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Salem kept his eyes on the dirt desert road as Drako voiced his complaints, something that has almost become as constant as the tumbleweeds of brush that occasionally drifted across his vehicle's path. Still, the "Gypsy Savage" couldn't help but smirk, chuckling as he tuned back into his compadre's criticisms in time to catch the last part.

"Not as high as I'm gonna be when we get there, I promise you," Salem said cheekily, though his jaw stiffened upon finishing his quip. On the horizon, Salem could see the beginnings of the fence line that marked his family farm on the reservation, and he knew once they'd arrived, things would escalate quickly and dramatically, the extent to which they would forming a slight knot in Salem's throat.

"I do appreciate you coming with me for this. I think you'll have a good time, honestly. Ever been on a horse?" Salem asked, turning to glance at his dreadlocked friend.

A sinister glint twinkles in Salem's eyes as he lets out a quiet but maniacal laugh.

"Muhaha...my natural life, but wait until I do my magic and make myself live forever just to torment you. Besides, nothing wrong with a little fresh air before a fight. You can tell me all you want about G's moves and style, but I need a new frame of mind...I need to elevate myself for this."

The ride had been a few hours long, but the trip felt even longer here at the last few miles until his family ranch. The vast fence line sectioning off the grazing land from the rest of the property was getting larger by the second, yet the road forward for Salem felt as hard to see as the path behind him choked up in the dust of their wake. Still, Salem tried to not let any nervousness show, knowing that his companion wouldn't and couldn't know the journey they were about to go on, or how little the horses mattered getting where he needed to go.

"Gate's coming up. Hope you're hungry, mom's not letting you leave without a meal." he said, seeing the Croft family gate up ahead on their trajectory, too soon to make out the details of the iron bars but close enough to see a couple people standing outside it in the distance, the sun just a few hours from setting behind them.

Salem chuckled at Drako's question as he came to a stop about thirty yards from the gate, a pair of men waiting outside the iron-barred throughway for their arrival. Putting the SUV in park, Salem glanced over at Drako as he opened his door.

"Just expect the unexpected." he replied, getting out of the vehicle and approaching the pair of men welcoming their arrival.

"Hey, Pa. Hey Uncle B.S." Salem said with a smile, laughs exchanged as the three men hugged each other, embracing with backslaps and handshakes.

The first to greet Salem was a shorter, paler figure, a red tint to his graying beard and hair, but he moved with vitality and energy as he held his son. The other figure was taller, with long black hair done back into a ponytail, and a complexion much more reminiscent of Salem's, but each man seemed equally happy to see their relative.

"So, who's this fella you brought with ya?" the shorter Irishman said, accent flavoring his words as he gestured to Drako getting out of the vehicle.

"He's a buddy of mine, Da." Salem replied. "Came along to help me for this fight I got." As if sensing the mention of a fight would spur an unwanted conversation, Croft quickly changed the subject. "Where's Mom? Thought she'd be out here."

At this point, Salem's uncle chimed in.

"Heh, she's been cooking since this morning." he said, hitting a button on a remote in his hand to begin opening the gate. "You know how it is when you come around, gotta feed her baby boy. Good thing you brought company, I hope he likes leftovers."

The four men were approaching the front door of a well built two story house, an old country victorian with a porch that wrapped around the premises. An earthen, woody brown, it seemed to be older than it looked, its condition belying the generations it had seen. Opening the door, Salem's father went on inside, the smell of food exciting him and getting the old Irishman ahead of himself and the rest of the group, leaving Salem's uncle to hold the door open for the remaining members of the party with an apologetic smile.

Stepping into the foyer, there was a set of stairs leading up and down immediately opposite the entrance, but otherwise held a rather open floor plan with kitchen and dining room to the right and living room and parlor to the left. Smells of meats and vegetables filled the air, and ornaments from both sides of Salem's family adorned the walls and tables, trinkets from hundreds of years ago from half a world away and the like.

Family photos were hung up here and there, showing off a young Salem with a smaller boy next to him, and what looked to be a twenty-something rendition of his parents. In an unseen part of the kitchen, Salem's parents could be heard talking, or rather, his mother could be heard admonishing his father for trying to sneak some food before it was ready to serve. Turning to the pair with a laugh, Salem's uncle gestured to the adjacent living room.

Salem leaned back in a nearby recliner as he grabbed a remote from the nearby in-table and clicked on a large flat screen television in the room. Kicking the footrest up, he rolled his eyes and chuckled as Drako pondered and prodded at him, taking it good-humored.

"Oh, yeah. But they don't like it. They'd rather me be a doctor or a lawyer, something a lot less dangerous. But I'm somewhat of the black dog in the family, and they understand why I do what I do. Or try to, anyway."

About this time, Salem's parents came into the room - his Irish father red in the face with a s**t-eating grin accompanied by a woman in a flannel print top and denim jeans. She looked younger than her husband, her bronzed features aging well with hair as black as Salem's done up in two long braids going down her chest. She seemed perturbed as she approached with her husband, but a beaming smile cracked through immediately as she saw her two young guests.

"Well, now - you must be Drako, it's a pleasure to have you over." she said, hospitality rich in her voice. "My name's Dawn, I'm Salem's mother. You already met his Uncle Blue Sky...and his father William here," she added, emphasizing his name with a jab to the man's ribs from her elbow, making him yelp unexpectedly and nod with an embarrassed smile.

"Salem never has friends over, I'm so happy to cook a big meal for y'all." Glancing at a nearby clock on the wall, she looked back towards the pair seated. "Which, on that note, dinner will be ready shortly. You gentlemen can wait in here, and Willy will be joining you since he can't be trusted in the kitchen."

With that, she turned and started back towards the kitchen, William taking a pinch of her butt as she departed, only to receive a returning glare from her that could freeze fire before she vanished from sight. William, chuckling proudly at himself, turned to the young men and grinned.

"Well, boy-o, it looks like yer ma's putting ME out with the dogs tonight, ehehe. How about a drink to lift me spirits, you fellas?" he said, moving to a cabinet nearby the television that was partitioned by glass doors, behind which were many different colored bottles.

Salem tossed back his own glass, feeling the rope bourbon burn down his chest, then turned to his father who was already pouring a second. Chuckling, Salem offered his glass forward and got it refilled, his pa offering the bottle to Drako as he poised a question to the man.

"So what's got you out here with my boy-o, eh fella? You parta that rough'n tumble lot? How ya get along with this rascal, laddie?"