An Edict of Penance
Trials of The Gunfighter
The heavy wings of the black birds beat at the air angrily as they took flight, looking back at the scene below, watching it unfold. The Gunfighter spun this way and that, pointing his pistol at seemingly nothing as the vicious swirls of dust tore at his flesh, threatening to pry out his eyes. In vain, he fired his gun several times, wildly scarring the desert with pockmarks. In a final frustration, he threw down his gun, clenched his fists and screamed "Enough!!!"
Everything just outside of arms reach of him seemed to pulse from emotion as a violent, pale blue light burst out of his very body. The earth itself jumped, belching sand and dirt in its sudden spasm. The two swirling clouds of dust collapsed in on themselves, as a black smoke wisped from their polar ends, the remains of their sandy corpses raining to the ground.
His knees buckling, Jack knelt to the ground, looking up to the small flock that was gently floating away. "What was that?" He hoarsely yelled. The ravens, never responding, only looked back as they flew off toward the hillside.