!
She yells in a hoarse voice; her mouth is bruised and bloodied.
Argus: Ten seconds, right?! I made it! You all saw it!
Wade: Urgh!
Argus: You! Don't you dare fool me.
Wade: No, no. That was unbelievable, little lady. It's just ... it was nine.
Wade: I didn't get to the tenth strike.
Argus: What ...
Argus: You can't be serious.
Wade: I'm sorry, Miss. Seems you lost your bet.
Wade: But, I gotta say that was a ride for the legends. I've never seen anyone handle Strawberry like you did. We'll tell Adam what we saw.
Argus: ...
Argus: Hah.
As night falls again, silence returns to the town. Two people are walking toward the shallows of the river.
Argus hurts all over, not helped in the slightest by the post she punched after finding out her time.
Bartender: After you reach the shallows, go straight ahead 200 yards. Then, you'll see that half iron gate. The Red Wall's right behind it.
Bartender: You're on your own from here.
Argus: Thanks.
Bartender: Nine seconds. I gotta hand it to you, ma'am. That took grit. That kind of grit you don't see much anymore ... if only I had thatâ
Bartender: Forget it. It ain't gonna change nothing for me.
Argus: But it was only nine seconds. I lost the bet. So, why hold up your side of the bargain?
Bartender: Think of it as a consolation prize. 'Cause I still ain't telling you nothing about my sister.
Bartender: Besides, you gave me the prize money. So, it's only fair. Good luck, ma'am.
Argus: Thanks. I think I'll need it.
Bartender: Oh, and another thing. You know, just because you showed you got grit doesn't mean you get free reign here. Wade's right upset about the damage you did to his fence.
Argus: Fine. I've been out here for a long time. I know the boundaries.
They bid a respectful goodbye before Argus continues her journey alone. The night grows dark fast, leaving her all but blind. So, she simply follows her instinct.
Fireflies offer brief bursts of light by Argus's wrist before swirling back into the brush. Argus stands in front of the iron gate, her vision still faint even with the help of the torch bugs.
Her heart flutters as she passes through.
Argus: The deep iron smell of blood is stronger ahead. She must be going the right way.
Argus: Keep your eyes peeled, Argus.
She takes out a Picrasma candy and swallows it like a pill.
There is no time for chewing.
Argus: Even with the moon out I still can't hardly see ... that could be a wall though.
Argus: But what's that all over it?
Argus: deep breath Come on.
Argus: And thence we came forth to see again the stars.
Argus: Argus casts her arcane skill while moving forward.
Radiance flashes in Argus's eyes, showing her the true color of the Red Wall.
Argus: ...!
Argus: What?
Argus: Blood?
Argus: Why is there so much blood here?