“The Garden of...?”Gallow gazed on, side-eyed.

“This place exists outside of your understanding of time and place,” the Spirit’s voice echoed gently around them like a dream.

Janna’s view darted around the environment, trying to find anything familiar or identifiable. “Then you mean this place is inside that... tree?” She finally had to turn back to the Spring, where the ethereal spirit still appeared.

“‘Inside’ is not quite appropriate,” the Spirit corrected her. “But you might make sense of it that way.”

Gallow looked about at the Garden. Lush greens sprouted all around, massive trees held up the speckled blue sky. Embedded within the heavens were stars, or what appeared to be brilliant jewels, which reflected light from a sun which could not be seen.

“How do I get out of here?” His voice was rather blunt.

With a hint of curiosity, the Spirit asked, “You'd like to leave so soon?

“There’s some business back there that I need to help with,” Gallow turned back to her. “I need to take a little responsibility.”

His words took Janna aback. She’d never seen a place so supernaturally serene; it was unthinkable to leave so soon after finding this place, without even gleaning what it was, to return to a dry, wicked world.

“Very well,” the Spirit closed her eyes and smiled softly. “I will allow you to return.”

“Allow?” Gallow was incredulous. “You don’t need to allow me out, just show me the door, thank you very much. I’m the navigator of this ship.” There was a coarse edge to his voice, a mounting frustration, like an old wound had been opened up.

Janna clasped her hands tightly and tried to become as small as possible.

The Spirit looked on at the two mortals with a gentle expression. “The door to this Garden can be found by following that Sigil on your hand, it is your guide to escape where you’ve gone.”

Gallow peered at the back of his right hand, and the four corners of the diamond seemed to stretch out to the ends of the Earth.

“And how do I take some of this water back?” he asked, not averting his eyes from the sigil.

“Do not fret,” the Spirit’s voice was supernaturally calm, as if her presence was what gave the Garden its inviting air. “I will supply you with everything you need, simply find your way back.”

Even if he didn’t outwardly show it, Gallow felt heated and aggravated, but the Spirit's voice let him cool down and collect himself. His thoughts turned back to Janna, who was still taking in as much of the scenery as she could. In that moment, he understood her a little better, that look was familiar to him, when someone didn’t know if they were seeing someone for the last time.

“Do you wanna come back with me? Your dad’s probably worried sick.”

Janna stopped, and looked instead at him. The change in his demeanor was palpable, and gave her a feeling of foundation instead of intimidation.

“Yes,” she replied. “I think it’s best I see him again.”

Gallow took her hand in his, and the sigil began to tingle, guiding his eyes to a point behind them. He turned, Janna keeping lock step with him, and they both stepped forward into the infinite space between distances.

“I promise, I'll come back to this place.”

---

Their feet hit the ground, and the blistering sun beat down on them once more. From the house, Janna's father had finally caught up with them.

“Janna, what the hell do you think you're doing?! And you, young man-” his voice cut off as he realized Gallow's body was extinguished. “What is-?” His voice dropped off, glancing between the two of them.

“Yeah, long story,” Gallow brushed off his concerns and turned down the path to town. “Right now, we have to help put out that fire-”

It was his turn to be cut off, as a sudden stroke of thunder blasted down from the heavens. In an instant, rain began to pour down from the skies. All three of them were left to scramble beneath the porch for cover.

“It’s raining? It was just clear!” Eli exclaimed, befuddled.

All the townspeople feverishly working to defeat the flames suddenly stopped and turned their eyes upward, fascinated by the rain. For some reason none of them could place, this was a special moment.

Remembering something, Janna looked to the horizon. “What time was it?”

The other two followed her gaze and caught sight of the sun setting in the distance; the gorgeous tones of orange and purple caught the falling droplets of rain. For a moment, none of them could speak, not understanding nature's will but accepting the gift it had presented them.

Janna closed her eyes.

“It hasn't rained here for a long time.”

They stood there, taking the moment in peacefully, when Janna's father turned to Gallow and stuck out his hand. “Hello, young man, nice to meet you. My name is Eli, and you are?”

He should have already known Gallow’s name, but he didn’t want to spoil a formal introduction.

“My name is Gallow.”

“Well,” Eli replied with a hearty smile. “What a gloomy name.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Say, you're a pretty good shot, are you?”

Gallow paused, getting the sense there was more to the question. “I'd like to say I am.”

“Then what would you say, perchance,” Eli started slowly. “Well, we haven’t had a sheriff in town in a long time…”

“Sheriff?” Gallow almost laughed as he repeated it.

“If you don't want to, I understand; it's just that our town has been under so much danger recently with the tensions at the border, and-”

“I’ll do it.” Gallow answered with nonchalance, like he just needed a few seconds to think it over.

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Eli’s face was awash with surprise. “You will?”

“Where do I sign up?”

---

The night air was cool, it had a feeling of relief, like the Saturday after a hellish week. The previous day's fire had burned much property, but in the aftermath of that miraculous rain had come a pervasive feeling that everything would be fine. The town hall was packed with citizens, clamoring to hear the big news promised to them through the grapevine.

The chatter in the building subsided when a middle-aged man with long blond hair assumed the podium. Mayor Junda was a stern man of an immigrant family from Klouve, in the Antiquated Continent. His values were steeped in that tradition, and following them meant that business hours were exclusively for business.

“Ladies and Chentlemen,” his accent made his speech immediately recognizable. “I fould like to felcome a special new guest in town, though he fill not be just a guest for much longer.” His right arm stretched out to beckon Gallow, standing at his side.

“I fould like to introduce you to our new Sheriff, Mr. Gallow!”

The crowd buzzed with excitement. This strange new man was their Sheriff? He was clearly an outsider, he’d just appeared a few days ago, and now…?

Junda courteously stepped down from the stand to allow Gallow to take his place. He wasn’t used to speaking in front of crowds, and found that all of the eyes on him, with such scrutiny, made his cheeks flush red. Adjusting his hat, he began.

“Hello, misters and misseses of Sigrit, I am- eh, I'm honored to be your new Sheriff.” His hand rose and fell in a pointless gesture. “Now, I will admit, I'm not the most spotless person you’ll ever meet, but I'm going to take this opportunity seriously. I can promise each and every one of you that I will protect this town to the ends of my life, I'm the fastest gun out here, and I’ll prove it to any villain who tries to start trouble here.”

The more he got going the more a showy bravado crept out that enthralled the average listener, he was a step away from removing his hat and performing magic tricks for the audience. The crowd likewise looked on with cautious intrigue for him, and a small smile found its way onto his face.

“Now, while I can't guarantee that a bad actor won’t show up, what I can guarantee you all is something that’ll change your lives. It’s something that’ll revolutionize this town, and maybe change the world.”

The citizens were captivated, on the edges of their seats to find out just what he was talking about.

“What I’d like to introduce to you is a bottle that will cure your worries and set you at ease, and no, it's not alcohol.” His smirk broke out into a charming grin as the words left his mouth.

“That’s a funny one,” he thought.

“I'd like to bring you… a miracle water.”

A quiet murmur of confusion overtook the town, broken once he produced a small vial from his jacket pocket.

“I am in possession of what can only be described as a miracle, and I'd like to share it with you.” Pulling a small knife from his other pocket, he unsheathed the blade, turning it so that it glistened in the light for the onlookers. Without warning, he ran the knife across his hand, simultaneously drawing blood and gasps. The crimson liquid oozed from the wound, which he also held up, demonstrating for the audience. Setting the knife down, he grabbed the vial and unscrewed it, turning the glass so that a trickle of water spilled out on the injury. With a hissing sound and a faint wisp of smoke, the cut closed up within a matter of seconds.

The town, grasped in a vice of silence, burst suddenly into cheers and excitement. Men, women, and children shook each other, trying to express their incredulity, but amongst them was one who did not cheer.

Mayor Junda returned to the stand beside Gallow, shaking his hand and congratulating him.

“Son, we'll meet tomorrow to discuss that- that miracle,” he proclaimed with a fervor. Then, turning his attention back to the crowd, he announced, “People, people! I understand that there is a great amount of excitement about Mr. Gallow's gift to us tonight, trust me, it fas a surprise to me as well! This gift will be negotiated by us within the week, so 'chust hold tight!"

The crowd filed out of the building, minds brimming with wonder. Basking in the afterglow of his newfound public approval, Gallow waited for a moment before following suit. Stepping out alone into the cool night air, the warm glow of the town hall illuminated his back, while the cold, shimmering moonlight basked his face.

Standing against the wall adjacent the doors was a man clad in a white howie coat, with frizzled hair and a long face; his posture suggested that he didn’t approve of Gallow’s show, and he immediately caught his eye.

“Is something up?” Gallow asked, only turning his head halfway to look at him.

With a quick step, the man broke from the wall and walked to the new sheriff's side.

“My name is Aeken Love,” he proclaimed. “Mr...?”

“Gallow is fine; nice to meet you, Mr Love,” he replied, extending his hand in a friendly gesture. Mr Love did not take the handshake.

“Listen here,” Love started brusquely. “I don't like you coming into town peddling snake oil to us.”

Gallow was taken aback. “Snake oil? This is the real deal!”

“Don't give me that!” Love asserted.

“Look,” Gallow reasoned. “Do you have any cuts, bruises, any scrapes on you?"

“Yes I do,” Love announced, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a scar on the back of his wrist. “What are you going to do about that?”

Gallow once again produced the vial from his pocket and dripped some onto the scar tissue. In a matter of moments, the scar began to shrink, healing up before their very eyes. As the wound retreated, Love's eyes widened with a shock, a joy, and a fear. The night was quiet, the winds had calmed down, and the only sounds were of birds and small insects.

“Kid,” Love began, choosing his words very deliberately. “Do you know what I do?”

Something about his tone was disconcerting. “No…?”

“I'm the town doctor,” the words crept from Love’s tongue.

“Well, that's great!” Elation passed over Gallow’s body as all of the tension in him released. “This is great news for everyone, I mean, we can start selling it to other towns and-”

"Kid," Love cut him off, more forcefully than before. “Do you understand what that means?”

Gallow paused once more, all of the doubt flooding back into him.

“That... we can make a lot of money?”

“It means I'm going to lose my job.”

The words cut into Gallow like an icy knife.

“I... see…”

Love elaborated in a stern, stiff, low tone. “If you really want to… monetize this, then eventually there's no need for me or my clinic. After that, how long before someone else figures out how to make it themselves; my profession gets phased out.”

“Well, y-you don't know that for certain,” Gallow tried to reason.

“I know what you're trying to do, here, and I don't like it at all. This town is a functioning ecosystem that I'm a part of, and you're going to wreck it.”

“I don't mean to-”

“Look,” Love wouldn’t let him get a word in. “I appreciate you becoming our sheriff and all, but if you want to take away my job and all the other doctors in this country, then I can't stand for you.”

Gallow was flailing, on the back foot. “Doctor Love, I'm sorry, but it's not my intent to make any trouble for you.”

“Doesn't matter what you meant, it's what you're doing.” Love’s responses were swift and absolute.

A silence hung between them for some time, until Gallow broke it.

“So, what do you want to do about it?”

Love's eyes filled with anger. “I'm getting out of here, and this is going to come back and bite you, you believe it.”

Gallow’s eyes darkened in an instant. “Is that a threat?”

“As much as yours,” came Love’s cold retort.

Another heavy silence.

“Okay, then,” Gallow spoke like the problem was resolved, turning his back. “I'll show these people what I mean.”

With a huff, Aeken Love stomped off, leaving Gallow to ponder what had just happened. The moon was full tonight, and it made for a lovely backdrop, illuminating the desert countryside. If he thought about it long and hard, Love was making a selfish argument, but he couldn’t say anything.

“Why am I doing this?” he wondered.

Smirking, he turned his attention back to the dirt and began walking towards the saloon, gripping the brim of his hat with two fingers.

“What am I saying? I'm just a greedy bastard anyway.”