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RANGO \\ OӘͶAЯ - Another outlaw story
Chapter 11

11. That's my quest

Without aim, the rattlesnake crawled through the hot sand-stony desert. He didn't know where he went or what to expect. His only thought was to go north. The sun shined hot down on his skin. He didn't know how long he had been on his way. Words and scenes circled his head, and lost itself again in the loneliness.
He sighed deeply. He was ready for a rest, but before he could think more, he felt something else.
He stopped and looked around.
Everything was quiet. But there was something outside here.
He craned his neck and looked forward.
Something moved.
Then it disappeared again very fast.
Jake narrowed his eyes sceptically.
But his way guided him to this point anyway, and for this reason, he crawled on.
With every meter he realized something long and darker in the desert landscape, which lay straightaway and looked like a long way.
His heart sank when he saw it.
A highway.

Jake cursed the humans like every day.
Damn! A grey, dry, hard asphalted way crossed his way again.
His memories of the last car accident let him feel his old injuries again.
How many times will he be confronted with that damned human made thing again?
With cold stone glance he glared to the other side of the dangerous road.
The other side was smoother. But how should he reach the other side without a car-crash?
He looked to the left and to the right. The road was empty. But how long?
He sighed and watched the hot sand who was blew over the asphalt.
He coiled his body together and had no idea what to do.
Suddenly he winced.
"Hey! You!"
A voice which came from far away called from anywhere.
Jake looked around and realized something big on the empty road.
"That's right. You!"
Jake winced again, and didn't know to crawl away or to do what the voice told.
"Don't be shy," the male voice cried. "Come on! It's okay."
With hesitation, the rattlesnake came closer and closer. The highway watching with the other eye.
"That's it. A little closer," the old animal said cheery. "Good. I won't bite you."
"That's more danger from me," Jake thought, or was this guy crazy?
When he had reached the strange animal on the road, he opened his mouth speechlessly.
The animal was an armadillo, but in a very unnatural position.
It lay on his back and in the middle of his body, it had squashed.
Had a car driven over him?
"Oh, I need a little help here," the armadillo said exhausted.
Jake managed to move his lips again. "A-are you okay?"
"I must get to the other side," the armadillo muttered.
"Oh, should I… Are you sure, you are okay?"
But the armadillo didn't answer his question. Instead it continued: "That's my quest. He waits for me."
Jake had no idea, what the guy was talking about.
"What? Who?"
"The Spirit of the West, amigo. The one. They say he rides an alabaster carriage with golden guardians to protect him."
"What are you talking about?" Jake asked irritated.
"Enlightenment," the armadillo said calmly. "We are nothing without it."
"This poor guy is mentally ill because of the car crash," the rattlesnake thought.
"Nice illusion," he answered instead. "But I have to continue my way."
"I see," the armadillo said. "But don't you go the wrong way?"
Jake shook his head. "I don't belong here, if you mean this."
"That may be true, but here you are."
Jake sighed. "I shouldn't be here."
The armadillo shrugged his shoulders. "Now, help me up and I will help you find what you seek."
Jake looked at him with surprise.
"You will?"
"And perhaps more."
Jake shook his head. "No one can help me anymore."
The armadillo looked at him thoughtfully. "Running away is no option."
Jake hissed. "Why knows all world that I'm running away?"
Suddenly there was a vibration sound from afar.
Jake lifted his head and saw a car came closer.
Jake looked back at the armadillo. "I must get to the other side. The Spirit is waiting for me."
"Now it's not the time for it," Jake said quickly.
He hated cars. He jumped closer to the safe desert ground, but his glance wandered back at the armadillo, and the car drove closer.
Hell!
The rattlesnake slid back and wrapped his tail around the hand of the armadillo.
"Oh yes, pull my hand."
But the armadillo was much heavier than Jake thought.
"That's not going to work," Jake hissed with pressed teeth.
The car had almost reached them.
Jake took together his all forces and pulled with all what he had.
And this time it worked.
The armadillo rolled to the side in the road ditch, but for Jake it was too late. The car touched him almost. But Jake did it with a last jump in the last second to escape the deadly wheels.
But unfortunately, he landed on the other road side, and Jake was confronted with another car. The snake screamed, and would be road killed if he didn't react quickly and ran in the high speed into the sand. With hard slam he landed on the ground.
With moan, he stayed there until a shadow bent down about him.
"You need a little help amigo?"
Jake looked at the armadillo with surprise. This animal stood in his feet again, without injuries. Did he get a too hard hit on his head?
But he was too exhausted to ask for more details. "That was unnecessary," he moaned.
"The path of knowledge is fraught with consequence," the armadillo said good-naturedly.
"Don't tell me about consequences," Jake muttered. "I had too much of it."
He sat up and looked to South, where he came from.
"But I wished, I could give them back the water to make their life better."
"If you want to find the water, you have to go to Dirt."
Jake winced and looked at him in disbelief.
"You want me to just walk out back?"
The armadillo nodded. "That's the way."
For a moment, the snake was speechless, but then he shook his head.
"Are you kidding me? They have no water anymore."
"That's true. But if you want to find an answer, you have to find the water."
"No, you don't understand. It could be my downfall. No! I will not go back. Never!"
"Never say never."
A singing voice said.
"Don't say never never.
Never say never."
With that Señor Flan and his companions finished with a rakish guitar part.
Jake turned around and gave Señor Flan a warning look. "Just one word more…"
The owls were silent with disappointment.
Jake's glance wandered back at the armadillo.
"Listen, I don't belong here."
"That's may be true, but here you are."
Jake rolled his eyes, when the armadillo answered with the same words like before.
"Maybe, but I will not go back. I don't want, and I can't."
The armadillo came a little bit closer.
"But maybe you have no other choice."
"What do you mean with that?"
The armadillo didn't answer but looked aside.
Jake turned around to follow his eyes.
Suddenly something big ran to the road.
It was a peccary. Squeaking it ran along the road back and forth.
Jake crawled closer, but the peccary got more afraid and turned around.
"Hoho!" Jake circled his long body around it and the peccary came to halt with trembling legs.
"That was ready for a rodeo show," Chico said approvingly and stuck his thumb in the air.
But Jake wasn't interest about that gesture.
The animal was high in stress. Hell, what did it seen bad that it was so out of breath?
It looked so familiar. Jake eyed it closer and realized a brand mark, which looked familiar to him. It was the same brandmark symbol what he had seen on Stump's Ranch.
Jake licked his tongue. He smelled smoke.
His glance wandered to South.
"Excuse me!"
In fast speed the rattlesnake ran southwards.
"It's okay," the armadillo cried. "Every one of us has a journey to make. I will see you on the other side."

In chapter one, Jake crossed the Road 40. Now we are reaching Road 15, the road between Las Vegas and L.A.. It's also the same road which Rango crossed in the movie.

Description
RANGO \\ OӘͶAЯ - Another outlaw story
Chapter 11

11. That's my quest

Without aim, the rattlesnake crawled through the hot sand-stony desert. He didn't know where he went or what to expect. His only thought was to go north. The sun shined hot down on his skin. He didn't know how long he had been on his way. Words and scenes circled his head, and lost itself again in the loneliness.
He sighed deeply. He was ready for a rest, but before he could think more, he felt something else.
He stopped and looked around.
Everything was quiet. But there was something outside here.
He craned his neck and looked forward.
Something moved.
Then it disappeared again very fast.
Jake narrowed his eyes sceptically.
But his way guided him to this point anyway, and for this reason, he crawled on.
With every meter he realized something long and darker in the desert landscape, which lay straightaway and looked like a long way.
His heart sank when he saw it.
A highway.

Jake cursed the humans like every day.
Damn! A grey, dry, hard asphalted way crossed his way again.
His memories of the last car accident let him feel his old injuries again.
How many times will he be confronted with that damned human made thing again?
With cold stone glance he glared to the other side of the dangerous road.
The other side was smoother. But how should he reach the other side without a car-crash?
He looked to the left and to the right. The road was empty. But how long?
He sighed and watched the hot sand who was blew over the asphalt.
He coiled his body together and had no idea what to do.
Suddenly he winced.
"Hey! You!"
A voice which came from far away called from anywhere.
Jake looked around and realized something big on the empty road.
"That's right. You!"
Jake winced again, and didn't know to crawl away or to do what the voice told.
"Don't be shy," the male voice cried. "Come on! It's okay."
With hesitation, the rattlesnake came closer and closer. The highway watching with the other eye.
"That's it. A little closer," the old animal said cheery. "Good. I won't bite you."
"That's more danger from me," Jake thought, or was this guy crazy?
When he had reached the strange animal on the road, he opened his mouth speechlessly.
The animal was an armadillo, but in a very unnatural position.
It lay on his back and in the middle of his body, it had squashed.
Had a car driven over him?
"Oh, I need a little help here," the armadillo said exhausted.
Jake managed to move his lips again. "A-are you okay?"
"I must get to the other side," the armadillo muttered.
"Oh, should I… Are you sure, you are okay?"
But the armadillo didn't answer his question. Instead it continued: "That's my quest. He waits for me."
Jake had no idea, what the guy was talking about.
"What? Who?"
"The Spirit of the West, amigo. The one. They say he rides an alabaster carriage with golden guardians to protect him."
"What are you talking about?" Jake asked irritated.
"Enlightenment," the armadillo said calmly. "We are nothing without it."
"This poor guy is mentally ill because of the car crash," the rattlesnake thought.
"Nice illusion," he answered instead. "But I have to continue my way."
"I see," the armadillo said. "But don't you go the wrong way?"
Jake shook his head. "I don't belong here, if you mean this."
"That may be true, but here you are."
Jake sighed. "I shouldn't be here."
The armadillo shrugged his shoulders. "Now, help me up and I will help you find what you seek."
Jake looked at him with surprise.
"You will?"
"And perhaps more."
Jake shook his head. "No one can help me anymore."
The armadillo looked at him thoughtfully. "Running away is no option."
Jake hissed. "Why knows all world that I'm running away?"
Suddenly there was a vibration sound from afar.
Jake lifted his head and saw a car came closer.
Jake looked back at the armadillo. "I must get to the other side. The Spirit is waiting for me."
"Now it's not the time for it," Jake said quickly.
He hated cars. He jumped closer to the safe desert ground, but his glance wandered back at the armadillo, and the car drove closer.
Hell!
The rattlesnake slid back and wrapped his tail around the hand of the armadillo.
"Oh yes, pull my hand."
But the armadillo was much heavier than Jake thought.
"That's not going to work," Jake hissed with pressed teeth.
The car had almost reached them.
Jake took together his all forces and pulled with all what he had.
And this time it worked.
The armadillo rolled to the side in the road ditch, but for Jake it was too late. The car touched him almost. But Jake did it with a last jump in the last second to escape the deadly wheels.
But unfortunately, he landed on the other road side, and Jake was confronted with another car. The snake screamed, and would be road killed if he didn't react quickly and ran in the high speed into the sand. With hard slam he landed on the ground.
With moan, he stayed there until a shadow bent down about him.
"You need a little help amigo?"
Jake looked at the armadillo with surprise. This animal stood in his feet again, without injuries. Did he get a too hard hit on his head?
But he was too exhausted to ask for more details. "That was unnecessary," he moaned.
"The path of knowledge is fraught with consequence," the armadillo said good-naturedly.
"Don't tell me about consequences," Jake muttered. "I had too much of it."
He sat up and looked to South, where he came from.
"But I wished, I could give them back the water to make their life better."
"If you want to find the water, you have to go to Dirt."
Jake winced and looked at him in disbelief.
"You want me to just walk out back?"
The armadillo nodded. "That's the way."
For a moment, the snake was speechless, but then he shook his head.
"Are you kidding me? They have no water anymore."
"That's true. But if you want to find an answer, you have to find the water."
"No, you don't understand. It could be my downfall. No! I will not go back. Never!"
"Never say never."
A singing voice said.
"Don't say never never.
Never say never."
With that Señor Flan and his companions finished with a rakish guitar part.
Jake turned around and gave Señor Flan a warning look. "Just one word more…"
The owls were silent with disappointment.
Jake's glance wandered back at the armadillo.
"Listen, I don't belong here."
"That's may be true, but here you are."
Jake rolled his eyes, when the armadillo answered with the same words like before.
"Maybe, but I will not go back. I don't want, and I can't."
The armadillo came a little bit closer.
"But maybe you have no other choice."
"What do you mean with that?"
The armadillo didn't answer but looked aside.
Jake turned around to follow his eyes.
Suddenly something big ran to the road.
It was a peccary. Squeaking it ran along the road back and forth.
Jake crawled closer, but the peccary got more afraid and turned around.
"Hoho!" Jake circled his long body around it and the peccary came to halt with trembling legs.
"That was ready for a rodeo show," Chico said approvingly and stuck his thumb in the air.
But Jake wasn't interest about that gesture.
The animal was high in stress. Hell, what did it seen bad that it was so out of breath?
It looked so familiar. Jake eyed it closer and realized a brand mark, which looked familiar to him. It was the same brandmark symbol what he had seen on Stump's Ranch.
Jake licked his tongue. He smelled smoke.
His glance wandered to South.
"Excuse me!"
In fast speed the rattlesnake ran southwards.
"It's okay," the armadillo cried. "Every one of us has a journey to make. I will see you on the other side."

In chapter one, Jake crossed the Road 40. Now we are reaching Road 15, the road between Las Vegas and L.A.. It's also the same road which Rango crossed in the movie.