"Alright. You're all a little higher on the list of priorities, congratulations."
Jack half-smirked at Simon. His clothes sizzled from the light beam attack and minor burns marred his skin, but he was fine. Based off the savage light in his eye, he seemed to be enjoying this.
"I don't feel flattered. What's more important than the pirates attacking your home base?"
"This is just another tower. I've made plenty. I'll make more."
Jack remained on the defensive with full-body armament haki. But during their short exchange, Adelaide's fog had reached the top of the tower. It curled around them, muffling the air, like the silence after freshly fallen snow. Jack slowly backed into it and disappeared from the view. As Alicia darkened the sky, Jack and Simon were thrust into their own private world of misty midnight.
"Adelaide, I need you." The pirate spy's whisper came from Simon's right.
Whoosh went the wind in this oppressing silence and Adelaide's laughter followed it. The wind strengthened, though curiously not blowing the fog away, before several scythes of haki-fueled wind came at Simon from all directions.
Simon's gaze went down to his sleeves as the fog obscured his vision. He unbuttoned the cuffs and neatly rolled up one sleeve. The sound of laughter on the breeze made him raise a curious brow. "It's almost incredulous how alike all pirates are." As the wind picked up, he took a step backwards and a flash of light followed. As quickly as the light appeared, it disappeared with Simon on the tower's ledge.
As he neatly folded his other sleeve, he waved his finger in a circle creating three orbs of light. They began to spin as dangerously as a saw blade moving outward around the tower. "There." Self satisfaction was written on his face before it turned into an observant focus. He raised his fingers up in a gun and pointed it out and then slightly upward. The beams of light that followed weren't meant to strike true on Adelaide, but stop her path just enough to stagger. His attention never remained in one spot, quickly tossing out beams of light as attacks came at him causing the sky to flash as if lightning were striking.
Adelaide grunted as the first strike hit her through the side of the abdomen. Silhouetted by his attacks, Simon saw her staggered path briefly through the fog. Briefly her presence vanished. Then she reappeared rapidly, in multiple positions. Her laughter rang out with windy strikes, a dance of light and wind scarring the obscured landscape.
Jack remained hidden, observing. Taking mental notes. Simon's light show appeared in whatever position he chose, giving no point of origin. That was fine. He could hear Simon's breathing just fine.
Amid the sporadic attacks from the Windy She-Devil, a sudden deadly torrent erupted around Simon. Wind blades rose around the tower's circumference and struck inward. Deep gauges tore into the seastone. Stone and moisture were thrust into Simon's eyes and then – from a direction he couldn't sense – a thick chain struck out of the darkness. It wrapped around Simon's waist and yanked him forward. The admiral found himself pulled back to the roof's center before he could react.
"What do you want, Admiral Simon Ira?" Jack shouted into the mist. Adelaide kept Simon's attention with her neverending flurry of attacks. Her laughter put her enemies on edge. "Out of life, I mean. Clearly you want to exterminate us. I respect that – though I won't ever allow it. Not by your hands."
Through haki and moving as fast as light, he dodged most of the attacks, but that didn't stop him from being suddenly chained and back on the roof. Even so, his frustration seemed to lie more on his wrinkled and sliced attire rather than the actual fight. Simon's eyes remained on Jack, but he still maneuvered through wind attacks, throwing haki up to defend where his light wouldn't hit.
"Is that something you ask everyone after you've killed them? Tch." He took hold of the chain and crushed it in his grip. "Did you consider asking that question to all those people you killed in, what was it, Trovale all those years ago?" He raised a hand up with his eyes still on Jack, this time aiming to strike Adelaide just as she attacked again. "It's certainly not something your wife has ever considered, no?" He nodded. "You may not die by my hands, but you will die. All of you will." He took yet another step, but this time in a flash he reappeared at Jack's side aiming to kick him with the full force of the speed of light.
Shit! Jack thought the split second between Simon appearing next to him and him sailing into the tower. The landing hurt. A lot. Jack had to soften his haki to keep from crashing into the tower's lower levels. He had to stay on the roof, even if it meant a few broken bones.
In the interim of Jack's fall, Simon lost his presence again. The admiral might've heard his impact on the roof, the crumbling of stone as he skipped across it, but the moment Jack righted himself he – just vanished. His haki diminished into nothingness. But Adelaide blipped back in like she'd never been injured in the first place. She appeared in front of Simon, fangs out, her corporeal form fizzing at the edges as she unleashed a barrage against him. In that time, Jack found his voice again.
"Dancing around the question, huh? Do you even know who you are outside of the Navy? I do. Hypocrisy bleeds from you just as it does from me. Maybe we're the same."
Adelaide's attacks put Simon on the defensive for a moment, making him grit his teeth and throw up haki to shield himself from more fatal blows. Instead of trying to fight the 'air' instead, he attacked around her, forcing her to one spot. Those orbs of light circled her and each one she got closer to exploded like bombs.
"You shouldn't make assumptions, Kunal. That's how you get yourself killed." His outstretched hand formed a sword made of light. With a forceful swing, he cut through the fog as if it were tangible. "Similar, maybe. But certainly not the same." He swiped through the air again, this time sending a large slash of light outward. "The blood on my hands are from those that chose a life destined to kill them. I can't say the same for yours." Without waiting, he sent yet another one outward. "Please don't mistake yourselves as heroes just because you're attempting to save your friends. Noble as it is, you're all still crooks, thieves, and murderers for selfish causes." Simon sighed and tossed the sword off the tower, except instead of dissipating it became an arrow and headed straight for Alicia's back.
Jack's angry cry reverberated across the roof at the same time Adelaide's presence blipped out of existence. Simon saw her briefly on his left, her silhouette dancing in the fog and fading light. A powerful gale whipped around him, leading his eyes in an upwards trajectory. She disappeared–
– and reappeared in front of Alicia.
Simon's attack skewered her straight through the chest. Adelaide's eyes widened, her mouth agape and twisted in pain. She attempted to grab the arrow but it fizzled away, its damage done. For a breath she floated frozen in the sky. Then… her face cracked in half. More cracks appeared all over her body as her skin, her clothes, her hair all turned a whitish blue. The clone of Adelaide shattered into a million shards of ice.
In that same instant, while Simon was distracted, Jack put a pistol to the back of Simon's head and pulled the trigger.
The bullet was charged with lightning and Jack prayed it'd work. But he held a hidden blade in his opposite hand just in case, ready to slice Simon if they so much as touched. He kept it close to his right side, guarding a broken rib and the burn that curved along his back from one of the light swords.
Simon's eyes narrowed slightly seeing his attack hit nothing more than an illusion. The bullet was met with a secondary flash and a small explosion. Once again, Simon was on the other side of the tower except there was a fresh scar across the side of his face to his ear. He used his thumb to wipe some of the blood and grimaced just a little more. A sigh of frustration followed, but he straightened up as if to compose himself.
Just as he raised his hand he could feel the tower quaking under them. "Hm." His hand motion changed, creating a diving wall of light between them that sliced through the tower's roof. "This has been… eventful. Consider this… mercy. For now." He took a step backwards again, letting the wall flash a blinding enough light. When it faded Simon was gone.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Jack muttered to the wall. He didn't believe for a moment that Simon retreated out of the kindness of his heart.
Wincing, Jack stumbled toward the roof's edge. "Adelaide, I don't know where you are, but I could use – eeyaup!" He yelped as Luro swooped in and lifted him into the air. "Luro! What are you – oh." He was going to destroy the tower. Good. Jack grinned and nodded as the red-head giant set him on the ground amidst the fleeing pirates. He forced his way through the crowd, one eye for Adelaide, but he didn't see her among the fading fog and bodies. Instead he found his second query.
"Capitaine!" shouted Jack as he jogged up to her side. She looked as bad as he felt. "Simon let me go. I don't know what that means but…" he licked his lips and shook his head, his face conveying the rest of his thought to Runali. He worried their escape wouldn't be easy. "Keep an eye out for Simon. I'll warn the others."
Jack started to step away, then pivoted and kissed the top of Runali's head. "Glad you're alive. Don't get captured again." He winked and then vanished to find the rest of Stardusk.
Heat from the explosion and Coral's magma made the area incredibly hot and hard to breathe in as the wave of pirates rushed through the town and towards their ships. The falling debris made it an extra challenge, forcing some to stop and destroy them before they could crush the running pirates or block their path. Runali was one of them, digging her heels into the ground and turning back to use a fiery kick to send it backwards.
Everyone was becoming accounted for, those whose names Runali knew and those whose crew symbols she recognized. The injured were in small groups to help them move faster, even if they were stubborn as Will who looked like he'd keel over at any second carrying Rin. The Court took the lead, with Alton clearing the path so they could get Alcinoe's body safely on the ship.
Runali was lagging a few steps behind, taking note of her entire crew while quietly biting back the pain from her collective injuries. There was the familiar tall blur of red that passed with a doctor under his arm. Alicia wasn't too far behind, quick as ever and doing some of the courtesy of preventing the debris from falling on them. And then there was Jack with Adelaide not too far away, she could only assume. "Never a good sign, but we've got our priorities." She gestured him forward, indicating their only goal was to get back to the ship. The moment he pivoted back, Runali cracked a smile. "Won't make it easy this time."
The plan was to get in and get out and they were halfway there. She saw how bloody and bruised all of them had gotten getting this far, she could see all the bodies that pirates managed to grab on their way out and the ones they didn't. Every pirate and ally alike readily prepared to risk their lives for the sake of this mission… this insane war that Runali planned. And for better and worse: the plan was working.
When Robin fell into step with her, Runali looked a little surprised. But when she saw that Robin was carrying someone lagging behind, it made more sense. For a brief moment, the captain wondered if her rematch should have been with Robin and not her husband.
"Alton wanted me to check in to see if there were new additions to the plan."
"Plan…?" Runali ducked when Robin stopped debris from collapsing on the both of them, all while cradling the woman in her arms.
"Yeah! The numbers are dwindling but there's still an army out there. You're still acting as Pirate Lord."
"Oh. Right." Runali looked out as far as she could see as they broke into the civilian district. "Focus forces on leaving. We've been here long enough."
"Aye, aye captain."
Just as she was about to quicken her pace and fall into step at the front of the pack with Alton again, Runali perked up. "Hey, Robin? What's it like… the whole marriage thing?"
"Ha! Odd conversation to have right now." Nonetheless she beamed. "Overall, very lovely. Has its ups and downs. Though when you've been married for as long as I have, downs are mostly just us complaining about how it's time for a vacation because we've been too focused on the Novas. That or giving the Junkers too much sugar past dinner. Those skates won't stop if they do." Before she could lose herself in the moment, she added, "Alton can be a bit oblivious sometimes but I love him with all my heart… But, why'd you wanna know?"
"A little late announcement, but uh, fiancé, officially." The sound of navy ensigns coming up on their right made her wave a fiery hand in that direction, stopping them before they could get close. And that was less surprising than Robin's squeal of delight.
"AH! What are we doing here!? There's a ceremony to plan! There's celebrations to be had! Oooh I'm telling Alton he'll get a kick out of this." Now, Robin was really lost in her own rambling, gushing in excitement as if they weren't still pressed for time and in danger if they didn't leave the island. "Wait, who is it!?"
"Oh, it's Lu-"
"WAIT! Tell me on the ship! I have to get the Pirate Lord news to Alton first!"
Robin was light on her feet and scarily fast when she wanted to be. In one step she was next to Runali and in the next, she was a blur of gold rushing through the crowd. It was a nice moment of reprieve from all of the stress of being in Belfield, even if she was almost entirely sure Robin was going to spread the news like a wildfire. "Get on the island, get off the island." Runali sighed.
And then the earth quaked under her feet. She followed her Observation from the ground to a building nearby, yelling out to her first mate, "Alicia! On your right!" The building nearest her crumbled into itself and metallic pipes burst from them and towards her. She couldn't see it, but she heard the same thing happen on her left, forcing her to dive out of the way.
The navy admirals were still behind them, but they weren't giving up just yet. The idea of them getting any closer to the ships made her stop in her tracks. As often as she practiced with the multitude of elements that Luro put at the palm of her hand, it wasn't often she used them all. It was either one or in this case, as she faced Belfield's crumbling tower, all of them.
Fiery and lightning crackled and if anyone looked back they'd see it begin to take shape and form mimicking large elephants stampeding out of the town and towards the admirals. Wind began to whip around, containing the forces of nature on its destructive path. The very forces of her haki and the multitude of elements caused the stampede to feel as real as if there were dozens of actual animals tearing through the stone paths.
Smoke at her hands made her quickly pull the gloves off as she quickly learned there was a limit to how much they could handle. "Eh… he can… probably fix these." She examined the new holes in the tattered fabric and the burns on her hand. "Maybe."
Either way, the metallic debris stopped attacking them, giving them more opportunity to escape.
The docks were coming up fast. Being far behind, she could see pirates scrambling onto the ships and grabbing who they could that needed help. Save for a few navy ships behind them, the dock was completely clear and standing there waiting for them with a pleasant smile was Nani Sterling.
"Stardusk! You made it just in time!" Nani gestured towards the ships behind her. "You guys have some powerful friends. Real useful in a pinch. Alright on the ship all of you. Time to get going."
As the Stardusk crew made their way to the ships with everyone else, Runali paused and looked back towards the island. "Three navy admirals back there. Two if we're lucky."
"And your orders?"
"Wh- you're the Pirate Lord!?"
"Yeah I know! But it'd be confusing if I started barkin' out orders and you've already given 'em as acting Pirate Lord." Nani couldn't help but laugh. "You've got a working system going, I don't wanna ruin it."
Runali paused and looked at all the ships again, taking a moment to acknowledge that despite it all, Nani was right. More or less. "...Huh… Orders are to focus on escape. It's too much of a risk to stay any longer."
"Aye, aye captain." Nani saluted and headed up the ship right after Runali.
The moment Runali's feet hit the deck of her ship, signals began to fly up letting the rest know that it was time to retreat.
I check in pretty much all times of the day, either from my phone or from my home computer. So it's likely I'll see messages shortly after I've received them.
Alicia couldn't help but grit her teeth as some kind of hidden force started to close around her, as if a giant hand were attempting to crush her into dust. Her arms went out with her palms flat to push back against the invisible force and while she was certainly delaying it, she could feel it's strength starting to slowly overpower her. "Not... yet!" she felt the invisible force fold inwards a little again, causing her arms and legs to buckle and tremble a little, eyes clenching as she strained to keep back the crushing force.
Then, it stopped... and Alicia was able to look down to see Ru collapsing her fist against the two Admirals in a display of strength that almost had her cheering from her position up in the sky. She didn't have time however as a bolt flew towards her, eyes widening as she lacked time to react causing her to brace herself to endure it head on. Her mouth hung open as Adelaide appeared before her, intercepting the attack which speared through her chest. "No!" she reached out and put her armoured porclain arms around her, holding her.
Adelaide began to crumble away in her arms, her form cracking into dust until nothing but ash slid between her fingers. Alicia was caught in shock for a moment, unsure what had happened as she looked down at the disipating specs of Adelaide falling towards the earth. She didn't know if she'd died then and there or if this was some kind of trick, she hoped for the latter but now wasn't a time where she could learn the truth to what had happened. "Please be alive... " she muttered. "... for Jacks sake."
The sound of the tower detonating had her bring her arms up in front of her to fend off the explosive light from her eyes, hovering blades at her back fanning out before she accelerated backwards in the air defensively. 'That felt like... ' her eyes caught sight of the red haired menace falling from the tower towards the floor, his nimble twist before he landed and began moving causing a small smile to grace her features. It was time to move now, Alton had called out orders and seeing them withdraw prompted her to make her own retreat.
Alicia kept herself airbourne during the retreat, flying above and behind Coral while she unloaded more columns of bright moonlight to burn away chunks of falling debris or opponents attempting to block their way. With her advatnage of being above the battlefield it was easy for her to pick out her crew and their allies, enabling her to make sure everyone was accounted for during their retreat. It also gave her a front row seat as Ru made another incredible display as manifested elephants began trambling down screaming soldiers. "Amazing... " she muttered to herself again.
"Alicia! On your right!"
The words pulled her attention to the building collapsing in on itself, her brow furrowing as metal pipes and rebar exploded out towards her. She nimbly rolled as hovering blades began arching to deflect away those that came close while she dodged between others, though with her hovering bladed wings defelcting the metal projectiles she began to lose altitude given they were primarily used to keep her in flight. Now in free fall she fanned her blades as she came out of her mid flight roll, casting six burning columns of light to burn away the rest.
She accelterated before hitting the ground, her feet touching the floor as she sprinted a short distance before kicking off the sruface to take to the sky once again. 'That was close...' she thought to herself before climbing again to gain altitude and look over the situatution. She could see Luro carrying Zilia, Ru with Robyn and the rest following. She couldn't see Jack but she knew better than to worry that he hadn't been able to catch up, she just hoped Adelaide hadn't given herself to protect her back there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Admiral Tashigi! the pirate ground forces have made it back to the ships. Orders?" Satia looked towards Belfield with her hands wrapped around the metal railing, wind from the storm dragging her short white hair back behind her a little as her brow furrowed. The officer beside her brought a wired phone towards her, the Feian Admiral lifting it to her ear.
"All ship cease firing, cycle new target; the land mass behind the retreating ground forces... advise caution for rangefinders. Begin on my order." Satia put the phone down and the officer bowed before taking the phone away. Only a few short minutes went by before the Fein fleet began to signal their bells to confirm they were ready to fire.
Satia stepped to glance along at the fleet to take note of their guns and the direction they were aiming in before raising a hand up to signal towards the chief gunner. What followed was multiple explosive booms from the Kaiju and Kyojin capital ships followed by an ochestra of explosive claps as the entire fleet unloaded their salvo towards the island.
For the pirates boarding the ships they would see a shroud of grey passing overhead before the island behind them exploded, buildings completely distroyed as the island became more disfiguired. More fires erupted as billowing clouds of smoke, soot and ash plumed upwards into the air. "Good, that should allow them time to board and set sail. I want all ships on standby to cover them out but I want them ready to move immediately." Satia turned and strode back towards the bridge.
We're going to make it, was the first thought Jack experienced the moment he set foot on Lady Luck. They'd made it home -- even if that home was not safe yet in the Navy's harbor -- and got out better than he could've hoped for.
His next thought was to check for his crew mates. Everyone was accounted for, although Alicia slipped him a worried look. Jack stepped toward her, concerned, but his third thought was interrupted when Adelaide jumped him. He managed to stay on his feet as her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands on his neck, and kissed him passionately in the midst of the fleeing chaos. Jack let himself be swept up in her embrace.
Reluctantly, Jack pulled back. "We've got work to do," he whispered.
Adelaide smirked. "Can't slip away even for a moment?"
"Not when we're still in the danger zone." He gave her a last few pecks. "Later."
She didn't pout, but he sensed her disappointment. "Fine. But it'll cost you."
Jack quirked up an eyebrow. "Is it because I used you as an illusion--"
"It's because you used me as an illusion."
"Yup," Jack put her down and shook his head. By then, the sails were down and the fleet had begun pulling away from the harbor. Adelaide looked around and caught Alicia's eye. She winked, mouthing, "You owe me."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Don't."
"What?" Blinks of faux innocence serenaded him.
"Don't," he repeated.
Parting with one last kiss, Jack separated from his wife and went to his captain. Along the way he grabbed a spyglass and rifle with a scope. "I'm going to the crow's nest. I'll keep an eye on our escape and help you and Alicia coordinate things from there. Let me know if you need me to start firing." He gestured to the gun he had, taken from Luro's armory, before taking off again. He could feel the inkling of pain coming from his wounds, but he shook it off for now. There'd be no resting until they were safe... and though they'd made it back to their ship, the giddiness of adrenaline was wearing off and his mind turned back to Simon again. The two admirals. Will they give chase?
Jack climbed up the crow's nest, chewing on that thought as he kept watch over their fleet. His mind turned to what their enemies' next step would be.
"Luro."
Luro looked down at the doctor under his arm as they ran through the now mostly destroyed city.
"I'm good now, I can run."
With a nod Luro tossed Zilia a bit ahead of him, the doctor landed stumbling a bit before keeping pace next to him, being able to move towards the docks was a comfort but the danger was far from over, worst off if they didn't hurry it could get worse since they were actually trying to get away, and they were going to reunite with the bulk of their forces.
Which while originally a good thing meant the navy was going to try and kill them…well harder.
She could see the injured around her, including her crewmates, even someone that didn't know their 'I'm fine' body language could see they weren't in the best shape.
The moment they were safe and away from everything she was sitting everyone down, her thoughts on how to do it in a civilized manner were interrupted by the giant stampede that slowed down their pursuers.
"Elephant!"
Luro almost turned to chase them causing Zilia to grab his shirt and force him back in the retreating direction.
"No Luro! Focus on running."
"That's not fair Z. You owe me an elephant if I lose those ones."
"Captain made them!"
"I know, it doesn't change anything though. Oh wait will she do it again?!"
"If she does, I'm pushing you in front of them!"
While focusing on retreating Luro blinked before looking at Zilia who nodded sensing the same presences, holding her hand out towards him, a bit of red energy floated above her upturned palm, Luro reaching over gripped it, before it formed into a pistol.
He glanced to his right to a few officers running down the alley and raised the gun firing it, crescent waves filled the alley, cutting the sides of the buildings and any officers unfortunate enough to be in its path, which were most of them.
Just as he prepared to fire a second shot an arrow whizzed past his head, hitting the ground before a wall of ice rose up blocking the troops from getting through the alley, a few more flew overhead blocking the alley entrances in front of them.
Luro looked up towards the rooftops to see Yiora hopping between them, the young woman offered a wave to him before yelling something in another language.
Luro offered a nod and the woman leapt out of sight as the redhead adjusted his gloves with a grin.
"What'd she say?" Zilia questioned as they kept pace with the others.
"They're dealing with a few of the ones trying to flank, they're going to break off soon to rejoin the ships though."
"They're?"
Luro grinned in response and picked up his pace causing Zilia to quicker her own to keep up, she passed Seliria and Caleb as she did who were trailing a bit behind to help keep watch, catching some of their conversation.
"Don't forget, if Robin asks you didn't know about the whole fiance thing. Even if it was out of respect for privacy I don't want to deal with it later," Seliria said. "Act surprised."
"Got it…woooooowww. The Runali is getting married. That's so surprising. I am surprised."
At Caleb's monotone acting Zilia could see Seliria was seriously considering tripping Caleb and leaving him to die, but they both knew he wasn't being sarcastic, he was genuinely acting shocked and she sped up silently wishing Seliria the best in dealing with that later.
Raising her hand her glasses glimmered for a moment and black Haki poured back into her body, they were close enough that Lia and Val didn't need to be present anymore.
"Exquisite Stardusk! What a show! Miss Crystal gave me a constant update! I only regret I didn't bear witness with my own eyes. Quite the noble showing, pun intended. Wahahahaha!"
Zilia kept moving even as Rasa stood on his ship next to theirs posing upon their return, the mere absurdity of it almost made her stop running as she stared at him not trying to hide her confusion.
His spread feet, twisted hips and thrown back head was bad enough but watching him hug himself as his men poured wine continuously on his form was the part that made her head hurt, especially since the red wine wasn't staining his white outfit at all.
"Rasa I don't think they get it," Mia said hopping on the ship with him.
"What really?" Rasa said straightening up. "I was imitating the goddess of victory bathing in the blood of her enemies."
"What goddess…bathes in blood," Zilia said climbing onto the ship.
"Should we survive this, I'm taking you all to see some proper art," Rasa said raising his hand to stop the wine pouring.
"Hard pass," Mari said climbing onto the ship with Stardusk. "Wait where's Isa-"
A pair of arms wrapped around Zilia and Mari as the woman pulled them both into a tight hug.
"You're both okay! I was so worried!"
The two women looked at each other before smiling and hugging their sniffling friend back.
"Sorry…you were watching us the whole time so it must have been rough," Zilia said.
"We're glad you're okay too, in fact you barely look touched."
Isari backed away from the two and offered a nod as she wiped her eyes.
"Sir Rasa Magnificent the Third kept us as safe as possible."
"....pardon?" Zilia said as Mari crossed her arms.
"She clearly means Rasa but I bet you already knew that," Mia said hopping onto the ship with the two of them. "He's…eccentric but he's still a former Quill. You don't get there by just being strong, smarts play a part too. Every Quill has had to lead an army and win against seemingly impossible odds, he's no exception. So battle strategy against a larger force is a simple matter for him. I'm sure Runali didn't know that, so good instincts on her as always. Because of that everyone apparently has energy to spare for the escape in case things get rough, and the casualties were kept to a minimum. He especially made sure Isari, who was pulling a lot of the weight, caught her breath whenever possible."
Zilia and Mari looked over at the laughing man on the adjacent ship as he spoke to his men.
"Bring me the wine of victory men!"
"Which wine of victory, Captain?"
Rasa brought a hand to his chin at this as his men gathered around, dressed as regally as he was, one adjusting his powdered wig as Rasa stared at his almost empty wine glass, swirling the liquid still within it.
"Victory against navy officers won't suffice. This is a grand celebration, bring me the Wine of Grand Victory, once we escape we shall all consume it!"
"Which Wine of Grand Victory Captain?"
"Number two!"
"Aye Captain!"
The group watch Rasa laugh uproarisly before his men broke into other poses, clearly other works of 'art' in celebration.
Zilia and Mari looked over at Isari then back at Rasa.
"We…we don't…owe him one do we?"
"Don't think about it. Just don't think about it," Zilia said turning back around. "Also Isa no Magnificent anymore. Just Rasa."
Mia stared at the two women deciding to ignore their current crisis before looking back at Rasa.
"Ya know…I've never actually seen his glass empty now that I think about it."
"Oh he was getting it refilled during the fight, whenever it got low one of the crew members would fill it back up again," Isari said. "It was very impressive, one stabbed a navy officer, poured the liquid, then ripped the sword out before continuing fighting, all in one clean motion while Sir Rasa was slamming the head of another navy officer into the side of the ship repeatedly while reacting poetry in falsetto."
"...see now I'm sad missed it," Mia said. "Damn it."
"Oh then there was the ballroom waltz done with the bodies, I declined to join though but it was nice of them to offer."
"Stop stop I'm jealous enough already."
Luro watched the others return to their ships, the Prophets save one, reunited with each other and were getting checked by Kara, though for some reason Tari kept staring at their ship exuding bloodlust.
He wanted to spend a bit of time with Lily but she was helping with Relias' ship in Mari's stead and he knew they still had stuff to do here, Mari, Mia and Kaim had stuck around and Seliria and Caleb were staying near their Captain's.
He could see Yiora and Malas landing on the same ship with the Prophets which caused his shoulders to relax a little.
He waved to Isari as she stayed on Rasa's ship, against her two friends' desire, but they had enough firepower on their ship and Rasa while a user had nothing but ordinary people on his ship presently, protecting himself was easy but his entire crew was another matter.
The rest were following the order of retreat ready to help clear a path, the Prophets especially who didn't linger too far from Stardusk.
"Z Jack and Ali are doing the kissing thing."
"I noticed Luro, that's why I'm looking in the opposite direction."
"Is that what married couples do when they see each other?"
"Given these circumstances yes but not every time, Robin and Alton don't do it ever time they cross each other's path."
"Ohhh you're right," Luro said crossing his arms. "Wait then why are they doing it?"
"Ask Jack later."
"I'll just ask Ali."
"No! Ask Jack when he comes down…I don't know what Adelaide will put in your head…it took weeks to change your mind the last time you two were left alone. We still can't go back to that town you know."
"You guys understand we're still escaping right?" Mari questioned arching a brow at the two.
"Don't worry this is normal," Mia said. "Luro has no sense of danger and Zilia would nag you while she was at death's door."
"The Zil thing I get but really he has no sense of danger at all? I figured there was a little…about ten percent perhaps."
"Hey." Zilia said narrowing her eyes at the two. "I can still hear you."
"Well…I mean yeah I'm not whispering," Mia said nodding at her.
Luro put his hands on Zilia's shoulder, and turned her slightly causing a chunk of the mast to get blown off next to Mia's head, as the Doctor's eye twitched.
"Thank you Luro. Now let's focus on escaping. First rounds on the Pirate Lord."
"....Acting or present one," Mari questioned, crossing her arms.
"Both."
"Yeah then we get a free one on Captain for worrying us."
"Agreed. Rules are rules," Zilia said nodding. "Don't worry I'll only aim at a spot I treat."
"...So is there a reason why we're helping the Tashigi family?"
A light somewhat airy voice escaped from a figure garbed in a hooded cloak, they stood next to a giant in the same outfit, the size difference making her look more like a kid, which only irritated her. She could almost see the man's smile even though his face was hidden and it pissed her off further, thus his response didn't help her present attitude.
"Feian's gotta look out for Feian's kid. Don't matter the side you put it aside when your home's in danger."
His voice was as loud and boisterous as always, it was like he was on the verge of telling a really good joke constantly, too full of excitement and confidence in her opinion, but she put that aside as she responded to him.
"...some of their strongest forces are out here and instead of taking advantage of that, we're helping them."
"Now now, no thinking like Momo. I also wanted to get a good look at where she was at."
"So you actually came all this way too…never mind…what's your 'expert opinion' then?"
"Oh she'll be a fun opponent in the future if we ever cross blades."
Just once she wished he would put aside his love of battle and think, he knew how too she knew it but he always got like this when he was all riled up.
Her hidden gaze moved to the bodies piled up behind them figuring their work was done, throwing a bit of blood off her blade, she wiped the rest off with her arm before sheathing the weapon. She adjusted the sheath that hung behind her before pulling her cloak over it, hiding the blade once again.
Her gaze moving over to her compatriot, she could see his blades had remained sheathed the whole time, he had just punched out anyone that approached, crushed a few skulls, the usual. That was natural though, if he drew one of his blades it would draw too much attention.
"Let's get going kid, the other Feian's are leaving. Not like we're flying home colors but…"
"Better to be careful," the woman finished for him. "You might get recognized and personally I'd rather Omoiyari not know we were here, that's questions I don't want to deal with later."
"Gahaha, it'd be interesting to see their response though," the man said holding up a gourd.
"Just…get in the boat, let's hurry back."
There was a thick encompassing fog after the Feian attack on the island. The docks were torn to sunders and the ocean waves splashed haphazardly, pushing and pulling against some of the boats as each one began to set sail for their escape.
"Dangerous fire power…" Runali mumbled to no one in particular as she stood at the edge of Lady Luck. Her grip on the sides of the ship had loosened a bit when Jack came up to her side. She hadn't broken her gaze from the fog, but she gestured to her side. "Take Coral with you. No firing. We're not trying to break our cover." The bird stretched out her wings, flying up to the crow's nest to meet Jack there.
As he left her side, she heard the call from her navigator, the adrenaline of battle still thrumming off him. "Are we off, Captain?"
She raised her hand, telling him to hold their position for a little longer. As dangerous as it was to stay, she wanted to be the last ship to leave to make sure no one lagged behind.
Behind her, there were a few stowaways still making their way to their own ships, but not without proper pause.
The Court Captains bombarded their two wards, one hugging Cecilia into a dip, kissing her cheek while the other practically suffocated Sergei, wailing about how he could have died trying to stop an admiral. "For you Captains, I'd do it again." Sergei managed to smoothly say after escaping both of their clutches.
Alton and Robin were on Lady Luck long enough to pick up their quartet of skating teens. The Junkers were fine, mostly kept out of the way or ordered to grab supplies as needed, but Robin with tears of relief checked them over enough times that Alton had to pry her off. He kissed her cheek before calling out commands. "Junkers, we're on the Cutthroat ships. Novas!" They and others who lingered nodded and gave mimicking salutes before skating or hurrying off and finding the nearest rope to swing across until they were on their respective ships. "Lev." Alton called out when Robin slipped away to dote on Seliria and Caleb when she found them. "An insane and statistically terrible plan… but a good one."
They held eye contact for a moment, as much as that could be said with Alton's sunglasses hiding his eyes, and then Runali cracked a small smirk. "Don't thank me yet. We gotta get outta here first." She gave him a salute as he nodded and boarded and commandeered one of the handful of ships they had left, turning it into a 'Nova' ship.
~~~
Caleb would find Risa on Lady Luck as well. Thanks to a few spare doctors that stayed on board, she was awake and mostly well but by the looks of it exhaustion and fear still blanketed her. The moment she saw her mentor, Risa went rigid. Her fists tightened around the jacket in her lap and her vision blurred with tears again. "I- Caleb I swear I didn't-! I tried to, I really did but I'm- I wasn't-!" Risa's gaze fell down to her lap and her voice fell into a quieter panic. "I-I didn't know what else to do. I tried to stop them but they took… they took everything from me. All of my blueprints… my projects… they burned my shop to the ground a-and said I was going against the government…? A-And if I didn't do what they said they'd send me to prison! ….When I tried to send word to you they found out and-" She rubbed at her wrists, where the cuffs once were. "...I tried to reverse the weapon.. I really did, but I didn't know how. I-I didn't… Caleb, they killed so many people… I killed so many people…"
~~~
Nani leapt from ship to ship, accounting for pirates with ease. She stopped at the Reds' ship, checking in to see that Rin was alive. Bitter and a bit snappy, but alive. Will was better. Someone managed to dump water on him to distinguish the blood that was his versus the blood that wasn't. Now that he was sure his first mate would recover, with his wolf and Stella latched onto him, Will's bloodthirsty aura subsided. Seeing Nani, he quickly (and a little awkwardly) straightened up to pretend he wasn't as injured as he was.
"Alright, hurry up and get us out of here." He called out to his crew, all more than eager to leave.
~~~
The Cutthroats were a little more hardened but quick to switch gears to escape. Before Saffron busied herself with accounting for her crew and other small tasks, she approached Runali with a steeled gaze behind her goggles. "Your plan worked."
Runali could feel the heartbreak in those words and her shoulders sagged a little. She shook her head slightly and gave a look that conveyed more emotion than she could say. Silently, Saffron straightened up and tensed, so to give her some reprieve Runali nodded towards the smoke. "We're still in hot water. Lead us out."
"Aye, captain."
Still on the Lady Luck ship, realizing it would be the last to leave, Oz stationed herself at its edge, unmoving and waiting for the smoke to pass. The farther the ship sailed, the tighter her grip became on her gun. She radiated murderous intent but as she heard more of the people's jovial chatter, she forced herself to relax. If only a bit. Only enough to stalk towards her ship, clicking a mechanism on her gun over and over.
---
Runali was left at the side of the ship, most of her attention was spent ignoring the conversations behind her and on the smoke ahead.
Quiet never lasted long though. Through the smoke, a flashing light made her straighten up.
"Lev!" Nani Sterling raced past her and leapt off the ship and into the smoke without another word.
"Adelaide! Alicia! Wind in the sails!" She commanded. "Stay on the ships and keep them afloat!" She yelled at the rest before following the Pirate Lord off the ship and into the smoke. With her newly tattered gloves from her last explosive bout, she shifted them into their icy form. "C'mon, c'mon…" The same time the bright light flashed again, preparing to strike the ships, a column of ice rose from the water to interrupt his path. "Hah!"
Nani ended up landing next to her, tapping her foot against the ice. "Your sharpshooter, right?"
"Sharpshooter, shipwright, many titles." Runali ducked as another bright flash of light passed them, this time deflected by a swing from Nani's staff.
"Fascinating." The smoke began to clear to reveal at the very edge of what was left of the docks, two admirals readily prepared to attack. The third and youngest of the three, was a step backwards. "They're really not going out without a fight, huh? You'd think the message was pretty clear. Whaddya say Captain Lev? Let's give 'em one last parting gift."
"You lost, Simon! Give it a break!" Runali barked out before shifting to the very edge of the icy wall. "Oh, I know." She tapped the wall again. "All yours Pirate Lord."
~~~
From the ships below, the army of pirates and allies could see the sudden flashes of light mixed with metallic weaponry crash into the icy wall, cracking it but never breaking. And then in the span of moments a flash of gold streaked through the air and the icy column crumbled into large blocks. One by one they were sent hurdling towards the three naval officers and with a perfectly timed ball of fire there was yet another explosion, this one causing the waves to rise far higher than the ships sailing away.
"Hold on to something!" Someone yelled out as people scattered to keep their ships from capsizing.
Nani landed on Lady Luck first, completely dry and twirling her staff back into its smaller form. Runali was a little less graceful, somewhere between dodging her own explosive backlash and ducking under random chunks of ice she slipped. Fortunately, through shifted winds she ended up being caught yet again by Luro. "Aha! Stuck the landing." Her prideful grin turned into a hug as she laughed. "Alright, I swear I'm done falling out of the sky. But nice catch Luro." She looked over at Zilia and leaned a little closer to Luro. "...Ok I won't swear that actually, Zil might bite me… Oh uh, I figured out the limit of your gloves… sorry about that." She showed a hand to reveal the mostly tattered glove she was wearing.
Realizing the others gathering around, some just on the edges of their respective ships, Runali cleared her throat and slipped out of Luro's grasp to walk over to Nani's side. The Pirate Lord raised her left hand to her mouth and let out a melodic, three-toned whistle that pierced the air. Unlike before, the three notes in response were filled with relief, exhaustion, and the faintest lilt that they were missing several sections of their melody. Nani's fist balled a bit. For a woman that was deemed to have no close crew attachments, she seemed to be very aware of each of the crew she had and she lost. Her eyes closed for a few moments in a recognized silence. Runali on the other hand, took that moment to call out for all of them to hear.
"The navy has stolen from us. Captains, friends… family. They attacked us at our most vulnerable and tried to get rid of us. They wanted to instill fear, but what they got was our rage. This is the Age of Pirates and no one can take that from us. They'll be back for a war and just like today we'll give them one. And we will win again and again until they realize they're no match for what we're capable of." Runali looked around at all the pirates staring at Lady Luck. "But today, while we mourn our losses… remember that today, we won!"
Nani was the first to raise her fist in the air causing a domino effect of cheering and celebration. "We won!" The cheers echoed loud and far, a chorus of reverie through the grief and heartbreak. For most, they won to live to tell the tale. Lived for a new day of freedom. And others, freedom felt a little more hollow but they'd live for those they lost, those that sacrificed their lives.
And as everyone celebrated, Runali finally took a step back, both from being the acting Pirate Lord and a literal step back into the comfort of familiarity. She had been in a prison for three days, a large-scale war in one, and only got to see her crew through battle. The adrenaline had long since began to subside and the fatigue and injury of it all made her slump onto a wooden box. "Holy hell we won." She breathed, pushing her eye patch up to her forehead and looking at her crew. The Stardusk crew.
Almost immediately, she gushed over Alicia. "That was insane! But so cool! How do you even just! Make it night! The moon was here! You're a liar, you gotta be some sort of dragon. Are you secretly some goddess that's been following us around?" And then to Jack, then Luro, and even Zil. Her excitement for the glimpses of the things she managed to catch in their battles were prattled off until she was out of breath -which was sooner than later, frankly. With a deep exhale, she leaned back against the ship and looked up as Coral peered down at her. With a quieter and more astonished breath, her voice came out softer, "We won."
"Jacckkkk old buddy old pal it's so good to see you again!"
A loud voice echoed on the Stardusk ship as Kaim appeared, with the ships sailing together it wasn't terribly difficult for someone to visit Stardusk, the Prophets weren't terribly far so a few ship hops made it easy to land on the Lady. It wasn't uncommon for Kaim to be found playing cards with Luro some nights, the man having basically no presence until he spoke didn't help either.
Thankfully he tended to speak a lot, which was the case as he extended his arms out offering the cook a wide grin.
"Jack I need a favor. Could you make us some food? I'd ask Seliria but she's brushing Isari's hair for some reason and my instincts are telling me I'll be killed if I interrupt."
Kaim offered a small shrug at this before he folded his hands together and lowered his head.
"Please! It's Nikos' turn to cook tonight. I'll pay you, I'll get on my hands and knees, please! A sandwich is fine too, it doesn't have to be extravagant!"
Five minutes. It's only been five minutes… Jack thought from where he laid on a stack of barrels. He didn't open his eyes when Kaim initially approached him. Maybe the Prophet would just go away if he ignored him long enough… boy, his body hurt… and where was Adelaide? Probably stealing something off Nani's ship…
Kaim wasn't going away. Jack sighed and cracked an eye open. They made eye contact – Kaim, pleading, and Jack's completely blank. With a loud groan, Jack hefted himself up onto his feet. He was slightly bowed and had bloodshot eyes like he hadn't slept in five years. But he shuffled past Kaim and then paused long enough to glance back at the Prophet.
"Well? Are you coming?" Jack continued to his kitchen. "You're going to owe me favor," he said when Kaim caught up.
Kaim watched Jack for a moment but made no attempt to walk away, he wasn't sure what the man would say but he had Luro like patience, the kind to stare in one spot all day out of 'politeness' for an answer, or until he got bored. When Jack called him Kaim grinned and promptly followed after him. It had been a bit since he had gone into the Stardusk Kitchen, he still wanted Luro to add to their own but Nikos refused to let the Carpenter do so, and Emil only got upset saying 'he could do it just as well'.
He also out of politeness didn't enter it when he visited.
"Of course Jack, if you need work done I'll even give you half off, doesn't even matter how dirty the job is," Kaim said with a grin. "Ah with Nikos' permission of course, I gotta say that. Still one of the best mercenary groups around at your disposal for whatever ya need."
The man grinned and put his hands on his hips.
"You really are helping us and I did mean it, that something simple would work. I can easily play off why I'm getting the food. I imagine you're still exhausted after everything after all. I am too but I've gotten good at hiding it. If Nikos saw how tired I actually was, he'd tell me I need more training…and I'd be swimming twenty laps around our congregation of ships right now."
Kaim shuddered at the thought.
"We have a cook of our own but she's never around…and she's presently off somewhere else so we always switch it up. Thankfully that means we only suffer two times a week."
They reached his kitchen door. "Really? Who is your cook?"
Opening up, Jack first carefully untaped the string he kept on the inside of his door, then stepped back to let Kaim enter first. It looked mostly the same as it ever had: clean, orderly, smelling of tobacco. A few upgrades had been made since Jack joined Stardusk – a better fire pit, completely with a dousing system in case the fire got out of control and threatened the rest of the ship (Kaim may notice new boards installed in the floor and ceiling); a larger island; new cabinets and wide closeted pantry. Jack glared at the wardrobe behind Kaim's back. Then he went and got his apron off a hook, placing an absent hand of the half-finished self-portrait of Cedric.
Jack turned back to the prophet and crossed his arms. "Sandwiches might do for you, but what about everyone else? Lots of mouths to feed out there. Energies to keep up." Call him a pessimist, but Jack wasn't ready to believe the Navy had let them go. They had a breather right now and what was next…
Jack sent dreadlocks dancing. He threw an apron at Kaim, followed by a basket of potatoes. "Get to peeling. And – this doesn't count as the favor you'll owe me. Just the rule of the kitchen now. Don't fuck with anything."
"Hahaha she said the same thing but much more polite…while pointing a knife at me," Kaim said as he set the potato's down and put on the apron.
The kitchen had definitely changed a bit since he was last in here, due to the fact he wasn't supposed to mess with anything he decided not to mention the changes he had noticed.
That and he didn't want to ignore his other questions.
He wasn't sure what to say about their cook, she was…a fascinating person to say the least.
She got along well enough with everyone, they were friends but explaining her to others was complicated.
Due to that he decided to focus on the food for everyone else as he started peeling the potatoes.
"Well if you're offering I won't decline the kindness," Kaim said as he began peeling with a practiced motion. "Don't worry when you ask for the favor you'll be negotiating with me, just name what it is at the time and we'll go from there."
It was clear he was accustomed to this sort of work as he was already on his third potato by the time he even started answering the first question.
"Honestly anything would work so long as it tastes good but…oh how about a hotpot? We're used to sharing a single meal made in bulk. I assure you so long as it has taste it'll keep moral higher and that'll save time and effort. Everyone can just add from the ingredients at that point. It'll be easier to restock your supplies afterwards too."
Kaim grinned at this before pausing at one of his potatoes, he spun it on his finger as he contemplated how to talk about their cook.
"I'm not sure where to start with her…" Kaim said catching the potato. "Though we worked with her before she was the most recent addition to the Messengers back then."
Kaim closed his eyes for a moment.
"If I had to describe her, she's very ephemeral. You can be looking right at her but it seems like she's not there. Similar with Ria in a way but with her…it feels intentional. Like she's only allowing herself to be a part of your life for a designated time. The way she speaks, the way she carries herself it all seems…temporary. Like she has secrets and has no intention of sharing them."
Kaim raised his hands and closing them opened them before twinkling his fingers.
"It's as if she'll poof out of existence when you least expect it…and she actually does do it funny enough," Kaim said. "It's fun embarrassing her though. Well it's fun embarrassing everyone but her especially."
"You're daring to lecture a cook – in his own kitchen – what's the best meal to make?" Jack joked, with a strained smile and a knife that flourished a little too much in his hands. Nevertheless he conceded to Kaimn's suggestion by putting a pot to boil and marshaling random ingredients to throw into it. Next would be slicing up meat and noodles for people to pick as they pleased. Then he'd toss all the extras into the boiled water to give it some flavor.
He disappeared for a moment, into the ice box Luro designed specifically to work with the gloves. Jack had to freeze it every couple of hours, but it was a small price to pay to have meat, cream and more that'd normally spoil in a matter of days in the ocean's heat.
When he returned with a whole, butchered pig, Jack strung it up above the fire to thaw. He turned to Kaim at that point. "You sound fascinated by your cook. Do you like her?"
Kaim's eyes moved to the knife for a moment but he at least realized the cook was joking.
His experiences with cook's in their kitchen generally ended with being thrown out or some brandishing of a sharp implement. Both when it came to Seliria.
Finishing up the potatoes he gently moved the bowl over towards Jack, the man was no longer holding the knife so how he did the rest of the potatoes was open to debate.
"Oooh it already smells good," Kaim said with a grin.
His eyes moved over to the ice box and he gave a small nod eyeing the structure.
"...man wish I had a Luro on my ship," Kaim said. "I'd mention it…but Emil will throw a fit at not coming up with it first…seems handy though. I'd probably just sit in it on hot days though."
Kaim brought a hand to his chin.
"If I casually bring up something similar and he 'has' the idea that would work…"
Eyeing the pig he grinned bringing a hand to his chin, his gaze moved over to Jack at his question.
"Fascinated huh….well I do like her, she's a delight," Kaim said closing his eyes for a moment. "She didn't open up to us immediately, was very closed off. She's not the most mysterious person on the ship by far, it's just the way she carries herself I guess."
Kaim opened his eyes before putting his hands on his hips.
"Hell of a cook though. She was originally supposed to be another role on the ship…but one day we had her food and that job went out the window. Don't got too many good memories of my home but there was one meal I liked while there…and she managed to recreate that without meaning to. Ended up crying into my food without realizing it."
Kaim grinned at this.
"Which is why it'd be nice if she'd cook more…but alas she deals with other things. She's the best cook among us though so no need to pass the job along."
Kaim offered a shrug at this.
"Anyway my life is boring, how are you guys all doing? I don't do the secrety secret stuff so I don't read the reports. I know you got married though, I took over one of Ria's jobs so she could work on the gift. Congratulations and all that. If you can't think of names, you can name the second or third one after me."
"I'd like to meet this 'hell of a cook'. Think you could arrange that, someday?" Jack asked as he settled next to Kaim with a smoke and fruit for them to slice. Despite himself, a hint of competitiveness came through. He'd gotten comfortable with being the best cook around – period.
But on Kaim's follow-up question, that disappeared and Jack waved a flippant hand. "We're doing just fine – Runali and Luro are engaged, but you didn't hear that from me. Might want to check in on Zilia." Only because it'd amuse me, he thought privately. "Oh, and if you see my wife coming from Nina's ship… you didn't see her. I mean that." He pointed his knife again at Kaim and lowered it just as quickly. His attention went to peeling an apple. "How's your family doing? Ria looked well. We appreciated her wedding gift immensely."
"Haha I'll send her a letter maybe you, her and Seliria could cook together sometime. I have no idea why she doesn't talk about it more but Seliria's actually pretty good too-" Kaim started but stopped as Jack responded to his other question.
With a small laugh he offered a nod.
"Haha the engaged thing is probably the only thing I knew. He was asking people who'd been in love how they felt, it was actually quite funny to watch. Wish he'd visit more. Really hope we're invited to the wedding. I mean I'm gonna show up anyway but yeah."
At the mention of Zilia, Kaim brought a hand to his chin.
"Wasn't she with that Noram guy? I'll see how that's going, thought they were a thing."
Ignorant of the future dangers he had just set upon himself Kaim looked back at Jack and gave a small nod.
"I'm not good at lying so I'll just avoid being anywhere in the area," Kaim said with a grin holding up his hands. "I'll also forget that part of the conversation after I talk with Luro."
A small smile graced the face of the man at the mention of his family, it was a sense easily understood by those who have survived hardships with others. There wasn't even a need for clarification, it was just a natural thing.
Cleaning his hands he let a white aura surrounded his finger before he set about cutting the fruit, running his finger an inch over it and cutting it surprisingly cleanly.
"Haha I'm happy to hear that, she won't say it but she spent a lot of time trying to figure it out. Anyway she's good, when Nina can't hang out with her Isari does so she just latches onto her, which of course makes Kara jealous."
Kaim offered a small shrug knowing it was business as usual.
"Nina is…well Nina. She's still…well her but she makes an effort to make sense more when she feels the need. Though I did find her doing a wood carving yesterday of me saying it was a gift for Nikos…which he didn't ask for so…that's going to be a fun conversation. It's a full statue too, I don't know where we're going to put it. Nice though."
Kaim set the fruit down and grabbed another.
"Nikos and Tari…hah…I wished they'd just fall in love already. Kara and I have been trying for years. They're closer now but it's infuriating watching them together but not be together!"
Kaim threw both his arms up at this but sighed and finishing the fruit grabbed another repeating the process.
"Anyway that irritating part aside…they're fine. Nikos is still training to have another duel with Runali when they've 'reach the height of their ambitions', beinh how he is he respects people with lofty ambitions, not that he'll say to her face mind."
If not for the risk of having his head cut off he would himself.
"Tari…still hates Alicia….but well unlike before she's put a higher priority above her future engagement. The fact that dealing with Alicia is third on her list is a big step. The both of them have grown into their own people, they're reaching out and finding things for themselves…I like seeing it. I was most worried about them."
Kaim paused a bit at this.
"Both had been in the Ravens since they were kids after all, unlike the rest of us. Indoctrination and all that, they didn't show it but it hit them the hardest when the civil war began. Their home became a twisted unknown place, everyone around them throwing away what they knew and respected…but they adapted and kept true to themselves…I'm reminded often how strong they are sometimes."
Kaim smiled at this before continuing.
"Aira is back temporarily so profanity is abound and rum bottles are everywhere. I normally find her passed out somewhere…so she hasn't changed much. Though she's 'herself' less around Isari due to…well something Kara did I was never given the answer too."
It was a question he wasn't going to ask either.
"Emil is…Emil. He won't mention it but he misses his guard duty…partially because Kara captures him whenever Isari isn't around…or sometimes both of them."
"Kara is still Kara. She's been traveling more and she and Zilia have reached a…mutual agreement due to their feelings of Isari."
Kaim paused at this before looking towards the kitchen door, tossing the fruit in his hand a few times he looked back at Jack.
"I was concerned for Isari admittedly. She chose a bloody path while with us. Most people who walk that road, especially without knowing it most of their life, can lose parts of themselves along the way. You can lose a piece of yourself in times like that."
The man pat his chest as a sign of this before continuing.
"Sometimes you're lucky and it's not by a lot…but it's still goes missing. More bloody the path is, the worst off it can be. Cost that comes with taking a life, good support can help and maybe save a bit of yourself in the process of course. That being said, some throw away their humanity when the time comes, easier that way. Isari though…has managed to maintain most of her heart and her compassion."
Kaim spun another fruit on the tip of his finger cutting it with his Haki as he continued.
"I don't see the 'switch' from her that comes when you realize you're taking a life. Zilia said she was strong and she proved it five times over, not that I doubted her of course. Still…I've never seen Kara and Zilia get along as well as they did…when Isari first took a life. She had good teachers, and we stayed with her during that time."
Kaim closed his eyes at the memory.
"So she's doing good. Thanks to her power it's not something she has to do often but in our line of work talking it out isn't always an option ya know."
Kaim opened his eyes and grinned as he caught the fruit and looked back at Jack.
"My family is pretty amazing, day doesn't go by I'm not thankful I tried to punch Nikos in the face before."
Jack grinned and chuckled. Hearing about the Prophets made the time go by quick, and it was warming to hear. Different experiences and yet Jack knew of a few stories he could relay that mirrored Kaim's own. When it came to Isari, he couldn't stop himself from glancing at Cedric's portrait. That pain, he knew so well, on all fronts that Kaim mentioned.
"Sometimes, I think we bond over those pieces we lost more than… well, other things," Jack mused as he went to check on the cooking pig. Surprising himself, his thoughts went to Luro at that statement, and their occasional late night talks.
Soon enough, their impromptu lunch was complete. Enough to feed… one or three ships, Jack thought with satisfaction. "Right. Let's get all this up to people. I'm sure they're just lining up by now. You can help serve."
Jack's half-smirk went wide as he clapped Kaim on the shoulder. "We can eat afterwards. Guess you'll just have to wait."
Kaim offered a small nod at Jack's words, he chose to 'ignore' the look towards the portrait focusing his attention elsewhere, some comments didn't need to be said.
"Agreed…though I hope in the future it's more about what we've gained."
Stretching his arms above his head now that their work was done Kaim offered a grin.
"Sure! Any excuse not to eat Nikos tasteless food. It's basically navy rations. Things can taste good and be good for you ya know," Kaim said going to grab the food. "Lead the way."
Luro spent most of his time back on the ship giving it a once over, moving below the deck and checking the damage; thankfully it seemed she was no worse for wear. Those who guarded the ship kept her from getting hit to hard, which he belived they would do, but at this point it was habit to check, especially considering the few times they ended up stranded. There would be no hidden problems from what he could see, though he did notice crystals lodged into the sides of the ship. He decided to ask Isari about what happened later.
Zilia walked around treating those who desperately needed help, the people who were either carried or drug back onto the ships. Thanks to the other doctors they were able to stabilize most of the pirates.
While she knew a select group of people who needed to be looked at, she knew while they were still in danger and within eyesight of the navy treating them wasn't an option. Her gaze raised to Seliria and Caleb, the latter holding his arms out as Robin approached.
Seliria put a hand over her face and hung her shoulders at the approach, and while Caleb's action could be seen as a 'welcome back' it was in fact more an acceptance that escape wasn't an option, a reality both Nova's knew, he was just open about it.
Either way neither ran away from Robin, which showed they were at least glad their captain's had returned.
----
After slipping away from Robin, Caleb approached Risa, the inventor remained quiet only staring at her as she spoke to him. His face as usual a blank slate, though he shifted a bit as he stood, the only sign of discomfort he really showed as Risa talked. When she finished he took a small step closer and sat down next to her, folding his hands together he kept his attention forward.
"I will refrain from one of my earlier comments to avoid an 'I told you so' moment," Caleb started. "That being said, 'the path of an inventor is a harsh and dangerous one' does fit very well."
Caleb gave a small nod at this, the man was not terribly emotional and dealing with it wasn't his forte, empathy was difficult for him...but not in this moment.
"Let me clear a few things up. Firstly my feelings towards you have not changed in the slightest. You are still my precious apprentice...and secondly Risa. That blood is not on your hands."
Caleb looked at her wanting to make that point very clear.
"I informed you in the past, inventions are innocent, people are not. We are inventors, we choose what we invent but not how it is used...you did not figure out that energy. If there is anyone to blame it is us, the Nova's. Do not put that burden on your shoulders. That energy while a benefit had the potential to be used wrongly, yet we pursued it anyway hoping to use it for good."
Caleb focused his attention forward again.
"…to be specific I am to blame. I am a Worst Generation Pirate, anyone I'm associated with, no matter the circumstances is in danger in some fashion. In the end I should have been more careful, I should have checked on you more. Should have prepared you better for this. I asked Luro to make his gloves for you in case this happened...I dislike that I did not think of such a thing earlier. You are not at fault Risa, our knowledge put you in such a position, they couldn't get to us so they went for you. So once again, you are not to blame. You did all you could to stop it and that's more than most would do I assure you. Do not allow the selfish actions of others to guide an opinion of yourself."
Caleb looked back at Risa.
"The most important thing is you are alive. Blueprints can be rewritten, projects restarted and shops rebuilt...but there is only one you Risa and there is no replacing that. When I lost everything in the Alley, my own shop included I found myself crestfallen, getting involved with the wrong people will do that...but thanks to that I found the Nova's."
Caleb reached over and ruffled Risa's hair.
"Inventors learn from their past experiences, we work to build a better future. I have notes on most of your works so rewriting them will not be a problem," he said pulling his hand away. "You also personally know a particular shipwright who would be more than happy to help rebuild a shop, an even better one for his mistress, and it goes without saying I will help as well."
With a small nod he kept his gaze on her, his eyebrows drooping slightly.
"...that is if you still desire to be anywhere near me. I cannot promise you won't run into more trouble being my apprentice. The world will not be any kinder, and there will always be people seeking power in some form… I cannot count on my hands how many have put a dagger to my throat, or a gun to my head for my knowledge. With that all said I will respect you decision. I can even help find one that is less…risky."
------
Zilia eyed the distant shore, with Zilia noticing Luro set a bottle of rum near Oz.
The redhead said nothing, provided no context just left a drink as he passed her and adjusted his bandages as he rejoined everyone.
There were no words to resolve what had happened, or to make it better, and she knew he didn't know the words, but Alcinoe was a friend and her loss would be felt by everyone. That was the most he could offer, as rage and sadness were feelings he couldn't provide
There was barely time to settle as another attack came from the shore, Nani and Runali leaped into the fray and Zilia eyed Luro who nodded and ran to help with the ship, she kept her eyes forward prepared to help defend the ships as well if it came to it.
Thankfully it was unnecessary, Zilia wasn't sure what to describe the display, watching a mini iceberg be destroyed before a tidal wave approached the ship, she immediately went to move knowing if she went overboard that was the end of it all while disliking how more trouble had potentially found them.
The moment passed and Zilia turned to count the heads on the ship only to see Luro staring up at the sky, she blinked watching the man take a few steps to the right before holding his arms out.
Just as she questioned what he was doing she watched him catch Runali as she fell.
Many comments filled her thoughts but watching the smile on his face and the grin on Runali's, she just closed her mouth and let out a small sigh.
"Anytime Captain," Luro said to Runali. "Pretty sure that's something I gotta do anyway is be there to catch you."
"Well at least she's back on the ship," Zilia mumbled. "Also the context of what you're thinking is wrong Luro. Not literally catch."
The doctor's eyes narrowed at Runali at her comment glad she retracted it, she wasn't completely wrong at the possible result but that was a matter for another time.
Luro eyed the gloves before a laugh escaped from him, he leaned a bit closer to look at what had occurred a wide grin adorning the man's features.
"Hahaha that's great Captain. I'll have to adjust the output a bit more, at least I know their limitations better now."
While a solemn victory in some aspects it was still a victory and was celebrated as such, some of the Prophets raised their fists and cheered, Aira already downing the nearest rum bottle in celebration of their victory.
Nikos watched the scene in silence with Tari by his side, his eyes resting on Runali and the pirate lord, Tari glanced over seeing the smallest smile on his face, but it faded as quickly as it came and turning he returned to his own crew, Tari staring a bit longer before following after.
Rasa raised a glass of wine and his people danced on their ship, Lily sat on the edge of the shining ship, choosing not to join in the dance but clapped along with the musician that had begun playing, a myriad of stringed instruments filling the air.
Mia was on her ship spinning with her own crew and clapping her hands as they sang a shanty of the events that had just transpired.
Relias remained his normal solemn self but he had at least moved away from everyone to avoid ruining the fun, he had set on helping Mari with those still injured; the woman herself raised a fist in response to the others before returning to her work. While happy about the event her presence would only serve as a reminder, thus she kept her distance as well.
Maka and Yuli were counting their pilfered goods already contemplating their future plans but joined enough in the celebrations to show it wasn't a top priority.
Zilia watched everyone else keep to their own devices for the most part, but many joined in the celebration that they had been victorious. An impossible task, once again made possible through Stardusk and those who stood by them.
"Somehow yes...we did win," Zilia said sighing a little when Runali rejoined them. "I really feel we cut it too close sometimes, next time can we-"
Zilia cut herself off seeing Runali's excitement, it was hard to say anything seeing her filled with so much energy. She decided to save it for another moment only to flinch when it was directed at her.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Captain," she said averting her eyes. "I did nothing special."
"I think so too Captain," Luro said grinning and raising his hand. "Alicia does a lot of fancy stuff, she's gotta be something. I'm going with dragon goddess giant."
"That was more than 'fancy stuff' Luro," Zilia added crossing her arms. "Also explain what a dragon goddess giant is exactly?"
"Okay well you know how Alicia get's all big with no clothes, that's the giant part and-"
Within moments things had essentially returned to normal, while Zilia eventually ended up distracted as Isari came to check on them Luro eyes went back to Runali, catching her words.
Moving his hands into his sleeves he offered a smile.
"Course we did Captain. We're Stardusk after all."
I check in pretty much all times of the day, either from my phone or from my home computer. So it's likely I'll see messages shortly after I've received them.
Alicia wore a slight red hue on her cheeks as Ru suddenly and excitedly complimented her, hands raised defensively as she shook her head. "I'm not a dragon! or a god! I just... " she was cut off by Zilia and Luro, her expression only becoming more desperate as a result. "I-That's not... I'm not naked, it's armour Luro!... well sort of, it's hard to explain." she sighed, knowing this was all hopeless in the end as more often than not her protests were taken as some kind of evidence to the contrary. Her expression showed her resignation, changing to a small smile after a moment when the subject changed onto the performances of others and their own individual feats.
She gave a single nod as Luro mentioned them being Stardusk as the reason for their victory, turning her gaze back to Ru. "Well, firstly I have this for you." she raised her hand up and gave Ru a flick directly to the forehead. "That's for almost getting yourself killed and for leaving me the stress of commanding a fleet in your absence. Secondly." Alicia stepped and took Ru into a full and warm embrace, wrapping her arms around the captain snugly. It was exceptionally rare for Alicia to instigate a physical display of affection, it was almost always forced upon her and in some cases with a bet to see how long it'd take for her to get mad. "This is for coming back safely." she finished before releasing her and stepping back.
Once the pirate fleet departed they would be joined by the Feian fleet which flanked them on all sides, metal armoured hulls able to withstand far more punishment than those made of wood. The two capital ships remained at the middle close to Lady Luck, their close proximity allowing those who were interested a closer look at just how massive the monolithic ships were. Hell even the guns were almost as long as the Stardusk ship itself which spoke much of the resources and craftsmanship that must have gone into constructing such vessels, let alone the entire fourth and fith fleet.
Alicia had been glancing up towards the Feian pennant flying at the apex atop the superstructure when she stepped back and allowed herself to sit on a crate, her body still in the process of recovering from all the energy used during the three days. She'd just closed her eyes to enjoy some silence when...
"YOU IDIOT!"
Alicia jumped as Satia landed on the Lady Luck and strode towards her, having jumped from the nearby Feian capital ship. "Going to war with the world goverment and you didn't think it was a good idea to ask for help?!" Satia balled her fists as she approached, brow furrowed with the back of her long officers coat fluttering behind her.
"Satia? they sent you here?" Alicia's eyesbrows raised as she stood up and faced towards the temper of her younger sister.
"No thanks to you! what were you thinking!" Satia stopped a few feet away, heat almost radiating from an unseen aura.
"I was thinking you might have started with a 'Hello'... " Alicia replied as she returned a flat expression with a tone in her voice to match it.
"Don't give me that! you could have sent word... warned me, requested support!"
"Right, because I have a habbit of asking an entire nation to fight for me... "
"You could have asked ME! I would have come alone if I had to, or did you forget you have sisters?"
"I wouldn't ever put you in harms way!"
"You're an idiot!"
"Call me an idiot one more time and you're going swimming!"
"Threaten me again and I'll.... "
"You'll what?"
"I'll show your friends baby pictures."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
By the end of the exchange both sisters had their foreheads pressed together, expressions of frustration and anger evident as they argued. After several more minutes of petty arguements both of them relented and were silent for a few minutes. "... I'm glad you're ok." Satia spoke in a slightly annoyed tone. "And I'm happy to see you... " Alicia replied, neither looking directly at the other with folded arms. In that moment they really were like normal sisters after an arguement. Another moment of silence before they gave each other a genuine hug, both allowing a small smile to appear. "Wait... where is Hanako?" Alicia asked as they broke and stepped back from eachother. "She's fine, she's watching things at home in my stead, she misses you and sends her love."
Alicia smiled and nodded. "That's good to hear, I haven't written home in a while so she must be worried." Satia nodded. "So... you can summon the moon now, that's.... new?" Alicia gave a small chuckle. "Not quite, let's get some tea... I'll tell you all about it."
In the blanket of celebration, there were a few who chose to step aside and watch it from a distance.
Risa, after gathering herself, more relieved that Caleb didn't hate her, decided to hesitantly venture out. That wasn't without leaving Caleb with a promise and a declaration. She was an inventor through and through and it was far too late for her to change her career path (so she said). So long as Caleb would have her, she would continue to be his apprentice until she learned all she could. However, it did come at the cost of her home. Brass Cape would always be there but… "I-If it's alright with you… and your captains! Do you think I could, uh, stay with Novas? J-Just for a little while, until this blows over! I don't want to intrude but I-I don't know if the Navy thinks I'm dead and I'm uh, not… much of a fighter. If I go back now it might just be more trouble." The moment she asked, her nerves got the best of her. "I-If not, that's okay too. Like you said, I could ask Luro for help too. Maybe build in a different location or something-" Risa continued to nervously ramble until Caleb stopped her.
----
"You're the captain now, y'know?" Nani drifted in between ships, celebrating and chatting, but mostly checking in. Her last stop was the main Cutthroat ship, where most of the crew had celebrated on their own, just a little quieter, just a little more solemn. The Pirate Lord was at the helm of the ship, standing next to Saffron who was repetitively tapping a pen against the edge of the ship. "She knew you were capable."
"But what if I'm not? Al did this for years. All of her connections, all of her allies, our home-"
"Will all still be there." Nani spoke casually. "You were at her side for each meeting, each battle, time and time again. They all know you just as well as they knew Al. They respect you just as much too." Nani glanced behind her. "These girls need you as much as you need them." The two shared a sentimental conversation and later, surrounded by all of the Cutthroats, and with the attention of the Worst Generation, Nani made the announcement.
"It's with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a dear friend, but it's with a lighter spirit, to introduce the new captain of the Cutthroat Pirates. With the late captain Alcinoe Basco's blessing, I salute Saffron Lagarde as Captain Lagarde of the Cutthroat Pirates. There was an uproarious cheer celebrating the life of their late captain and the beginnings of the new. It was then that the rage died down from Oz's eyes. The rum bottle Luro left was still in her hands, but now she actually drank it - both in celebration and in mourning.
"And as for first mate, Ozera will be fulfilling that role."
Oz promptly did a spit take.
------
If it wasn't the doctor reprimanding the Stardusk captain, of course it'd be her first mate. "Hah, but Alicia! Who better to do it than you? Frankly, you're probably more capable than I am." Runali teased, only to glance up at the sound of someone yelling at them. She could only blink as Satia and Alicia bumped heads- far from the usual 'poise and grace' they tried so hard to keep up with. "Sisterhood, cute." Before the two could leave, Runali sidled up next to Alicia with a usual grin. "It's always nice to see the younger of the Tashigi dragon princesses." A conversation of gratitude and relief followed, with Runali adding, "I know this probably puts you guys in the hot seat with the Navy, so if you ever need our help we'll be there. But, that's a given. I wouldn't say no to helping Alicia's home unless she herself told me not to. Or unless you're the ones trying to kill us. Can't help you in that case. By the way, cool army. Haha, you've grown up into quite the force to be reckoned with." Further 'business' related chatter was left to Alicia as the 'suddenly tired' captain slipped off when they went to grab their tea.
Even though she would've much rather stayed in one spot, maybe even collapse and sleep, Runali had a few last minute tasks to fulfill as well. Of course, that was after she so kindly waited for Zilia to bandage her up (as she promptly refused to let any of the other doctors do it). The remains of her gloves were given to Luro and replaced with fresh bandages from the dual fire and ice burns from her last bouts with them. Her haki protected her from most of the damage, but she wasn't invincible. "Thanks doc!" It was also met with her pointing out to Luro how they matched now.
Her first task was checking in on the Worst Gen captains. The Court seemed content and happy to mind their own corner, so she wasn't expecting to be bombarded into a hug by the twins in thanks. "Don't mention it… Was bound to wage a war and ruin a naval base sometime, right?"
And then the Novas. Alton was being bandaged by a doctor, with Robin draped against him comfortably. Runali stayed until Robin's laser focus switched into excitement about weddings. Before she escaped, she could practically see the amusement on Alton's face. The Cutthroats had her time too before she branched outward.
The Reds were mostly resting, giving Runali ample opportunity to perch on a barrel near the captain and smirk. "Too prideful to give me a thanks, huh?" She snickered when Will rolled his eyes.
"Yeah… thanks. For saving Rin." Despite his grumbling, there was genuinity behind his voice. That was until he saw Runali smiling. "Alright, cyclops. Leave." And then even injured, the two were at each other's throats… in the most harmless way possible at least. It ended with captains getting berated for reopening wounds and wasting bandages.
As Runali carried on with her trek, she… genuinely forgot who Rasa was and played it off until she could find a Stardusk who did- or rather, Mia who was closest. And then promptly used Mia to fill her in on the names of those she didn't remember so she didn't have to ask directly while sharing a drink between family. She flitted between each group, each ally and friend, and all those she considered family, taking the time to personally thank each of them for their help and letting them know that the Stardusk would be there when they were needed.
Runali purposefully left the Prophets for last, hopping onto their ship as if she got a personal invitation. In all of her purposefully obnoxious 'thank yous' and 'aw Nikos you really do care' there was still a genuinity and appreciation to it. And to 'be nice', as a peace offering, she called Coral over to be "babied by Nikos".
But at the end of it all, after days of planning, hours of fighting and escaping, exhaustion finally hit the Stardusk Captain and her crew would find her asleep in a quieter corner of the ship. She would've gone to her own cabin, but with the army of people surrounding them and the 'leadership' title she was given, there was still a subtle paranoia of needing to be ready for anything.
The story of the StarDusk pirates has been a tale told for years, centuries even. The world has witnessed them go from a band of misfits to a powerhouse of a pirate crew despite their size. Tales and rumors of their highs and lows have spread far and wide and their very name strikes fear in many and admiration in others.
And with stories spreading faster than the news itself, there's certainly no surprise by it.
A familiar news bird came into Lady Luck's view. One to do things the complicated way, Runali stood on the edge of the ship, haphazardly holding on to a rope in order to reach out and catch the falling newspaper before it touched the water. And where haphazard usually followed misfortune, Jack was there to pull her back before she slipped.
It didn't take long for news to travel, for rumors to spread, and for spies in their underground networks to buzz with more news. But as promised to the crew, the Stardusk were laying low for a while and taking a much needed break from it all. It was nice and peaceful. And nothing could ruin that kind of peace at all.
Well, maybe except a news headline.
Gathered around the deck, the Stardusk crew huddled around Jack who ended up with the newspaper.
"What's it say, what's it say?" Runali peered over his shoulder as he flipped through.
The first big headline read: Pirates Incited War, Belfield Destroyed
The moment the pages flipped to the wanted posters, Runali snatched it in excitement. She went through each Worst Gen, seeing their bounties rise to incredulous amounts. She grinned at seeing Saffron as the new captain of the Cutthroats and outwardly cheered to see the captain of the Lupus Noctis as a new Worst Generation, taking the Court's spot. But what she brought her to a pause was flipping to hers and her crew. Her hand clutched the papers and she practically vibrated on the spot.
Each of her crews' bounties shot up.
Mikchail Arcadius The Pathfinder → $9,000,000
Zilia Vilimar Ashen Philosopher → $9,000,000
Jack Kunal Tenebrous Bodhisttava → $9,500,000
Luro Makachi The Masquerading Fabulist → $10,000,000
Alicia Tashigi the Maiden of Misery → $11,000,000
Captain Runali Lev the Wielder of the Reaper's Eye had a bounty set at $18,000,000.
'By way of leading a violent riot and war against the World Government, the Stardusk Captain is a threat and must be subdued at all costs. Wanted: Dead or Alive but take heed to keep her alive at your own risk.' The articles and updates continued, discussing the monstrosities they were and what kind of havoc they created.
But Runali had long since flat lined in sheer excitement as the Stardusk Crew was labeled #1 of the Worst Generation.
Despite their size, the Stardusk crew had stories of immeasurable feats; a doctor that could cure any ailment, a swordswoman who could rival monsters from the underworld- or with the help of a rumored undead navigator, the Undersea. Not to mention a ghost of a chef who'd likely kill you before you could say his name and a wickedly skilled marksman that already had his own scary stories told in the dark with many more now attached to the Stardusk name. There wasn't just one name to fear, there was an entire crew.
These kinds of things, they usually happen by chance. Or by fate. Something like the will of the gods or the stars themselves align for these once in a lifetime feats. It's one thing to have a good crew, but a crew like this one… It's certainly something to be sought after.
Pirates band together for a common goal: The search for wealth, a person to lay, and/or to accomplish whatever personal troubles they have. Problem is, the life of a pirate isn't an easy one, especially not for a pirate that's got a lofty goal like becoming the best of the best. The very act of traveling the seas under a pirate flag requires skill not many have. The Stardusk crew found this out the hard way. In fact, it's something they learn with each place they land. But without the slightest hesitation, they jumped head first into it; each time ready to face danger and conquer it.
"There's something else here. Captain Sterling made a statement." One of the crew pointed out.
'I've lived many years holding the title of Pirate Lord, bestowed to me by the very government that is powerless to stop me. It's quite flattering, really. I don't plan to stop what I do, but I'd like to stir up some more trouble, cause a little bit more chaos for the Navy. I'm rescinding my title, leaving it to anyone that's capable enough to claim it. The Pirate Lord status has no owner.' In the picture, she had a coy almost knowing smile as she stood leaning on her staff, looking down at naval admirals wholly unprepared for her appearance. 'Not yet at least.'
The very declaration that the title was free to grab would cause an uproar in the pirate world. It would create new challenges and new obstacles. Now that Nani Sterling, still a pirate wreaking havoc, wasn't the one and only obstacle, rising to the ranks to earn the title had never been clearer for the Stardusk Crew.
"It's… It's right there." Runali's voice was an incredulous whisper, almost a warning before the dam burst. "She gave up the title and it's right there!" This was as close as they'd ever been to achieving the title and with the new #1 title, it was practically in their hands. The excitement of it all couldn't be contained in Runali, and like a ticking time bomb she practically exploded. Runali practically shook her crewmates as a waterfall of words poured out ranging from the fact that the goal was so close to the potential trouble they could cause in order to truly claim that title.
Dull moments never lasted long as a sudden overcast crept over the once bright sky. Runali halted, still holding onto Luro's arm from the rush, only to see dots appearing in the distance sealine behind them. Coral confirmed it just as a spyglass was tossed to Runali. Sure enough, a naval fleet had found them and once again the Stardusk were being thrown into action. With the adrenaline still running through her veins, she pulled Luro down to her level, and stole a kiss before laughing, "Knock 'em dead!" She turned to Zil as she ran to her own station. "Make sure he doesn't do that literally! Alicia, Jack, Kadi, wind in the sails we're getting out of here!" At the mention of a retreat and to the confused faces that expected her to look for trouble, she placed a hand over her heart and smirked.
"I gave a captain's promise of vacation time on land. We've got plenty of time to grab the title." A cannon sailed past them, missing the ship. "Besides, the chase is fun!"
------
It all started with a compass. But it became so much more than that.
It became about a crew realizing there was so much more than chasing fairytales. A crew that became a family set new goals and had new dreams when they realized the sky was the limit. Nothing was impossible when they faced it head on and when they faced it together.
Through rain and sunshine.
Through life and death.
The Stardusk would face every obstacle and every challenge until they were on top.
And sure, maybe they hadn't gotten to the Pirate Lord title just yet, but they knew the fun lied in the journey there. Besides, even after they grabbed onto it, there'd still be more adventures ahead of them.
After all, this is the Age of Pirates.
Eight Whole Years. Eight years of piracy. Eight years of creating together. And oh boy that's kind of insane isn't it? Haha, I know we've talked about it plenty but I still can't believe this has lasted for as long as it did. So, to that I raise a glass and say thank you.
Thank you to Winter, who was one of the firsts and who pushed me to bring it back from the short death it had. We wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for you. I can't wait for the encyclopedia to come about Yula Fei lol.
Thank you to Mizos, who by DJ himself is a dictionary of all things PA. Without you I would have forgotten… so much information. But also thank you for bringing all of the wild characters into the world as well. I still don't know how you did it but you're good at it. As chaotic as you are.
Thank you to Silent, even as a newer addition you fit in perfectly like a puzzle piece. Thanks for bringing in all the new life and new energy - alongside all of the character dynamic talks. Love those.
And thanks to everyone who came and added something special to the world. Even though you left, you were never forgotten - in fact you were just as much of an influence as those who stayed.
And… to those that might be reading this RP… bro why?? But also thanks for the investment?? And interest??? I dunno man, I'm rambling now. And I know this is like a dramatic end card but there's probably going to be a handful of posts after this because that's an epilogue for you.
It's been a wild ride and an honor being the GM for this RP and it's going to be interesting now that it's gone. Who knows what's in store for the future. I sure don't!
I check in pretty much all times of the day, either from my phone or from my home computer. So it's likely I'll see messages shortly after I've received them.
~"And so it came to be, that each of us would discover who we really are. Through every fight, every loss and every victory, we trancended what it meant to be a pirate... and became so much more than that."~
Cerulean waves gently stroked againt pale land, pausing short of her feet as she cast her gaze out towards the horizon, the expanse of blue reflecting back upon silver eyes while a gentle breeze breathed to lift white strands of hair up with each passing. There Alicia sat upon a large rock, a book opened in her lap with a quill held between dainty fingers with it's tip poised ready above blank pages. She exhaled contentedly, closing her eyes breifly to welcome in the reprieve offered by a blanketing dark which receeded quickly once her gaze fell towards her lap. Her hand began to move, ink disturbing the white canvas as shapes begat letters to form sentences long overdue.
Dear...
I know not where to begin, but please accept my sincerest apology that I haven't written to you sooner. Throughout these years I've seen such amazing things, experienced wonder unlike that which I could even begin to describe. This world is so much more than I expected, filled with such brilliance and magnificence. I've met so many people along the way, people who I came to call friend and even... family. I never expected that I would find such warmth within others, to meet those I can trust who know me so well and stain my soul with such a feeling of elation. I hope to introduce you to them someday, but for now I would explain them each just a little... till I meet you again in person.
It started when I met a girl named Runali, a pirate and my captain if you can believe it. She's fearless and indeed quite reckless at times, but she has a way about her... a light that never fails to inspire confidence who will always be there when you need them most. She has a good heart even if she does like to pretend that her interests are only in profit, piracy and her friends. I've seen her save lives, fight for those who can't fight for themselves. While I don't want for more sisters, I consider her to be among those I have. We've fought together, laughed and cried... I can say she's my best friend and... I don't think that'll ever change.
Luro is our shipwright. I've never in my life met a man so infuriating and vexing and at first I found his company difficult to keep. He's rude, tactless, foolhardy and maybe even a little insane... but over these years I've seen there is more to him than presents at the surface. He has a huge heart concealed beyond a veil and while I still don't feel like I fully understand him... I do know there is good in him even if he himself struggles to see it for himself. It is my hope that one day he will see himself for the person he has become and cease his atonement for the person he once was. Especially since he's getting married.
Jack is the cook in our group. He's a troubled man with what I know is a deep and difficult past distorted in false truths painstakingly revealed. His food is incredible and would you believe he even speaks Feian! I had no idea until a year ago and he actually speaks it very well. What else can I say other than he's one that will do anything for a good friend, go to any lengths to protect that which he values most in this world. He stands by his own convictions and even in the darkest of hours never flinched from being right there beside us all. We didn't speak much at first, but since losing his younger brother we've began talking more. I hope to learn a little more about him as time moves on.
Then there's Zilia, our doctor. Possibly the most terrifying member of our little group, not just because she is strong but more so because she has a... way about her, a kind of look you'll recieve when you've gone and gotten yourself hurt for a silly reason. Despite that she is steadfast to help those who need it and she's saved my life more times than I can really remember now. She was quiet at first and didn't speak much... or at all for that matter. But I'll tell you all about that when I see you again. She's come out of herself more and more over the years and now I can't imagine all of their faces without counting hers among them.
We also have Kadi or Arcadius, he steers our ship The Lady Luck. I could tell you all about him but honestly I'm not really sure you would believe me... I can still hardly believe what happened when... nevermind. Like I said it would probably be better if I tried to explain it in person. We found him adrift on a dead ship, barely alive. I almost froze to death getting him back to our ship but it was worth it. He barely knew me but helped me anyway when Yula Fei got invaded. I've never known that level of kindness, to offer help in the face of such odds knowing the chance of survival was slim at best. Maybe that's what it means to have true courage.
I should probably tell you about Hanako too. She's not part of our crew but... well, me and Satia went and adopted her into the family. She's bright and wonderful, she tries a little too hard to be like me but I think that'll pass as she gets a bit older. She's grown up so much already and it's all I can do not to blink lest I see a more mature woman standing in her place. It's been wonderful seeing her become her own person and well... I can't even remember what life was like before we welcomed her into the family. I love her with all my heart and I know that one day she'll make us all proud.
There are some others I met along the way, but I fear I'll start to run out of space before long dare I attempt to mention them all within one letter. For now, I hope this is enough to set your mind at ease. Know that I'm surrounded by genuine souls, a family I wouldn't trade for the world... in this life or the next. I'm eating well, Jack makes sure of that and Zilia along with the others make sure I'm safe. I couldn't be in better hands, of that I'm certain. Anyway, this is starting to get a little long so I'll leave it here for now. I love you and I think about you often.
Missing you always.
Your daughter, Amaiya.
Alicia brought the book from her lap close towards her face, blowing gently upon the page before closing it as she stood up and turned to face back towards where she'd likely find everyone else. Seeing them in the distance she gave a small smile, tucking the book beneath her arm before making her way towards them. As she walked she thought back on all those she'd met along the way, those who were still here and those they had lost. She closed her eyes breifly, opening them to see their faces walking beside her on this final journey in this final chapter. She dared not to question why or how, simply content with the thought that her imagination was kind to bring her comfort here within her reminiscence upon the past that'd lead her to this moment with the wind at her back and the sand beneath her feet.
Anduin smiled warmly to her, bowing his head before walking directly beside her despite that the only prints left within the sand were her own. Her father smiled proudly from beyond incorporeal glasses, Cedric grinned and Dani waved from his side. She could see Ray, Jemma, Nolan and even Sara with her cocky smirk. Seliria allowing that smallest twitch of an expression, Mari smiling brightly while Tari glared. Everyone from her past walked with her, because it was each of them that helped shape the person she'd grown to become. Because of them, she'd grown. But her story wasn't yet over, she was still reaching for that horizon and it was yet to be seen what would become of her when she'd reach the other side of it.
As she closed towards the crew they all stopped as she got within a certain distance, prompting Alicia to pause her step and utter a simple 'Thank you' before she looked back towards the ocean to see their forms and faces gone with but a single exhale from the gentle breeze. Alicia smiled to herself, turning to continue making the rest of the way back to the others alone. But she was never alone, she had a family after all... one she'd treasure for the remainder of her years, no matter what they face, no matter the distance apart. She would forever be, Stardusk.
Stars winked from the inky blackness above, and the seas mirrored the emptiness of the universe back. Sleepiness pervaded Lady Luck save for those keeping watch; the full strength of the crew was a mystery even with the visible figures swathed golden light. The air rippled and flowed - twin dragons chasing each other's tails - expanding enough for two cloaked men to pass through. The first dropped his hood immediately. Jack was all smiles as cheery calm lit his golden eyes. Before them was the "secret" backdoor to Runali's cabin. He couldn't help gloating about revealing an unexpected weakness in a near perfect defence.
The man beside him kept his hood firmly pulled up. His posture was hesitant despite his brother's reassurances. Purple eyes gazed from the shadows as his arms held firmly to the orange cat cradled in them. "Are you sure this is a surprise? You're capitaines spymaster so you keeping secrets from her sounds … odd."
Scepticism dogged Jack's figure that was rapidly disappearing towards the door. Jack told him they'd sneak onboard to test the watchmen before surprising the Pirate Lord. It sounded good save one detail - how did his brother explain his (Jack's) disappearance for a good part of the year? Didn't Jack realise that eight months was too long a break for a man of his post? Angry bees hummed in his head causing a dull headache.
Oh well … It wasn't like he planned to keep his return a secret. He was — afraid, he guessed, of being turned away. Would she even want him back? It had been almost five years. Enough time for them to be overwhelmed with new faces and a host of talents. He was a tailor who …. well, he hadn't told Jack, had he?
Sighing, the still hooded man stumbled in the dark. His catching feet not loud enough to call attention to his struggles. The dark - a once friend - posed challenges to him. Everything was monochromatic, rendering him almost blind. He sighed when he finally broke free of the tyranny of the shadows and into the white-ish gold moonlight. Here the world was a mesh of blacks, greens, blues and gold. The floorboards an indescribable shade of grey despite him knowing the wood would appear different to others. He knew the colour only in his memory; the scent confirming the type of wood it was. Here he stood, hands pressed against the railing, looking beyond the stern. Realising more than ever how much he missed seeing a rich and colourful world.
At least, what he created from memory wasn't tainted by his visual impairment. That he confirmed with his Mas and Laz. Smiling, he cupped his hands and blew into them. A small hummingbird blinked back at him. It flit into the air, winking away — appearing almost instantly on Ru's shoulder. Cedric smiled.
Hopefully, she still remembers him.
Sleep didn't take Runali just yet, mostly because she could count the minutes until she'd take over. Usually, she just used that time to clean up her cabin or go through the responsibilities that came with the title as Pirate Lord. That evening was no different as she sat at her desk flipping through papers her first mate had given to her earlier that day. Some were threats, others were alliances and trades, the boring ones like Navy commands were set aside for Coral to burn through later. It had become a lot easier to feed a bird that could just melt it down at the slightest touch. It was like stoking a fire rather than feeding a bird at this point. The thought made her look over to see Coral asleep in a makeshift nest on a small platform overhead, but a light flickered in her peripheral vision and turned her focus.
"What are you?" Runali brushed whatever it was off her shoulder, only to squint as she recognized the bird-like shape. It didn't look dangerous but neither did a lot of creatures before they decided to attack. It also felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't figure it out.
It was late, so with a less impulsive mind, she pulled the knife embedded into her desk corner out and pointed it at the hummingbird. "Is this the part where you lure me out of my room?" She sighed and slipped the knife into her boot. "It's my turn for the watch anyway." With another shoo-ing motion, she quietly stepped out of her cabin, careful not to wake those that were asleep.
She liked to think that she had gotten her crew and their patterns on the ship memorized pretty well. Runali was sure, partially blind or not, she could recognize them at any distance too. So when she made it to the ship's deck and saw the lone hooded figure onboard, Runali was sure it wasn't any of her crew. They had gotten random visitors all the time at this point, with the Prophets and Adelaide being the main culprits- but this was none of them.
"Is there a reason you're stowing away on my ship? If you're looking for trouble, do you mind waiting until after breakfast?"
"Capitaine?" Cedric began.
Chester jumped down from his arms and ran towards Ru. Shrouded purple eyes stared unblinkingly into Runali's. Twinkling on his ears were the two aetherium earrings Jack had been wearing; around his neck, just above the clasp of the cloak, the necklace bearing Chester's stone. Sid kept his hands in view to show he meant no harm — in case.
"Do you remember me still?" he asked softly. A small part of his mind prepared to teleport away if she decided to attack instead. For now, he sensed it was safe to talk. "We said goodbye in Bonifaas about five years ago. We were a year apart in age then. Now, it feels like six."
Cedric had a hard time believing that everyone aged while he was gone. Jack was now thirteen years older than him. Swallowing back his smile, the no longer deceased summoner continued studying Runali as she stood in front him. She looked odd with the blue-ish tint splashed all over her face. Her outfit, similar to the one he sewed for her years ago, appeared a blackish grey. He couldn't help wondering if she changed the colour palette.
Her curiosity was piqued when she realized Chester was around. He wasn't usually the most friendly, especially to strangers. She reached down to pet the fluffy cat and was left frozen just above his head when she heard the voice that came out. She would have quickly chalked it up as a mistake had the voice not continued. It was an old familiarity, one she didn't expect to hear ever, if not a long long time from now. At first, her eyes stayed on Chester, finally breaking from her frozen posture to pet him. She could feel the fur under her fingers, hear the gentle waves hitting the sides of the ship, and nothing from her cabin to the walk there was out of place. She squinted at Chester, internally checking off everything that would denounce this as some dream.
Finally, she dared to look up, almost afraid of what she'd see. Runali half expected to see Jones again, doing something akin to a joke in poor taste but when she saw Cedric -the Cedric she remembered years ago- she inhaled a little sharply. The ghost sight from then had long since faded, but it felt like it had returned the moment she realized it was Cedric standing in front of her. For what felt like ages, she stood there staring at Cedric, almost expecting him to vanish the moment she looked away.
"...Cedric?" Her voice barely broke a whisper as she willed herself forward to get closer to him. She ignored his question, eyeing him over in shock. "You… died. I saw you die." Even with him standing in front of her, it was hard to discern if this was a trick or not.
Reaction to his return fell into one of three categories - tears, shock or denial. Ma Zhi cried instantly while Ma Lily stood on the other end of the spectrum. She denied his existence for a good part of an hour before crying. Both of them suffocated him as if they were afraid he'd disappear again. Then, there were his sisters, Erin and Cassidy. The former wailing as she stampeded towards him with a fully pregnant belly and the latter screaming so shrilly he thought his eardrums burst. He tolerated all the attention in turn because of Jack. Jack who stood there with a wistful expression, Jack who risked everything to get him home — his fére. One of his two brothers.
Cedric's face warbled with guilt. Surprising the crew no longer seemed like a joke - especially not after seeing Runali's expression. She looked confused, hurt and … guarded. If this was their capitaine, how would the rest react? Madame Doctor? Alicia? He didn't want to subject the two of his dearest friends to this. Then, there was smiling Luro - Jack's brother. And, his. And, finally, Kadi, his erstwhile muse. He found it harder to imagine how those two would react solely because only two other men knew of his return, Julius and Lazarus. Neither Kadi nor Luro fell into the same category personality wise. Stars, he wished he could redo this moment.
He pressed his lips together. I'm real and I made a pact with the devil sounded like inappropriate responses, so he decided to go with his gut for once. "Do you remember that island with four seasons? The three spies followed you to a place where we laid an elephant to rest. How about … the first illusion I casted on you? I showed you Tueleveste before we went there. I believe I offered you some bon bons at the end so that we could exit that world."
Each memory flowed from his lips. The phrases came in starts that clipped along with her footsteps. He smiled nervously. "On the day I died, we hugged for the first time and you held my hand before I faded away. I showed you an illusion of what I imagined your coronation to be like when I presented you with that gem … do you still have it, mon capitaine (my captain)?"
He spoke and he continued to speak, each word untangling a history that she so carefully tucked away in her heart. Each memory he mentioned was vivid in her mind as she recalled them as if they were only days old rather than years. At the mention of the amulet, her quick gaze towards where her room would be through the door betrayed her unwillingness to give away the whereabouts of the gem. But… in turn, no one knew about it except the crew. She purposely kept it tucked away, more inclined to keep it than waste it on destruction she didn't need to cause.
Before she could drift too far in thought, she closed the distance to get a better look at him. There was no warning as she reached and tugged his hood down. Nor was there warning as she cupped his face to pull him closer to examine him. It was a little surprising that she was able to touch him- confirming that he was definitely standing in front of her, but what surprised her most was the heartbeat she felt when she placed a hand over his chest. And then she felt his pulse at his wrists, just to be sure.
"Cedric… I saw you die." Runali repeated, mostly to herself and still looking down at his wrist. Her brow furrowed a little. She knew how these kinds of things worked… She knew what it was like to die and come back. The shock faded into concern and she held Cedric's hand. "How long have you been here?" A little quieter she added, "What… What did it cost you?"
The physical warmth radiating from his hand dispelled nothing. Inside he remained icy cold. His heart hammered louder than ever as he was finally asked the one question Jack skirted around for the past few months. Eternity seemed far away compared to the here and now; making it easier for him to lie to himself. Not a complete lie. His heart knew exactly what it wanted the day he died. To never leave and be here with them to the very end. His smile melted away as he could never lie to Runali. Not after everything she did and suffered for him. To her, he owed loyalty second only to that he gave his brothers.
"Months. Recovering as I lost the ability to walk and move. My muscles wasted away while I continued slumbering in death. I didn't know how long had passed, but I'm glad I didn't miss too much of your life." A small lie, couldn't hurt right? He felt like he missed far too much already - Jack's wedding, the pirate festival, Runali becoming Pirate Lord, his sisters' weddings, the birth of his first nephew and much, much more. Maybe Alicia's betrothal if she had already found someone worthy. If he dwelled on all that missed time, he was sure he'd be depressed and miss even more. "Jones told me it could be days, weeks, years or centuries before I return. It was a big gamble where I'd end up and for the price I agreed to pay."
His crew fought to free him from T'Raiz. It felt like … he squirmed. He admitted to making another deal shortly after that. He was a selfish bastard, wasn't he? In many ways Adelaide was right. He never truly cared about the people he held dear. Didn't see how he hurt them, unintentionally. Maybe hurting Runali right now. He tried to remain stoic. "He took my ability to see colour. My freedom after death. I don't know what the latter means yet," he confessed. "The ability to see colour I noticed from the moment I woke. The world was all shades of blue-grey with flashes of yellow to provide some relief. Colours of our crew. Colour of Jack's eyes." He smiled bitterly as the artist in him mourned. "I think it was to remind me of the reason for my return …"
Even with Runali so close, their eyes practically an arm length apart, Cedric broke eye contact. He dreaded seeing the disappointment in her face when he admitted why he did it. "I wanted more than anything - then and even now - to return to my family. To be with you, in friendship and loyalty - I … don't know if it is too late. If you will have me or even need me anymore," he flushed as he stared fascinatedly at the floor. "My blindness will be an even bigger weakness. One a Pirate Lord can't afford."
The mention of Jones made her click her tongue, not in disappointment at Cedric, but annoyance towards the entity. Even now, he found a way to meddle in the Stardusk lives despite her best efforts to keep their meetings as minimal as possible. Though she couldn't be too upset… as much as Jones took, he still was considerate enough to give no matter the trade. He was the more fair of the monsters she had met in her life- more fair than some of the humans she met too. At least she could feel the relief that it was Jones of all creatures.
It took a moment, but Runali's shoulders sagged even more as she settled into the reality that Cedric was alive. And he had been alive for months. Her mouth opened, starting to form words to berate him about not sending word sooner so she could find him, but it closed just as quick when Cedric conveyed what he lost. And more surprisingly, asked to come back to the crew. Runali couldn't help but be taken aback. There was a tense pause before she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. It turned into a soft laughter as she rubbed her face, still repeating in her mind that he was alive. "You make a deal with Jones and come back years later and expect me not to drag you back on this ship myself? You're an even bigger fool than I thought! Cedric, not even death doesn't stop you from being a Stardusk."
She flicked his forehead. "You're not even blind, you just can't see colors. Big whoop! I haven't been able to see half of what's in front of me for a good chunk of my life now and I'm the captain of this ship! You know how long it took me to get decent at aiming a gun? Doesn't matter, Luro taught me and even now I still don't use 'em because that's what he's for." She waved her hand dismissively. "Point is! It's not a weakness just… a minor setback for you. You've got your other senses right? Use 'em. And that's the last thing you should be worrying about anyway! Cedric you're alive- you've missed ages of things! You need to be caught up!"
Purple eyes blinked several times before the message sank in. Sid's face blanked as he said in a deadened tone. "What's a Pirate Lord to do with a colour-blind tailor? I shudder to think what sort of outfits I'd be dressing you in. Please tell me if there are other areas where I can be of better use."
Then, he stopped himself. Runali wasn't Madame Du Vontiago. She didn't care whether he was blind or colour-blind. She would accept him for all that he was - his talents, his weaknesses, everything. A trait he never truly appreciated until he died. That's why he planned to remedy that with his second chance at life. Now it was his turn to prove his worth to the rest of the crew.
Jack was watching them, he noted. Sid didn't even need to stare that long before he spotted his brother's silhouette leaning against the doorframe. The faint smell of tobacco wafting their way told him that Jack had been there awhile. And, standing close to the man was another familiar silhouette. Cedric's face grew warmer. He didn't expect word to travel that quickly. Nor did he plan to greet anyone else tonight. It was like returning to Norja all over again. Non, he was home. This was his other family!
Cedric smiled and leaned forward to capture Runali in a tight hug. "Thank you, capitaine, from the bottom of my heart. I missed all of you. More than you can ever imagine."
The smell of smoke got her attention but Cedric pulling her into a hug pushed the distraction away. She reveled in the moment, remembering a tailor that was much more averse to touch, and couldn't help but laugh. "You went through the trouble of making deals with a devil," She hugged him back. "Just to get back to us. Either you missed us or being with Jones bored you into wanting to live again." Runali patted his back, only to perk up and pull away to look at him again. "What are we doing just standing here?! I'm waking up the ship! We've got more space on the ship than before too so there's a spare room here for you. Are you hungry? Jack can make something!" Before Cedric could protest, Runali had already taken his hand and began pulling him farther into the ship. "C'mon, they're going to be so excited!"
Metal on wood. Metal on wood, Cedric's mind recited. His nerves were stretched to breaking due to the noise inside Jack's private kitchen. Or, should he say the kitchen within a kitchen. They weren't completely blocked from the usual din from the chef-spies working in the main kitchen, but there was one sound in particular that made him grit his teeth. Shrill, gurgly and unrestrained. A menace to sleep, peace and cleanliness - the toddler in Jack's arms, Cedric Julian, their nephew through Erin. His face grew more sullen as he poked the remaining grey peppers in front of him. Their colour reflected his inner thundercloud. Non! Everything red turned grey annoyed him. It was as if Jack was trying to suss out something about him. He frowned. Jack had been prying more than ever after he fell down the stairs a week ago and sprained his ankle.
Brandishing his knife at the chubby face, he narrowed his eyes at his nephew. "Can you please, please, CJ, shut the fu …. a fudged up." He tensed after catching himself in time. He almost swore at a two-year-old. In front of the baby's parents and grandmothers no less. HIS SISTER, her three husbands and HIS MOTHERS. Stars, how did all of them fit into this entombed box within a box that floated in the sea. "Um, sorry," he mumbled.
Most of the reaction came from the adults. CJ simply squealed. Smiling brightly, the boy tried grabbing the knife to everyone's horror. Sid reacted quickly, unthinkingly, and gripped the blade with his other hand. Squeezed tightly and yelped; the blade lacerated his palm as it slipped to the ground. The original Cedric fell to his knees, clutching his hand bleeding grey. Staring, unable to discern, one liquid pool from the next. Blood? Bell pepper juice? He couldn't tell. Not even on his own hand. Above he could hear the child wail.
"I'm sure it's not that bad," he tried reassuring Ma Zhi. "There's some bell pepper juice mixed in there somewhere," he added with less confidence. He honestly couldn't tell how much blood he was losing now that the pain faded off and adrenaline stayed. He tried staggering to his feet but was pulled back down. "Really, it's fine!"
"I'm sure it is," Zhi Ruo, adoptive mother of Cedric and Jack, reassured in her soft dove tone as she gently pried Cedric's fingers open to look at the wound. Blood pooled at the center of his palm, but closer examination told her that it wasn't deep or serious; it looked worse than it was. She glanced at Jack as he knelt beside them, gently bouncing baby CJ. The baby whimpered, on the verge of waterworks after the sudden turn of events.
"Take the baby, Ma. I'll get Cedric cleaned up."
Zhi Ruo hid a smile and dipped her head. She took the baby, walking out and taking anyone else who was in the room with her until it was just the brothers.
Jack took Cedric's palm, careful as his mother despite having rough and calloused hands. "That was stupid," he commented casually. Standing up, and pulling Sid with him, he got his brother on a stool and went to gather basic medical supplies. "That was thoughtless, and you're usually anything but. What's going on?"
Perfumed air tickled their noses as a hopeful kitchen spirit poked his head out of Jack's private spice stash. Bony and grinning, Er'is gripped the door like a shy concubine and whispered for both to hear. "He is about to deny everything Jack-jack. Don't be fooled."
Dust flaked from billowing robes when the daemon fully emerged. He pretended to brush more from his sleeves, feeling somewhat peeved that Jack had shoved him inside when a little blonde brat cried after spying him minding his own business in the kitchens. Er'is's teeth clattered in an obvious tsk.
"And here I thought someone promised to be honest with his brother."
Cedric flinched from the bony hand landing on his shoulders. So many unpleasant memories were already breaking free in his mind - pain, humiliation and Adenin. Sid shuddered, choosing instead to lean closer to his brother despite the man's tobacco breath. Try as he might, there were still some types of touches that he avoided. And, the annoying deity knew this! Their connection was, unfortunately, much stronger than before.
"This is a private conversation, Er'is," he spoke with a long, suffering sigh. "I decide when I'd like to share what with people."
Er'is cricked his neck in Jack's direction. "You couldn't have been more subtle. That scream and crash after your midnight watch showed you're ready to take on the world. How did you explain that twisted ankle and banged up elbow to Zee-zee, hm? Surely you didn't claim to be drinking on the job."
Leaning against Jack to annoy the other brother now, Er'is appeared to be enjoying himself far too much. "Also, have you not noticed that you're never given anything later than post-dinner watches after that, Siddy? Ru-ru clearly doesn't want another trip in the dark."
Sid's face was all shades of red. He pulled his gaze away from Jack's intense stare, feeling like a kid all over again. Back then, he could never hide his misdeeds. Now he still couldn't. Not with his brother being the Pirate Lord's Spymaster. He pouted visibly. "Capitaine didn't tell you, did she?"
Madame Doctor, wait he told her too, didn't he? He had to! Somehow, even after being with Jones for years, Zilia managed to scare him into singing. It had to be those needles in view; or that too tight a grip on his lower leg. He pursed his lips quickly. Nope, he wasn't going down that path. Runali, being his brother's closest friend, was the best candidate.
Chester raspberried loudly. Sliding proudly into Jack's lap. Caring little for the privacy his summoner craved. Jackie was already poking her head out of Jack's pocket while a sleepy Chaos woke up after finding unguarded cream. The latter snuck Master Jack a look before inching closer for a lick. Carbonara or not, all cream belonged to the fur siblings.
Chester's green eyes were a shock to the system. Sid blinked furiously before leaning over to the side. Nausea rose rapidly from the overload. Chester, his eyes and fur, was like a hurricane in an otherwise gray and white world. He clapped his uninjured hand to his face as his mind swore at the familiar.
Chester simply purred, looking more satisfied than ever. He felt a little punishment was needed given how he had been ignored when the two drooling babies came onboard. It was like his masters had become possessed. Master Jack, in particular, couldn't stop carrying them and talking to them. Frankly, Chester couldn't understand the appeal even after hundreds of years. Adults were far cleaner and more stimulating to interact with.
"Master Jack, do you want me to tell you what Master Sid didn't tell you about God Jones?"
Jack looked ready to burst into flames. He seethed at Er'is, and roughly shook the bony demon off of him. His glare could've killed and was unfortunately wasted on the demon. He turned his back, rubbing the side of his head.
"You lied to me?" asked Jack, letting the hurt bleed through. He shook his head, almost in rejection to his own question.
"No, Er'is. It's not your place to reveal other people's secrets. You can butt out of our conversations. I don't need to know about Jones… rather, I don't need to be told much." Jack raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Something's wrong with your vision, isn't there? I saw how you looked at those peppers, your own blood. Or the way you flinch when you go outside, like you're not used to how the world looks around you. I'm not blind – yet," he added with a smirk. It let Cedric know he wasn't mad, though Jack sobered quickly. "I would like to know why you didn't tell me."
Familiars and daemon shifted a few meters away at the sound of Jack's tone. They hung around him long enough to recognise when he was using - what Er'is now dubbed - his "Papa voice". It was the same voice, interestingly, that Jack used with his subordinates. Now four pairs of eyes were on Sid. Each host was curious about Sid's reaction. The difference in the brothers' maturity couldn't be more stark. Jack was hitting his prime while Sid straddled the awkward transition between youth and full-fledged adulthood.
Cedric's head bowed deeper with each word. His ears burned as he felt - for once - as if he were talking to his elder rather than a not too much older brother. Was Jack truly 35? Sid pursed his lips as he tried flexing his injured hand, relishing the dulled pain. It distracted him from the mess in his head.
"O-oui," he admitted. Finally, using Trovalian again. He had been sticking mostly to Common while in Norja, because he missed speaking it. Aboard the Flying Dutchman he had been absorbed into a group of mostly Trovalian and Ceranian speaking pirates. If anything, he suspected his proficiency in Ceranian, a cognate of Trovalian, was better than ever.
He mumbled for a bit before he managed to project his voice. "I try not to talk about … it. I hate remembering how I can no longer paint or sew or do anything I love because the world is grey, blue and yellow. Imagine, Jack, not being able to tell when you're bleeding! To see Luro's hair. Ma Lily's. It …. I feel my heart break every day."
Tears trickled down his chin but Sid refused to look up. He didn't want anyone to see him in such a pathetic state. Anyone would be glad to breathe again. But him? He wondered if he was just alive rather than actually living. Without art, without the ability to see the colourful world, he felt empty. In an odd way, he was sure Jack was the only one who would understand. Jack who loved cooking as much (if not more) than life itself.
"Before I died, I was able to sew. Now I can't sew, and I struggle to help in the kitchen. I can't even walk at night without hurting myself. I'm useless."
Jack was silent for a long time. "When I lost my sight, all those years ago, I didn't think I could cook again. How would I find my way around the kitchen or know that I'd cooked a piece of steak to perfection? The first time I held an onion, I couldn't tell what type it was. I panicked, thinking that it'd take me years to learn how to cook again. Of course, cooking utilizes the other senses too. More than painting or sewing."
His brother smiled with understanding. "The question is, are you looking for comfort or solutions right now? I have both in spades and I'll tell you right now: There are ways to help yourself. When you're ready."
Lighter hair brushed against dark dreads as Cedric's chin rested on his brother's shoulder. His rattling heart calmed when he felt Jack's steady beat against his chest. Sid wanted nothing more than to remain like this. Acknowledging his renewed mortality. Allowing the weight of his decision to overwhelm him. He traded his sight and his eternity for moments with Jack. With Runali. With the crew. And, one day, they'd all leave him. He'd never seen them again even in death. All because of the deal he made with Jones.
Tears warmed Jack's shoulder again. "It's more than my sight that worries me. I - I don't want to lose you again, f-fére. I know in my heart of hearts that you won't choose to board Papilloner's ship when you die, so …" Sid took a shuddering gasp as more tears fell. "All I have is this moment with all of you. I'll be so lonely … unloved. These thoughts have tainted my dreams since I spoke to capitaine about the price I paid to be here."
Comforting arms enveloped Cedric for a time. Jack released a weighted sigh and gently pushed Sid so they could meet eye to eye. "Cedric… none of us have any control of how we will die or what awaits beyond. I don't know where I may go and if you're bound for Davy Jones, you can't say what may await you. We only have control over the life that's been given to us. You chose to make a deal and come back. Do you really want to spend your second chance grieving over things that haven't come to pass? I'm here right now, along with many other people who love you right now. Don't squander that."
Sid nodded mutely; his head sought Jack's shoulder again. They remained cleaved together. Jack rocking back and forth, bringing back pleasant memories. Cedric saw himself as a little boy being comforted after waking from night terrors, or more recently being safe in his brother's loving arms when he took his first gasp in Papilloner's Cave. He wanted to remember this moment, and all the others, forever.
Just him and Jack … Right here and now.
Two heartbeats.
It had been just two of them when his eyes opened, and the colours peeled away. He remembered brown hair turning grey, bronze tan turning to ash, but those yellow eyes burning brightly. Tears hitting his cheeks as Jack begged for him to be alive. To stay alive. The way Monet had done with Sybil hundreds of years ago. His brother's voice barely audible over the moans of the deceased swirling around them in a spectral whirlpool of ever after. Sid recalled brushing Jack's warm face with his cold hand.
"Fére," he whispered into Jack's ear then. "Thank you for the miracle. For reuniting us."
As they continued hugging in the present and those memories melted away, a new thought wormed into his consciousness. Sid wondered if his own brother made a deal with Jones. Sid knew he was only offered a second shot of life, but he wasn't allowed to choose when it happened. He pressed his lips tighter. His thin arms squeezing out what it could of Jack's breath. He was afraid for them.
"What did you offer Jones?" he asked suddenly.
"Cedric… you're making me wheeze," Jack wheezed, and tugged at his brother's arms until the grip loosened enough to stop making his ribs creak. He breathed easier. He took Cedric's shoulders firmly.
"I offered him nothing. I didn't, don't give me that look. But what we did involved a lot of bargains with powerful entities. And that was just between you and me. Who knows what life will have in store of us? I doubt we'll be blessed enough to never see Jones' face until the day we die."
Jack went quiet, staring off into space for just a moment. Like he was watching their future unfold. "Cedric… whatever comes next," he cracked a wide, excited grin, "I bet it's going to be grand."
One and a Half Year After Belfield
Lady Luck, On the Sea
Way past the midnight mark, during that part of the night that has starry skies and calm seas, Jack broke the quiet by barging into Luro's throne room and waving around a roll of papers. "Luro, I need you to build me a ship."
Jack slapped down the paper in front of the carpenter, and sat down across from him. The cook was all dark circles under the eyes and shrouded by such an intense tobacco smell, he seemed to be breathing it permanently. Jack fidgeted then scooted closer. "It's not just any ship. It's a ship with food. A food ship. No – yes. I mean I want it to be a restaurant. A restaurant ship. Just – look at the plans."
Luro looked back at Jack at the sudden entry, holding a paintbrush in his hand and a rum bottle in another, he blinked paint still on his face at Jack's request.
"Sure," he said without hesitation before covering the canvas and setting the brush to the side.
Walking over to him he glanced down at the plans before looking back at Jack, he smiled always enjoying the face of someone with ambitions, especially ones that involve building things. Zilia always had dark circles under her own eyes when she got really into something.
"Oooh I like fancy ships," Luro said before picking up the plans and looking over them. "I haven't built a restaurant ship before though, that's new."
His smile shifted into a smaller one as he looked fully over Jack's plans.
It was easy to tell when Luro was interested in building something, his lack of a grin didn't denote a lack of interest it was a subtle sign he was concentrating a little more, it was especially easy to tell by the sparkle in his eyes as well, when he looked over the design.
"Hmmm," Luro said picking up one of his pens. "Yep I can definitely do it."
He looked up at Jack and grinned at this before pointing to the papers.
"I'll have to make some adjustments to help keep it afloat, is there anything here you really want to keep, or anything else you want to add. I can easily add additional weapons to it for defense that won't hinder anything, and once I finalize the generator I could even get it to fly like Lady. What else would ya like Jack throw it at me."
Luro grinned a bit at the challenge twirling the pen in his hand.
Jack's smile matched Luro's own, his adrenaline escalating. It was a relief to hear it could be done – a small yet unyielding doubt that plagued Jack since his idea was first born during one stormy night of drinking alone. He smacked the table, excitedly, then sat down on the floor near Luro's feet. A moment later, a cigarillo was in his mouth as he considered Luro's suggestion.
"Let's see… five decks in total. The main will consist of the restaurant and kitchen and open deck. The upper will support sails, navigation and guest quarters. The lower will be my quarters, the crews', a couple open rooms and a private kitchen – that's non-negotiable. And the bottom will be mostly storage. Well, it doesn't need to fly."
Jack chuckled and scratched his chin. "The floors you can flip around, I guess, but their contents have to remain the same. I don't want to be sleeping where the guests are. And I want final approval."
More scratching. Jack stared off into space for a while. "You know this will mean I won't be sailing on the Lady Luck anymore. Right?" He looked at Luro, watching him.
Luro nodded as Jack spoke taking notes in a small notebook as he looked between Jack and the plans, tracing his pencil over a few parts.
At the private kitchen he circled something in the book before his shoulders slumped a bit hearing it didn't need to fly, with a nod he erased something before making further notes.
Luro was still writing down the possibilities when he Jack spoke to him again, for a moment the redhead's pen stopped moving, and his eyelids narrowed slightly.
The moment didn't last more than a breath before the pen started moving again, and his eyes fully opened again.
"I figured," he said simply. "Wouldn't make sense to go through all this to make you a ship and not use it."
Luro smiled a bit at this as he picked up one of the plans.
"The moment Lina woke up is the day I was forced to accept all of this is finite. It took longer still to accept it."
Luro started marking on the paper glancing over at his notes as he continued.
"We spoke before of a restaurant, and it's not like I didn't hear you and Ali might have kids. Certainly trying enough times."
Luro made a long mark before circling it and writing 'private kitchen' as he kept speaking.
"So yeah…I get it, I was prepared for a day like this."
Luro looked up at Jack and offered a small smile to him.
"I'm a little sad, but I understand," he said before looking back down. You'll leave, Z will leave, Alicia will leave and Kadi will leave. I've made peace with that."
Jack exhaled from the gut and it was ladened with past arguments. "Best not mention kids around Adelaide. It's not something she's about right now." He shrugged, taking a second drag and gazing at Luro. His smile was bittersweet. His mind aligned with Luro's: knowing change would be inevitable for them. Jack himself had plans, things to do, that would remain unaccomplished if he chained himself to one ship. Alicia had her loyalty to Yula Fei, which he believed would call her back one day. Kadi felt ready to depart at any moment. And yet…
"Will Zilia leave?" asked Jack with his cigarillo against his lips.
"Really? Hmm I was going to bring it up later but okay," Luro said scratching his head with the pen. "I hope you do they'd be adorable. Always wanted to be an uncle too, and…that's not happening anytime soon with my family."
He decided not to mention why out loud, as it would lead to misfortune down the road, Luro didn't have too much foresight, but he understood certain words would get him stabbed later, and that discussion was one of them.
At the mention of Zilia Luro looked up at Jack, a small smile resting on his lips before he focused back on the paper.
"Z will leave. She'll be hesitant but she'll go. An opportunity opened up for her…she says she's thinking about it but she offered the duty of protecting the place that not only helped her make peace with her demons but also holds her mentor's resting place. There's no way she'd say no to that."
He knew the signs when she was pretending to think about something at this point.
"She may be the last one to leave…but she'll go too."
Luro looked up at Jack and offered a grin.
"Why I gotta stay behind, the Captain won't show it but she'll get lonely without everyone around. That and the whole being a couple thing, that's the first reason, the other one is so she doesn't get too lonely."
Luro looked back down at the schematics bringing a hand to his chin.
"I'm actually surprised you guys haven't had any yet. I don't think you're trying hard enough Jack, I believe in you though…oooh maybe a hidden wall right here in the kitchen, store extra supplies or bodies."
"Luro," he said, suddenly serious, "I may start sailing on a different ship, but I'm not leaving. I'm Runali's Spymaster. My job is to protect you – all of you. And this," he gestured to the plans, "is it just an easier way for me to do it. A part of it anyways." He stroked the plans, lovingly. Having his own restaurant was always a distant dream, one that cropped up now and again through the years, when he allowed himself to yearn after a different life. He never thought that it could be a reality until now.
He shook himself and rubbed his eyes. The mania was winding down with his obsession coming to its conceptual end.
"I'll be back on Lady Luck now and again. Don't you worry. That other thing isn't your business. And," Jack yawned. He shifted into a more comfortable position leaning against Luro's throne. "That's fine. A hidden wall, yes. Probably should add more than one. Might need a brig too…"
Luro's gaze moved over to Jack hearing the switch in the man's tone, he remained silent making sure to give him his full attention. The redhead listened intently before a bright grin formed on his face as she turned ahead again.
"Haha of course Jack. You can't get rid of me that easily anyway…though I am glad to actually hear you say it though," Luro said focusing back on the plans. "I'm happy to hear it, no one else's cooking will match up with yours."
Luro glanced up at Jack before grinning at him seeing he was starting to drift off, he looked back down at the papers listening to him as he started marking places for possible hidden doors, it wouldn't be too difficult to add a brig.
"Easy to add especially the walls, the ship actually has over 20 of them, Z's found five in the years she's been on the ship."
Luro stared at the papers for a bit.
"I am wishing you the best on this Jack. I'll do all I can to make it exactly how you want it and one day I'll-"
Luro cut himself off before smiling.
"Nah I'll leave it a surprise. I'll just make sure it's exactly how you want it."
There was a mumble and a snort as Jack turned over in his sleep.
There's only two places that rivaled Norja's heat: Sunter and Arbirae. But during their spring it was Norja that blazed in heat waves. Jack stood on Guildtown's southeastern beach basking under the sun with sweat-drenched clothes and frazzled dreadlocks. He held up his meticulous plans of his future dreams: the restaurant ship that he commissioned Luro to build and had kept Stardusk in Norja. Only the skeleton of it had been completed so far, and the contracted builders all blamed a certain cook who'd been breathing down their necks. It was actually a surprise the Pirate Lord found him on the beach, not spying on the workers who cowered under Luro.
"They banished me," Jack moped. He said it before Runali could get a word out. "Said something about they'd 'rather put up with the crazy pirate carpenter than being scared shitless by the crazy pirate spy hiding between the floorboards'. Can you believe it? Like I'd hide under the floorboards in this heat."
There was a long pause before he lowered the plans to look at Runali. "Hi."
Runali welcomed the heatwave as much as she welcomed getting burned by Coral's magma, but compared to frozen tundras this was nicer. At least there was a beach to look at- if she wasn't staring at her restless cook. With hands behind her back, she walked around him like a predator with amusement in her eyes. "Oh of course. You'd prefer the roof. Cooler and much more spacious, no?" She grinned a little more as she stood at his side and looked out at the sea. "Luro's better than the best. He'll make sure everything is put exactly where it needs to be. And then proceed to put in extra for his dear brother."
"Lemme see." She reached out a hand, waiting for him to give her the plans. When he did, without even looking at it, she promptly folded it as small as she could make it and stuck it in her back pocket. "If you don't plan on learning how to build it yourself, you don't get to have this until it's done."
Jack pouted as he watched his meticulous plans disappear into her pocket. "Well… fine."
He gave the skeleton of his ship one final glance, then stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned his back. "But I need a distraction. I'm guessing you're here to help me with that?" Dreadlocks fell across his glasses, the sunlight catching the first of gray hairs appearing in his fringe. They hid his half-smirk, lined by dimples. "So… I have a group of bandits hassling my city we could take care of. We could… hit them directly. Or take their gold. Either sound fun to you?"
Runali gave a proud smirk when he ceded without a fight. For a moment, she thought she'd have to drag him away from the ship by force. "The first step's admitting the problem Jack and you're already there. Who better to be a distraction than me?" She started walking backwards in order to keep looking at him as she spoke. "Well, besides your wife. But she's not here right now, is she?" With a smooth heel turn, she bounded forward.
"Obviously we'll do both. Take their gold and remind them who's home this is. Sometimes people forget, it's best to remind them." She laughed. "Norja needs to get up to date with the news if they don't know the 'Tenebrous Bodhisttava' lives here." The name was still a mouthful and practically a struggle to say no matter how many times she said it. Yet, it was still such a funny title. "Unless you're just letting them run around like bugs. Really should keep your place clean Jack. But no matter, I'm here to help as per a captain's word."
"This may be my first home, but my place is over there," he pointed at Lady Luck. "The sea is a lot of territory to cover. Guildtown, and Norja, can take care of itself. Besides, bandits have always been part of our fabric. 'Tenebrous Bodhisttava' doesn't scare them; pirates are just bandits who like water too much."
He led Runali down the hill, toward two horses picketed among the lumber for his ship. "Yeah… about my wife…"
5 Hours Later
"... and then she says, 'You'll know my decision when I'm back', and disappears. It's been two months, Runali!" Jack kicked over a wooden chest, dumping its contents to the ground. Iron balls and guns clattered to the cave floor. They were in one of the bandit's "hideouts". Only a few miles from town, in a mountainous cave system known by many of the locals. The bandits themselves were mostly tied up in a corner, unconscious, and one or two dead… Jack wouldn't be surprised if more lurked but for the moment, he and Runali had the bandit's stock to themselves.
Jack went around, dumping contents of chests and crates, looking for valuable goods and ranting to his captain. "I haven't reached out once, I get it, she needs her space to think and decide, but…" Jack's shoulders slumped. "Not sure if having a family is in her future."
Runali spun one of her chakrams like a toy. She hadn't gotten to use it with how easy the clean up was, but it kept her hand occupied while she listened to Jack spill like a waterfall. There was a muted surprise when she found out he was possibly having a kid, only suppressed because of the actual issue of Adelaide disappearing.
"And here I thought spies always had the answers. Well," Runali tossed her chakram watching as it buried itself deep into the cave wall, just above the bandits' heads. "Windy does that all the time, yeah? For a masterful spy, she sure is quick to run away and try to make it seem like she's gotta figure stuff out on her own." Runali shrugged. "Difference between a pirate and a spy I guess." She kicked up an emerald, catching and examining it. "Maybe it's time to stop being a spy and time to act more like a pirate, Jackie." She grinned and tossed the jewel to him. "Time to take what you want! It's both of your futures, not just hers. You want answers, well she's had enough space- she's made of air half the time, she is space. You gave her plenty of time! Be selfish!" Runali walked over to her chakram and pulled it out the wall. "Pff, Windy's selfish all the time. Y'know how many times I've asked her to join the crew and she said no?? But she still hangs around! Preee-tty selfish." Her laughter had a bit of an echo against the cave walls, but her words rang true and serious.
With curiosity in her voice, she walked over and patted his shoulders. "Sounds to me like you want the kid… What'll you do if she decides to keep it?"
"I can't be both?" Jack muttered at her statement of who he should be. Still, he squirmed as Runali continued. What she said mirrored his own thoughts.
A clearing cough surprised him from the corner of the cave. He looked at the bandits as one said, "She's right, you know. Maybe your lady is having some misgivings with the prospect of child-raising but what she really wants is for you to go after her and reassure that it's a change you can handle together."
Jack stared, incredulous. "Who asked you? And I'm not taking advice from any of you child-snatchers."
The bandits roused a flurry of protests.
"Hey, that's offensive!"
"We're not that heartless."
"Yeah! We only kidnap wives and sometimes husbands for ransom!"
"Not helping, Theodore."
Jack rolled his eyes and turned back to his captain. "Since when did captives think they could talk back to their captors?" He shook his head. "Anyway, did you find anything? I thought they would've had more here…"
Runali snorted at the resounding agreement. "You can be both, sure. But sounds like right now you need to be the more fun pirate right now since Windy's playing the spy." She laughed again as Jack turned away from the captives. "I'm the Pirate Lord, you know. Of course I'm right." She picked up a handful of coins and dumped them into her pockets. "You expected a fortune out of 'em? They're petty bandits. Tsk, tsk and you expect Windy to make a grand return to you. Sounds to me like you need to stop expecting things and start taking them." She pointed over to the one called Theodore, not even sparing him a glance.
"That one's got something hidden in his boot. He had a funky limp. By all means, you can do the honors. I don't wanna touch his dirty boots."
"H-Hey! That's because of an injury!"
Runali ignored him. "So, you gonna keep stewing in problems while stressing out the shipwrights?" She went back to picking up the stray coins, little by little adding more weight to her pockets. "Doesn't sound like the rumored pirate cook I know. The one I hear about strikes before his target even knows he's there. He's one step ahead of it all. Capable of splitting a ship in half with a single kick!" She teased, "Didn't know he'd falter at husband troubles." With yet another burst of laughter, she couldn't help but add. "Maybe Luro can give you advice. He seems like he's got it handled."
"Oooh," Theodore said even as he wiggled away from Jack. "Sounds like she really hit spots that–"
"Shut up." Jack slapped the bandit, not to hurt, though clearly he wanted to. Theodore hushed out of shock as Jack rustled his boot off. He shook it upside down and, sure enough, a ruby the size of Runali's fist clattered onto the cave floor. Jack let out a whistle. "Well, well… what do you have here? Rubies are rare in Norja. You didn't get it from the mines."
Theodore gave a little shrug and smile. Jack rolled his eyes and went back to Runali, tossing her the ruby. "I hear you, captain. Very annoyed by how right you are so give me a few seconds to get over that."
"Oooh, thank you for your services mister bandit. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Runali examined the ruby with wide eyed intrigue.
He smirked, folding his arms. "Better not let Alicia see that, or it'll disappear into the treasury and we'll never see it again. Though what fun we can do with it… I'll leave that up to you."
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a spot of greenery, growing in defiance of its cold stone environment. A white dahlia. A small smile crept on his face and he relaxed. "C'mon. My people will pick up these buffoons, give them a way to live honestly." He threw an arm around Runali and together they sauntered toward the exit. "So… what is in store for you and the big guy?"
"Wait- what business?" One of the bandits stammered.
She peeked over the ruby with a devious look. "The business of letting you live of course." With a wink, she pocketed the ruby in her jacket and followed Jack out as he put an arm around her. Even with the small haul, she was satisfied by the new added weight her jacket held. Sure she'd give most of it to Alicia, but the emerald and ruby… well, she'd hold on to it for a little longer.
She was going to question Jack about his people or 'ghosts' as she called them, but poise nearly left her when Luro was brought up. "Eh? What's next? Did he say something to you?" She looked suspicious at first, but then quickly waved it away.
She hadn't been Pirate Lord for too long but Luro's declaration and promise was a very real possibility that he had yet to bring up. Runali knew it would come sooner or later, as Luro had a habit of keeping his promises, but the 'later' felt like she was stepping around landmines waiting for the 'surprise' of it to happen. It was hard to tell what she was more hesitant about; the surprise to come or the anticipation of waiting. That, unexpected to her, had trickled into one of the reasons she was a little more eager to become the Pirate Lord - not that she'd ever admit it out loud. Nor as if she was eager to have a separate, traditional ceremony for the sake of her parents.
Runali cleared her throat. "Whatever's in store will be news to me. I for one haven't planned anything special. Besides, you know how he gets with projects. He's going to be focused on your restaurant until it's done and perfect."
Jack chuckled and gave her a squeeze, not bothering to answer her question once she waved it away. "Of course… of course." He broke into a sudden wide grin. "Captain, I think you're just getting started. And I, for one, can't wait to be a part of it."
Runali couldn't help but nudge at him. It wasn't enough to push him away completely, but more to assert her suspicion as it rose. "What's all this about? You're saying that as if you're allowed to miss out on all the hell that we're about to raise. The title's still fresh! Only reason the Navy hasn't found us yet is because the Reds owe me a favor." She elbowed his side. "But if you must be so sentimental," She turned them towards where the sunlight haloed the buildings and gestured towards it. "Picture it. Years of holding the title. We've gone through battles, another war or two, probably doing the impossible for the thousandth time. But even past that. After all the fame and well deserved glory. I'm bored of the title at that point so I cause the biggest scene- even bigger than Nani so the next generation can go after it. You? You've got a whole restaurant and family you're taking care of then. Alicia'll be princess of Yula Fei by then. Kadi'll probably have an army of the undead. I'm still bettin' money he's going to be the first to have consistent business to tend to in life and death. Zil's gonna go about trying to own every book in the world probably. And me- and Luro," She pretended not to trip over her words by giving a light laugh. "We'll… go sightseeing. There's a lotta places and a lotta ocean that even we don't get to see while pirating. I think it'd be nice." She shrugged. "Besides, we'll still cause trouble and accidentally drag you all into it. So don't get frail on me any time soon."
Jack nudged her back with a laugh, elbow for elbow. "You have it all figured out: The glory of Stardusk. We'll be the unforgettable crew of one eccentric Pirate Lord." Laughing, he shook his head. "Me, frail? Never on your life, Capitaine. I'm here to live out our golden age, and then some. Our adventures are just beginning."
Time: More than 2 years post-finale
Location: The Sea
Cedric was playing again. A simple moment that brought Jack to tears; though it wasn't the first time Cedric had picked up his violin since his return, it remained a sacred novelty to his brother, who never thought he'd hear such sweet artistry color the air again. Jack watched from a distance for a while, soaking the complicated notes weaving an invisible tapestry from their strings, until he could deny the itch no longer.
From his boot, Jack pulled out a single dagger, and threw at Cedric's back.
It didn't fly true; merely embedded into Cedric's chair with a quivering thunk. A warning sign that their daily training had begun. Jack had taken to announcing their sessions with sneak attacks, but for all his craftiness, he never aimed a deadly blow at his brother, he could not. He'd strike a full-powered kick at Runali or douse Alicia with flames or shoot Luro point blank in the chest – but none of them were the boy he raised, none of them were the little brother who he lost, and then found again, against all odds. They were not the ones who'd had to mind his once-chronic frailty for decades.
Jack cleared his throat, and said theatrically, "Are you going to strike or not?"
M'ctian? Cedric's mind searched as his fingers drummed the neck of his violin. All that returned was the frenzied crunching of sugar. Merde! He swore. He searched for his familiars, and he was greeted with happy purrs. Three of them were distracted by Alicia. Double damn! he cursed, feeling utterly exposed. He tilted his chair backwards so that his hyacinth eyes met his brother's. "I see your point," he conceded.
This would be the first time they would spar undisturbed. Just two of them, no guardian, no familiars. Sid sighed. Already he dreaded the outcome of the match. Everyone else usually allowed him to draw on his spirits for assistance. Not Jack. His brother always feared such a situation would occur despite the crew assuring him otherwise. Sid mulled over that last thought. The only people who would ever catch him like this were fellow summoners. Oui… He liked pretending he wasn't being hunted by Parisa. It was Jack's network and Lily's that kept him hidden. Barely. The two of them ran into a few templars the other day, and they had to fight their way out of the blockade, destroying half the harbor in the process. Ariat was not pleased.
His lips rose slowly. "You know the drill. Catch me first!"
The chair clattered on the floor as Cedric's boots landed lightly on the railings on the opposite side of the deck. His violin nestled on his shoulder and a rousing song filled the air. Red motes danced at his feet, rising up his legs, and merging into a red aura. His smile only broadened as Jack burst over. The sound shattering seconds after his older brother appeared. Cedric faked a yawn as he tilted back. Wind whistled in his ears, buffeting his body like hardened water, but he never stopped bowing. The notes merged into a wailing pitch that shoved the haki-clad brother back. Sid knew he had but a heartbeat as Jack flew towards the clouds. The summoner pulled a card from his sleeve and cast the flaming card towards the dancing waves. The water froze into a bumpy terrain stretching as far as the eye could see. So hard that Sid felt the air knocked from his lungs as he rolled to his feet. Surely, fighting on the glaring seas would disorient Jack. His brother's eyesight was a weakness he seldom exploited.
Shadows darkened his own and he leaped backwards, disappearing into the winds. On and on the chase continued. Sid and Jack sped into blurs as red motes merged with Jack's own skin.
Jack smirked as he felt Sid's magic tickle over his skin. "I hope you don't make a habit of aiding the enemy in a fight!" He bit off the sentence as he suddenly lunged forward with a sweep of a knife.
Cedric's breath turned to a rumbly burn as he dropped to a crouch. Switching song mid-note, bright white notes coalesced around him. So blinding, that Jack's eyes burned hellish gold. Sid saw them widening before shadows blanked the familiar features. Sweltering beams smashed against haki-skin and exploded. Jack was tossed back, forth, skating around as the platform cracked beneath the brothers' feet.
Up on deck, M'ctain's serpentine face burrowed into the bag of sugar cubes in Ariat's hands. The tiny dragon's jaw opened wide as the latest casualty disintegrated with a single crunch. His eyes swirled with amused orange as he knocked against their cheek. His words echoing in their mind. "I'm surprised you agreed to herd spirits today, friend."
"Brother, I think they had no choice. Jack-jack can be awfully persuasive when giving orders," Er'is added while remaining fully invisible.
"So it seems. Yet this one has a mind of their own, and Jack respects that. I assume that's the meaning of second-in-command."
"Human hierarchy never fails to amuse. There are those who create them, and those who break them. Ru-ru breaks all expectations."
"I've only met the silver-haired queen but not this Ru-ru. Er'is introduce me to them all."
Around Jack's right hand and the chatting deities were the budding crew of Jack's restaurant ship: chefs, waiters, and spies. Everyone gasped and pointed. But more obviously, money bags switched hands. Clearly, someone named Belvedere had started a betting pool on the outcome of today's match. The odds were overwhelmingly in Jack's favor since the Geboren made it known that Cedric was fighting without his familiars. Not even the two or three Trovalians believed he stood a chance against their fearless leader. Haki was known to be the one power summoners feared.
Ariat, Jack's second–in-command, thinned their lips at the spirits' commentary. They didn't have the avoidance of Er'is and M'ctain that Jack did, but neither were they amused at this farse of playing keeper just so the brothers could have a proper spar. They could count a hundred things better they could be doing with their time.
"When did you meet the Stardusk first mate, M'ctain?" Ariat asked mildly, as a mere distraction, without taking their eyes off the brothers below.
A rumbling whine came from their hands. "A long time ago in another guise. I'm sure it's the same woman my brother described."
"Interesting," Er'is commented as his mind was filled with M'ctian's memory. "Let's see what Alicia-Amaiya makes of this."
Waters splashed upwards potentially announcing someone pitching into the seas. Cedric played softly in the distance looking like Monet on a sea-bitten rock. Hair whipping wildly to song and wind, cheeks flushed from exertion, but eyes busy scanning the horizon. Jack was swifter and more agile with this buff, but perhaps not as deadly compared to getting the power buff. Cedric shivered with anticipation as he remembered how his brother gave a Samsonian roar, smashing haki coated fists into the ground resulting in a rocky avalanche. It was a feat that shocked them - almost triple Jack's base strength without straining.
Blue purpled the reds before dominating the aura around Cedric. Not for a single moment did he believe Jack fell in. A feint was possible, hence him stepping off the platform he created. Sacrificing another card, he watched as his shadows writhe and tore away into a multitude of crows. They swarmed in thick clouds awaiting his command. Cedric wasn't done. Splitting his focus, he strummed on. Layers of white motes coated the blue. Sweat trickled down his brow, and his panting grew more obvious. He was preparing a massive third spell. The crows and the second one were mere distractions.
The energies in the area pulsed in sickening waves; causing nausea in those sensitive to them - Devil Fruit-users and summoners alike. Cedric's magic crackled inside their heads like wild lightning. Those less affected would hear alarming buzzing in their ears. The unearthly chills caused the crowd to become more alert. What in Davy's name was Cedric doing? Ariat barely had any wiggle room among the crush of bodies straining precariously on the railings. It didn't take long for someone to point to the splitting skies above. Dark storm clouds crashing into each other and sliding off into infinity; peeking between the fronts was a shred of clear blue. The waters themselves strained against stasis.
"Rushing your lessons, aren't you?" Er'is's jaw clapped excitedly as two disembodied arms circled around Ariat's waist.
"Don't touch without permission," Ariat clipped, poking the arms with needlelike daggers.
The yawning dragon scarcely moved from inside the sugar pouch. "You strike me as more indulgent once your little one is born. I can only deny Cedric so long before he pushes the new limit. Now Jack wouldn't think everything before was my doing."
Jack, despite Sid's confidence, was in the water. He couldn't resist the rush of pride. I didn't even see that last attack coming. He's surpassed me, even if he doesn't know it. Jack smirked. That didn't mean he was ready to yield their match.
His hand slipped along the icy ceiling as he allowed the current to carry him. Haki-tipped fingers dug in as he reached where he wanted to be: right under Cedric's feet. He twisted his free hand and the haki brace –the one Jack had Luro make to replace the gloves– began to glow. The tiniest flames sparked over his palm, the brace erupting with steam in the cold water. Jack gritted his teeth, hissing out bubbles, as he placed his palm to the ice. Summoning an element in its most inhabitable space was not easy. Jack pushed harder, pushing all his haki into it, and soon enough haki-fueled flames spewed forth.
They spread out in concentric circle, turning the icy platform black. Cracks formed, steaming rushing forth, and suddenly it collapsed into water. Jack's hand burst out to grab Sid's ankle and pulled him into the water.
Visceral chill struck hard as green light bathed the bard, and from the vortex above came an unearthly shriek. It ended abruptly as Cedric plunged into the water. Jack was a kappa waiting to attack, but he couldn't retaliate. Too much water, his mind thought. He had gulped it down when he fell in. He reached out a hand, and ….
He sputtered when his body hit the air again. He shivered violently against his rescuer, thinking it was Jack. Feeling the fabric, and hearing the horrified cries from their spectators, he froze. He turned and stared. A woman of exaggerated height cradled him in her spindly arms. She glowed almost white to his color-robbed eyes, a spirit of sorts. Her dark hair fell down her back with ends plunging far into the waters. Her scaly dress, he had no idea when it was ever fashionable. More forebodingly were her eyes covered in fraying bandages and that second grinning mouth in the center of her throat. Tiny giggling soul orbs floated around her.
Drowned children was Cedric's first thought. His heart skipped a beat as he recalled a story Ma Zhi told him about a wandering female spirit that snatched children from the water's edge. He had never seen her or Ma Lily look so frightened as Ma Zhi swept him into her arms, begging him to stay away from the mine pools. It was a cursed place, she said, that claimed the lives of twelve children. The locals believed a female spirit had made a permanent home there.
"Summoner, I heard you, and I rise to aid you" came the voice of a chilling timbre.
She dropped him onto the ocean's surface, causing concentric circles to flare from under them. Cedric stared in awe. He was sitting on the water without a spell or ice; buoyed by the spirit's energy alone. She was more powerful than the smaller ones he had summoned under M'ctian's guidance. He cleared his throat as he pulled his violin from thin air. He wondered if she was indeed the one cursing the pools in Norja. They were a whole ocean away.
"May I have your name?" he asked politely.
"Lorena, Mother of Drowned Children."
Sid saw neither mouth move. He allowed his eyes to capture the pattern of her dress and skin. Each detail cemented, in his mind, that she was one of the many sirens of the seas. And, possibly not the one back home. He saw the lips on her neck curl in a knowing smile.
"I am one of many who love the innocent."
Cedric nodded mutely as his ears heard Jack close by. He didn't hesitate to tuck his violin under his chin. All the while, he telepathed a single message. I'm sorry, fére …
He hoped Jack would forgive him later. He didn't intend to capitalize on the man's fears, but Lorena had been the first to respond to his summons. M'ctian was the only one who would know she'd appear; maybe, that same spirit had been the one keeping her at bay whenever he practised this particular spell. She stood there glowing blue amidst all the grey as his fingers pressed against the strings.
A geyser suddenly erupted, spitting out Jack several feet into the air. He contorted, utilizing the Haki gloves to remake the ice he'd broken, landed like a cat on his feet. He heaved in oxygen, wet and frayed, as his eyes flicked between the summoned spirit and his brother. His lips pressed into a thin line as Sid's apology floated into his mind.
We're done for today. I yield to you, was his short reply. A curt flick of his wrist created an icy path back to the beach. He needed space. He needed to get away from that… thing. All these years and his fear still overrode all senses when it came to spirits and the dead. After Bonifaas and Er'is haunting me, I thought I'd be over it. Will I ever be able to accept this part of Sid?
This wasn't the first time Jack wondered. Sid's powers, no longer shackled by chronic sickness, grew in leaps and bounds. His potential unlocked. It made Jack prouder than anyone could know. And yet, he couldn't help a flinch every time Er'is or M'ctain did the smallest magic. He couldn't get over the spirits Sid could pull into reality with barely a thought. The fact that his brother didn't have complete control yet made it that more terrifying.
Thoughts stewing, Jack wandered alone on the island.
Their thoughts were severed, Sid realized, with a gut-numbing chill. Each rebuff twisted the knife deeper into his heart. Jack was gone! He twisted out of Lorena's grip, and bowed to the wicked mother. Thank you, Madame of these waters. My battle ran its course for today. I hope to call upon your aid again in the future.
He watched her sinking into glowing waters, thinking quietly about the possibilities of them truly meeting again. The spirits he summoned were often ones close enough to be pulled to this side of reality. It was not always the strongest that he needed, but right now he had little control over his ability to select the one answering his call. Would fish souls have scared Jack less? He hated the answer in his mind. Jack hated them all! This gift of his was akin to a curse, so he thought, feeling more depressed by the minute. Would Jack ever stop worrying about him at this rate?
"I'll go get him," he shouted to the rumbling crew.
Sid closed his eyes. His mind's eye expanded over the vibrant landscape, whose colors seemed too fake given his disability. He picked out the flicker of Jack's aura rippling the breeze. He could even hear the crunch of thickening foliage under his brother's feet; and now, he was hit by the same warm haze disturbed by buzzing flies. He had teleported here effortlessly by feeling. No thought nor card needed, save for their weakening bond. He wanted to gag from the prickly emotions spilling from Jack.
"Fére, wait! Please give me a chance to explain. I'll answer anything you want to know. Just, please, talk to me. I was stupid earlier. I - please, I'm sorry."
"What the– damn it, Cedric. You scared me." Jack forced a smile, somewhat amused by his own skittishness, and sheathed one of his hidden knives up his sleeve. He rubbed his brow and blew out an irritated sigh. "I thought it was pretty clear I wanted some space. But… well, since you're here, you can hike with me. Come on."
Jack continued to saunter through the jungle, keeping to a natural trail, not waiting to see if Sid would follow. It was very humid, even under the shadows of dense greenery, and it didn't take long for a sweat to dampen Sid's skin. Insects buzzed around them as overlapping birdsongs and the cackles of far-off chimpanzees filled the air. Jack took pleasure in this as he hiked up a hill, occasionally lifting large leaves and vines for Sid to pass under. He didn't talk for a long while, until they crested the hill and paused for a breath.
"You don't need to explain anything, Cedric," Jack said slowly, mulling over his words. "I don't know much about your gifts, but I understand enough. I know you're learning control and…spirits, summoning them, is an innate part. You can't snuff it out anymore than I could stop using haki."
He looked Cedric in the eye for the first time, and gave him a wane smile. "You need to learn more control and I know you're working hard at it. But also understand I can't turn off this wild fear of mine. Sometimes, I might have to step away from you to regain myself. Can you accept that it is nothing against you, Cedric, and everything to do with myself?"
Jack's harsh training paid off in a big way. Cedric barely panted despite the steepness of the climb. The chief danger came from him struggling to judge the distance between rises in the loamy earth. Sometimes, it came in the form of loose rocks his eyes failed to see due to the poor contrast in his vision. Things got easier closer to the submit; mostly, he suspected, because Jack cleared the path of such dangers. For that, Sid was grateful. He joined his brother at the edge, drinking in the scene. His ears picking out the under current in Jack's voice. Soon his attention was on the man's face.
"I tried to but I can't. Jack, what happened? I saw glimpses of it in the past. That time you collapsed from a raging fever. You woke up screaming about ash and caskets. Not even our mothers know the whole story."
Sid had to take a step back to stop himself from grabbing his brother. He wanted nothing more than to hug the man, which made resisting harder. This cycle had to break somewhere. And, he refused for it to end with Jack distancing himself from him. Not after everything they endured: hunted by Charlotte, a revolution, a fight with a God, his death and his revival. He couldn't contain it anymore.
They stood there in an awkward embrace. Cedric clinging and Jack standing there stiffly. A reverse of what used to happen before he died. Sid's heart broke even more. And, he found himself wishing he didn't have his powers for a second time in his life. He took a shuddering breath but kept his face buried in Jack's shirt.
"Can you show me? I want to see if there's anything I can do to help you overcome this fear."
The request was a double-edged sword. By entering a dream world forged from Jack's memories, the two would essentially be reliving that specific trauma. Everything would feel so real that the life Jack lived up till now would seem like a faraway dream. Madame Charlotte called it the gateway to insanity, and she forbade him from ever casting such a spell. He learned much later that - aside from driving someone insane - there would be a chance of rebound; when that happened, he would be forced to relive his own nightmares. Perhaps dying slowly inside his disintegrating mind. He told Jack about it, naturally. Avoided using it save that one time with Runali. And, Jack, he never saw the man so angry before.
This would be the second time in he casted such a powerful illusion if Jack consented. Sid burrowed closer to his brother's beating heart. Close enough for him to feel the dampness of Jack's shirt. He tilted his head up and looked into that yellow gaze.
"M'ctian will make sure we return safely."
Jack drew in a deep breath and released it. Gently, he pushed Cedric so they could look at each other face to face. He smiled painfully. "I wish you'd stop resorting to extreme measures all the time. You forget I lived with Eri'is's ghost eyes for four years. Reliving my memories…you don't need the illusion. All you have to do is feel what I feel."
Jack placed a hand against his brother's forehead, and Sid's world lost all color. His chest heaved as a cold sweat broke over his neck. His sight darkened at the edges. Flashes of memories that weren't his came like visions:
A boy, lost in the night and freezing, cowering before a being mummified by ash. The wind brought whispers of death. He screamed but no one came to rescue him.
Bonifaas. He crouched in the abandoned infirmary room. Hollow-eyed spirits crowded him begging to be seen and heard.
Lady Luck's kitchen. Er'is loomed over him, but he was different from how Cedric knew him. His form blurred like black shadows. Every part of his being shrieked, 'RUN! HIDE! ESCAPE!' He wanted to puke from the fear.
Cedric felt pressure as Jack pressed their foreheads together. He heard Jack's thoughts and words, melded together. "The mummified village of Norja instilled a fear in me that's lasted my entire lifetime. It won't go away no matter what I do. The only thing that helps is…"
Sunrise blossomed in Cedric's thoughts. Lily, their mother, taking Jack into her arms and enveloping him in warmth and safety. Runali, kneeling next to Jack and comforting him. The spirits that hounded him seemed to drift away. And then Cedric, always placing himself between Er'is and Jack. After years of existing side by side with his greatest fear, his brother was an equally great relief.
Jack stepped away and his memories drifted from Cedric like a breath exhaled. They stared at each other. "I can't change my fear, Cedric. What matters is what I do in the face of it…and the people who help me through it. You deal in spirits but you're one of my greatest comforts, too. It's alright. I know how to deal with it. Sometimes it's to lean on others and other times, I just need a moment's solace. It's who I am. Oftentimes, I need to work out things on my own."
Cedric stood there in complete silence. Another veil pulled back from his mind, and he saw more of the real Jack, the man much loved yet deeply flawed. Someone much more human in his eyes; relatably so. They started on this journey before Bonifaas, but his death cut short the entire process. It left him in stasis while Jack moved on. He smiled and took his brother's damp hand.
"Understanding us won't be easy," Sid admitted. "You've grown while I was asleep. I woke up still the old me, seeing you as a parent and protector, but today I see you, Jack, as you. My brother, always, and a man equally flawed. Sometimes fearful," he chuckled. "I'll keep to those light motes around you from now on. You don't seem to fear them."
Minor spirits, M'ctian corrected as his scaly body encircled Cedric's waist, and the rest of him slithered up, with his scaly head peering at Jack. The silvery dragon spirit yawned in Jack's direction. Fixing the older man with a glazed stare. It switched to words that both could hear. "Ariat searches for both of you. They received a summons from Captain Runali."
A familiar warm breeze hit the slumbering redhead, a familiar scent roused him awake, a pleasant one that filled him with a strange calm. Spring was in full swing and the gentle caress of the warm wind, tickling his exposed skin elicited a nostalgic feeling.
He would always sleep in this field after his training was over.
No…calling it training wasn't exactly right, it was more survival then training but his mind slowly filtered through the sensations running through his body.
This place, this field of colors replayed itself in his dreams, a respite from his nightmares.
In a strange way it was another bad dream, this place that brought him so much peace somehow also made him nervous, as if he was forgetting something important.
His mind danced around possibilities but as it did in each cycle of the dream, the final sensation came.
A voice hummed an old sad tune next to him, it was soothing in a way and felt familiar. The voice was different but something in him told him he knew this song, that was it was important.
This dream always came to a close with her humming, something told him it was something he missed, a moment that showed the other side of her.
His head rolled to the side, moving away from the orange sky above to rest on the woman who sat next to him, surrounded by flowers of varying colors. She cleaned what was his rifle, and hummed the same song, the one every time she cleaned it.
The gentle tone that came from her didn't match the rough one she normally spoke with.
His mind told him that, and that's why it was always surprising. It was something he knew but forgot each time she spoke normally.
He watched her finish her task, fiery red hair blowing in the wind as she climbed to her feet.
She turned to him, he knew what was coming but his body wouldn't move, it couldn't move, because he didn't move the first time.
His eyes always went to her face, but a shadow cast over her eyes, he had forgotten what they looked like.
Raising the rifle she pointed the barrel at his skull and at the highlight of her song, she would hold the note and the moment it ended pulled the trigger, a flash of white would fill his vision before darkness followed.
Luro's eyes shot open, he blinked taking a moment to establish his surroundings again.
Sweat ran down his face and his chest heaved as he felt the familiar rocking of the boat, the scent of open rum bottles, and the patchouli sitting in the corner of the room. He'd blink once more and open and close his hands.
"My name is Luro Makachi."
He'd speak and confirm the words didn't feel foreign, as if someone else was saying them.
Content his shoulders would relax and he'd sink further into his throne chair.
He was in the rum room and was still alive, though unlike the previous times he knew one thing for sure.
That woman in his dream was real, the Captain had said so, and this time he remembered why he desperately sought why his dreams were filled with her.
"Captain be careful when you go out today."
Luro spoke the words to Runali, slipping his hands into his sleeves.
Everyone had gone off to do their own thing and he caught Runali before she left, Luro was going to make repairs on the ship while everyone was out running errands or stretching their legs since they were making a stop.
There was a small hint of worry in Luro's voice, a rarity from the redhead.
"I'm not sure why…I still gotta check but…just watch your back. I'll probably come join you once I finish up repairs."
"The dragon princess already made me promise to stay out…of trouble…?" Runali's words drifted as she looked up at Luro. With everyone going off on their own devices, Runali planned to wander around town just to get some exercise, but noticing Luro's worry she paused on her trek down the plank to the ground. "Huh, normally doc is the one telling me to be careful. Who would've thought she'd rub off on you though." Runali's teasing was light, still being mindful that Luro was the one telling her to be careful. Curiously, she looked around as much of the town as she could see as if she'd find whatever danger was out there. But, nothing was out of the ordinary for the plain old town.
"I'll… keep my wits about me and be as careful as I can be." She started her descent, walking backwards so she could still talk to him. "But! Don't stay cooped up too long, I'd rather have company… y'know without having to tag along for errands." She smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Your eyes are better than mine, but I'll keep a lookout!" She snickered at her joke before waving at Luro and walking down into town.
Luro offered a small smile trying to push the strange worry away.
"Only this once Captain if I can help it, worrying takes too much energy."
The strange feeling wouldn't leave him, as if something was trying to remind him of some fact he was missing.
The town itself was a simple one, if he climbed to the top of the crows nest he could probably peer over the whole place if he wanted, and it was the Captain so there was no reason, but his instincts were screaming at him otherwise.
He wasn't sure if it was Imposter playing a trick or if it was real, in case it was the former he didn't want to skip repairs as the ship had taken some damage, but he intended on doing the bare minimum and following after.
"I'll happily join ya Captain, soon as I'm done," Luro said with his usual grin.
He waved her goodbye before turning and returning to the ship.
There was a normal crowd within the city, all people attending to their own business, paying little mind to the new visitor accustomed to unknown faces passing through.
What could be considered miles away a woman hummed a catchy tune as she pulled out her rifle, grabbing a bullet she inspected it before smiling and loading it into the chamber.
Her eyes were shut as she picked up the outline of her target, Runali Lev. Picking her silhouette she let her observation do the work, waiting until the Captain wasn't near people, at least any paying attention to what was around them.
"It's only love if it hurts, doo doo doo da doo."
As she sang her catchy tune she pulled the trigger on the last 'doo' and in the next moment the bullet seemed to bounce rapidly off multiple surfaces enroute to its destination before hitting the Stardusk Captain. Seeing her shot land the woman opened her eyes with a small smile.
"Okay…now I gotta run all the way down there…great."
The woman sat up from the tree branch she was sitting in, far outside of town and hopped down before sprinting towards the town at a casual pace.
The woman sat her rifle against the wall along with Runali's chakram, she had brought the woman to a small hut like abode. There were no visible windows or door, so the only light was what little peered through the wood and the lanterns hung up around the place, the orange that slipped inside revealed it was evening or close to it.
There were various knicknacks around, signs that someone had been living here for sometime and numerous wanted posters on the walls, each one marked out with an giant red X save for Runali Lev and Luro Makachi.
"Let's see…I heard she's a relatively relaxed person…so maybe she won't try to attack when she wakes up. It's gonna be awkward if the rumors are wrong."
The woman looked over at Runali who she had set on the only cot in the place, she didn't bind her hands or feet, nor gagged her, she even provided a pillow, the good one.
A loud whistle came from the tea pot causing her to glance over at her makeshift hearth and the small fire she had going nearby, the smoke seem to filter out into the darkness above, one of the places the light couldn't reach, meaning there was a decent chance a chimney or some other outlet existed.
"Ah the tea's done," the woman said setting a saucer at one end of the table and one at the other in front of her.
The shooter's gaze went over to the Captain, a pair of light green eyes peering at the face of her 'catch'.
The woman's long red hair was tied in a high ponytail and she was dressed in a simple short sleeve green tunic and brown pants with matching boots, though she wore a small green mantle around her body that seemed to act as a half-cloak, though she removed it and set it to the side upon sitting down.
"Psst…you awake Runali. The tea's ready…I'm pretty sure I didn't kill you…I mean you'll have a headache sure but definitely not a kill shot…it's really good tea."
Over the years Runali had done her fair share of gambling. Usually the stakes weren't her own life, but if she had done it today, even she'd be mildly surprised that she managed to keep it. She wasn't sure if the headache or the loud whistle woke her up first, but either way her hand went up to her head and she muttered in her home language. "<...Really, gotta stop promising to not get into trouble…>" Though, to be fair, she actually listened this time.
When she was sure she wasn't dead or terribly injured, Runali slowly sat up and examined where she was taken to. Fully aware of the presence nearby, she decided her first focus was where she was and how to get out. Seeing no windows or doors made her frown. However she did see her chakram and the wanted posters of her and Luro.
…At least he wasn't paranoid without reason.
"Ugh, I should've just waited in the tavern…" Grimacing, she stood to her feet with a hand against one of the walls. Even she was still trying to figure out how frustrated she should've been for the whole situation, after all, she didn't wake up tied to anything. For a brief moment, she debated using her haki to punch through the wall, but she didn't know the person that kidnapped her and turning her back could have been more dangerous.
"I'm not drinking that." Runali finally spoke directly to the person. With no real place to go and no real assessment of the danger, she walked over to the free chair but stayed standing. "Look, I imagine you don't mean well, and if you do, this is a terrible first introduction. And I can safely say I don't know who you are. But I can assure you, whatever… weird grudge you have against me or my shipwright could have been dealt with, without the whole…" She vaguely gestured to the box they were in. "And since you didn't kill me, I imagine you want something." Runali held a hand up. "I just want you to know, before you start saying things, one, I'm only being polite because you didn't stab me while I was unconscious. For now. Two-" She looked the person over, examining her fully before seemingly changing her mind about what she was going to say. "...The only tea I will drink is tea made by my first mate."
The woman was silent merely watching Runali, seeing she was alive answered her question. Her eyes seemed to follow her throughout the room but she showed no signs of moving, she merely sat comfortably and offered a smile waiting for her to settle properly. A chuckle escaping as she looked around and found no exit.
A small smile rested on her face at her 'one' and at 'two' she picked up her own tea.
"As you will…but if you change your mind," the woman said pushing the cup towards her. "It'll help with the headache."
She raised her own cup to her lips and downing it in one motion let out a content sigh before setting it back on the saucer.
"Nah it had to be this way Runali Lev, I hear you have interesting encounters with redheads."
The woman reached up and tossed her red ponytail offering the woman a toothy grin.
"Didn't want to break tradition."
With that said the woman held her hand out palm out towards Runali, then showed her back of her hand and in one flourish caused a pistol to appear before setting it on the table.
"You can call me Liria, Lira for short and I assure you Captain of Stardusk…" the woman trailed off tapping her pistol. "I have no grudge with you or your shipwright. If I'm not mistaken your bounty is the same dead or alive, I woulda just shot you properly if I had somethin' against you. Same for your shipwright. You experienced it yourself right? Observation doesn't work against me, besides I'm not a grudge kind of gal."
The woman folded her hands together before pointing at Runali.
"You are right though, I do want something. I would like you for it though," Liria said setting her hands back on the table. "I have a promise to fulfill with Luro, one I've come to collect on."
The woman paused before raising a hand and waving it in front of her face.
"Ah you know what that's not fair, I drug you all the way here, don't know why I'm trying to be all mysterious. Basically Runali I brought you here."
Liria said this before motioning to the Captain.
"To ask to kidnap you."
Lowering her hand she picked her cup up only realize it was still empty and started refilling it.
"Whaddya say? If not I'll show you the exit before I go deal with him. He's far away from your ship by now either way. I really just needed you for bait."
Setting her cup down she smiled at the woman.
"I don't keep too many secrets, and I have no intention of keeping you here."
The woman tapped the table twice and part of the wall behind her opened up revealing the outside, and the fact the two were apparently in a forest.
"You can head back to your ship and try to catch Luro before I do…or we can sit here, chat and let him come to us. I left him enough clues."
Liria smilied before speaking once more.
"<Trouble seems to find you wherever you go Runali Lev>" The woman responded in her tongue with a grin.
"I'll live." She commented. "There's worse things than a headache." The mention of 'redheads' made her sigh, silently agreeing with the sentiment. As much as Runali didn't want to acknowledge it, there was definitely a trend and she couldn't escape from it and she was hoping that maybe this redhead would be different. At least a little. "You know, most of those redhead stories don't really end in their favor," She tapped her cheek. "Save for maybe two redheads, Luro included." Runali listened to the request, eyeing the new exit into the forest. Though at the idea of voluntarily being kidnapped, she couldn't help but snort. "You want to kidnap me? No, no you want me to let you kidnap me? Just to get Luro's attention? Ah, you've certainly got a few screws loose in there." Despite her laugh, the options weren't really in her favor. Luro was better at tracking her down than she was him and more importantly, she wasn't going to just leave Luro to deal with danger on his own. Runali could handle herself long enough until then.
Twirling the chair around, Runali plopped into it, leaning against the back. She looked a little amused, but ultimately aloof. Liria's mention of trouble finding her didn't go unnoticed though. "Look, Liria, there's a lot of people I've met that are about as sharp as marbles and I can't possibly keep up with them all. No offense, well, a little offense." She rested her head in one hand. "But I do appreciate you cutting to the chase. It saved me a lot of possible boredom, you wouldn't believe how many people don't do that." With her free hand, she absentmindedly waved. "Secrets aside, I think it's fair of me to ask what your business is with Luro. What- Who are you to him?"
"I'm a gambler."
Was the simple response at the mention of the story not ending in her favor. A laugh escaped from the woman at the mention of a few screws loose, she had lost track of how many people had said the same, in her line of business a little bit of insanity wasn't a terrible thing.
The woman's gentle smile remained even as she listened to the Stardusk Captain, she carried an air of easygoingness not too far off from the Carpenter himself, if not for the fact her eyes stayed on the Captain and the occasional nod it would seem she wasn't hearing the words coming at her.
"Lira's fine, every good friendship starts with a bit of violence," the woman said taking a sip from her cup. "Also none taken, I've heard worse from bounties."
The woman arched a brow at the mention of cutting to the chase before her eyebrow
lowered, her eyelids lowering as well at the mention of her business with Luro.
"Don't like long convoluted conversations, got things to do," the woman said with a small shrug. "For who or what I am to him….that's actually really hard to answer. Our relationship…can't exactly be summed up in one word. Hmmm."
The woman brought a hand to her chin at this.
"....frenemy? Role Model? Alloppon?"
Liria brought a finger to her forehead and closed her eyes trying to simplify their relationship with little success.
"Well at the very least I'm someone…Luro is probably not gonna be happy to see. Especially since he broke my rifle, which I lent him."
The woman gave a small firm nod at this before looking back at Runali.
"My business with him. Imma shoot him."
The woman made a gun with her fingers, pointed it at herself and pulled the trigger.
"Pew like that," she said. "Probably in the head, or chest. Haven't decided yet. Our exchange will probably not be very nice. I did inform him when we meet again that he better be stronger."
Liria offered a small shrug at the memory.
"Always take care of things lent to you, that's just proper."
Runali wanted to refute the friendship and violence statement, having met plenty of people without it, but she let it go knowing that wasn't an argument she was going to win. There were more important matters, like her answering the questions she asked. So far, this was the easiest time she had with most redheads that crossed paths with her. Though, the idea of her and Luro being 'frenemies' didn't bode well for her. It felt like there was something more to it, but knowing that Luro wouldn't be happy to see her seemed like enough of an explanation there.
And then of course, she got her answer. It was far from the one she wanted, but Runali appreciated the honesty at least. Her fingers steepled as she fell in thought. "Well… I know plenty of people who could fix it for you… Luro included. But if it's got as much sentiment as he has for his, I s'pose I understand why you'd be upset…" Again, she waved her hand. "On the other hand, I'm never happy about any declaration to shoot my loved ones. Especially not my fiance," She paused for a moment. Instinct told her to fight and protect her crew, that was always what she did, but thinking it over… Runali held that instinct to herself. While she wondered if this was something Luro should see to, she also couldn't help but think of the last time he went off on his own devices to clean up messes he made. "Hm… Answer this for me, if you will."
Runali sat up, nudging the teacup to disturb the tea inside. It swayed but never spilled. "He'll show up. I'm sure of it. But when he does, will you give him a fair fight or will you attempt to shoot him in the back?" Her eyes were looking into the cup at her reflection. "You mentioned his strength but forgive me, I don't know you well enough to know if you're inclined to cheat or not. I've met plenty of those and stolen many of their crew because of it." A brief look at all the knick knacks around, Runali added. "Though, I don't suppose there's much to take from you should you try." She held up two fingers as she continued. "I'm not usually one to condone killing senselessly so, if whatever this… ill will you have towards each other comes to it… I will let him kill you should he want. Or rather, I won't think too much of it if he does." She shook her head. "That's not a threat by the way, I'm just letting you know." She pointed over towards her chakram. "Also, I'd like those back. They were a gift. You don't need to worry about me attacking you, it'd be… rude of me to impose on Luro's…" Runali squinted at Liria, trying to find the words to describe what she was to him. "...Frenemy I guess." Still, it didn't feel like the right word but she left it alone for now.
"I could fix it myself, got a new one and everything but yes it is very much the sentiment. To his credit he has mixed the remains of mine into his, shows he cared," Liria said.
She smiled at the following comment and poured herself more.
"I'd imagine you wouldn't but I'm not going to lie to you either. It'd make it awkward later when I point my gun at him. 'By the way I'm going to shoot him', that's just rude."
At the following question she set the kettle back down and kept her gaze on Runali, she listened in silence though at the mention of taking from her she offered a small smile in response. She made no comment however and continued to listen; her brows seemed to furrow slightly at one particular part but she maintained her attentive position, only standing up when Runali finished.
"I never feared being attacked, I left them there for you to take at anytime," Liria said grabbing the chakram before setting them on the table. "Let's see where to start first."
Sitting back down, Liria tapped the table.
"As I said before there is no grudge, no ill will. I like Luro and he cares about me," Liria said grabbing her cup.
Raising it to her lips she took a sip before looking back at Runali.
"However a promise is a promise. He knows killing me is the only way to stop me, and he understands how difficult that will be. I have no intention of shooting him in the back, that would mean doubting I couldn't defeat him fairly, which isn't the case."
She set her cup back down.
"That's not a boast mind, Luro…seems to be struggling. The fact he only sensed something was wrong but didn't know the cause was a clear sign. If he truly realized it was me he would have ensured you never left that ship. He knew I would come get you. He hesitated though, didn't want to believe it. He's still a little bit behind."
Liria clapped her hands together, seeming to realize something.
"I'm the woman in his dreams, the one you told him was 'real, does that help out?"
Liria held her hands out slightly wondering if that would get it.
"I don't know how else to explain it, really. I feel like I touched on everything. Me killing him, me stealing you, the promise, my rifle being broken, his childhood, him not wanting to see me."
The woman counted the things on her hand.
"Yeah I covered everything."
Elsewhere
Luro stood near the ship's edge as Zilia approached him, she noticed he was holding onto a letter, his grip relatively tight on the paper. His body seemed stiff and he didn't seem to notice her approach until she was almost next to him, which was rare.
"You got a letter?" Zilia asked.
"Yeah…it was on my throne chair."
"I see….where's Runali?"
Luro didn't respond immediately but folded up the letter and slipped in his sleeve.
"Z I have to go, Captain and I will be back soon."
Zilia's eyes narrowed slightly and she opened her mouth to comment, wanting to know where they were going and why, but as Luro turned to face her she found her mouth slowly shut. There was a look on Luros' face that was foreign to her, with it even taking a moment for her brain to fill in the blanks. That pause was enough for her to realize that wasn't the right thing to say at this moment.
Holding up a finger Zilia walked away, quickly returning with a small bag, she tossed it at Luro who caught it, surprised by the sudden 'gift'.
"How many days?" Zilia asked.
"...two if I can help it. Come finds us at three."
"I'll tell Alicia, if you use half of those supplies, there will be consequences when you return."
"...thank you Z," Luro said before turning and throwing the bag on ran into town.
The Doctor squeezed the bridge of her nose before turning to give the First Mate the news that they weren't moving for a few days, not sure how to explain the 'why'.
Runali's fingers tapped the chair. Again, she was curious- almost concerned- at these definitions of friends and enemies, but she let it go. It wasn't really important enough to have a whole conversation about it. And everyone was… different. Of course. "And there's no changing your mind…"
She lifted one of her chakram up from the table, twirling it a bit. It wouldn't take a lot to throw it at her, she considered it, a little too much but ultimately ended up hooking it back to her hip. If Luro wanted Runali to fight Liria, she would, but by the sound of it she figured he didn't even want them to meet. Instead, she grabbed the second and tossed it in the air, repeatedly catching. Runali acknowledged the 'woman in his dreams' comment with a nod, taking a moment to think about it. It sounded… familiar, but nothing came to mind immediately. Her thoughtful expression showed. "...I'm sure it'll come back to me, eventually."
When Liria listed everything, she caught the chakram and held it. "In the broad sense, yes. In specific," She idly pressed the sharp end on the edge of the table, being careful enough to not make a scratch. "...Enough for me to ask Luro later." The chakram was tossed in the air once more. "For the record, I don't actually think-" She caught it and looked at Liria once more, staring at the woman and assessing her demeanor. "Ah, nevermind. It's not important now, it's something for… later." Now subjected to waiting, she idly waved a hand around the box home and decided to make 'small talk'. "There a reason you don't like windows? Or doors…"
Liria watched Runali's twirls with arched brows, she almost asked for a turn herself but held back as she observed Runali's face.
"There is a way to change it, but you won't agree to it," Liria said smiling at her. "So yes it's easier to just say no there isn't. Luro wouldn't want it either. Just thought of it now actually."
She felt a little sad she was forgotten as 'the dream woman' but put that aside at her comment on specifics.
"Wait I gave….oh no I didn't," Liria said. "I've been by myself too long….well doesn't matter."
She looked back at Runali curious what she was going to say but didn't press it, mainly because of the following question. With a smile she picked up her kettle only to realize it was empty, brows furrowing she reached over and took Runali's cup.
"Ah well you see I-"
"Liria! Get out here!"
A man's voice echoed from outside, clearly not the other redhead's and a sigh escaped from her.
"Ya open the door for one minute," she said knocking on the table causing it to open again. "Seems I can't stay out of trouble either. Which being a bounty hunter is bad for numerous reasons."
The woman stood up and brushing off the front of her outfit turned around.
"You might want to come too, it's almost time anyway," she said to Runali before walking towards the door.
Outside were four men, a balding somewhat heavyset man in front of them all breathing heavily. His clothing was clearly that of a traveler, though it was torn in some places, his brown beeches had a few holes along with his shirt, and there were numerous leaves in his hair, he was also missing a boot.
"Ah you fell for the traps Belis," Liria said pointing at him.
"You reject harlot! You killed five of my men."
"My traps killed five of your men," Liria said correcting him. "I've been having tea and conversation."
Liria held up the teacup slightly as if to emphasize this.
Once outside the small cabin they were in answer the question of why there were no doors or windows, it appeared a bit of effort had been put into disguising it within the forest. From a distance finding it would prove difficult, though up close a bit of the illusion faded. Liria figured the moment she opened the door they probably caught the light and immediately followed it, she sighed a bit realizing it too late.
The one named Belis was completely red from head to toe, clearly furious and he only realized Liria's guest shortly after, his eyes widening landed on Runali and the red faded in the process.
"...is that Runali Lev! Her bounty's bigger than yours! If I bring both of you in-"
"I'm going to stop you right there," Liria said holding up a hand. "Belis I know you want revenge for…uh…"
"Stealing my bounty, the one that would have bought me happiness in more ways than one."
"You're still on about that?"
"You burned half of it front of me!"
"I only needed half….and I wanted to spite you cause it's funny."
"It's not funny!" Belis said his face heating up again.
"See he looks like tomato," Liria said to Runali pointing at him. "Cause you know the no hair. Never gets old."
"Kill her and the Captain of Stardusk," Belis said drawing the pistol off his waist.
Runali quietly followed, keeping a few steps to the side of Liria, first examining the 'house' and then the men that were yelling. At the mention of taking her bounty, Runali raised a brow. "Hey I didn't even do anything, don't put me in this. I was 'kidnapped'." She put air quotes around the word, but didn't really seem to pay too much attention to them. "...Yeah does look like a tomato, can't argue there."
The men raised their rifles to the two and Liria held up a finger which surprisingly caused the men to pause.
"Belis…I'm in a good mood today so I'm willing to let you go, mainly because I have business with someone else."
She pointed behind Belis to the clearing of the forest. Luro walked out from behind a tree rifle in hand, his eyes moving straight to Liria, he paid no mind to the men who raised their rifles to him, Liria doing the same. Far as the two were concerned, Belis and his men didn't exist, at least until Liria spoke again.
"If you fire one of those guns, you're going to die with your men Belis."
"Damn it…isn't that Luro Makachi…well at the very least I can kill you before they get me. Without your rifle-"
"She can kill you without the gun," Luro said.
The smile was missing from his face as he stared at the grinning woman on the other side of the strange standoff.
"...I'm glad your safe Captain though I had a feeling," Luro said his smile returning when it came to her. "…I kinda already know the answer but you wouldn't be willing to go back to the ship would you?"
"I want her to stay."
"That's why I want her to go."
"She's not gonna."
"Well I'm gonna try."
"Not gonna work. We're buddies now."
"Nuh-uh we're buddies."
"You're a fiance, that's a different kind of buddy."
"...wait how is it different?"
"Oh that's easy to explain, so when two people are desperately lonely-"
"Would you two stop!" Belis said looking between the two of them. "Look I only want the woman, uh Liria. I ain't gonna take on two Worst Gen's, you two please leave, my business is with her."
"I'm not leaving," Luro said resting his rifle on his shoulder.
Liria's eyelids lowered slightly before she spoke.
"Good. I'm fine with right here, you can even have the first shot, just make it count."
Runali perked up a little to see Luro, though it fell into slight concern. Still, she smiled and nodded. "She said I was bait. I told her she could've just asked." Runali said, realizing that explanation was more of a thing to tell someone like Zil or Alicia. She didn't really need to explain how she didn't cause trouble this time.
When they started going back and forth, Runali scratched her cheek, ignoring Belis for a moment. "Luro, we're both. And I can explain that later. L-... Liria. Lira," She nearly forgot the name, "We are neither. We're not buddies. I just appreciate your honesty. Unfortunately," Runali looked over at Luro, her smile becoming a little more sympathetic. "She is right though. I didn't plan on leaving. Annnnd she shot me before I got here, so I don't know where in the forest we are…" She thought about it, "Hm… could call Coral but she's probably too far…" Runali waved the thought away, still planning to stay. "But as for them,"
Runali looked over at the men and Belis with a too kind look that didn't match the threatening aura she exuded. It wasn't exactly haki, just intimidation. "You seem like a gambling man, and since these two are busy, want to gamble how quick I can kill you or do you want to play it smart and leave?" She twirled the chakram she was holding. "Just know, when you die, I'm taking everything you've got. So, what'll be mister tomato?"
Luro expression didn't change upon hearing Runali's response at first, though the small smile seemed to be enough of a sign that he knew the answer, and accepted it pretty quickly.
"Had to try Captain…and that would be appreciated because now I'm confused."
Belis eyed the situation, his eyes twitching at being called a tomato again but he was frozen in place, this was a clearly terrible situation.
One Worst Gen was one thing but two was pushing it and he still wasn't sure how much of a fight Liria was going to put up, she was a skilled shooter at least.
"You don't seem shocked hearing I shot her?" Liria questioned.
"I followed the ricochet patterns, I know your style by now," Luro said. "Captain's scent was also where the ricochet ended, it wasn't hard to figure out. Didn't see blood and you've done that to me."
Liria offered a shrug and Belis' hands clenched into fists but he knew a losing battle when he saw one.
"...fine…I know when to fold, men we're-"
"No! She dies right now!"
A voice came from one of the Belis companions, their rifle still trained on Liria, the redheaded woman's brows arched and she took a closer look at the person to see a woman glaring at her.
"One of your traps killed my lover…I'm not walking away."
Liria reached up and squeezed the bridge of her nose as the woman continued.
"You all can run, I'm killing her."
"Listen lady, you can love again and I'm sure your lover would want you to live a nice long-"
"What do you know?! Don't lecture me murderer!"
The female gunman stared at the woman before shaking her head slightly
Liria reached up and grabbing the ribbon in her hair pulled it out letting her hair fall to the bottom of her back. The moment she did Luro immediately raised his rifle pointing it at her, which ultimately caused those who lowered their guns to immediately raise them again at those gathered.
Reaching back Liria ruffled her hair purposefully messing it up before letting out a content sigh.
"All right…I'm done with all this politeness," the woman said narrowing her eyes at Belias' group.
Belis wasn't sure why Luro had raised his rifle until he took a good look at Liria, the woman from before seemed non-existent now. The switch was night and day, he'd encountered Liria multiple times, she didn't seem the woman worth her bounty in each of their encounters, it was partially why he ignored it, but her skill proved she was more than a pretty face more times then he could count.
This was different, the woman in front of him matched the stories he heard, the reason why no one went after her bounty.
Looking at her she seemed a beast recently uncaged, the grin that adorned her face spoke volumes of her intent, he felt fear creep into his body staring into the amused eyes of this woman.
She was going to kill them all.
His mind told him that, his instincts screamed at him that this was true.
"...put the gun down," Belis said keeping his gaze locked on her. "We need to go."
"I'm not going!"
Liria grabbed her shoulder and rotated it causing a small crack followed by a content sigh.
"You all came to kill me, you should have been prepared to die yourself. Don't point your weapon at someone not expecting to get murdered yourself," Liria said rotating her wrists.
Even the way she spoke was different, a bit more relaxed but somehow crass, she seemed like she was failing at pretending to care with each word spoken.
"Don't you-"
"Look pull the trigger or don't pull the trigger I got things to do, get your revenge if you're gonna get it, I got business to care of lady. I'm not gonna hold back just cause your feelings are hurt."
"You-"
The woman's finger pulled the trigger.
"Don't-" Luro yelled but it was too late.
The rifle fired and Liria raised her hand and making a flicking motion a spark appeared before red splattered along the tree's, Belis's group stared wide eyed, a bullet clear hole through each their skulls before they all fell to the ground.
Belis felt his heart fall into his stomach as Liria lowered her armament coated finger, the blood of his comrade staining his singular boot.
He couldn't even follow what had happened, Luro apparently could as it was the reason the generally confident shooter's finger was only resting on his trigger.
Small marks on the tree's were the only proof something had happened minus the bodies on the forest floor.
"Wha-" Belis eyes widened as he noticed his own gun was trained on him, the pistol in Liria's hand. When she had acquired the gun was open to debate but her intent to kill was made clear.
"Take the young Captain's warning Belis. My friend is giving you an out."
"...I'll take it," Belis said holding his hands up.
He backed away until he was out of sight and ran away, Liria aimed the pistol at Luro, the two staring down the barrels of their gun at each other.
"Runali," Liria said. "You wanna come with us? We ain't gonna fight here…will draw too much attention and this won't work for us…Luro wants to be at an advantage anyway. Fighting me here…would be bad wouldn't it Luro."
Luro's eyes moved over to Runali at this, then back at Liria.
"Do you have a place in mind?"
"I do."
"Then lead the way. I told Z I'd be back in a few days Captain…as I thought she left with you."
"My ship's at the docks, I'm ready when you two are."
"Hm. I was only partially bluffing…" Runali watched the man run off before assessing all the damage done in the matter of moments. Had she not been paying attention, she wouldn't have guessed Liria was the cause. "Poor lady… I'm sure her lover didn't want to see her so soon." She spoke idly to herself, moving away from the bodies as the moment passed. They were warned though and there was little else she could say about it. Runali caught sight of Liria's haki and it only made her wonder more about her and Luro's history. But instead of questioning, she took a step to the side and placed her chakram at her hip. "She's not gonna be happy about this then…" She shook her head. "Especially not on her day off… At least you left a note. Would be worse if you didn't." Runali nodded over at Liria. "Yeah, yeah I'm following."
Luro didn't want to think about the fury that would come later but he nodded in agreement that it'd at least be mitigated by saying something.
Liria's ship wasn't terribly far, she brought only a few knicknacks before setting another trap at the door, wasting little time setting out.
The ship was a simple cutter and Luro somehow got forced into helping get things ready, they set out shortly after with Liria at the helm, the wheel in one and a compass in the other.
Luro led Runali to the other side of the ship, clearly wanting her as far away from Liria as possible, sitting on the edge of the boat with his arms crossed he glanced over at the woman steering the ship before his gaze moved back over to Runali.
"Sorry for asking you to leave earlier Captain and for not telling you about Liria," he said with a small nod. "When I lost myself as Imposter I forgot a lot of things…because of that I couldn't remember her…well my mind couldn't, my body somehow knew."
Luro closed his eyes at this for a moment before opening them and continuing.
"The memories were all there but they were jumbled up…I wasn't sure what was real or not."
Looking back at Liria the woman caught his gaze and grinned at him causing him to look away again and back at Runali.
"...still you should at least know our relationship if we can even call it that. My…frenemy… Alloppon…I'm not sure which but it's a long story and even I don't know which parts are completely true…but she's after you Captain so you should at least know why."
So everything started with me just minding my own business Captain.
"Catch that brat!"
A group of men holding rifles ran through the forest, hot on the tails of a redheaded child.
The boy held onto the tricorne hat on his head as he ran through the forest, he quickly turned into the brush and the men followed.
"We're getting that bounty on Luro's head now boys!"
The men cheered and ran deeper into the wood, the boy poked his head out from a tree watching them run into the distance, once their forms vanished along with their voices he let out a shaky breath and slid down the tree, sitting on the forest floor.
"...that was too close," Luro said removing his hat. "I can't keep running, I managed to get away with it this time…but I can't do anything if I'm caught…and running all the time isn't helping me…I need to be a monster."
Luro put his hat back on and stood up, he wasn't strong enough to deal with adults, especially armed ones.
"Hey someone's armed behind you."
Luro felt something press against the back of his head and his eyes widened as a click resonated behind him.
"Told ya."
Luro slowly put his hands up and a hand went to his shoulder forcibly turning him around, and in front of him…was an armed adult. His eyes first went to her red hair that hung to the top of her back, she seemed pretty young from first glance. She dressed in what seemed to be a red justaucorps opened revealing the white tunic under it. A pair of brown breeches that went all the way to her brown boots filled out the rest of the outfit.
He wasn't sure why but seeing this woman in fancy clothes, especially ones with frills in the wrist and collar didn't seem right. Her demeanor didn't scream 'fancy person' and there was mud splattered here and there on the outfit.
"The hell kid," the woman said narrowing her eyes at him. "Least ask a woman's name before you eye her like a harlot at sunset."
"I wasn't eyeing you…your outfit's weird," Luro said. "Also that's oddly specific."
"Well thank you for asking, my name's Liria and yes I am having a good day today."
"I didn't ask."
"The outfit is something I took off dead bodies," Liria said ignoring Luro's comment. "Blame their fashion sense, not mine."
"...you mean body right?"
"No bodies. Had to change clothes and luckily the guys who attacked me were my size, or close enough. Honestly it fits really well, the last outfit I had was kind of tight in places."
Luro remained silent, not commenting on it.
"The chest area for example."
"I didn't ask."
"Well you were looking at em'."
"I was looking at the outfit!"
"Sure you were kid."
"Look are you going to shoot me or not?"
"Yep."
Liria pulled the trigger of the gun shooting Luro in the skull.
********************************
"So that's one memory," Luro said looking at Runali. "Since I'm still alive that's clearly one Imposter made but up to that point I'm…pretty sure is how we met. She did put a gun against my head, I remember that."
Luro said this crossing his arms over his chest.
"...anyway things happened and I apparently wagered you in the past."
Luro crossed his arms not absolutely sure how to explain that part so he hoped she would understand when he finished.
"Are you following along Captain…because I'm trying not to get lost while telling it. I'm not sure which parts is real…and knowing Liria she's not going to clarify so all I can do is tell you the version I know."
Runali nodded, watching them both with a head in her hand. "Yeah, no worries. I'm following." She made a lazy gestured towards him. "Kinda easy to tell where it gets jumbled. Y'know, considering a bullet to the skull usually isn't something people come back from…" Runali squinted as her thoughts drifted. "...Usually. Won't say it's impossible though." The lazy gesture became a dismissive wave, not wanting to think too hard on the thousands of possibilities. She had known Luro long enough to understand the truth in his stories, if she started second guessing now, all that would start to come undone. "But, explain the wager part. And how far in the past are we talking?"
Luro gave a firm nod that meant he could keep going without hesitation then, because he was probably going to have to rely on Runali to piece together what parts were real and what weren't, which admittedly wasn't a good thing given he was telling the story but that was something to deal with later.
"I know a few that have survived," Luro said with a nod. "Anyway right the wager…to understand that I'll have to get to that pont and I was just a lad when this all happened."
Luro looked over at Liria who was guiding the ship.
"...I'm not sure how she's barely aged, it's been over a decade…"
Luro blinked a few times before shaking his head.
"I'll just continue."
********************************
Admittedly Captain I wasn't absolutely certain what to make of her when we met, I feared for my life but I also didn't feel the usual animosity I felt from most adults, I think that's what kept me from running when we first met each other. I'm not sure if I regret that now or not.
"Look are you going to shoot me or not?"
Liria kept her gun trained on Luro for a moment, her brows arched then lowered. After a brief moment she spun the gun and tossed it to Luro, who almost dropped it trying to catch it.
"Shoot me."
"Huh?" Luro said looking up at her.
"Point the gun at me, and shoot me."
Liria pointed at herself and and Luro looked down at the gun then back at the woman, unsure of what to do he raised the gun and pointed it at her.
He didn't fire immediately, his finger resting on the trigger as Liria stared at him.
"If you don't shoot me I'll shoot you."
The woman pulled another gun from behind her and pointed it at Luro, that extra incentive seemed to be enough to shake off the little hesitation he had. His footing shifted slightly and lining up the shot he pulled the trigger. He stumbled a bit when the gun fired before he noticed the bullet hit a tree near Liria, the woman looking over at the shot that missed her by a considerable distance.
"Wow…you're really bad," she said before lowering her own gun. "How are you still alive?"
Luro stared at the smoking gun before Liria took it from him, he expected to be hit with it but Liria merely knelt down on the balls of her feet, meeting him eye to eye.
"You're bad but…you got potential. You didn't just shoot, you lined up the shot and subconsciously adjusted your balance. I'm guessing how you were standing didn't feel right?"
Luro wasn't sure what to say but as she was right he just offered a nod leading Liria's brows to lower slightly.
"...okay. I'm bored anyway," Liria said standing up. "You're going to learn how to shoot."
Luro's eyes widened slightly and he looked up at the woman who tossed him another pistol.
"You're going to teach me?" he asked holding the gun with both hands.
"Of course not. Do I look like a teacher?" Liria said.
The woman looked down at her fancy outfit and gave a look that even Luro realized was not to comment on it before continuing.
"There's no point in teaching you how to shoot like me. This isn't like using a sword or something else. You raise the gun, you pull the trigger. It's not complicated...well it is but less complicated."
Liria said this with a wave of her hand.
"Guns are easier to use and train in. They can take years to 'master' though; the difference in how you shoot your gun will depend on how you see the world, you and I live very different lives, so the way we line up our shots will be substantially different."
Luro removed his hat and rubbed the side of his head, clearly confused by the explanation.
Liria seeing this squeezed the bridge of her nose and try again.
"When someone teaches a sword or whatever they're passing down direct knowledge, they're showing them how they need to perceive things, what to feel, how to hold the blade, why you hold the blade, all that extra stuff. I know how to use a sword if you wanna learn but with a gun it's very different. While I could show you how I shoot, you'd get the most out of it figuring out how 'you' want to shoot."
Luro stared at Liria for a moment, he didn't require much contemplation as he held the pistol in his hands, he knew what felt 'right'.
"I'll use a gun."
Liria offered a nod and motioned deeper into the forest.
"Good answer, now let's make sure you know which end the bullet comes out of."
**********************
"I didn't really get what she meant back then," Luro said leaning forward. "I just knew I felt more comfortable using a gun than using a sword. In exchange for relieving her boredom she decided not to turn me into the navy…so long as I followed her instructions at least."
Luro said this with a small shrug and a smile.
"This was shortly after I took on Lina's sin…I wasn't sure how to be the monster I needed to be for her…for them. So I grasped at whatever opportunity I could find, Liria was one of them. It was that decision I made that led to the wager you're involved in now Captain."
Luro paused at this before raising up resting his hands on the edge of the ship as he tilted his head at Runali.
"Ah I'm droning on aren't I? Z tells me I forget to get to the main point of stuff. Should I keep going like this? I don't wanna bore you, I can skip right to why you got pulled into this if you want Captain."
"Y'know, sometimes ladies just age nicer." Runali shifted to get a little more comfortable as the story progressed. She made small, quiet comments, mostly to herself so she didn't interrupt the story. Most being "Hm, probably a bad idea to talk to a stranger that threatens you." or "Sounds like a teacher." And another point, nodding in understanding of Liria's 'not-teaching'. So far she was following along.
"Hm, don't think I can picture you as a sword guy." Runali stared at Luro for a moment, envisioning it. "Maybe… in another life." It was dismissed with Luro's questioning and Runali shook her head. "Oh, you're fine. Feels important to know the whole story. Besides, you're telling the story, I don't mind the details." Before he continued though, she couldn't help but add in jest. "S'pose it would be silly to think you've just been a good shot since you were able to hold a gun… Still woulda assumed it."
"I guess so…." Luro said looking back over at Liria. "...now I'm curious what you'll be like Captain. Ah not that I'll go anywhere anyway, I like your insides too Captain."
He tilted his head at the idea of not talking to a stranger putting a gun against his head, his brows lowered a bit in visible confusion but moved past it quickly at the mention of teacher, his eyes twitching a bit at the comment. Luro didn't show discontent with too many things, and this was one of them, but his smile shrunk a little indicating he was less happy than a moment ago.
Luro only opened and closed his hands pretending to swing a sword at the very idea, even he could tell it looked unnatural so he lowered his hands once more.
"Happy to hear Captain," Luro said grinning. "Don't wanna bother ya too much with all this more than I already am anyway."
A small laugh escaped from him at being a marksman the whole time.
"If only Captain, I appreciate the belief in me; it came with a lotta tryin'."
Luro grabbed the bottom of his shirt and raised it slightly revealing a few of the scars on his torso.
"A whole lotta tryin' Captain," Luro said before lowering his shirt. "Now where did I leave off again…oh right!"
*********************************
I'm not sure how to explain my time with Liria, I can't say it was bad but good doesn't really fit it either.
"Why are you running!"
Liria yelled as Luro screamed running through the forest as a large boar chased him, Liria sat in a nearby tree watching the scene throwing her arms up as the creature that was easily double Luro's size grew closer and closer, it's sharp tusks nearing Luro with each passing second.
"I'm not going to help you! Figure out how to beat it!" Liria yelled.
Luro glanced back looking in the creature's bloodshot eyes before turning forward again, ignoring the pain in his legs and the exhaustion creeping into his body, if he stopped he was dead there was no way around that.
He had a gun with one bullet in it against this thing.
Liria looked over at the leaves in the tree and rubbed one between her fingers.
"Hmm fall will be here soon, leaves are already turning orange."
"Ahhhhhhh!"
I think kid me can definitely say it wasn't all good, I got put into situations that almost killed me every time we went out for the day, before I enjoyed it. I spent most of the time just trying to survive, while Liria gave me different problems, with no hints, no assistance, and no advice besides don't die.
"Why am I blindfolded?
Luro's question fell on deaf ears as Liria continued preparing him, Luro wasn't sure what exactly was happening when Liria randomly tied a blindfold around him, but he realized very quickly she only answered very specific questions. Apparently the reason why he was blind wasn't one of them. From what he could tell she was putting something on him as she made him hold his arms out, it felt like a coat at first, a very slimy one. She was rubbing something on his face and tying something to his body alongside the strange coat. The smell seemed oddly familiar but he couldn't tell what exactly it was.
"That should do it," Liria said before moving away from Luro. "What was your question kid?"
"Why am I not allowed to see?"
"Ah you're going to shoot things."
"...don't I need to see to shoot things."
Luro leaned forward as he was smacked upside the back of his head from Liria, from his newfound blindness he stumbled a bit almost tripping over an above ground root before rubbing the back of his head.
"Think for a second kid. Your eyes are the last thing you should aim with."
"...what does that even mean?"
"You'll probably figure it out. Now come here."
Liria grabbed Luro and moved him to a different spot, after a moment Luro felt a strange warm wind suddenly pass over him, listening he realized Liria was fanning him with something, it was hard not to remember the sound of her fan on hot days when she refused to share it, the sound of what he could assume were reeds brushing against each other, admittedly it was a comfort as it was a hot summer day so he didn't move away, but he realized quickly she was being oddly nice.
"...what are you doing?"
"Making sure the scent catches downwind."
"...scent?"
"Of the meat you're wearing."
"Meat?!"
Luro quickly pat his body before finally realizing what the smell was, a loud howl suddenly filled the forest and Liria offered a nod before her footsteps could be heard moving away from him.
"Hey wait! What's going on?!"
Something hard hit Luro in the face causing him to hold his nose for a moment.
"You might wanna pick up that pistol, and ammo," Liria said. "You got three shots, make them count. I counted six wolves earlier. Oh and if you take off the blindfold I'll shoot you myself."
"You want me to shoot six wolves with three bullets! I can't do that when I can see!"
"Figure it out," Liria said. "Oh they're coming. I heard they were starved too so they're going to be extra violent."
Luro could pick up rapid footsteps approaching, he immediately sprinted away from them as growling suddenly reached his ears, he could feel their starved gazes on him as she sprinted through the woods.
Liria sat in her tree, legs up on the branch and body against the base. Folding her hands behind her head she watched Luro sprint away from the wolves.
"Oh they're breaking off to encircle him, I wonder if he noticed?"
"Ow! One bit me! It's going through the meat!"
"Guess not…." she mumbled before moving her hand to the side of her mouth. "Do better! They're going to eat you! Oh wait there's actually seven!"
"Ahhhh!"
Situation after situation, day in and day out. I generally ended up almost bleeding out or was wounded in some way lying on the forest floor. Liria would only step in if my life was truly being threatened. Up until that point even if the animal was on top of me, drooling on my face, snapping at my exposed neck she didn't lift a finger.
She once stared down at me as I was bleeding out, waiting for me to get up. She didn't move until I fully blacked out.
I'd wake up treated but the pain is always there, she made no effort to lessen it, said it's a good reminder. She always treated it enough for me to survive, until the next activity…which took place the next day.
Z always says I don't have any sense of danger…does this have anything to do with it…nah I know what dangerous stuff is so can't be. Anyway my time with her continued.
Luro's footsteps sunk into the winter snow, he hugged his body as he watched his breath come out in white puffs. Winter seemed to come sooner this year, he figured it was due to the sudden change in his life, all the days seemed to blur together. Yesterday just felt like the day before, every day was just another one of survival, if he wasn't in a mini-coma from near death he was surviving some aspect of the forest. He didn't have anything that could serve as proper winter clothing, just his normal outfit which was more for the light chill of fall then the bitter cold that followed it.
Just as he contemplated stopping to request they start a fire he felt something drape over his shoulders, grabbing the edges of it he realized it was a coat, a heavy one. The sudden warmth caused him to pause causing Liria to walk past him, she stopped a few feet ahead arching a brow at him.
"Why did you stop?" she asked. "We're almost there."
"Oh…right sorry….thanks," Luro said hugging the coat tighter and moving forward.
"No point in you freezing to death before we get there, wrap up tight kid."
Luro's gaze moved up to Liria who kept a steady pace in front of him, she had barely changed her outfit and showed no sign of it being cold, minus a black muff she kept her hands in.
He started to wonder if the cold just avoided this woman, she cleaned her top yesterday, sitting in a short sleeved garment as the windchill made him shiver fully dressed up. Did she just decide it was spring for her own body? He didn't understand and though he wanted to pursue it hoping to learn the secret himself, his mind was more focused on what he was going to be put through today.
While he'd generally be concerned, the warmth of the coat pushed away some of concern, she was being oddly nice today.
Liria stopped in front of a large cave and Luro stared into the dark abyss as the woman pointed in there.
"Okay so the bear inside-"
"No. Absolutely not. I'm not fighting a bear today."
"Whaddya mean you're not fighting a bear? What's wrong with that?"
"I'm hungry and I'm cold," Luro said closing his eyes. "I just want to start a fire and sit down. Can't we hunt something…not a bear."
"Well if you hunted properly you wouldn't be hungry."
"You gave me one bullet!"
"And you missed the shot, we both earn our food out here," Liria said arching a brow at him. "Honestly you shouldn't shoot animals with bullets, it can ruin the meat but I don't have a bow and arrow on me."
"So I wouldn't have been able to eat anyway?"
Luro's eyes narrowed at the woman as his stomach also made its irritation known to both Luro and the woman.
"That's not important, what is important is you're going to kill a bear today."
Liria raised her gun and shot into the darkness, as she did a loud growl soon followed causing Luro to flinch.
"Especially now that she's awake and angry after getting shot," the woman said lowering her gun. "I aimed where I'd do the least damage so don't expect her to bleed out."
"That's not fair!"
"It's absolutely fair, also heads up this guy's kind of mean. Been hunted by humans before, survived the encounters with a few scars so…yeah he doesn't like us-"
"What?!"
"Don't interrupt. Anyway I rubbed that coat on a sleeping female bear so her scent is all over it. I'm not sure if it'll rile him up further, figured I'd give it a shot."
Luro stared at Liria jaw agape before the woman looked into the darkness as the growling grew louder. This woman was a monster, there was no other explanation on how this counted as entertainment.
"All right don't die. Later."
Liria vanished from sight and Luro quickly looked around as she the woman's presence completely faded, he noticed the pistol in the snow and kneeling down picked it up.
A large shadow covered his body and turned as a black grizzly stood on its hind legs at him.
There were numerous scars along his body and he could almost feel the animosity at this point.
"....so you're going to laugh about how this situation happened," Luro said before the bear lunged at him.
***************************
"I can certainly admit when I'm wrong," Runali couldn't help but interject. "Was right about not being a teacher..." Runali shook her head. "You're like a devil with free time to kill… Seven wolves? And now a bear?! No mercy even for a kid." It was no use trying to find reason in it, not while Luro was telling the story at least, so she sighed. "Your resistance to death is… admirable, Luro. Really, it's like the door's right there and you walk past it every time. Uh, sorry, carry on."
Luro offered a grin to Runali waving a hand that it was fine.
"Thank you Captain, one of the things I'm proud of is my sterdiness after all…and yeah maybe the reason Imposter's cruelty didn't bother me as much…is I already met a demon once."
Luro looked over at Liria who was happily still steering the ship towards their destination.
"Well, a demon is what I wanted to be so at least I met a proper one. Now where was I…oh yeah after the bear incident."
*******************************************
Day in and day out it was the same tradition, she didn't give me the smallest bit of advice on how to line up a shot, on shooting, reloading, adjusting for the wind, or any of that stuff. She just handed me the gun and told me to figure it out, so calling her my teacher or mentor doesn't really feel right. When it came to guns I wasn't really 'taught' anything, at least personally. Well unless you call not dying from her entertainment training then I guess that counts. She did give me some advice though, I can't deny that.
Liria poked at the fire in front of her, the winter months had been supposedly harsh according to Luro. She wondered why he had such a weird aversion to the cold, as she contemplated making him lie in the snow, garbed in the outfit of his birth just long enough to get used to it, Luro walked back to their mini-campsite.
They had taken refuge in an abandoned cave, Luro who was wrapped in bandages still had trouble entering caves after the bear accident a few months back. He always flinched and reached for his gun out of habit. She was glad he was learning.
"Welcome back Kid, how'd the hunting go?"
Luro set a rabbit down by the fire causing Liria to nod as she knelt down and inspected the animal.
"Look at that, you're getting better….wait it's leg is injured, you had one bullet that clearly went into the chest there."
Liria pointed her stick at the rabbit and Luro sighed.
"...it was caught in a trap…I stood at five person distance and fired."
Liria's eyes narrowed and Luro leaned away seeing her mouth twitch slightly, but the woman just sat back in her spot.
"Well I did say so long as you shoot something, deal's a deal. Go ahead, skin it and prepare it."
Luro's relief died down slowly turning into despair as he looked at the rabbit.
"...I don't know how to do that."
"Guess you're not eating then," Liria responded simply.
"That's not fair!"
"Life's not fair."
Luro held back the tears threatening to sting the corner of his eyes and Liria raised her stick before pointing it at him.
"Anyway kid I gotta tell you something."
Luro held back the many comments he wanted to make but nodded and moved a bit closer to listen to Liria, the woman went to speak but seeing the pistol on Luro's waist drew her own before pointing it at Luro.
Luro's hand almost went to his own gun but staring down the barrel of Liria's he realized it was too late and raised his hands.
"The hell you got that gun on your waist for Kid?"
"Huh?" Luro said, looking down at his pistol.
"You normally hide it."
"Oh uh…I just felt like wearing it."
A gunshot rang out and Luro felt a searing pain in his shoulder, he reached up and gripped it as red flowed into the bandage, for a moment he didn't register that Liria had shot him. Wide eyed his gaze went to the woman who eyed him with a cold glare.
"That was a fake bullet."
The woman hit a switch on the side of her gun, and Luro heard the familiar chamber click in her strange brass pistol meaning another bullet was loaded.
"This one is real."
The woman raised the barrel of the gun, pointing it at Luro's skull and his body froze, the pain was secondary to the silent threat in front of him.
She purposefully aimed at a recently wrapped wound to reopen it, he didn't doubt she'd end him and take his bounty right here and now.
"If you wear a weapon in the open Kid…you're asking to get yourself killed. Carrying a weapon out like that has a lot of meanings, one of which is a silent warning you know how to use it, or at least are pretending too. What're you going to do if someone seeing you armed wants to test their weapon at you, or perceives you as a threat."
Luro swallowed and forced his mouth to open, if he stayed silent for too long she'd shoot him. Her patience once angry was a few seconds at best.
"...I didn't know," Luro managed to get out.
"Now you do," Liria said standing up. "When you know how to use that thing, then you carry it out in the open. Do you know what it means to draw your weapon Kid?"
"...No Ma'am."
Liria put the barrel against Luro's forehead.
"It means you're prepared to die. You okay with dying today Kid?"
Luro's eyes moved to the woman's finger resting on the trigger, slowly pulling it towards her as he hesitated.
"N-no Ma'am."
"Then keep it hidden," Liria said lowering her gun. "I was fully prepared for you to put a bullet through my head Kid, and don't call me Ma'am."
"I…couldn't shoot you Liria."
"Doesn't matter," Liria said knocking his hand away from the wound. "If someone draws their weapon it means they're prepared to die. Anyone who isn't, is an idiot and not respecting the person in front of them. Be prepared to shoot Luro."
Luro watched as Liria undid his bandage to take a closer look at the wound, his eyes moved over to the woman, the light flickering off the flame cast her expression in a soft glow. For a moment he thought it looked…gentler, but it passed quickly as she glanced at him, expecting a response.
"S-so I should be prepared to die if I draw my gun."
"That's right Kid. That doesn't mean you get yourself killed. This world is harsh, you can risk your life to win, that's natural and comes with our profession… but-"
Liria paused her eyes meeting Luro's forcing his gaze.
"Don't throw your life away just to win Luro. Be prepared to die but don't embrace it, your life isn't just yours. You get it?"
"I…I don't really get it. I need to win so…"
"S'fine if you don't get it yet, given all you've done is survive, expecting you to get it from the get go is asking too much," Liria said wrapping the wound back up. "Just don't forget that one rule. Anyone who draws their weapon…should be prepared to die. Don't show a moment of hesitation to anyone who draws a weapon on you."
"I-I got it. I won't forget…no matter what."
"Good. Do that and you'll survive to at least adulthood…maybe."
Luro remained silent as Liria continued to wrap his wound.
"Um…what did you want to say."
Liria paused her brows lowering.
"...damn it I forgot. Oh well, hey look up for me."
Luro looked up before Liria put the barrel of her gun against his chin and pulled the trigger.
*******************
"Wait…Imposter's messing with my memories again…or might have been this whole time," Luro said bringing a hand to his head. "Sorry Captain, give me a second to sort through this. She likes to make it obvious at some point just to show she's involved."
Luro shook his head a bit before slowly lowering his hand.
"...that was the first time she called me by name…well if that memory is real. I know that rule though…the rule is real. I didn't get it then…but…your life isn't just yours."
Luro looked up at Runali and smiled.
"I didn't get it till I met you and everyone else Captain. I'm a part of people's lives, and they're a part of mine. I'll go making people sad if I go kicking the bucket. I'm a member of Stardusk and Luro Makachi, my life isn't just my own anymore."
Luro grinned at this before reaching up and rubbing the side of his head.
"Though…Liria will be upset if she finds out I'm not being completely merciless, gotta follow your rules after all Captain, they take priority."
Luro lowered his hand before bringing a hand to his chin.
"I forgot so much of this. This is before I lost to Imposter though…after I became him…everything was just…'gone' or altered enough that I didn't recognize it…though I still don't even know."
Luro lowered his hand from his face.
"I'm saying all this but it doesn't…feel real. Only bits and pieces and I can only guess small pieces that…'feel' right."
Luro folded his hands together before smiling.
"I think I'm okay Captain. Shall I continue? I…feel like I'm getting close to how you're involved in all this."
"Y'know, I think I'm starting to get why people are so afraid of you. I'm sure if we were actually enemies, you'd be a scary force of nature to deal with. So it's a good thing we're not." She reached over and gently patted his leg in some manner of reassurance and sympathy. "Eventually you'll find all the pieces- all the right pieces that is. Might take a while considering how long you were," She poked his chest with her free hand. "Y'know, less you and more empty… and out for blood. But, you've got a family that'll help you out now and at the very least we'll be here to remind you that you're very real and very important… Or in Z's case, very mortal and in need of bandages constantly." With a reassuring thumbs up, she added. "S'okay if you're not okay. I certainly wouldn't be after being forced to fight for survival. But, now's the time for stories minus the part where you get a bullet to your head, that part we'll skip over."
Luro offered a grin a little proud at being considered a force of nature, but he liked the idea of being on Runali's side more than the opposite. If he was a problem for someone else that was bothering Stardusk he couldn't ask for more.
His body seemed to visibly relax at Runali's words, sometimes it was hard to believe all of this was real, he had people to support him, and people he supported. If he needed help he could ask for it, if someone didn't feel real he could hug them and check. He even had someone who was concerned for his well being, enough to hurt him just to help him.
This wasn't another illusion, Runali was here, this warmth was real.
"Thanks Captain…that helps…that helps more than I can put into words. I always appreciate you guys…and you're right, I'll find it…especially with my family around me."
With a grin Luro nodded and straightening up smacked his cheeks with both hands.
"Okay! Back to it," Luro said before looking back at Runali. "Back to the story without me getting killed. We're close to how you're involved in all this Captain. The other stuff was important…as it leads to why we have to kill each other."
This memory….is one that has been playing in my head repeatedly for a while now. Up until now I could never put a face to a name…but now I remember that it was Liria though even now I doubt if this memory is real, more than the other ones. Still I'll tell you what seems right.
A low groan escaped Luro as he slowly regain consciousness, a sweet scent lingered in the air and a strange softness enveloped him. The different sensation gave him pause, it wasn't a hard floor or the smell of gunpowder as Liria cleaned her gun nearby. He wondered if it was a dream at first though what followed caused him to open his eyes.
Gentle humming reached him as the wind tickled his exposed skin, the parts not wrapped in bandages, which was most of him at this point. The song was a familiar one, that forced painful memories to the surface, a mix of longing and sadness filled him and caused him to set up despite the pain to find the source.
He turned towards the source and for a moment saw his mother, holding a baby Lina in her arms, the image fading quickly as his eyes adjusted to see Liria sitting nearby, staring out into the field of flowers he was for some reason in.
A myriad of colors surrounded him, in a small eden within the forest but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Liria.
There was a serenity he had never seen from the woman, when her eyes opened he saw a sadness behind him, and without realizing felt something sting the edges of his eyes.
Liria's gaze moved over to him and the humming stopped, her brow arched and the woman he had come to know returned just as quickly.
"What's wrong with you kid? You're on the verge of crying."
"I-I'm not…." Luro said reaching up and wiping his eyes with his bandaged arm.
"Good, you just fought a pride of lions, no reason to cry about that."
"I'm pretty sure there is…" Luro mumbled.
Liria stared at Luro as the youth kept his gaze on her, she could tell he clearly wanted to ask a question, so she remained silent hoping he would lose the will too.
"...what was that song you were humming?"
The woman's brows arched a bit at this and she leaned forward a bit.
"You like it or somethin' kid?"
"...my mother…I think she hummed that song."
Liria's brows arched before she leaned back resting on her hands, she hadn't asked too much about his past and he didn't ask much about her's, but there was a question she had always wanted to ask him, since he was digging there was no reason to pass up the opportunity.
"That why you want to be a monster?"
Luro's eyes twitched and widening he looked back at Liria who narrowed her eyes at him, it seemed she got her answer.
"How did you-"
"I heard you talk about it that day. Why I've been helping you."
"...helping me?"
"You want to kill people right?"
Luro fell silent, he swallowed something back down into the pit of his being and while he didn't confirm it he didn't deny it either. He wasn't sure how much Liria knew about what he said but it was already too much.
"You gotta earn that right," Liria said. "You don't just get to kill humans. You want to be a monster you gotta be at least near the top of the hierarchy. You can't kill a rabbit, much less a wolf, taking out a person ain't happening, we at least pretend we're at the top. Don't make comments like that when you can't even hunt."
"...that's why you did all this?"
"For fun too, I was bored," Liria said with a shrug. "You shouldn't make claims like that and not prove you're prepared to follow through kid. Road paved in the blood of others ain't nothin' to think lightly about."
"...I know that….but I have to. If I don't…she'll have to bear that burden. I promised mother…"
Liria eyed Luro, whatever the kid had gone through it clearly pushed him to this point. Judging by his wanted poster there was no going back for him either, surrender meant execution and with the amount of his crimes very few were going to listen to what he had to say. If she wasn't after bigger prey even she would have considered turning in his bounty, it wasn't just pocket change the navy wanted for him.
He would have to take lives eventually just to survive, he had no choice in the matter.
"Tell me your story, kid. I'm already invested anyway."
Luro seemed to hesitate, causing Liria to raise her pistol to him.
"Or you can bore me and I just kill you now. Bounty's only slightly reduced with a body."
Though hesitant Luro told his story to Liria, while he expected the woman to show her usual lack of care as she always did, he noticed her expression soften slightly and at the end of it she said nothing at first only staring at him, unblinking.
"I see…that sounds about right. The world shows no mercy to anyone, even kids…though I am sorry you lost your mom like that."
Liria stood up and brushed off her bottom.
"That song is a common one. It's nothing particularly special. It's about love…for someone close to you. Couldn't tell you the words honestly, I only know the tune."
"I see…" Luro said before he jumped as something was thrown at him.
Catching it he realized it was Liria's rifle, he blinked at the weapon in his arms, it was far heavier than it looked, he struggled to hold it and pulled it closer to his body.
It was a simple weapon but even he could see a story was etched into the sides of the rifle, he never thought he'd touch it much less hold it, Liria didn't show care for a lot of things but the one thing he knew she loved was this gun.
"...why did you-"
"Imma lend you that."
Luro looked up at Liria as she adjusted the second rifle on her back.
"You did good kid. So you deserve a reward. That rifle is very precious to me, it was a gift from someone I cared about, someone no longer with us."
"W-wha I can't take this. It's-"
"S'fine kid. You need a proper gun. I got other things to do anyway."
"You're leaving?"
"Yep, got business to take care of. The kind of business I don't need to get a kid wrapped up in."
Luro wasn't sure what could be worse than fighting essentially every predator, but the look in Liria's eyes made it clear there was no room for discussion. He wasn't sure how to feel about Liria leaving, she had put him through so much, threatened his life and treated him more like a toy than a person.
Yet strange as it was she had been the nicest adult he had met in some time, which in itself was saying a lot but at the end of the day she didn't just leave him to die.
He stared at the gift in his hands then back up at Liria as she spoke again.
"Don't forget you're borrowing it. I'm going to come back for it one day. If you lose or break it…then I'm going to take what is most precious to you, whether you give it to me willingly or not. Got it kid?"
The woman's steely gaze met his and he swallowed the emotions that rose up before nodding.
"I'll take care of it."
"Good…then I'll see you later kid. I had something to tell ya but I forgot. I'll just tell you when we meet again."
With that Liria turned and walked away from Luro, raising a hand before she faded into the woods.
"A few years later I got into a really fun fight, and the rifle got cut clean in half."
"I made my new rifle out of the remnants of her rifle…but then that one got broken in another fight, so I made remnants of that one into another that also got broken and well…"
Luro trailed off and grabbing his rifle spun it around before tapping the side of a gun, in a tiny spot on the underside, hard to catch even when looking closer, there was an extremely tiny bit of wood, about the size of a flea that was discolored from the rest of the material.
"That's what's left of it now."
Spinning the rifle back around he returned it to his back.
"When I heard she was in the neighborhood I realized she'd be coming straight for you…so yeah that's why she's here and how you got pulled into this. My bad Captain."
Runali opened her mouth, closed it, and repeated that twice before she opted to just cross her arms over her chest and look between them. "I s'pose… I guess I get it." She followed the story, even through all of Luro's deaths that didn't happen (that definitely should've in any normal situation). But most of what she understood was how Luro became so durable. "Guess someone's gotta have at least the semblance of a heart or an incredible amount of boredom to… watch and train a child into," She made a claw with one hand. "An apex predator." She looked at Luro and nodded as if confirming it. "I get the 'taking something precious to you' part. It's sweet, really. There's no need to apologize for it." She gestured to herself, "It's not the first time someone's tried kidnapping me or tried to take my bounty, or held a personal grudge- whatever the reason, this one might be a first."
This time, she looked at Liria. "A lot of effort you've put into all of this too." Runali shrugged. "And from the story, you never said he couldn't improve the rifle. He was courteous enough to fix it this many times and keep bits of its core. I've seen him fiddle with it countless times and I could bet in confidence that it's stronger than it was when you first gave it to him. May look different now, but it still shoots like a rifle, still holds whatever sentiment you had before… definitely has been useful for killing and protecting. The job gets done." Runali cleared her throat and mumbled. "S'a bit irresponsible to just leave your things with someone for years, too. At that point you could've just let him keep it and saved yourself the trouble of kidnapping. Unless this was all some overly planned excuse to check up on him. Coulda started with a hello instead." Realizing she was going off on a ramble, she gave a dismissive wave. "All I'm saying is, I don't really see the thread that is either of you doing all of that just to settle on needing to shoot each other about it years later."
"I'm not sure what it is myself but yeah I can say I've fought pretty much every predator out there, even the big ones. Except Sea Monsters, I still gotta kill one of those. That one we encountered I kinda wanna chase after again."
He grinned hearing it was okay he got her pulled into things.
"True Captain, I do still feel bad I couldn't remember her though. Sorry I can't explain it better so I'm glad you got it."
Liria didn't look up from the wheel and only stopped her humming realizing she was being addressed, she looked over at the two at that point and arched a brow.
"You like semantics don't ya Runali," Liria said smiling at the woman. "Just like a proper pirate looking past what's right in front of ya, I like that. Afraid that's not how this works though Lass."
Liria's eyes moved to Luro.
"A promise is a promise. It's one thing he and I take very seriously. The moment he broke my rifle, he knew what would happen. Don't matter a tiny chunk of it is part of his new rifle, or that he tried to fix it only to break it again. He broke it. Long and short of it. No excuses or exceptions and he knows it. Matter of pride Lass"
Liria focused back on the sea.
"You don't gotta see it really, the matter is between him and me. You just got pulled into it due to really fun circumstances I can't deny that I'm enjoying. Though I'll tell you what Runali-"
Liria trailed off and shoved something under the wheel to keep it in place before releasing it and walking down the steps, she sat on the edge of the ship near the two causing Luro's hand to go this rifle.
She crossed her arms and grinned at the Stardusk Captain. She carried a confidence and presence to rival the woman's own, the redheaded devil who help make Luro who he was today, with a fire in her eyes unwilling to extinguish, an ambition unspoken behind her gaze.
"You come with me, no one has to die today. Abandon your goal, abandon your crew, abandon Luro and this all comes to an end. You're asking me to abandon my pride, only fair I ask the same."
"I like to know the rules before I break 'em is all. Part of what makes me a still living pirate, I'd think. That and every time my crew catches someone on my blind side. And lady, you're messing with that system if you kill him." She had a joking tone as she went on. "To try and take a blind woman's support from her, tsk tsk. And the Navy thinks pirates are the worst things out there." She stayed in place as Liria walked towards them, mostly because she was still comfortable. "Pride, is that what you call it? You sure it's not narcissism?" Runali laughed and raised a hand in mock surrender. "No, no you're right. I know pride very well. It's gotten me in my fair share of fights. At worst, having to deal with Jones." Still looking at Liria, she patted Luro's leg as if telling him to relax. "Nothing good comes from too much of it. But you've lived this long, you don't need me to ramble on about it."
Instead, she patted Luro again. "He's not one to make promises he won't keep. I've learned that much. Wouldn't be fair of me to tell him to break it. That's his choice. Just like it was mine to make the trip with you two. Besides, even if I agreed the rest of my crew would make a scene and you don't want that. That's just more work for you." She shrugged. "You're also not the most friendly, no offense. Sounds like more of a chore to go with you than learn about your pride. Maybe not 'fighting bears' kind of chore though… Anyway," She looked over at Luro. "You know I wouldn't stop you from doing things you said you needed to do, right? You can be as selfish as you want to be in your decisions, even if that means fulfilling a promise a crazy woman made when you were a kid. "
"None taken I make no effort to be friendly unless I feel like it," Liria said with a grin. "Well it won't be a choice eventually so doesn't matter none to me."
Luro seemed to relax a bit at Runali's touch, his hand slowly moving away from his rifle, he released a breath he was apparently holding, his eyes locked on Liria as she leaned forward and stood up again.
"Thank you Captain…I…really didn't want you pulled into this one though. I didn't want you of all people to see me like this."
There was a strange clarity in the redhead's eyes as his lids narrowed slightly, though his normal smile and demeanor returned as quickly as it left.
"I gotta keep my promises, Captain. Even the annoying ones."
"You two are absolutely adorable…I might actually feel bad after this…maybe," Liria said brushing off her bottom.
"...Liria what exactly do you want? I know it's to settle things but you could have put a bullet through my head from a distance and ended it, or just killed Captain back there. I know it's impossible to sense your shots. There's more to this isn't there?"
The woman looked back at the two shoving her hands into her pockets, her brows arching a bit.
"There really isn't Luro. I thought I was pretty honest. I mean if you're asking there is another reason."
"What's that?"
"I'm bored."
"....really?"
"Really," Liria said her eyelids narrowing. "Honestly wouldn't have minded the whole of Stardusk coming after me, would have been a fun fight, hell they might still come depending. I'm a proud and I won't deny narcissistic woman, been told it and got no reason to refute it. I know what I am Makachi and what I want. I came to resolve our promise and I'm going to fight you because you want to protect her. It'll be fun in the end for me either way."
Luro sighed and standing up met Liria's gaze properly.
"That's just like you. You really haven't changed at all."
"Part of living freely Luro, ain't gonna limit myself by what someone else wants. I'm fine being selfish. One day I'll pay the consequences for it, when that comes then I'll see Jones myself. Until then I'm your obstacle. It's clear some of me rubbed off on ya too. Nothing like a good ole fashioned brawl to the death right?"
The woman offered a toothy grin to him and Luro's eyes narrowed a bit at her.
"Fight as hard as you can or you won't get to go back. I told you to be stronger after all kid."
The boat eventually reached its destination and Liria walked a few feet ahead leading them through the dense forest of the island she had brought them too, a place clearly separated from everything. Luro walked next to Runali a few feet back, his eyes glued to the woman who hummed a small tune to herself, as she moved forward.
Luro couldn't deny what she said to himself, to say she hadn't influenced him would be a lie.
Liria lived day by day, battle after battle, she was prepared to die today or tomorrow at a moment's notice with the brightest smile on her face. It was a life he knew all too well, the only real difference was he had a reason not to die now, but that didn't stop his preparation for it.
He understood her, she wasn't going to back down, she didn't care who came after her, human, god, demon she'd point her rifle at them without a moment's hesitation and fight with all she's got, to do any less would be an insult to herself and all she's survived.
That was the will he inherited from her somehow.
"She's never listened once she's set her mind to something…" Luro said after a moment. "Captain I don't intend on dying here today, and I'm going to put everything I have into stopping her."
Luro's grip tightened on his rifle.
"...but I understand the difference between us. It wouldn't be a big deal normally but you're here. I don't really go into fights expecting to win, I just try to. If someone's stronger they're stronger, I just fight harder."
Luro reached up and ruffled his hair, he seemed to hesitate saying the next words but lowering his hand eventually spoke them.
"If…and I mean if the worst happens Captain. Do not stay. Go. Don't fight her, don't chase after her, leave. If I know you'll do that I won't have it in the back of mind."
Luro's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'll do all I can to avoid it…but I can't promise it. Not with her. I'd rather fight DJ if I could choose. Consequences mean nothing to her, and she's fine dying today, she won't hold back, no reason too….I'm not in the same boat. I'll be fighting just to survive. Neither of us are going to have a reason not to end the other."
Runali was quiet and observant through the rest of the trip, watching the two in a curious silence. Liria's demeanor was odd and vaguely reminiscent of Luro once upon a time ago, but still somehow not quite the same. Looking at Luro now as he flipped from serious to calm, she wondered how long he'd keep his demeanor in front of her, but Runali decided not to question it. It didn't feel like the right time to mention it.
When they made it to land, Runali patiently listened to Luro, waiting until he was completely done before responding. And even after, she thoughtfully mulled over his words, deciding how she'd respond. It'd be an obvious lie for her to say that she didn't think of what she'd do if the worst happened, but hearing it from Luro made her hesitate in her step. It was obvious with the way he ended up a slight step ahead of her but she quickly recovered and fell into step beside him again. "Jeez Luro…" She wanted to argue it, but she cared more about Luro's concern than anything so with a quiet sigh, she drew an 'X' across her heart. "You have my word… My promise that I'm not here to interfere. And whatever happens at the end of this fight ends on this island. No fight. No chase… No words." Runali knew herself enough to know that the moment she considered confronting Liria, it'd be harder to keep a promise like that. "I'll go."
She placed her arms behind her back and added, "Your focus should be on your fight with her, not worrying about me… I'm not here to be a distraction." It made her look back towards the boat, wondering if it'd be wiser to stay put and wait so he could focus.
But that only made her remember his words from before. "Hey Luro," She waited for him to look at her. "You keep saying things like you don't want me to see you like this. But that's silly… I've seen plenty of your highs and lows. So what's one more to witness? I certainly think I should be the one to know everything about you. Y'know, with all things considered." With a quick hop and heel turn, she was walking backwards just so she could face Luro and talk. Her voice had lowered, not that she cared if Liria was eavesdropping or not. "Even if she did raise you… Sort of… you're nothing like she is. And I don't think you ever really have been. After all, you tried to shoot me first and I still kept you around. But," She stopped in front of him to force him to stop and walk into her pointing finger. Runali smiled when her finger pressed over the Stardusk symbol on his chest. "Man or monster, whatever you choose to be… You're a Stardusk first." Runali moved to the side so they both could keep walking. "Don't hold back for my sake. Do whatever you feel is necessary. Not to win… but to survive."
"Thank you Captain," Luro said taking a deep breath in then releasing it. "I can fully focus knowing that."
He started checking his rifle one last time when they walked out of the tree line and into a large clearing.
The group stood atop a hill staring down at the designation below.
In front of them was a large green pasture stretched as far as the eye could see, the only thing lying beyond it was the rest of the forest, which circled around the other edges, barely noticeable in the distance.
A wide open plain where both parties were in plain sight, no obstacles in-between them.
It was a shooter's nightmare.
In a situation like this, the fastest shot generally won.
Luro and Liria made their way down the hill with Luro waving to Runali as they descended until both came to a stop in the center of the field.
Luro's eyes lingered on Liria who watched him in silence, he contemplated his options as the woman's hand went to her rifle, seeing no reason to wait anymore.
Immediately he slammed his hands to the ground as ice shot up around the two, a mini ice maze forming around the two blocking Luro from view, from above it easy to see where the two stood, Luro raised his body once the maze was created, a twisting azure jungle of walls and floors that stretched on along the plains.
Luro pulled his rifle off his back and Liria's eyes lowered slightly, loading a bullet into her rifle she closed her eyes for a moment as Luro quickly hid behind one of the many walls, the woman raised her rifle and fired once. When she did the bullet bounced along the walls of the maze, Luro's eyes widened as he picked up the sound and he went to move out of the way.
He dodged the first shot but the bullet ricocheted again and he spun only for the bullet to hit him square in the forehead, his eyes widened as red burst out of his forehead, the maze shattered and his body hit the grass going still.
Liria rested her rifle on her shoulder arching a brow.
"Oh. Well that was quick," Liria said resting a hand on her hip.
"Kid there's something I gotta tell ya…though I honestly forgot what it was. Guess it wasn't that important. That being said I do got something else to tell ya."
I don't know where to start with the woman known as Liria, she is what Z would call an enigma.
She's a strange creature I still don't understand and though it's weird to actually say she is a much better shot than I am. I can easily tell, the way she lines up her shot, her gaze when she's confirmed her target, the way her body relaxes just before pulling the trigger, I notice all of it and more, probably cause I use a gun too.
The way she wields her gun is different though; that was the point after all to keep me from 'shooting like her' or something like that. She's a part of my past I'd forgotten, whether it was Imposter or just me repressing it I don't really know.
Though I don't like that I'm excited.
I love fighting losing battles, they're really fun, but this is Liria, I shouldn't be enjoying myself. I need to survive, I promised Captain I would, but it's hard now that I'm this close.
Why does this woman make my head feel funny? I can't think normally when she's around, it's like when Imposter shows up, I feel my whole person shifts in response.
Is this a me I don't know, or the me right after I took Lina's sin? I don't know.
However…I somehow remembered what she told me a long time ago. The little bit of advice she actually gave me, even if I didn't know who it was from at the time. "World's complicated enough kid…don't go making it more confusing. Nothing wrong with keeping things simple."
Luro quickly sat up causing Liria's brows to arch as the redhead rolled over and climbed to his feet, a bit of blood running down his face from where the bullet had hit him.
"Ohh your armament isn't half bad kid," Liria said, loading another bullet into her rifle. "Figured that much wouldn't do you in. Boring if it ends too soon right?"
Luro grabbed his rifle and turned to fully face Liria again.
"Still going to kill you though so I'm gonna steadily increase the armament infused with my bullets until you can't block them anymore. "
That's what Luro expected, the moment he realized the bullet didn't kill him he had a feeling that was the case.
"Tell you what, I'll consider this fight your win if you land 'one' shot on me. I'll even walk away if it's not lethal, just do it before you die."
Liria went silent looking up at Runali.
"I'm not heartless after all, I'm not that keen on separating lovers, as the future husband of the pirate lord though this much should be acceptable, don't you think Ru?!"
Liria grinned and focused back on Luro as he rested his rifle on his shoulder and responded to her.
"...Observation doesn't work with your bullets though and you're going to use your own Observation against mine right?"
"I am and just use your instincts."
"Against your ricocheting bullets and your Observation."
"All I'm hearing are things that are your problem kid."
Luro's slammed his hand on the ground summoning the maze once more, he quickly sprinted between the walls, opening and closing them as need be as Liria calmly stood in one place eyeing the structure with a few nods here and there.
Luro readied his shot only to quickly lower his body as a bullet whizzed past his skull, he grit his teeth and went to change direction when the bullet hit the wall and changed direction.
He felt it slam into his back and a small grunt escaped from him as the armament coated bullet sent him flying through one of the ice walls.
"You know armament coated bullets are actually really mean. It's like getting hit point blank with a cannon right?" Liria said. "Even at a distance."
The woman fired again and Luro quickly climbed to his feet dodging the one that went for his hand, he rolled along the ground managing to dodge the second shot.
The third one however hit him in his side sending him flying into the far wall, he didn't have time to register it before the pain hit.
"I heard that one! You fell for the false bullet trick! Focus kid focus!"
He didn't even have time to line up a shot, he knew exactly where she was but each shot always found him, from the outside it just seemed like the woman was shooting in a random direction, yet the bullet always found Luro. She had yet to move from where she stood while Luro was moving throughout the maze, opening and closing walls, but somehow the bullet's always found him, as if they were chasing him.
Each shot hurt more and more as well, his armament was protecting him less and less.
He leapt out of the way of another shot only for it to trace along his side, when blood followed his eyes widened as he backed into a wall and held his now bleeding side.
It thankfully didn't hit him but when a loud shattering sound followed and he noticed a quarter of the maze had been blown asunder by the bullet, he realized her armament was now strong enough to make the bullet a mini mortar shell.
Luro stared at his partially destroyed maze for a long moment then looked up at Runali.
He closed his eyes before raising his hand causing the ice to break apart, the maze destroying itself revealing the two shooters to each other.
Liria turned fully to face Luro with the walls and barriers destroyed between them as he returned his rifle to his back.
"Giving up?" Liria said arching her brows at Luro.
Luro turned and looked at Runali before speaking aloud.
"...I'm a little embarrassed you had to see that Captain!" Luro said returning his rifle to his back. "If you can, I'd like you to pay extra close attention to what I'm about to do!"
Luro said this before offering a grin to Runali.
"I'm going to show you a glimpse of the person who's going to be standing right next to you when you become Pirate Lord!"
Luro looked back at Liria before slamming his hand into his fist.
"I remembered one of your lessons."
"Oh?"
"The way we see the world is different, so the way we shoot is different…so I need to shoot like I do. Not adjust to how you shoot."
"Shoot like you want to shoot, good kid glad to see you paying attention."
Runali sat on top of the hill, not trusting herself to stay in one spot if she stood. She met Liria's eyes when she heard her name, but didn't speak. A myriad of responses came to mind, but most of them were quite courteous or kind. And the rest would more than likely be a distraction for Luro. Runali resigned herself to a 'huff' that probably couldn't be heard, but definitely seen in her body language.
She steeled herself as the fight started. With each bullet, her fingers dug deeper into the dirt in order to root her to the spot she was in. Outwardly, she stayed as calm as she could be seeing Luro get hit by bullets. At one point, her attention shifted on Liria. At her vantage point, she could see over the entire field. Even though she'd lose Luro in the maze every now and then, Liria was still in one spot. It made her squint (as much as she could with one eye), as she assessed the many ways she could have gotten involved -- but it wasn't her fight. And it wasn't going to her fight. Runali made a promise and she was going to keep it whether she liked it or not. Though, even now, she started to understand Zil's frustrations as a doctor watching her crew get into trouble. It was brief and subsided completely when the maze walls began to disappear and Luro faced her.
Runali leaned forward only to sigh and let her shoulders sag a little when Luro yelled out. Right, of course. This was Luro she was worried over. And his words were a helpful reminder that if they were going to get to the top, she couldn't fret about her crew all the time. She'd have to trust them as much as they trusted her. And in the moment of his declaration, Runali couldn't help but grin right back and throw a thumbs up as he turned back to Liria.
Luro took a pistol off his belt and readied it, Liria grinning at him pulled out her bronze pistol and reloaded it, a brass cape pistol capable of multiple shots, adjusted to suit the woman herself, and his a single shot he was going to have to make count.
He grinned at the clear disadvantage and walked closer.
The two marksmen wasted little time going after each other, both could weave between bullets with moderate ease so each one knew the only way to get a real shot in was at point blank.
Luro shoved his gun into Liria's side only for her to smack it away shoving her own into his chest, gunshots filled the air as each one tried to shoot the other, the two weaving around each other, within a breath's distance, the smell of gunpowder filled their noses, ears ringing as they leaned away from near headshots.
Landing blow after blow to stagger the other, their movements became a blur with only the bright flash of the gunpowder any proof they were still shooting at each other, their bodies almost melding into one as their movements became faster and faster.
Luro kicked Liria away only for the woman to grab his shirt and pull him back in close again, firing another shot.
Luro couldn't stop the grin on his face, a fight against another skilled marksman.
Much less the strongest one he knew, it was impossible not to get excited about it.
Eventually he was able to force distance between them, a burst of wind exploding out of the man blowing Liria backwards, she slid back and raised her gun only to see Luro was no longer directly in front of her.
Scarlet winds blew past her ruffling her hair and clothes, wisps of red coalescing on one point and as she raised her gaze to follow it she found Luro floating above her in a sea of crimson, blood revolving around him as it died the wind itself, small red dots appeared around his body, starting small before quickly becoming numerous.
Just as the woman raised her gun the sphere's immediately shifted turning into rifles, growing into number until there was a wall of firearms behind him, a battalion at his command Luro crossed his arms, his grin matching the one on Liria's before the rifles locked onto the woman.
"LIRIAAAAAAAAA!"
Then unleashed a never ending salvo upon her.
It had been a long time since she had this much fun.
From a simple glance it seemed to just be volley fire, multiple shots where one 'might' hit the target but being in the thick of it she could feel the difference. Every shot was calculated, if it wasn't trying to hit her it was trying to lead her into getting hit. The woman weaved between the gunfire that destroyed the earth around her, mini craters forming into the earth as her body blinked in and out of existence.
A shot hit the spot in front of her causing her footing to slip, she raised her pistol and shot the bullet that almost hit her causing it to detonate.
Each attack was deliberate, each shot made to count, but she was fast enough to avoid them.
Which is exactly what Luro wanted.
Liria felt a rifle press against the side of her head, glancing over she noticed Luro standing next to her, the bullets passing him, revealing the pattern to her at the last minute.
"Clever bo-"
The woman was unable to finish her sentence as the man pulled the trigger, a point blank shot, and as smoke wafted out of his barrel he watched Liria's body hit the ground.
Raising his hand the gunfire stopped and the guns dissipated as the wind died back down.
Liria realized his intention too late and it cost her everything.
Luro stared down at the motionless woman, red pouring out of her into what remained of the green grass below before he fell onto his rear, and let out a long shaky sigh.
He stared at the sky for a small moment, barely more than a few seconds before he yelled.
"Captain! You still got that bag from Z right! I'm bleeding a lot and I don't want her to be mad! Could you bring it down please?!"
Even surprise didn't feel like enough upon witnessing Luro's- At this rate, Runali didn't know what to call it, only able to watch in stunned silence at the display. Sure, Luro had warned her but she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to expect. It wasn't until she witnessed Liria get shot point blank and collapse. The captain had seen plenty of people fall to Luro's gun, but for some reason this was surprising enough to nearly jump when Luro called out to her.
"Gah, you reckless reckless giant." She hopped onto her feet, partially running, partially sliding down the hill until she was at Luro's side. "Of course I've got Zil's bag, she'd kill me if I didn't! One of us has gotta listen to the doc." For a moment, she had a one track mind as she went through the doctor's instructions for injuries, going through the bag so she could tend to his wounds. "We'll start with the life threatening ones. I can only carry you so far, so we gotta keep you on your feet." It took a moment, but eventually Runali paused looked between the dead body and Luro before exclaiming, "What was that!?" She looked between the two again before patching Luro up again. "I swear between you and Alicia you're gonna be the death of me personally with all these new things!" She swatted at his arm. "How long have you been able to do that! It's cool! Why didn't you tell me you could do that!?" It looked as if she was going to yell again, and louder but instead she exhaled and looked at him a little worried. "...Are you okay?"
A small laugh escaped from Luro as he leaned back on his hands, the pain was starting to kick in but he didn't care right now, the euphoria within him made it almost non-existent. He didn't get permission to go out like that too much, it felt as if he had released a lot of pent up feelings in that one moment, what they were he didn't know but he felt more like himself now.
"Haha…sorry Captain I can't really move. I should be okay in a minute. Oh wait that's my blood, okay a few minutes."
At her question Luro offered a grin to her, though he flinched a little at the touch.
"Hehe just say the word Captain and I'll stop holding back more and show you more fun stuff," Luro said with a toothy grin. "I've been doing fun stuff in secret to surprise you. Also I didn't tell you? I thought I did…oh wait I didn't."
At Runali's final question however his smile shifted into a smaller one before he looked over at Liria, staring at the woman's unmoving form for a long moment.
The smile slowly left his face and his eyelids narrowed a bit.
"...I don't know."
It was the answer that made the most sense to him, he didn't know how he felt about all of this, how was he supposed to feel about it? Sadness? Relief? How did he define his relationship with Liria? What was 'this' anyway.
"I'm not sure what to feel Captain. I don't know what to call this sensation, I wish I had a real answer but…I don't know. Liria was…someone I knew, even now after all this I don't know my feelings towards her."
It also wasn't surprising this was how it ended, she was the kind of woman who never answered questions, she was fine leaving things unanswered even if she posed the question herself.
Luro flinched a little as his wounds were being taken care of but looking away from the body he focused back on Runali.
"What I do know is I don't regret it. Long as you're around Captain I'll always be okay."
Luro offered a grin at this before pointing at the bag.
"I can do my bandages now, could you hand me them."
"Ahh, well if you're gonna keep makin' a show out of it I can't say no to that." Runali sighed at the idea. There weren't that many times they needed to go 'all out' but here he was, holding back cool tricks. Once or twice wouldn't hurt anyone… well, except the people they were hurting. Well, the navy always needed a fun surprise.
His unsure answer made her pout a little, once again looking at Liria. "Guess that's what happens with relationships like that. Not sure if you should be sad or relieved. Maybe both... I think it's okay to feel both." She looked down at where she had stopped. "Or all of them at once. Mourning is different for everyone." Runali couldn't help but laugh a little at his optimism and then proceed to put the bag behind her, not that he couldn't reach it if he tried.
"You're right that I'll always be around. But you're wrong if you think I'm going to let you bandage yourself. You said it yourself, that's your blood. You're hurt, let me help. Besides, you've got enough bandages to cover most of you anyway! If I miss any you can just go back when it doesn't hurt if I tap you." To prove her point, she poked his shoulder and teased. "What, don't tell me you're scared I'll make them too tight? Gosh Luro, I can be as… dainty as I am dangerous. I can take care of you when you're hurt."
"Different huh…well it's good to know that I can feel more than one feeling…I'll figure out what they are later I guess."
Luro almost reached for the bag but stopped when it was moved, he blinked and looked back at Runali. At the offer he chuckled and relented, admittedly he was in a lot of pain but he was just going to ignore it. He couldn't think of a reason to turn down the offer, that and he knew Z would get mad if he treated his own wounds and did it wrong.
"Okay Captain but I'll fix the ones on my arms…and I'll return the favor when you're hurt. I can be uh…dainty sometimes too."
Rummaging came from behind Runali and Luro looked over to see Liria digging in the bag.
The redhead immediately froze as the woman pulled out a small salve and started applying it to her elbow.
She glanced up at the two before pointing at her arm.
"Scraped my elbow when I fell."
She went back to treating herself and Luro stared at her in silence, mouth slightly agape as the woman clearly unharmed save a tiny scrape, looked back at the two.
"...how?"
Liria arched a brow at Luro at his question before digging back in the bag.
"Not important right now, raise your arm."
"Huh."
"Your arm raise it."
Luro not sure what to do raised his arm causing Liria to raise his shirt and start applying medicine alongside Runali.
"Huh? What's going on why are you helping me?"
"I'm just treating you like I always do."
"I see that but I'm confused, aren't you why I'm hurt in the first place?"
"...how is that different from usual?"
Luro opened his mouth but ended up closing it realizing she had a point, that and he shot her point blank and she was perfectly fine, he couldn't deny the reasoning for that won out over resisting.
"Ru you take that side," the woman said unwrapping bandages.
"You're not still trying to kill me right?"
"Misunderstanding a lot of things here kid."
"...cause you're not explaining anything."
"I will after you're treated. I purposefully missed vital organs so you'll live."
"Luro if you're dainty then Nikos and I have perfect vision." She grinned. "But sure, unless our doctor is close by then, well, just let her take care of it. After all-"
The same time Luro froze a cold chill went down her spine making her turn to look behind her. She had come in contact with the undead, devils, and monsters and yet for some reason she still wasn't wholly prepared to see Liria alive and moving. "<...I think your bad mentor might be a devil. Or already undead.>" She mumbled, only to cycle through disbelief into acceptance a little too fast for any normal person. Instead she gave a very snippy, "Oi. Have some manners and ask first. I didn't bring this bag for you."
Liria's willingness to help was confusing and Runali couldn't help but agree with Luro about it. She was almost sure she saw blood when she approached… Runali shook her head and looked down at the bandages she was unwrapping. "If you start fighting again and wasting supplies, deal's off and I will make sure you're buried so Jones can grab you quicker." Even though there wasn't much of a threat in her voice, it was clear she was very serious about it. Realizing she was given an 'order', she stuck her tongue out, complete opposite of the threat, before going, "Don't tell me what to do." Still, she continued to treat Luro.
"...You could explain while we treat him. S'not like he can do anything but listen. No need to wait any longer if you were just gonna lay in the grass."
"Fair enough," Liria said with a small shrug. "I can explain now, why not."
She raised her hand and motioned to Runai.
"She's adorable this one, I see why you like her."
Either missing or ignoring the general demeanor towards her the woman continued, deciding that Runali was right about the explanation.
"Well first I'll clear up that I'm not gonna fight anymore. I had fun, worked out a bit, got a nice warm up going thanks to the kid. I'm content."
A few thoughts came to mind at Liria's comment but they were put aside as she continued.
"Luro we've confirmed your Armament is weaker than mine right?"
"...yep it is."
"So you shot me point blank with an armament coated bullet against my armament."
"Yeah I did…oh."
"You catch on quicker kid," Liria said, tightening one of the bandages. "That was the idea from the start."
"So you knew I wouldn't be able-"
"Yep."
"What about the blood though, that was-"
Liria poured a red liquid out of one of the pouches on her side before placing it back on her waist.
"Mix some stuff together and it looks like real blood. Old trick I picked up. I'll tell you the recipe sometime."
Luro stared at the woman in silence as she smeared more medicine on her finger.
"...why were you lying in the grass?" Luro finally asked.
"I was waiting for you two to leave. I'd let you believe you killed me, you'd have an inner moment, question our relationship and what it meant and grow as a person. Then when you went back to your ship you'd find a letter basically saying 'not really dead, let's do this again sometime' with a crude drawing on the bottom. I was going to watch from a distance to see the expression on your face."
This woman hadn't changed, she just did whatever she wanted without a care about what it meant for anyone else…for some reason it felt familiar but he couldn't figure out why.
"However…you two got all mushy and the grass was making me itch so I gave up on that plan and just got up. Also 'you don't know', all the love and care these years and your answer is 'you don't know', I'm heartbroken kid."
"...I don't really know though. You vanish for years and come back trying to kill my Captain."
"I shot her with fake bullets, no attempt at harm. Look she's absolutely over it already, I am."
"You tried to kidnap her."
"Just to get your attention. You'd just avoid me otherwise. I was gonna give her back."
"Probably are still trying to kidnap her."
"I don't really want her. I'm not sure what you think of me Luro but I'm not so heartless as to separate lovers. I just lied a little."
"...all to fight me?"
"Pretty much. Wanted to see how you'd grown over the years….also you did technically destroy my gun. Just consider this punishment for that."
"That seems like a lot."
"So you wouldn't maim the person who damaged your rifle?"
Luro closed his eyes at this, choosing not to answer.
"Uh-huh," Liria said lowering his shirt. "I'm done on my side."
Standing up she brushed off her bottom with a small sigh.
"We coulda just fought normally…I wouldn't have minded just punching each other like normal people," Luro said tilting his head at her.
"Kid…you know I love making things more complicated than they have to be," Liria said grinning at him. "You make your own fun in this world, just this time it happened to be at your expense. You're a pirate now, a bit of chaos and revelry comes with the job."
Liria held up a finger and leaned forward a bit.
"Besides, you wanna leave with an impression. You probably won't forget this meeting anytime soon, and not just from the bruises. Gahahaha!"
The woman moved her hands to her hips and laughed towards the sky.
"I mean imagine, me just walking up, saying hi wishing you well and walking away. How boring is that?!" Liria exclaimed before lowering her head back to them.
"Now for better or worse you have a new experience, another memory for the both of you."
"I mean when you put it like that of course it makes sense." Runali said, obviously sarcastic. Still, there was nothing she could or wanted to do to try to make Liria's logic make sense. Like a lot of the crazy instances she'd been through, Runali sighed it away and finished her side as well. "At the very least, she missed vitals… S'pose that counts for something. Dunno if it's a heart but it's certainly something." She looked over at Luro, nodding when she was done. "For the sake of it, yes I am over the fact that she kidnapped me. I dunno about you but this memory is going in the 'or' pile of for better or worse… Guess this coulda been worse." She glanced over at Liria while she was laughing. "So does this mean you're gonna try kidnapping me again later to do this again? I'd recommend trying a chat and drinks next time. It'd save a lot of the extra."
"Doing the same thing two times in a row would be boring so no," Liria said in response to 'borrowing' Runali again. "Also we had a chat and drinks, well a chat at least. You didn't want the tea."
Liria looked over at Luro as he stood up brushing himself off, he arched a brow at her before their eyes met.
"Kid you've gotten stronger."
Luro blinked a few times before turning fully to face her, Liria crossed her arms under her chest as something in her tone shifted. Almost as if a 'switch' had gone off the woman's whole demeanor changed down to her body language.
"I don't really believe or like the idea of people at the 'top', much less being the best at something. Whether it be a goal for oneself or a need to prove something I dislike a title that requires recognition by others."
She glanced at Runali at this.
"Not that I think it's a bad thing in itself to aspire to greater heights," she said before looking back at Luro. "You're the same kid. Being the best isn't something you really want or aim for…that's why I think it's a good thing you met Runali. Because of her ambition you're going to meet stronger people faster. Like it or not you'll be the husband of the Pirate Lord, if they can't get to her they're going to go after what she loves. That's the path you'll walk until the end of your life, that's the choice you made the moment a bounty was put on your head, and you chose to stand by her side. There is no escape from it. Someone will always be after you for some reason or another."
The woman's eyes narrowed a bit.
"I have a feeling that's just how you like it though."
Luro stared at Liria, at least the woman he would sometimes see during their outings. The woman who traveled the world surviving the impossible, the woman who carried countless rumors that seemed more fiction than reality, the woman he couldn't beat in a straightforward talent of marksmanship.
Though there were things he always missed in their conversations.
The woman when she spoke like this didn't add 'if's', there was no 'if' Runali becomes pirate lord, 'if' you meet stronger people. Nor did she tell him he couldn't deal with them when the time came.
It showed her faith in him and those he believed in, whether she did it purposefully or not was left to the wind but it was always this way.
Unaware of this fact Luro responded to her.
"Well of course. It's more fun fighting strong people," Luro said grinning.
Liria stared at him for a moment and just like that her demeanor returned to normal and the woman chuckled.
"My thoughts exactly. With that said here."
Liria removed a sash off her waist and tossed it to Luro who caught it.
"What's this?"
"Something that is going to make your life far more difficult, before I explain why…"
She trailed off and looked back at Runali resting her hands on her hips.
"What're you going to do when you reach the 'top' Ru?"
Runali was going to mention that she meant a chat and drinks with Luro, but decided against it since the topic carried on. Runali stayed silent, looking between mentor and mentee. For once, she could say she agreed with her. Being a Pirate Lord was a dangerous job and it was something her crew had all been very aware of when they agreed to follow her down that path. She even knew it and she still worried over them when they got too roughed up.
Quietly, she nodded in agreement with Luro. Even with the trouble, fighting strong people had its more fun perks. It reminded her, Alton still owed her another fight.
"Eh? Oh," Runali gave a half hearted shrug. "Hmmm, if you're lookin' for a fight you'll have to get in line. There's a couple of folks that have claimed to come after me when I reach the top spot so I'll probably have to deal with them first…" She scratched her cheek. "Like you said, titles aren't all that but I'm still gonna abuse it until I lose it. It'l be fun stirring up trouble for the navy and whoever wants to try and stop me." Runali leaned forward on her legs. "Hate to tell you, but I'm more of a plan as I go type. Step one is to get the title, step two is… I dunno, have fun still? See what kind of trouble it brings me? It's more fun that way." She set the supply bag in her lap to lean on. "Unless you're expecting some grand scheme like amassing an army and storming the gates of a naval base. Starting a war for no reason isn't really in my wheelhouse. Sounds a little extreme anyway."
"Gahaha, I fight who I want when I want Ru, I don't go waiting for a fight. That being said I'm good for today thanks," Liria said waving a hand.
The woman listened as Runali revealed her reasoning and a grin adorned the woman's face.
"Ahaha I like that. That's a good reason, my kind of answer. If you're gonna aim for the top, that's the most fun way to do it."
She waved a hand in front of her face at the notion of a grand scheme.
"Bah you can get through most problems winging it if you're strong enough," Liria said shrugging. "Save the heavy thinking for when things get serious."
Luro looked at the sash in his hand as the two spoke causing Liria to point at it.
"That sash is my supposed 'mantle', you hold onto it."
"Mantle?" Luro said.
"Yeah there are these marksmen, apparently considered the best in the world. They're some group called the 'Mantle Bearers' or something like that I was half paying attention."
Liria waved a hand at this making it clear that was the most she knew.
"...and you're a part of them?"
"Were you not just listening kid I don't like stuff like that. They came to me, asked me to join, I said no, they pushed it, I shot at one and grazed their cheek."
She made a shooting motion with her gun as if to illustrate this point before continuing.
"Anyway they started fighting me for some reason, after I beat the two of them and was about to put a bullet through their skulls, they told me about the benefits."
Liria motioned to the mantle at this.
"I was in the middle of looking for jobs and I wasn't going to pass up free room and board, along with free food. They apparently got pull in some places, won't lie having a mansion to myself with a few servants was fun, I see why nobles like being rich."
"So you used them for their free stuff?"
"Yep! That being said they are decent shooters. Better than you at least kid. Fighting one is like fighting….three or four of you. Anyway I told them I wasn't actually joining their little club and their leader was fine with that, she just wanted a chance to fight me in exchange. The mantle thing was just for the free stuff at certain places, got their symbol on it."
Luro looked at the sash in his hand noticing there was a symbol on one side, it looked like a pistol with a large eye behind it behind what seemed to be a moon. He didn't recognize it but looked back at Liria wondering what this gesture exactly meant.
"So you're letting me have that free stuff?"
"Oh no I burned that bridge a little bit ago," she said shaking her head. "They want to kill me now, if you carry that sash on you they'll think you beat me since that's how their weird system works. Which will make them fight you to test your strength."
Liria grinned.
"For being the best none of them could actually beat me, but they are better than your normal sharpshooter. They'll be a fun challenge for ya, and most of them will especially want that bounty on your head so they'll shoot to kill."
Liria held her hand out palm upwards towards Luro.
"Of course if you don't want the trouble kid, I'll take it back and beat them up again myself, was gonna do so anyway but thought this would be more fun. Still if you don't want that just give it back and-"
"If I beat all of them…will you fight me without holding back?" Luro asked causing Liria to lower her hand.
"...come on kid I didn't hold back that much."
"Will you?"
Luro stared at Liria the woman's brows arching at him, she glanced at Runali then back at Luro.
He knew she was lying, Liria barely tried during their fight it wasn't hard to tell. Basic observation showed she was just matching his strength during the fight, slowly rising it over time. He didn't like it but Liria barely put it any effort, he could tell.
It was hard not to want to fight someone like that again and really see what they could do.
Liria realizing her lie was caught sighed and ran her fingers through her wild hair, closing her eyes for a moment.
"I held back to keep from killing you kid, you sure you want this?" She said looking back at him.
Luro didn't say anything, he just stared at Liria causing the woman to shrug at him.
"If you manage to collect all their mantles…then sure I'll go all out against you. You're good kid but you're still lacking, you woulda been dead in the first shot if I went at ya properly. This isn't advice it's just the reality of the situation."
Though she said this the woman grinned and cracked her knuckles, for all her warnings she had no qualms going again.
"I could just come at you now if you're in that much of a rush we don't gotta do all this waiting stuff. Since you're asking I'm not 'wasting supplies' I was gonna walk away."
Luro gripped the sash tighter before tying it around his waist with a firm tug. Reaching his hand forward he held his hand out towards her, a toothy grin adorning his face.
"I'm not strong enough yet and I promised Captain I wouldn't go getting myself killed so while I want too, I gotta keep my word. Besides I don't have to be the best or anything, just strong enough to protect the person next to ya right? Beating you means I just got stronger."
Liria watched Luro for a moment before reaching her own hand forward and grinning at him, the two shaking hands with a firm enough grip for the veins to pop out on their hands.
"Aye kid, now you're getting it," she said before pulling her hand away. "Well not like you need me to tell you, you're an adult you'll figure it out, or die or what have you. Don't need someone telling you what to do. You wanna have a rematch for fun, rematch for fun it is."
Adjusting the rifle on her back she looked back at the two.
"Well I'll be on my way then, kid go out and fight the mantles. I think it'll be funny if someone with no desire to be the 'best' goes out and beats them for the fun of it. At the end of it at your request I'll fight ya again without holding back."
Liria looked back at Runali.
"Ru not that I gotta tell ya but you watch this one. I put a lot of investment into him so he'd be fun to fight later. If he goes dying I won't have my entertainment in the future. Today was a good warm up but I admittedly want more. He and I don't really think too much about consequences, him less so. That 'rule' of yours has probably saved his life tenfold at this point. Course I'm not a woman who ask somethin' for nothin'. I'll repay the favor someday to ya."
"Aye, well, pretty consistent there." Runali said while leaning closer to get a better look at the sash he was given. It'd be a lie to say she wasn't at least a little intrigued at the idea of a group of sharpshooters out there that decided they were the best of the best. It wasn't a surprise that they existed either. Luro's new determination to beat Liria made Runali smile as she watched the two shake hands and declare that they'd see each other again in the future. While she silently cheered him on, she also made a mental note to make sure Alicia put more funds into Zil's doctor supply- not because she didn't have faith in Luro, but because she was sure he was bound to get even more reckless and get into even more trouble. Not that she wasn't going to enable it either.
When attention shifted to her, Runali gave a small salute. "We both have stuff to take care of before that day comes, no worries. You'll get your rematch. Besides, he's got better eyes than I do, hah, he does most of the watching. But I'll keep him close, make sure he doesn't forget his goals and all. Annnd so long as the repayment doesn't involve kidnapping me, sure!"
"Gahaha fair enough, I'll let you pick the repayment then so long as it's not tedious I'll do it. My thanks Captain of Stardusk," Liria said before turning her back to them.
"I feel like I had somethin' to tell ya but I went and and forgot again."
"You always forget it," Luro said adjusting his new sash. "I mean I forgot stuff too but not that much…I think."
"Well it probably wasn't important. See ya."
With that Liria walked away from the two heading towards the horizon, Luro watched the woman for a moment almost as if to make sure she wasn't going to turn and shoot at him for fun.
Once she was a fair bit away he turned back towards Runali.
"Well Captain let's get back. I'm sorry again for getting you pulled into all this again. I-"
"I remembered!"
Luro stopped talking seeing Liria appear in front of the two again.
"The thing I kept forgetting to tell ya. I really should have wrote it down," Liria said shrugging. "Anyway I'm your Aunt. All right see ya later."
With that Liria turned around again, though this time Luro watched her mouth agape as she walked off again, humming without a care in the world. His body seemed to want to move but the amount of confusion and disbelief gave him pause.
Though eventually he found his voice.
"Hold on! Wait a minute!"
Liria seemed to stop at his words turning to glance back at him but made no attempt to return.
"You're my aunt?!"
"On your mom's side yeah."
"On Mother's…how long have you known?!"
"I had my suspicions when we met as you looked like her, but I was grieving at the time so most kids with red hair reminded me of her. I confirmed it when you told me about your mom."
Luro stood frozen trying to process everything happening right now.
"I…I know next to nothing about mother's family so that makes sense but…"
"That's not a bad thing," Liria responded. "They ain't worth remembering. Sis was the only one worth anything really. You're not missing out on much I assure you."
Luro opened his mouth only to close it, he didn't know what to say, what to ask, hundreds of questions ran through his head but he couldn't figure out which one to actually speak aloud.
He gripped his pants tightly as his eyes moved to the ground, he wanted to say something, anything but he couldn't focus. Liria was waiting but she'd start walking away soon and he couldn't steady his thoughts.
"What?" Runali echoed Luro's shock a lot calmer but just as surprised. She looked in between the two as if trying to figure out where the similarities began and ended. "...I guess I'm just constantly gonna meet your family in the weirdest ways, huh?" She counted on her fingers. "...At least only two of them actually tried the threatening route. Hm." The silence stretched a little too long and Runali looked up at Luro, waiting only to realize he was looking at the ground. It wasn't often he was stunned into silence. Liria didn't seem like a person to dawdle so Runali spoke up in his place, gently placing her hand over Luro's so he'd relax. "What was she like?" Runali gave a curious look. "I've met plenty of his family, but there was always only a brief mention of her…" She looked over at Luro and then two Liria, "And if he looks like her, it only makes me more curious to know if they share the same funness about them."
Just as the woman was going to leave again Runali's voice caused her to pause, the touch was enough to relax Luro's shoulders as he released his grip. Liria was silent for a moment at the question, her gaze moving to Luro who looked up at her as well. The woman let out a sigh and turned fully to look at the two walking back over to them.
"Hmm it's hard to find the words to describe her. She was a gentle, caring woman. Always looked for or saw the good in others."
Liria rubbed the back of her head at this.
"Gah it feels weird saying all this. I don't know how else to describe her though. Still some people mistook that gentleness for weakness and learned the hard way that wasn't the case. She was far more stubborn than even I was, and she'd fight tooth and nail over her convictions."
Liria smiled a little crossing her arms.
"I remember one time this angry crowd thought some travelers coming through had caused trouble. Of course it was one of our own but no one listened to them, and sis without even knowing the truth, took a rock to the skull for them, and with blood running down her face asked if 'they' were alright, with the brightest smile she had…well the angry crowd backed down after that and she managed to talk them down. I of course caught the thief and 'talked' him into confessing"
Liria laughed a little at the memory, remembering how much she had panicked the moment the rock hit.
"...gosh her smile…she smiled through anything and everything. No matter how bad it was. I hated and loved it about her. She was…hmm…what's the word I'm looking for?"
"Warm."
Luro finally spoke up folding his hands together.
"She was warm…in everything. Mother was always warm," Luro said smiling a little.
Liria watched Luro her own shoulders relaxing slightly.
"That's a good way of putting it," she said before looking back at Runali. "She was human of course, made her own mistakes, but she always put family first and others before herself…something I constantly admonished her for…if she'd been just a little selfish then…"
Liria's eyes narrowed a bit at this and the woman closed her eyes, Luro gaze averted as he opened his mouth.
"Liria…I-"
"Don't."
The woman spoke opening her eyes looking at him.
"You're not to blame for anything kid. Not a damn thing. Sis would say the same."
She stared at him watching as he offered a small nod before she looked back at Runali before grinning at her.
"She woulda loved you Ru. She always told me she liked the troublemakers. Never told me why though."
"Troublemakers are usually more honest."
Luro spoke up smiling himself.
"Mother…always told me that. Said it was fine to get in a little trouble, but only a little so long as I was honest."
"For the love of…hah…that brat…well there you are Ru. I know it's not a lot to go off but I could talk about her all day and I don't got that. Basically she was a good person, which coming from our family was surprising. No idea who raised her, it's like we had different parents or something. Haha."
"Gentle, caring, and warm." She echoed back, looking in between the two, imagining what she looked like. She couldn't help the slight laugh. "And human, of course." She squinted up at Luro and then looked at Liria again. "You're poking holes in my 'giant' theory here…" She shook her head. "Sounds a lot like Luro though. It's nice to know where he got it from." Though with a proud puff up, Runali picked up the supply bag. "I woulda made sure of it! Not many people need to like me, but I'd put Luro's parents on the list. The crew is first though. I need them to like me so they don't wanna mutiny and throw me overboard." She thought about it. "Hmmm, maybe also the one old lady back home… She gives me free fruits. I think she's on the list too…." Before she could stray away too far from the topic, Runali took a step, as if to lead them both out.
"Eh, good depends on perspective y'know?" She shrugged. "I'm a pirate and there's whole kingdoms that think I'm some kinda hero when really it was just the wrong place, right time…. And because royals pay a lotta money if they're grateful for your help. You're probably as threatening as a sea monster. With the morality of one too, but… you've got good intentions sometimes. Maybe a bad way of showing it, but the heart's there. Even a sea monster's got family… probably." Runali gestured over to Luro. "Same with him. He's got blood on his hands too and has even pointed his rifle at me, but his heart's in the right place. Awful way of showing it, but he's figuring it out." Runali had a teasing smile. "His head just has to catch up so he remembers he's not invincible and our doctor hurts more than bullet wounds."
"Hahaha I still question what exactly Malas is so you're theory's not that far off."
"You met the old man?"
"I did. I punched him for sleeping with my sister but I like him. Woulda preferred she stayed with that one. He didn't try to dodge, took it properly."
Luro made a mental note to ask him about that later but watched as Runali started to leave, smiling a little at the idea of his parents liking her.
"It's impossible they wouldn't like you Captain. You're you after all."
Liria glanced at the two glancing back in the direction she was going, her eyes rested on Luro for a moment before she sighed and followed after them.
"Fair enough Ru," Liria said with a grin. "Also they do? Hmm guess some of those monsters are gonna end up coming after me then."
Liria's grin widened a bit at this before she looked back at Luro.
"Haha like you said it's all perspective. Sometimes we show our love and appreciation in different ways. I don't think there's a 'bad' way of doing it, less acceptable sure, but if the intention gets through don't matter how you got there. In the end you'll find people to accept you."
Liria gave a small shrug at this.
"Bad as I apparently am I had someone who loved me dearly."
Liria looked over at Luro causing him to glance back at her.
"She is right though, you're not invincible, try not to cause too much trouble for your doctor kid. Having someone concerned for your well being is a very special thing not everyone has. Cherish whoever nags you, it's a gift not to take for granted. You'll miss it when it's gone."
Luro stopped and turned to Liria, for a moment he thought he saw something in her gaze for a moment but he wasn't able to identify it.
"Ru's right…you definitely got more of her than your old man. Even got her smile."
"No I don't," Luro said with a shake of his head. "Being able to smile through anything and everything, and face whatever is in front of her with a natural smile that's almost blinding…I'm not there yet, but one day I will be."
Luro offered a bright grin to Liria and the woman eyes widened a little, for a split second, barely a blink a familiar face stared back at her.
The woman turned her back to the two at this causing Luro to tilt his head.
"...ya not that far off kid."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. I'm going this way. I was gonna tell you the whole aunt thing after we fought each other but knowing me I'd just forget again. Don't go holding back just cause we're family. Nephew or not I'm gonna come at ya properly."
"Aye that works for me. Having someone really strong to fight later is always fun."
"Gahahaha now you're gettin' it, all right later kids. I look forward to hearing more about your adventures. When you're pirate lord if you don't hate me or I'm not dead we'll have a drink and a proper conversation."
With that the woman walked away from the two.
"Liria."
Luro called out to her again causing Liria to groan and turn around.
"Kid I know we're family but you gotta-"
"Thanks for training Lina."
Liria closed her mouth at this.
"I didn't realize it was your style until later…but you found her and trained her so she'd survive didn't you?"
Liria stared at Luro for a long moment.
"In the end it didn't matter so-"
"It did," Luro said interrupting her. "She was stronger than me, where I'm at now I'm probably still weaker than her. She survived thanks to you. So thank you. Li…Nila was precious to me. Let me thank you properly."
Luro lowered his head slightly at this and Liria closed her eyes with a sigh.
"...you're welcome. That one needed babying though she couldn't learn on her own, I won't deny it was fun."
Liria gave a shrug and smile.
"You still on this earning back nonsense?"
"Aye."
"Earn that name your mother gave you back then Luro, since you feel the need."
"Aye I will. Though at this point Luro just kind of fits me."
"Yeah yeah anyway go on, have your adventures, get all kissy-kissy or whatever. I got things to do, bounties to hunt, monster families to deal with."
With a wave of her hand she walked off again, this time not looking back.
Zilia watched the exchange between the sisters with a small smile, it was entertaining seeing this side of Alicia sometimes. Her gaze moved over to Luro who was also watching the two. She expected him to step forward and make some comment or another but to her surprise he didn't. He just watched from a distance, further back than even she was.
For a moment she thought she saw something in his gaze as he stared at the siblings, before she could try and identify it though he ended up wandering off somewhere else.
"Of course you can."
There wasn't a moment of hesitation in the shipwright's response to Risa stopping her from rambling too far.
"I'm sure the Captains won't mind an extra hand, and they already know you. Seliria…well just compliment her food and that'll make it easier."
Having a fellow inventor on the ship was something he was fine with, Risa had her own life in
Brass Cape thus why he never extended the offer in the first place. With that gone and time needed to rebuild both her life and shop he felt more comfortable having her nearby, at the very least if danger happened he'd know where she was rather than leaving it to guess work.
The navy was also probably going to be more active once they recovered, this was a big loss, they'd have to try and make up for it in some way.
"I'll talk to the Captain's on getting you on board Risa. Should you desire to return Brass Cape I will find a place for you near the alley. I'll also have Seliria teach you how to throw a proper punch, my condolences ahead of time."
A rare smile adorned the face of the shipwright and he gently led Risa towards his crew.
"For however long you decide to stay, welcome to the Nova Pirates Risa."
Luro returned after getting a closer look at Saffron being made Captain, he laughed a little at Zilia getting on Runali for each wound she found while treating her, making sure to tie the bandage with a little more force on some as a reminder not to do it again, not that it would do anything but she never gave up trying.
Luro held up his own bandages with a grin at having a bandage buddy but ended up wandering off on his own seeing Runali was okay.
He moved between the groups talking to them here and there, though he only approached a few, he left the Cutthroats alone as Runali spoke to him, but offered a grin to Rin glad to see he was still alive.
He chuckled as Mia managed to easily slip in who Rasa was to Runali.
Mari was surprised to see Runali approach her but offered a smile to her words and a small nod, Maka and Yuli were in the middle of counting their own spoils and merely raised a hand in response to her, though Yuli raised her gaze to the Captain offering a smile happy to take the offer in the future.
Vai who was setting another unconscious body on the ground offered a wave to Runali, he was next to Relias who only mentioned that they were 'even' now in response.
Malas and Yiora were beyond pleased to see Runali approach, especially seeing she was okay.
Yiora gave her a small hug and Malas a small pat on the shoulder before they nodded at her offer.
"Same to you, we're family so you need only say the word," Yiora said with Malas silently nodding next to her.
Lily returned her dagger to her side before looking over at Runali, she offered a smile to her words and gave a small shake of her head.
"I still owe you all greatly, this was nothing. While I'd prefer giving you less trouble I will keep your offer in mind."
The Prophets turned towards the Captain upon her approach, Aira having Emil in a headlock while Kara watched with her arms wrapped around Isari. Accustomed to the woman's cuddling she managed to slip out to properly turn to Runali, Aira releasing Emil so he could do the same.
Kaim offered a grin towards the Captain and Aria held up her rum bottle, the two used to a bit of joviality, Emil waved his hand going on about 'how amazing he was so he should be thanked' but no one paid much mind to him as he missed the wit entirely. Nina and Ria being themselves raised their hands simultaneously towards the Stardusk Captain also missing her wit.
Isari just offered a giggle and an exaggerated salute, an act the Captain had done many a times herself.
Kara grinned at Runali and offered a wave of her hand before pulling Isari back into her embrace.
Tari offered a small nod and a 'we did our duty' added as a sense of professionalism while Nikos as usual eyes twitched upon the woman's approach and attitude.
"A temporary partnership, Stardusk, the navy having this much control is a terrible thing. While I like Order, too much of it stifles personality, though too much chaos is harmful in its own way. Ultimately we couldn't allow the navy to take away what is rightfully ours, both of us have our ambitions that would be hindered by this, we shall rise to the top and-"
Nikos' speech was cut off by the approach of Coral, he ended up stopping to 'baby' her.
"Ahaha…" Kaim said, walking forward past his now distracted leader. "Anytime Runali. Our relationship is a strange one but at the end of it all, we at the very least want to see what lies at the end of all your ambitions."
When all was said and done the many people that gathered did so due to Stardusk and the impact they had on them, in some form or another. Whether it was former enemies, or allies that answered the call each one of them held no regrets over the actions they had taken today.
Luro smiled watching the interactions, placing a cover over Runali as she slept before taking a place at her side; watching Zilia dash over to pry Isari out of Kara's grip, a small laugh escaped from him.
2 Weeks Later
Luro offered a grin seeing Jack catch the Captain, the redhead sitting nearby fiddling with one of his rifles. There was little worry at the Captain's safety knowing his brother was standing nearby, Zilia also hadn't looked up from her book, but from the medical bag next to her even in times of peace, she was prepared in case Luro exploded something or some other mishap found them. She was quite pleased to have actually made it through a few books the last few weeks putting the doctor in an especially good mood.
She glanced up from her reading seeing the news come in and marking her spot stood up with Luro walking with her to see what was going in the world today. "Ah…if only peaceful times like this could last fore-
Zilia's thoughts were cut off as her eyes rested on a particular article, a bright grin forming on the towering redhead's face behind her as he peered down at the pages as well.
"We're number 1! Ahahahahahaha! We did it!" Luro exclaimed before throwing both arms up and laughing.
Zilia removed her glasses, cleaned them and put them on again, forgetting they were just for show.
She couldn't believe her eyes, something had to be on the lenses. Those numbers did not say what she thought they said, but looking back at them they were very much true.
"Why are you laughing?!" She looked over at Luro. "This is bad! We're 'more' wanted now!"
"Exactly Z! It's the best! So many strong people want to kill us now. They're only going to get stronger! Yay!"
"....Alicia…I'm putting in an order for more medical supplies at the next stop," Zilia said bringing a hand to her face.
Though the doctor said this there was a small smile on her face as she looked back at the paper. Though their future was going to be even more chaotic, she felt a bit closer to her mentor now, and it was hard to be depressed with a giant laughing like a child behind her.
She thought that was the end of it but somehow the fates always had 'just one more' when it came to them.
"She…gave up the title," Zilia said before her eyes went immediately to Runali. "Captain wait let's-"
It was too late, she was already in motion.
"Think about this…carefully," she finished as her shoulders dropped.
"Come on Z! We're so close! It's hard not to be excited!"
"Hah…well I won't deny I'm looking forward to adding this to the Chronicle."
Zilia turned as the navy ships were confirmed and a heavy sigh escaped from her, she turned to stop Luro only to see he was presently 'occupied' with the Captain.
The redhead blinked a few times as Runali left, bringing a hand to his mouth he looked at Zilia then back at Runali then Zilia before grinning and immediately grabbing his rifle.
"Luro! You are not slaughtering them in the name of love or whatever feeling is running through you right now! Get back here!"
"Just a couple hundred Z! I'm full of energy all of a sudden!"
"No!"
Though thankfully Runali's mention of retreat and the blue wall Zilia had put in his way, was enough to pull him away from his joyously filled murder spree.
"Aye Captain!" Luro exclaimed moving to help the others.
He loaded shots into his rifle and filling them with Armament, turned to shoot down cannonball's that had a chance of getting close to them.
Zilia sighed but smiled as she ran to help the others.
"Z isn't this the best! A life of trouble and freedom with my family! I couldn't ask for anything more! Hahahahahaha!"
Zilia stared at the laughing redhead as he blew up a distant cannon and loaded another shot, her eyes moved to each member of Stardusk and with a nod and grin to match the redheads she spoke up.
"Aye Luro. For once I can say I couldn't agree more!"
Epilogue: Luro Makachi
"Throw him over there."
Two men chuckled a sack into the hold of their ship, a small 'oof' escaping from the bag as the carriers wiped a bit of sweat from their brow.
The man who commanded them walked past the two, he was dressed a bit more finely than the other men, though it was more of a status symbol then class difference. All of them were Bounty Hunters, basically born in the same place or circumstances. His two cohorts stood behind him in simple clothes, grey tunics and brown pantaloons. The only real difference between the two was their hair color and the one wearing sandals.
The sandals wearing blonde haired man stood on his tip-toes a bit to look past the other man.
His brunette haired friend leaned against the door frame arching a brow as their leader approached the bag, he tapped his black boots impatiently against the floor.
The leader of the trio was dressed in a black vest with a white ruffled shirt under it, he wore brown trousers and a brown belt which hung slightly askew off his waist.
He enjoyed Brass Cape fashion and dressed the part when he could.
"Kaz have you gun ready."
The brown haired man raised a hand before drawing the pistol off his waist and aiming it at the sack.
"Norm…if he runs for the door change and deal with him."
The blonde haired man nodded and his body shifted a bit, his head growing longer and a bit wider, as his skin shifted into a blue, his teeth growing sharper as he took on the appearance of a shark.
"You're taking the biggest risk here Gill. You'll be in the line of fire."
"I'll use my ability if it gets rough," the well dressed man responded.
Summoning a shield in this situation would be close but the person they took didn't possess any powers, he was just extremely dangerous and unpredictable.
Reaching forward Gill lowered the sack revealing a redheaded man underneath who shook his head a bit, and looked around at everyone.
"Well hey how's it going guys? If you wanted to continue having drinks we could have stayed at the tavern."
The men stared at Luro who smiled at them looking between their faces, Kaz lowered his gun a heavy sigh escaping from him.
"Is he acting or is this for real?"
"I mean he drank most of our crew under the table, he could still be drunk."
"I mean we'd be joining them if we hadn't knocked him out," Kaz added. "...he was still going pretty strong."
"They'll catch up once they sleep it off," Gill said glancing back at the too. "The important thing is that we captured Luro Makachi a Worst Gen. We'll be living the easily life for a while. All our debts will be paid, and we can even buy an island at this point gents."
The three men pumped their fists in the air and Luro almost did the same only to realize he was bound pretty tightly by rope around his wrist and legs.
"...hmm why am I tied up. Is this a new drinking game?"
"No we kidnapped you," Kaz said raising his gun back at him.
Luro stared at the man for a short moment before his eyes widened a bit.
"Ohhhh you guys are bounty hunters. Okay it makes sense now."
"Yes we are and we're fine turning in your dead body so if you resist-"
"Nah I won't resist. I got some free time anyway. Just to make sure though, you have the intention of killing me if I try to run or do anything like attack you."
"Yes," Gill said causing the other two to nod.
"Okay! That's all I needed to know thanks."
The three men had pulled up an assortment of barrels and crates and sat in a circle around Luro, they had removed the sack fully from him and he sat tailor style still bound with his arms behind his back.
His rifle had been laid a few feet away and the redhead was sitting with his eyes closed.
"Oi."
A voice caused him to open his eyes looking towards the source.
Kaz motioned towards him with the hand holding his gun.
"Tell us about your crew."
"Hm? You wanna go after them too?"
"Wouldn't be against one more. You were pretty easy after all," Norm chimed in.
"Well I am the weakest among them so I wouldn't recommend it, but I don't mind talking about them. Who ya wanna know about?"
Gill was surprised he was so willing to share, not wanting to waste the opportunity he spoke up first.
"What about Jack Kunal?"
"Ahhhh Jack," Luro said nodding. "Jack's really good at planning and junk. He's a fantastic cook and if you wanna know or get close to someone, he's your guy. He's a really good spy. He's also a great brother, I love him a lot."
Luro grinned at this and Norm arched a brow, it wasn't much but it was better than nothing.
"What about the one you call Kadi."
"He's really good at not getting lost. He also has some weird power. I don't really get it but it's pretty cool. He has some weapon that makes people forget stuff too. Really good sense of humor but never get on his bad side. I've seen him hold onto grudges for a really long time."
"A weapon that makes people forget things is valuable information", Kaz said looking at the others.
"What about Zilia Vilimar?"
"Z's good at doing doctor stuff. She can be a little scary sometimes but Z's really nice underneath it all. Her Devil Fruit is also really really powerful. She really understands me too, on a weird level I don't even get myself."
Gill was glad to hear confirmation that Zilia did possess a Devil Fruit, they'd have to look more into that.
"What about Alicia?" Norm asked raising a hand.
The two men looked over at the man, clear concern on their faces. They obviously didn't want to deal with her if possible.
"Alicia's really really strong. She goes 'watoo' and 'pakow' and things die. She also helped save us so I always wanna help her out since she helped me out too. I can also trust her to deal with me if things get weird. I do think having wind blades is nice and all but I wish they would set things on fire too."
Gill swallowed a bit at the mention of wind blades, there were rumors the woman had some affinity for wind, they'd avoid her as much as possible which was the original plan.
"What about your Captain?" Gill asked.
"Hahaha I'd need all day to talk about the Captain. She's everything I could want and more. Ya ever seen her smile? She never gives up, her armament is really strong and she's just got this air about her that makes ya wanna stay with her all the time. In fact I should be standing next to her right now, I'll have to make up for this lost time later."
Putting aside his last comment, the Captain's Armament was something to keep in mind.
"I'm sorry to break it to you Luro but you won't be goin' anywhere," Kaz said. "With that said…what about you. What's your story?"
"Mine," Luro said, tilting his head at the man aiming a gun at him. "It's not really all that interesting really."
"I'll be the judge of that," Kaz said making a motion with his gun to keep going.
Luro offered a shrug and straightened up a bit and offered a toothy grin to the man answering their question.
"Name's Luro Makachi, I'm the Carpenter and Sharpshooter of the Stardusk Pirates, and it's Monster when need be."
The men waited for Luro to continue but he went silent after his introduction causing Gill to shake his head a bit.
"That's it? You had way more to say about the others."
"I told ya. Not really all that interestin' so nothing much to say," Luro said rocking back and forth. "Everyone else is more interestin' I really really love them. I could talk about em' all day."
"It doesn't matter what his story is," Norm said motioning to Luro. "Once the others get here his story will end in the gallows."
"...they are taking a long time though."
"They're on their way. I'd give them…eight minutes," Luro said.
The trio looked at Luro at this and he looked between them, arching his brows a bit.
"...how do you know that?"
"I can sense them. They woke up not too long ago."
"...you can sense them from that far away?" Kaz questioned his grip tightening on his gun..
"...is that weird?"
"Very!" Norm exclaimed. "We threw you in the back of a cart. We're on the whole other side of town!"
"You're not telling us everything," Gill said standing up. "You said you're the weakest but that-"
"Oh no it's quite true. I believe I'm the weakest Stardusk."
"...you believe."
"Captain disagrees as do the others. Says I got my own speciality which is true. In terms of overall strength though I am more than likely the weakest."
"It keeps changing. You're lying to us."
"I'm not lying," Luro said. "There's no reason too. I do have a question for you guys though."
"...what is it?" Gill said making a motion with his head towards the other two.
The men stepped a bit closer with Kaz standing back a bit further back to cover them. He watched with narrowed eyes as Luro offered a smile to them.
"What is humanity?"
The question gave the men pause and they looked at each other, they weren't expecting the guy to wax philosophical. The rumors about him were a bit more…horrifying, granted seeing he was tied up and captured pretty easily those rumors probably weren't true anyway.
"Why the sudden question in the first place?" Norm asked
"I want to see it."
"...what exactly?" Kaz added as his hand hovered over his second pistol.
"Your humanity. Show it to me."
Was he asking to be let go? To be shown some kind of mercy? Gill didn't understand the question but either way they had no obligation to listen to his request.
"We're not going to show you our 'Humanity' Makachi."
The other men looked at their leader but nodded seeing their Captain's decision.
"I see…then at the very least I can show you mine."
Gill and his men had been in numerous situations, they weren't the best hunters around, but they had put their lives on the line all the same. He had been stabbed, shot and almost hit by spray cannonfire, he had even fought with sharks. He felt he was able to control his fear and what needed to be done.
In that moment however, staring at the gentle smile of the man in front of him.
He felt fear. True Fear.
Something in his instincts screamed at him to walk away from this, to just untie this man and let him go. He wasn't sure why but something in him understood the sudden danger this person possessed.
He watched as Luro stood up, the binding on his arms and legs falling to the floor, when he had broken free he didn't know, maybe he was never really tied up.
He could hear Kaz and Norm behind him, but their words didn't reach him.
The air around them seemed to distort, almost twisting in on itself, the door behind them shutting trapping them inside.
The bandages around the redhead's wrist unfurled, falling to the floor by some unseen hand, unwinding them until a pile had formed at his feet.
In that moment he saw the Luro's hands, they resembled more beast than man, fingernails curved into claws as black lines ran up what little of his arms was exposed.
He could see Kaz and Norm moving forward but his feet wouldn't move, black flames enveloped the redhead as his laughter echoed throughout the room. His form consumed by embers of obsidian, his body a hearth for the ebony blaze.
It was a gentle warmth, one that reminded him of home.
When the flames dispersed there was no longer a man there, no that wasn't quite right. There was no human there, baptized by that roaring furnace, a monster was all that remained in its place.
Eyes mismatched and slitted like a predator peering through the darkness, canines more animal than human revealed by the laughing smile adorning the creature's face. Its hair resembled a feral creature, wild and untamed, fluttering slightly behind it.
Its upper body fully exposed revealed the scars of many battles, of its resilience and its resolution to survive, something greater than their own.
He wanted to tell them, don't go near it, don't move forward, but his words wouldn't come and it was too late.
He didn't even see how it happened.
They didn't even have time to scream, red splashed against the walls, some spattering across his face. Only chunks of what were his friends remained, Kaz's head…face still twisted in terror rolled until it rested at his feet. "Wow I even held back, you guys are pretty delicate. Oh your friends made it."
It placed a hand on his shoulder as it stood next to him, he could feel the flames surrounding this thing's hands seep through his clothes burning his skin, but his body wouldn't move, even with the pain. "I'll open the door for them."
This was the 'weakest member' of Stardusk…what hell did they bring upon themselves getting involved with them?
Luro stared at his hand, still dripping from their 'conversation' earlier. He looked down at his body, noticing he was covered in red. The blood of course wasn't his own but Zilia would be upset all the same. "I should change back…it'll be hard to explain this and my appearance."
Luro stopped and extended his hand in the air. "Change back!"
He spoke the words and waited, only for nothing to happen. He opened and closed his clawed hands tilting his head. "Transform!"
He extended both his hands and waited, once again nothing happened. "...well this is bad. Maybe I should try asking-"
Black flames covered Luro's body and in the next moment he had returned to normal. He raised his arms and looked over himself, no sign of the last few moments was on him, not even the blood.
With a grin his hands twitched and bandages wrapped back around his arms and hands, he walked forward adjusting them.
Since the problem fixed itself he decided not to think about it anymore, he started his trek back to the ship. Passing a store window a woman appeared where his reflection should be, a red haired woman stood staring straight at him, a smile adorning her features as her eyes traced him.
Luro immediately turned and looked in the window only to see his own reflection, he blinked and stared at his own face before shrugging and turning forward.
"Thought I felt someone's…nah doesn't matter. I gotta get back soon or I won't get fourths from Jack!"
When I speak with Imposter there's a complaint at how simple Luro is. One day it's that he's too easy to manipulate, others days that it's harder or boring. I then raise the question. "What's wrong with simple?"
That gives them pause sometimes but the question returns not soon after.
Our deal allows me to peer into the deepest parts of Luro…so I can say this with absolute certainty.
No one will ever fully understand Luro.
Not humans, not demons, not the gods or anything in-between, it's just a fact.
He is an enigma, his past shrouded in mystery and with his memories all jumbled not even he can answer questions about it.
To keep from rambling I'll keep it brief. "Luro is a simple person."
What you see is generally what you get, he eats, sleeps, and kills when he wants too. Well the latter is hindered by Runali but for the most part he still does it.
There is no one way to define Luro, ask a thousand people, get a thousand answers as they say. A product of both he and his sister's handiwork.
Even Imposter ends up confused some days, at this human who can wear the skin of a monster at his leisure, or perhaps it's the other way around.
Because they seek complexity in things, search for answers where there are none they are unable to accept such straightforward transparency.
Even now there is speculation of some complex reasoning of Luro spreading this rumor of being the weakest so people will come after him, to help him pass the time.
Who would believe such a tale? Why believe it?
Either way I can say one thing for certain, a fact that resonates even now.
Luro sprinted down the road towards the ship with a bright grin on his face.
Towards his family and the one place he could call home. "Luro Makachi is a very honest liar…and a very simple person."
Epilogue: Zilia Vilimar
Zilia stared at the wide open sea in front of her, the ship rocking gently on the waters as she waited to see her destination appear before her. She presently wasn't on the Lady, having left to do business with Sor, she always volunteered when they had to meet with him. The temple was in the Circle and she took the time to visit her Mentor's grave along with visit Mari and a few others. Generally if she was lucky Isa would be there too on Prophet business; however she knew that wasn't the case today as they exchanged letters.
She still enjoyed visiting either way and after ensuring Stardusk had at least 'someone' nearby to treat any wounds, specifically Luro's, she took a ship to the Circle.
There was no way to enter the Circle without Sor's permission or acknowledgement, he knew all who came in and out. So long as new visitors paid him a visit he had no qualms with them, he had called for her so her appearance was already acknowledged.
Zilia still wasn't sure who exactly Sor was but every Mercenary in the Circle, and most of the people followed the few rules he set, and knowing how rowdy the bunch was allowed her to peek a bit more into the man's mystery. Even the rule breakers were allowed to stay so long as they didn't take it too far, the Circle was a place for law breakers after all. Somehow it all worked out in the end, the mystery of it still fascinated her.
She knew at the very least if nothing else that he was a better ally than enemy.
When a ship stood directly in their path Zilia tensed a bit, she looked for the Navy's flag or perhaps Pirates as she was on a merchant vessel when she instead saw a circle. Adjusting her glasses she noticed Sor was standing on a boat, and when their eyes met he raised a hand as greeting.
"You didn't have to come to me."
Zilia spoke to Sor as he walked a few feet ahead of her.
Upon changing ships he had taken her to the forest near her Mentor's place, he apparently wanted to pay respects and he knew she was going to come here at some point in her journey.
Her eyes glanced over at the clearing a few feet away, the battle back then felt more like a dream now then anything else. She couldn't imagine feeling that much rage towards Maka or Yuli anymore now.
She smiled a little at the thought only to stop as Sor paused, she looked around recognizing this place.
A small opening in the forest, where the sunlight filtered through the trees, with a singular stump in the center that the light fell upon.
It was the place where she had gotten lost in the forest, her former home wasn't too far from here.
"You've been oddly quiet Sor," Zilia said crossing her arms. "Normally you can't stop taking."
Sor only offered a smile to Zilia at her comment and her guard actually went up slightly, the man was acting strange. If they weren't allies she would have already summoned a Guardian, she didn't understand what he wanted, even his letter only mentioned basic trade business. Normally Sor handled business first then allowed pleasantries, this was out of character.
"Hey Zil."
Sor finally spoke up causing Zilia's brows to arch as a silent sign she was listening.
"You wanna be the next Sor?"
A gust of wind blew past the two as a strange silence fell between them, both stopping at the same time. Zilia's eyes twitched as Sor continued to smile at her, hands folded behind his back.
"...e-excuse me? Could you repeat that?"
"I'm asking you to be the next Sor."
"Yeah that's what I thought you said…" Zilia said bringing a hand to her head. "Okay a few questions then. Firstly…what exactly do you mean by that?"
"I thought it was obvious, keep the Circle safe and going. Pretty straightforward, and of course take over my many mercantile pursuits."
"Mercantile pursuits is what he calls it…" Zilia mumbled. "So do your job got it, secondly and more importantly why me?
Sor turned around at this and continued forward, Zilia following after him.
"The people here trust you and some respect you. There's some fear mixed in there as well. We've done business and these meetings long enough for me to see you have a grasp of how transactions are handled."
"I don't think I'd say 'handled'..."
"You cover plenty of bases before the papers even trade hands, so much so I basically just have to sign. What you don't know I'd teach you. On top of that you're a familiar face and one of the most important things."
Sor stopped and turned back towards Zilia.
"You're strong. You can protect the people around you. At least better than some."
"You're giving me too much credit," Zilia said stopping and placing a hand on her hip.
"Honestly I'm not giving you enough. Additionaly you have things to protect here. The temple, Dr. Vilimar's home which is your home considering her will, and of course Mari. You're even from here to an extent which makes it easy, it's basically your hometown. I think you'd make a good Sor."
"There's only one Sor, I can't fill those shoes."
"Well no there's been multiple Sor's."
"Pardon?" Zilia said crossing her arms.
"Sor is a title not a name."
"Wait Sor's not your name? Then what is…never mind we'll come back to that. I'm with Stardusk right now I can't just-"
"I don't mean now," Sor said holding his hands up before pointing behind him to keep moving. "We've spoken about it before, about the possibility of Stardusk one day disbanding. Alicia may return to her home, your Captain is a step closer to her own ambition and I doubt Jack will want to raise his family, should he have one, on Lady Luck."
Zilia wasn't surprised to hear he had already heard about one of Jack's views for the future.
She ended up missing what he had to say about Kadi however, contemplating how he had found out about the information in the first place.
Luro of course would go where Runali went so there was no need to add him to the equation.
"I'm just offering it as a possibility."
Sor came to a stop outside the clearing, directly in front of her former house. Zilia looked past him at the structure then back at the man himself.
"I'd like it if you at least considered it. I'll hold the position while you're with Stardusk, and if you wish to take me up on it…then merely return to the Circle and tell me. I'll hand it over to you. Obviously I won't go anywhere should you accept, I'll just serve as your right hand while you get used to things, as this place is my home. I'll always be around to help with anything, I would hand everything over to you though."
Zilia watched Sor's face for a moment but as always she couldn't get a read on the man, but Sor loved the Circle, he played around but he wouldn't joke about something like this. Many people tried to negotiate, bribe and in some cases kill him for his position and power, so for him to just hand it over meant he truly trusted her.
"Where is this coming from Sor?"
"Nowhere special," the man said. "It just feels right to hand it over to you. Beyond being Dr. Vilimar's apprentice and a former denizen of the Circle. I've watched your interactions with the others. To me you're the best candidate and I'm running with that feeling."
Zilia couldn't find words to explain how confusing that was, but this was how Sor was. She believed he got along with Luro because both had good instincts. Sor was a careful man, he listened to his gut and intuition often, and somehow that had led to her.
The idea of being 'Sor' of the Circle, of being one of the great hidden powers. That was a lot to take in, much less consider, but it was true she had no idea what she would do should Stardusk ever separate. With a heavy sigh she opened her eyes to Sor who was leaning forward with a hand on his ear.
"...I'll keep it in mind."
The man grinned and straightened his body.
"That's all I ask. Anyway we came to pay respects. Let's do so and then we'll get down to business."
Zilia nodded and walked towards her Mentor's grave, and bowed her head alongside Sor before folding her hands together. "Mentor. I have a long way to go before I can say my Chronicle is done. I feel as if I've taken on the world…but I still feel like I'm lagging behind you. I think that's okay though. Even if I don't know for how long, I have a family to protect, a dysfunctional, irritating and very loving family. I'll use all you taught me and more to protect what's around me. When the time comes that we reunite I'll have so many more stories to tell you…as always I miss you and I'll be back when I can."
Zilia raised her head to see Sor patiently waiting, with a grin he walked away the doctor joining him.
Before the two entered back into the forest however Zilia stopped before looking behind her.
"...what is it?"
"Sorry I…thought I smelled wheat for a second."
"There's no wheat on this side of the island Zil. Come on I'll end up with tacks in my coffee if we're late."
"Of course. Let's go."
The two walked off their forms disappearing into the forest. A single grain of wheat, resting on Dr. Vilimar's grave was picked up in their absence and blown away by the wind.
Epilogue: The Duo
Zilia wasn't sure when it exactly happened, there was no chain of events that explained it or a clear incident she could point out.
Sitting in her room with a book in hand, she could feel a presence that had become extremely familiar sitting directly behind her. She could feel the slight weight of his arm on her shoulder and without looking could tell he was smiling his normal grin towards a book he more than likely didn't understand.
When exactly she had become so close to Luro Makachi was unknown to her.
In any normal situation she would have blasted almost anyone else out of her window for being in her room without permission. The most she gave Luro was a heavy chop on the head and a reminder to knock next time.
Such interactions was normal at this point, and thus the two of them sitting basically within breathing distance in such a large room was also a usual thing.
Thus when Seliria saw them sitting so close when they visited the Nova's she asked a simple question.
"What exactly is your relationship?"
It was a good question and to her surprise she didn't have a real answer to it.
While it would seem Luro had no sense of personal space, and in a way he didn't, Luro did have such a thing as 'distance' when it came to people. This didn't stop him from entering the personal bubble of anyone he met but paying close attention, he did respect their space.
He always stood about a pistol length from Alicia, he was still clearly in her personal bubble but knowing her feelings towards physical contact that was his 'concession'. With Jack he didn't drape himself over him immediately but it did happen. She wasn't sure when but he allowed Adelaide to have 'Dibs' on Jack's shoulders. Probably some conversation they had at some point.
Thus he would maintain a normal distance until he confirmed Adelaide wasn't going to borrow his shoulders, then he did so. Also depending on the situation he would move away from Jack letting Adelaide take over.
Kadi's distance is basically non-existant but he doesn't bother him when he was busy doing his job, mainly because he respects his navigational prowess having no sense of direction of his own. He does peer over his shoulder every time however.
It went without saying detaching him from Runali took effort, unless she did so herself. She had to ask her at some point how she got Luro to do that.
He also held back if she was being 'Captainy' as he called it. Until right after at the very least.
With all that said Luro while having no sense of personal distance, does have some strange acknowledgement of times he shouldn't cling to someone.
Minus one exception which was her.
For being someone that understood her more than she'd like he had absolutely no sense of seperation when it came to her, even when she clearly wanted space.
At first such a thing irritated her, in a way it still did but it was Luro's lack of awareness at necessary proximity that did help her stay on the ship and at this point she was used to it.
She had just come to accept it as a natural part of her day, now being no particular exception to the matter.
Which returned her thoughts to what Seliria had asked her.
Luro loved every person on Lady Luck. He has openly admitted it and will do so if asked, sometimes at random times without being asked.
Stardusk was his family it was just that simple, she felt the same but wasn't as open about speaking it, she preferred showing through normal interactions.
Some days she envied Luro, there was an unspeakable trust between him and Alicia, perhaps being part of the old guard and being through so much had created such a bond.
Zilia knew Luro would help Alicia without even a need for an explanation if she asked, and as far as he was concerned Satia and Hanako were his family too.
For some odd reason he never called Satia by her name though.
With that said Luro would help any member of Stardusk with the same fervor.
Jack was his brother in all forms, Kadi was someone he respected for various reasons, perhaps again due to being old guard and Runali was everything to him.
She knew all this because she had spoken to him about it, multiple sessions trying to peer into his mind, ensuring his mental health was safe.
Understandably having no answer for her own relationship with him was a shock, until she realized she had never really asked him.
What was she to Luro Makachi?
She was the only one outside the man himself, who had at least some understanding of why Luro went by Luro. Even if she didn't know the whole story she understood the little boy who lost something he loved and how it changed him.
She imagined one day he'd tell the story himself, even the part she didn't know but until then there was a mutual understanding between them, they both knew where they came from.
At first she thought that was the proper answer to her question, but that didn't feel right.
Their relationship felt more significant than parts of a secret past shared; barely one at that as even she didn't know his real name.
A connection via Imposter also didn't add up, Lia was a fake Imposter for one and secondly a connection thanks to those 'things' didn't feel proper.
Perhaps their time together as Stardusk Pirates would count, but that also felt wrong. That was something shared with every person on this ship so that wasn't right.
Luro didn't even understand all of his emotions anyway so she decided to just straight out ask him, maybe try to glean an answer from his natural response.
She remembered that day, how he stared at her with this look of confusion, his brows arching and his head tilting, then spoke an answer that still resonated within her.
"What does it matter? I just like being near you."
It left her absolutely dumbfounded, up until she realized a very simple matter.
This was just the kind of person Luro was, he didn't complicate things, it made his head hurt.
If he liked being near you, he stayed near you. If he wanted to hug you, he hugged you.
If he wanted to kill you, with Runali's permission he killed you.
It was absolutely infuriating…but was also a proper answer.
In all honesty what did it matter what their relationship exactly was? Nothing would change from having an answer to the question, and she felt no particular need to satiate a random curiosity.
Up until this point she had just accepted it because it felt like the right thing to do, Luro wasn't bad company, and if she asked him to leave he would.
This closeness was not something she disliked, though verbally admitting that wasn't going to happen.
Perhaps it was a natural understanding of a certain kind of loneliness, perhaps it was a habit born from years of traveling together, perhaps something else outside the limits of her imagination. She wasn't sure and had stopped caring about it relatively quickly.
To her surprise however when she informed Seliria 'it didn't matter' the woman merely gave a small nod of acknowledgement. It made it seem as if she understood something but Zilia never pressed it, she felt no need to.
Every member of Stardusk was precious to her and that included Luro.
While she wouldn't be against a 'bit' more distance, she had no reasonable reason to complain about their current proximity so she left the matter alone.
There is an unspoken agreement between them, a promise without words.
Thus it's unlikely there will be any change in the duo's strange connection.
Epilogue: Ashia
Imposter found herself in Ashia's strange domain once again.
The grass however was a dull crimson this time as she made her way up the cliffside, every bit of vegetation around her, including the trees of the forest on both sides of her shared the same color. She paid no mind to it as this world was strange in itself, the night never seemed to come, but with four suns perhaps that was just a natural thing, she wasn't sure and knew she wouldn't be given an answer if asked.
Making it to the top of the cliffside she saw Ashia standing and staring out at the horizon.
She always seemed to be in the same spot doing the same thing, Ashia only stopped when she acknowledged her presence. The woman knew she was there, her instincts told her as such but she had no desire to speak with her yet.
She stopped at a five person distance, which she normally did. That was just enough to have a chance at dodging if she made any sudden movements, she wasn't sure what Ashia wanted, much less why she allowed her in here. The woman however would kill her without hesitation if she wanted to, she knew that as Ashia had said it herself.
There was never a time her guard wasn't up around Ashia knowing this fact.
"Do you know why you can enter this place Imposter?"
The woman's words almost echoed through her, had she not been called she would have thought she was talking to herself.
Ashia didn't turn around which was unlike her or at least what she considered unlike her. The silence that followed the question showed it wasn't rhetorical. "You let me in." "That is true yes but why are you able to exist here?"
Imposter opened her mouth to answer but closed it realizing she didn't have an answer.
She was allowed into this place but this was a place of Ashia's creation…her merely existing here was an affront to this space. "I don't know."
Ashia turned to face her, hands still behind her back, a silent acknowledgment there was no need to be on guard. The enigmatic woman offered a smile to her, a gentle one with no malice.
This was why Imposter's didn't like her.
They were beings of chaos…uncertainty, confusion and the unknown fascinated them. Ashia should be a welcome addition, a mystery that can't be solved and a dangerous one at that. Yet she was on edge because of this, it betrayed her natural instincts and that made her uncomfortable. "It's because you and I share a connection, a very small one but one nonetheless." "...I don't remember anything like that."
"You wouldn't, it was forced upon you in a way. I could tell you what it is. Provide answers to why my presence bothers you…but there's no need."
Ashia moved one of the hands from behind her back and put a hand over her 'heart'. "You won't be leaving here today."
The first thing Imposter tried to do was leave, but something blocked her. An invisible box that kept her from even moving.
She tried to alter her appearance but she was stuck as she was, defenseless and weak.
In that moment she realized she was trapped, no that wasn't quite it. She knew she was trapped from the beginning; this was just the proof of it coming to light.
Imposter extended a hand towards Ashia but no power came from it, which is what she expected. She had been severed from her power, she felt the connection cut at the woman's words, at her declaration.
Struggling with no hope or possible survival, all options severed and removed, the only thing left is death at the hands of someone stronger.
The excitement within her wanted to manifest but refused to for this woman and she didn't understand why. This unnatural state of being infuriated her, why couldn't she enjoy this? She felt so…human. "Fine I 'die' today. At least answer one question for me," Imposter said lowering her hand. "Yes?" "Why me?"
Ashia brows arched a bit at this before a small chuckle escaped from her. "A reason for your demise. You are one of the fun Imposters aren't you?" "Just answer the question."
Ashia offered a shrug to her before she started walking towards her. "You took the guise of Luro's sister to manipulate him, cause him worry. That sin stays with him, it's always something that you can use, something you know will bother him. Nowadays however he handles your prodding easier, so that form is no longer needed. I'm going to use it for something else." "What exactly are you going to use it for?"
Ashia placed a hand on Imposter's shoulder. "You don't need to know that."
The woman's grip tightened on her. "Your existence will be used for something greater. Return to the sweet void."
Imposter felt her consciousness slip away, black encroaching her vision. She grit her teeth as she felt her body dissolving at the woman's touch, ripping apart and being turned to ash bit by bit.
Death was not something she would experience, that wasn't what this was. The fate awaiting her was worse, as what she had taken was now being stolen away. Ashia called it death as kindness but they both knew what this was, it was an indescribable cruelty and the woman was smiling as she did it.
No words were uttered by Imposter even as she fully faded away.
Ashia pulled her hand away, a small red sphere floating in the palm of it, closing her finger around it the orb vanished and she turned around making her way back to the cliff.
Folding her hands behind her back she walked to the edge keeping her steady pace, even as her foot went over it.
Where she should have plummeted and invisible step instead caught her, repeating as her other foot came forward. The woman now walking on air towards the horizon paid no mind as the world behind her started to disintegrate, forming into ashes as she moved to leave it behind. "Stardusk will always exist."
The woman spoke the words to no one in particular, to an audience unaware they were being addressed. She spoke all the same however, as she knew her words would be heard by who needed to hear them. "That is a fundamental fact. So long as there are those who would bring order, there are those who would be the chaos…or perhaps the other way around."
The woman smiled a bit at this as the ocean under her suddenly rose up, arcing over her as she walked through the tunnel of water, glancing at the fish swimming by. "Those with steadfast determination, those with big dreams, some with small ones. Cowards and cheats, enigma's the world may never know. They will be born in many ways, they will live different lives, they will inevitably see their end….but there will always be Stardusk."
The woman closed her eyes as the sea moved slightly away from her. "People like us will outlive 'this' Stardusk…inevitably the reaper will come for them. It is their fate, there is no changing that. Eventually, everything will end…at least that is what the simple-minded spout."
The woman raised her hand and with a wave the water vanished, dissipating into a watery mist, the world around her shifted and her steps soon found themselves on a dirt road, stretching far into the distance, grassy plains on both sides of her. Each direction stretching out into absolute infinity under a blue morning sky. "Stardusk have existed, presently exist and will always exist. It is not possible for them to experience everything this world has to offer, to face every mystery kept hidden. Something will always be missing…but that's fine…because there will always be a Stardusk. What this Stardusk doesn't see, the next Stardusk will, and the one after that, and so on and so forth. They may not carry the same names, they may not have the same faces, they may not even carry the moniker of Stardusk…but all the same Stardusk will exist."
The light chirping of birds filled the air, they flew past the woman and with a wave the ground rumbled slightly as the earth quaked. "Their actions will inspire others, will ignite fires within their hearts. Even now there are those they've touched. They will plant seeds-"
With a snap tree's suddenly rose out of the ground around her, the grassy plains soon forming into a forest, though the dirt road remained untouched for her. "That grow inside all that encounter them…and when they pass new seeds will be planted, ad infinitum…Stardusk will exist."
Names were etched into the side of the tree's, her finger traced over 'Hanako' as the Worst Gen rose up around her, the names of their crew etched into each individual tree.
Ashia came to a stop and her eyes moved to the sky above her, dyed orange once her journey had come to a temporary end. "This is something only finality can offer, it is not something the indefinite have perfected. It is a trait known most to the finite, that need to leave something behind, to pass something along. It is the curse and blessing of the impermanent."
Ashia closed her eyes as the world seemed to sink in on itself, the earth swallowing itself as the sky was drawn into the abyss forming at the woman's feet, but she remained unmoved as everything shifted around her, a witness to the end of one world and once again she walked, unperturbed to the unknown in front of her.
Only the sun remained above her but it's light touched nothing of the void around her, it's light only illuminated the woman herself. "I will watch you until the end Stardusk. I will know each of your final moments, I will see how far your dreams take you, I will see you resist the inevitably that awaits you. I will observe your struggle that carries only one ending no matter how hard you fight it. I will watch you shine Stardusk of this generation until your last moments, as I have always done."
A small chuckle escaped the woman and with a snap of her fingers the sun vanished and the world itself left. "Until then shine like the stars you are."
Not very important, just that though it's late I had mega fun with all this, beginning to end. Thank you everyone for inspiring me so much and putting up with my walls of text sometimes, sorry this is coming extremely late but thanks all the same...that's it I'm not getting overly sappy so I'm stopping here. DLC will be up soon. Mizos Out!
Everything above was the Epilogue. That's it. The end for the main cast of my characters for this rp. If you've gotten this far, great, you've read the epilogue. Awesome.
Everything past this point is extra, made for the other characters, while it ties into the main story let me make it clearly known.
You have read the main epilogue you are done! Proceed further at your own discretion.
All right I gave fair warning, use your time as you wish past this point
Epilogue Ravens:
Tari sat at one of the tables in their living room looking over a few documents. She'd normally manage it in her office especially with the room being so full, but she needed to catch Nikos who went to get the paper.
Her eyes glanced up and scanned the room when she found a good stopping point.
Ria was draped over Nina as always the two reading some book together, it was impressively creepy how their eyes scanned the pages at the same time.
Aira had returned temporarily waiting for her next job and was cleaning her weapon in the corner, multiple bottles of rum around her.
She was cussing quietly because Isari was nearby, petting one of her crystal birds. Her gaze moved over to Kaim and Kara who were playing a game, judging by the fact Kaim had two hats on and Kara's shirt was on backwards it was clearly one they made up.
Isari didn't realize it was a trap from the two to draw her in, their occasional glances when she wasn't looking at them was proof enough, if she wasn't busy she'd interrupt it but for now it was fine.
To her surprise Emil was even here having returned for a short meeting, he was lying on the floor face down pretending to be unconscious. Kara had got her hands on him and when she hugged him so tight a loud *snap* rang out. He proceeded to play dead at that point and hasn't moved since. Kara was giving him time to recover so he hadn't moved, knowing one flinch meant getting pulled back into her embrace.
This was a normal day for them.
The door to the room opened and Tari noticed Nikos standing in the doorway, the paper hanging loosely in his grip. She opened her mouth to speak with him but immediately shut it seeing the look on his face. It was a subtle shift, slightly furrowed brows and a small twitch of his mouth, everyone, even Emil's attention turned to him at this.
Kaim called it his 'something happened' face and it was a pretty spot on observation.
Nikos crossed the room without a word and threw the paper on the table, everyone moved to look at it, their collective jaws dropping, save Ria and Nina whose expressions while blank did show surprise in their own way.
"The Pirate Lord…left her spot open," Emil said said trying to pry Kara's arms from his waist.
"Doesn't Miss Runali want to be Pirate Lord?" Isari said speaking the thoughts of each person in the group.
"Oh man she must be extremely excited right now," Kaim said grinning as he held up the paper.
"I'm sure she's already rushing forward as we speak," Kara said ignoring the struggling Emil.
"...Runali's excited," Ria and Nina said in unison.
The group glanced over at the two as Aira took the paper from Kaim.
"Don't know why she wants the position…but hey more to her I guess," Aira said. "This important or something Nikos?"
"Runali is now one step closer to her goal," Nikos said. "We still have a way to go towards our own."
Being handed the paper Nikos' eyes narrowed a bit.
"I already have a list of contacts to expand our operations," Tari added. "We can't permit ourselves to fall behind."
"Agreed," Nikos said. "Even Runali can't become Pirate Lord by tomorrow, get ready everyone we're going to be even busier than usual."
Tari eyes moved to the table.
"...I won't allow myself to lose to that woman either. Let's do our best."
"Hahaha Stardusk is going to get even stronger aren't they. I can't wait to go at them again," Kaim said slamming his hand into his fists.
"I'm going to work hard so Zil won't worry. I'll do my best," Isari said pumping her fists slightly.
"I can't let Zilia think you're not taken care of either. I'll have to work a little harder then," Kara said pulling the struggling Emil closer
"....Jack…"
Ria's eyelids lowered slightly.
"We'll work hard too," Nina said glancing over at Ria, the latter nodding to her.
"I don't give a damn about Stardusk's antics or the Pirate Lord…but I got my pride as an ex Pirate. I'll make sure our armada is in top shape," Aira said holding up one of her bottles.
"...I have to keep her safe," Emil mumbled.
"Hmm you say something Emil," Kaim said looking over at him.
"Huh? Ah no just that they won't even be worth going all out against, but I'll put in a bit more effort so they can tell the difference between us."
"Which of course has nothing to do with Hanako," Kaim added smiling at him.
"Of course it doesn't! Now come on we're getting into it right. We're the Prophets, the soon to be greatest mercenaries around. Let's get to it!"
A resounding cry came from the group as they steeled themselves for the future ahead.
A group that were the black sheep, finding each other in the strangest ways. Pushed forward by a mix of emotions and reasons they aim to reach their own goals, their bonds with each other and their rivalry with Stardusk may one day lead them to the futures they pursue. Until then the Prophets will continue forward ceaselessly unflinching.
Information gathering was a part of their business, that much hadn't changed even after they became the Prophets. One good thing about their previous line of work is they had a leg up on their competition, some people would even contact them for information.
That was the reason Nikos had gotten on a boat and was making his way to the Circle, Milis had contacted them and they had just finished gathering what they needed.
The Mercenaries were very competitive in the Circle, and while Milis was one of the more easygoing ones she wasn't foolish. She preferred in-person responses and paid extra just for that. Tari had a job in the area so she was accompanying him, he admittedly was happy for the company, Milis had a lot of energy and a lack of personal space to anyone she's met more than once.
Having Tari made it easier to slip away when the time came, it'd also been a while since the two of them had some time alone.
It always reminded him of the old times whenever they went out together, it brought a smile to his face.
Nikos stared out at the sea, watching the endless blue around them as their ship was guided towards the circle. It was early in the morning and the sun was high in the sky, they'd reach her by afternoon
"Nikos may I ask a question?"
Nikos turned to his companion and Tari showing a moment of hesitation, continued her inquiry.
"I've always been curious but never felt the need to ask this question…"
Tari trailed off and Nikos turned to her, giving his full attention. Since the incident he felt they were far more straightforward with each other about things. He supposed holding someone while they were trembling took away some of the subjects that couldn't be discussed.
"Why didn't you choose Alicia back then? I know you like improving your swordsmanship and she was a prime candidate for that."
Nikos' brows arched a bit not expecting the question but he did have an answer to it.
"Well there are two reasons," Nikos said moving his hands to his hips."The first is that I was more interested in Runali and you clearly wanted Alicia's bounty."
"I…suppose that is true yes…and the second?"
"My mentor told me not to fight her."
Tari went silent at Nikos' second answer, she watched him as he crossed his arms clearly finished speaking. She was going to leave it at that but something about it bothered her and she found herself speaking again.
"What do you mean…your mentor told you not to fight her?"
"Exactly that. My mentor told me not to fight her. Not because he thought I couldn't measure up, but because and if I remember correctly he said 'I don't want Smiles getting upset' something along those lines."
"...Smiles?"
"His name for Miss Sakura, it was a play on her name or something…or because she smiled often I'm not sure."
Nikos gave a small shrug before continuing.
"I was aware of her before I was even in the Ravens thus I knew she was with Stardusk. So don't fret thinking you 'stole' her. I intend on keeping my promise to my mentor. I have no desire to raise my blade against any of the Tashigi family…so long as they give me the same respect."
Tari went silent for a moment before she pressed, the curiosity winning out.
"Your mentor…did he know her? Sakura?"
"I have no idea. He never went into it. Seliria never did either. She did however tell me the answer to my question is with his request. That if I wanted an answer to that question to think about why he told me that, why he knew we'd meet."
Nikos' eyes narrowed slightly.
"...I feel like I know the answer but not fully. It's at that presently."
Tari offered a nod deciding not to push the subject any further, though since Nikos seemed okay discussing personal details a few other matters came to mind.
"...what about Runaili and Luro. I know the latter is not a fun subject but I won't deny wanting your opinion on them."
"My opinion huh…my feelings about those two are complicated."
Nikos grew silent for a brief moment, and Tari regretted approaching the subject, she started to pull back when Nikos spoke up.
"I respect ambition, so it's hard for me to fully dislike Runali. Her attitude irritates me but she backs it up with action, something many people don't do. She's clearly different from other pirates, I guessed that from her records but when we met I understood it immediately."
Nikos stopped and closed his eyes.
"This woman has the potential to achieve her ambition."
Opening his eyes he looked back towards the sea.
"Putting aside that Luro listens to her, which alone is nothing short of a miracle…you can tell a Captain's worth by how their crew responds to them. Runali does not rule through fear, or rely on greed. Her own charisma and determination drew people to her. She lets her crew do what they will, yet they still heed her call and orders without question or hesitation. However one feels about Runali, there's no denying the facts. She is a good Captain, and I respect that."
"I see…that does measure up with what I've seen as well."
"She's a worthy rival, someone worth competing with…her attitude is infuriating but that's another matter."
A small smile rested on Tari's face, Nikos looked agitated but she could tell when he was happy. He was clearly excited to meet her again, but she kept that to herself.
"...what of Luro?" she asked deciding to use his present good mood.
Nikos' mood immediately plummeted and Tari regretted even broaching the subject.
"My apologies Nikos, you don't have to-"
"No it's fine…probably better to get it out in the open anyway."
Nikos ran a hand through his hair and with a heavy sigh watched the distant horizon for a moment. His history with Luro was complicated enough, putting it all into words was impossible but he could talk about some matters.
"I have known Luro for far too long. At this point I'm probably the only one alive who was near him in his childhood. With Lina and Nura gone."
He paused there for a moment speaking that realization out loud before continuing.
"He and I have fought each other countless times, I have seen the darkness in his soul but never understood it. I never thought Luro would change, I thought he would be the same man I knew. He killed the woman he loved without hesitation, and he slaughtered his old friends with a smile on his face, Luro is a monster even by harsh standards…"
Nikos trailed off for a moment.
"...yet he cried for his sister. He held her in his arms…and he wept like a child."
Nikos grew silent for a moment, that memory replaying in his head.
"I just thought 'what a hypocrite' at the sight of it all. To take so much from others, to smile at your own losses like it's nothing…yet cry over one person. It was infuriating...of all the times to show your humanity why then…why now?"
"Nikos…"
Nikos held a hand up to indicate that he was fine.
"I can't deny that Luro has done some good, and he's definitely trying to do right by Stardusk in his own way. Still a part of me can't forgive him…won't forgive him. I'm the only person left aware of his true sins, for those that didn't survive…I can't just pretend it didn't happen…but ignoring him trying to change isn't right either. For now I've decided to watch and see what happens."
Nikos glanced over at Tari at this.
"If I see him revert…if I see that monster return fully. I'll be allowed to break my vow, and at that point I'll kill him myself if Alicia doesn't."
"If you do that Runali-"
"I'm aware. She'd never forgive me for it…but I promised Lina. When she told me the truth, about why she kept Luro safe all these years…if her plan failed…I had permission to do what I must…of course I didn't realize her plan meant sacrificing herself back then."
Nikos shook his head turning his attention back to the sea.
"...I inherited the title of watchdog I suppose," Nikos said as a weak chuckle came from him. "That's all. I'll perform my duty and free Luro if he loses himself again."
Tari remained silent as Nikos' explanation finished, after a brief moment she spoke up again.
"Nikos' you actually like Luro don't you?"
"...what in the world are you on about Tari," Nikos said glancing sideways at her. "You of all people know my feelings about that fool."
"...of course Nikos, I misspoke forgive me," Tari said giving a small bow.
Nikos focused his attention forward before walking towards the door to the lower decks.
"I'm going to meditate until we get there."
"Understood I'll leave you be then."
Tari watched Nikos walk away, a small smile forming on her face.
"You want from 'kill' to 'free' Nikos. You're really bad at hiding your feelings sometimes," she said as she closed her eyes. "I hope the day comes when the two of you can put the past fully behind you. When that day comes…I think you'll both get what you want from the other."
If there was one thing Nikos could say about Emil, it was that he liked to keep busy. He always complained about not having time to relax, but at the end of the day he'd spend most of the day working on some project if left alone. He got antsy if he wasn't doing something with his hands or moving around, thus even on his day off, after having been called back for a break from his guard duty, he went out for a walk fiddling with some object.
"...he definitely wants to go back to Yula Fei."
Nikos looked over his shoulder as Kaim approached him, with a grin the easygoing man looked in the direction Emil had gone.
"We'll have a report soon, that should ease his thoughts. He should find a way to pass the time until then," Nikos responded turning back around.
When Emil wasn't training he was normally working on one of his inventions, something that bothered Nikos as he partially took him away from Yula Fei as a mini-vacation, but at this point he knew that was just how Emil relaxed. Luro had approached him for his knowledge some time ago for that reason, thinking outside of the box was a good trait of Emil's, one the appreciated. The fact he could almost imitate one of Luro's inventions, which he got permission to do, showed his skills alone, and he was glad to see him hone them, though he also wanted to recommend fishing as a hobby as well.
Emil messed with the small cube in his hand as he made his way through the small crowd.
He had gone into a nearby town to help pass the time, finding staying at the ship was just making him think of Yula Fei and Hanako.
He had informed her he had to step away for mercantile business so his absence wouldn't be surprising, and Tari's Observation was better than his, so he knew she'd be safe. Yet he couldn't stop thinking about going back, which made him feel guilty since Nikos had pulled him away so he could take a break from his guard duties.
Messing with his invention was helping a bit but his mind kept drifting back to her.
He shook his head to try and dispel his thoughts and went back to the small generator in his hand. To this day he was still astonished by Luro's ingenuity, what his sphere was able to do defied all expectations.
He hated admitting it…but he looked up to the man a bit, at least in the inventor sense.
No matter how hard he tried he couldn't mimic his work, it was impossible. The man's logic didn't follow normal thought, yet somehow still worked. Luro had complimented his work before and he disliked how happy it made him, this cube was a generator inspired by Luro's sphere, who in turn was inspired by Caleb's. He couldn't help but smile at the way inventor's minds worked, and ever turning mechanism, clockwork just like these devices.
Emil decided to move away from the crowds and slipped into a nearby back alley; they had already walked the area before, so they knew the backstreets. He was starting to get bothered by all the noise around him, he'd find a quiet spot nearby and tinker in peace.
"Stop resisting!"
Coming to a stop he realized that goal may now be further away, turning his gaze towards the source of the voice he noticed a group of people being dragged away by a clearly less than reputable group. Since their hands were over the mouths of their victims their muffled cries didn't reach far.
He ended up locking eyes with one of the victims, the woman seemed to plead with her eyes, but he averted his gaze and kept moving.
"...your fault for getting kidnapped," Emil mumbled as he turned down a nearby alley.
The woman's body went limp seeing the only possible hope they have leave and the group threw the people on the boat, before moving them into cages on the lower deck.
A slender man with black greasy hair in a high ponytail, motioned to his men as they dragged the remainder below. Brushing some dirt off his breeches, he adjusted the cuffs on his white shirt before eyeing the men. He was better dressed than those around him which only made him stand out, but being their boss he found it necessary.
"All right, prepare to set sail."
The men nodded and all scattered around, one of his crew walked up to him handing him a book.
"Thanks. Is this everyone?"
"Yes Captain Deris. We grabbed the names on the list as per your request."
Deris ran his finger down the page, mentally counting how many they had grabbed.
"Did anyone see us?"
"We thought we saw someone, but the youth paid us no mind. He clearly made an effort not to get involved."
"Smart kid, but let's set out soon just in case he has enough of a spine to contact the guard."
"Aye Captain."
He smiled a bit as the men prepared to leave, it was mostly women and children so they got a good haul this time. He took a moment to revel in his own genius, it was rough times out here so people were more susceptible to simple scams, he'd lend some money to a family with a smile on his face, add a few stipulations common people would miss, charge them basically a fortune, and when they didn't pay offer them a choice. Work for them or go to the guards, when they took the former option they'd realize too late they basically signed up to be slaves.
He watched the boat leave the pier and smiled as he recalled how much he'd gotten this time.
Once they were traded he'd go to a different place, pull the same scam again and would make more profit.
"Wow you are real scum aren't you?"
Deris turned around to see a young man with blonde hair sitting on the edge of the ship, a white mask resting on his face hiding his appearance. He was holding a red book in his hand flipping the pages, nodding his head slightly every few pages.
"You really documented all your transactions in one place huh? Your rip off contracts were easy to find too."
"Wha….Intruder!"
Deris yelled and all his men turned, a few coming up from below deck to see Emil still flipping through the book nearby.
"Wha…but there was no there just a second ago," one of his men said drawing the gun off his waist.
"Who are you?" Deris questioned drawing the saber from his waist.
"No one worth mentioning, anyway you mind turning the ship around so I can turn you in."
Deris watched Emil raise his head and look directly at him, his eyes moved to the weapon on the youth's waist, a strange weapon he hadn't seen before but he had yet to draw it.
He was surrounded but made no attempt to stand up much less draw his weapon, which made him either confident or foolish.
"Captain what do we do?"
At his men's question he clicked his tongue.
"Kill him."
His men nodded and started to move forward when they realized Emil's hand was already on his weapon, when he moved it there they didn't know, but with a single twist of his handle, a red wave passed over them. They raised their hands in response to defend themselves, but when no pain followed they slowly lowered their hands.
Though looking down they realized there was a giant red 'E' on their torso's, floating over their clothes and shimmering like a distant mirage.
"What…is this," Deris said looking down at himself.
Trying to touch he felt his hand go straight through it, though he felt a warmth and something wet remained on his fingers.
"I don't really need the rest of you alive, and this is a small ship so I'd say…five of you should do."
Emil twisted his sword again causing a strange blue energy to pass over them, it tingled those it touched but once again no harm befell them. Though in that same moment a few of the E's glowed before sparks came out of them, within seconds screams filled the area as the letters detonated, blowing up anyone unfortunate enough to be 'branded'.
Deris watched the scene, mouth agape and his face growing pale as he watched his men, some of them blown to chunks, fall to the ground motionless.
He looked down at the E on his own chest and then back at Emil who calmly tapped the top of his hilt.
"I can work with three as well if you fools wanna try again."
Emil watched the scene from a distance as he removed his mask, the once captured people stood in front of the guards and handed the books and documents to them. It didn't take long for them to cuff the slavers along with their captain and lead them off at that point. To the prisoners' eyes they had a 'change of heart' and released them once they turned the boat around.
Emil removed the E when they went below to free the prisoners, but he showed that he could put it back on them at a moment's notice.
Those books and documents would be enough to put them in prison and it would help free the people unfortunate enough to be captured already, he had already memorized most of the list so he'd ask to help any that were too far away from here.
One of the people looked in his direction, the woman's eyebrows arched a bit almost recognizing Emil but he turned and walked away, not looking back to see the woman smile a little.
The old him would have brought the men forward himself, and had the people sing the praises of his heroism. He still believed he deserved said praise but he'd be drawing too much attention to the group if he did that, so shadow work it was.
"Man…it stinks to be amazing and not show it…oh well."
When he returned to the ship he noticed Kara was in the kitchen, stirring something in the pot. His eyes twitched a bit at the sight especially when the woman glanced behind her.
"Emil! Welcome Home! I missed you!"
"...Kara."
"Sorry were you talking to me Emil? I didn't hear you."
Feeling the woman's terrifying aura slam into him he quickly corrected himself."
"...Big sis."
The woman offered a grin to him and turned back around, Emil felt the invisible knife at his throat dissipate.
"I'm making one of your favorites today, meat stew with those potato's you like."
Emil's eyes widened a bit at this and he walked closer to peer into the pot.
"I thought we were cutting down on meat for costs, it was supposed to be Kaim's Salad special."
Kara smiled and held up a finger as she continued to stir.
"We were…but Nikos saw what you did today Mr. Hero…he said you deserve a reward."
Kara brought her finger to her lips and winked at him.
"You didn't hear it from me though."
Emil stared at Kara for a moment, then focused back on the stew. He smiled a little at the sight before rolling his sleeves up.
"How can I help?"
"You could recite a poem about how much you love your wonderful big sister."
"With the food how can I help with the food?"
"Are you sure? It's your day off and this is a reward for you."
"I wanna help."
Kara glanced sideways at Emil, and with a small knowing smile looked back into the pot before offering a small shrug to him.
"Please chop some carrots for me then."
"Okay."
Within a small cafe two figures sat at a single table, the numerous waitresses there were glancing at the owner who was counting the gold coins he'd been handed just moments before. Such places were generally for a specific crowd, one of well-being, so when a woman dressed in simple garb, and someone who was clearly a simple merchant entered they were almost shoved back out the door.
Until the shorter woman dropped a bag of coins on the table, and asked to have the cafe for the next few hours, now the servers were trying to figure out who the two women were.
The shorter was a woman in a simple black dress with white ruffles, her silverish medium length hair hung at her shoulders, and she had a stoic expression on her face. Her dark silver like locks were clearly well kept and her demeanor could be confused for nobility if not for her clothing.
The woman across from her had similar colored hair but unlike the shorter woman, was clearly more relaxed. She leaned on the table, resting her chin on top of her hands with what could be described as a content face, staring at the other woman. She was dressed in a black vest over a white shirt, with a pair of matching black pants. Her hair was longer but was tied in a low ponytail, more than likely hanging to the middle of her back when undone.
She originally had white gloves on, however she removed them when they sat down, a pair of square glasses with silver rims rested on her face.
"Thank you for finding time to meet with me sis."
The taller woman spoke first, and they realized these two were sisters. The woman's voice was a bit cheery, and full of energy, she sounded like a sunny day in spring, a few even found themselves relaxing just by her voice.
"...I had free time, but avoid contacting me on short notice next time."
In contrast the smaller woman's voice was lighter than the other woman by a little, but far more firm and formal. She sounded like a rainy day, they naturally tensed up when she spoke.
"Ah excuse me, may we order?"
The taller woman called to them and they noticed the shift in her voice, her light airiness left, and she spoke with a certain air, respectful but firm. It was clear she was a merchant flipping the switch so easily.
"O-of course," one of the waitresses said, walking forward. "May we have names for the orders."
"Tari," the shorter woman said.
"Vila," the taller woman responded.
The woman nodded and walked off after receiving their requests and Tari's attention moved over to Vila, her younger sister.
Her eyes twitched a bit at her height, she sighed internally at how exactly that happened.
"I mean it though sis, thank you for meeting me on such short notice," Vila said as a few cups of tea were placed in front of them. "I know you're busy being a mercenary and all."
"...I had just finished a job," Tari said. "So what did you need Vila?"
"...can't you call me sister?"
"Your name is fine, why would I call you that anyway?"
"Because we're sisters. We've reunited after all this time. I personally love that I get to call you sis."
"That's good for you, if you're that inclined you should be calling me older sis."
"...you don't look older though."
Tari's eyes twitched and she picked up her tea cup.
"My apologies Miss Vila, so what business do you have with me?"
Vila slammed her hands on the table leaning towards Tari as tears formed in her eyes.
"Gah I'm sorry I'm sorry. Don't revert me to 'miss' status. You feel so distant now!"
Tari sighed and setting her cup down poured tea into Vila's cup.
"I'm merely joking with you Vila, don't cry."
"...I'm not crying," Vila said taking her cup. "I just wanna hear you call me it. Like when you saved me."
Tari's eyes shut at this and she gave a small shake of her head.
"That was an emotionally tense situation and I have many enemies, pretending we're just business partners is better for your safety."
"Really?"
"Really," Tari said picking up her teacup again.
"...it's not just cause you're embarrassed to say it."
Tari flinched a bit at this but still took a sip from her cup.
"...you're actually too shy to-"
"I'm not. Now what do you want?"
Vila smiled a little seeing the bit of red in Tari's cheeks, she tended to be more frank when she was embarrassed.
She also liked to act more formal than usual when she was around since she was the 'older sister' and wanted to be regarded as such. Strange circumstances had caused them to reunite, and she wanted nothing more than to learn additional things about her.
"I still think you could refer to me in a familial sense, it's not like you wouldn't protect me if something went wrong."
"Well of course I wou-"
Tari cut herself off and opening her eyes looked at Vila's who arched her brows at her.
"See was that so hard?" Vila said grabbing her own cup.
"...I'm leaving," Tari said standing up.
"Ah no I'm sorry sis. Please stay."
Vila held her hand out, and Tari let out a sigh and sat back down as Vila continued.
"I have a job for you. I'm delivering some special goods and I'm honestly worried about Pirates. I was going to hire a bodyguard as a just in case and figured I'd check with you first. I know you can handle it after all. It'd also mean spending some time together."
"...what's your offer?"
Vila smiled and pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket slid it towards her sister; taking it Tari unrolled the parchment and eyed the contract before glancing over at Vila.
"...what's the distance?"
"About a week."
"Do I have to protect the supplies?"
"So long as three crates survive it'll be fine. The rest is surplus I'm trying to sell."
"Only three boxes? It must be quite the commodity."
"It is."
Tari eyed the contract once again before looking back at Vila.
"This is too much money, what's the catch?"
"Ahaha you're sharp as ever sis. It's simple, near the bottom here."
Tari looked at the spot Vila motioned too, she looked over it again a bit more thoroughly.
"...the employee must refer to the employee as 'dearest sister' for the length of the contract."
Tari's eyelids narrowed slightly and after a brief pause she handed the contract back to Vila.
"You hesitated for a moment there didn't you?" Vila questioned, grinning at her.
"I didn't. Take out the last clause and I'll do it."
"What but…that's the most important part," Vila said setting her cup down.
"Your safety and materials are worth less than me calling you by a title?"
"Yes."
Tari's shook her head at the lack of hesitation, and she showed no shame at trying to put a price on being called sister, she was a merchant through and through.
"Name your price," Vila said folding her hands together.
"You couldn't afford it, just take it out."
"...fine. If it means a week with you I'll concede this battle."
"Concede the war at least."
Tari watched as Vila changed the contract in front of her. The woman was honestly a lot of effort to put up with, she felt tired for multiple reasons yet she was still agreeing to the job.
Putting aside many things, Vila who was almost sobbing as she took out the strange clause was the reason Alicia's death was no longer her priority. It was still at the top of her list, but she wanted a life with Vila, and it was impossible to kill Alicia without putting her life on the line, she was just too strong to go at it half-heartedly.
Bringing her cup to her lips she knew she'd have to make a harsh choice one day, but she realized just how much she loved her sister because of that.
She was the only person outside her crew that could make her hesitate in that decision, nothing else, not even the gods themselves could make her waver if she decided to finally finish things with her.
Vila was her precious little sister and whatever choice she made, she was going to make the most of what time they had together.
They were precious to each other, for reasons all their own but each one cared about the other.
Tari kept the cup near her lips her gaze rasing to Vila, both of them wanted nothing more than to make up for lost time, such even small things like being called 'sister' was precious to them. She felt a strange fullness whenever Vila called her as such, a warmth that comforted her in a strange way.
"...sister."
"Hm did you say something sis?"
"Nothing Vila, finish taking that nonsense out."
"Fine fine….you're no fun," Vila said lowering her gaze back to the paper.
A small smile formed on the Tari's lips before it was hidden as she took a sip from her tea.
Evening was generally when the bar was at its busiest, many of the dock workers came from the pier and used the place to let off a bit of steam. The place was the oldest spot in town, believed to have been there since the town was founded. The floorboards cracked, and there were markings on the walls and floors from previous scuffles, both with and without weapons.
The place had been repaired as much as possible without removing it's old charm, even the bar had small chunks taken out from old fights.
The place however was home for many, and they'd always laugh seeing the old marks, even the ones whose fights created them in one their drunken stupors.
It was in this dimly lit tavern that an old man sat at one of the back tables, a place he always picked as it allowed him to see the door. There was no other way of entry so it let him see each person who passed through, a habit of his learned from his work.
"Hey old man."
When a voice called behind him he let out a heavy sigh and just motioned to the empty seat in front of him.
He was good at his job, but he was never going to see his present company coming.
"Hello Kaim."
His eyes rested on the young man who raised his hand to get a drink, he had known the man since he was a boy, barely above his knee. His eyes rested on his face, and the smile that was a part of his features didn't feel as foreign as it used to now.
"...still hard to believe you were such a serious lad."
"Hey I'm serious now…sometimes."
Kaim gave a small shrug at the very idea he wasn't serious all the time, grinning at the man.
For as long as Kaim knew him the old man had always had a few wrinkles on his face, they had all but multiplied now, some would say time had ravaged him but he preferred seasoned himself.
His hair was slicked back as it always was but it was a smokey-gray instead of its former raven color. His eyes which were littered with crows feet were still filled with the same quiet determination from years past. The fire had sizzled out a little but he could see it still burning silently in the man's gaze.
He always had a fondness for Brass Cape clothes, even now he was dressed in a dark vest and a brown button up shirt, a pair of black slacks with his normal black boots.
He calmly adjusted the black gloves on his hands, a habit he had when he was looking for something to say.
He looked like a distinguished gentleman as always.
"It is good to see you Yasen. How are you still kicking?"
"As subtle as always Kaim…" Yasen said picking up his drink. "Good to see you're still a nuisance."
He missed this old man immensely.
Kaim dug in his pocket and setting a letter down pushed it towards him, Yasen took it and put it in his own pocket before setting a pouch on the table.
"Thank you for your work."
"You're not going to check?" Kaim asked grabbing the jingling pouch.
"My associate told me you got the job done already."
"Still got your hands in some places huh old man, look at you."
Yasen gave a small grunt in response and Kaim smiled before his drink was set in front of him.
"Soooo any particular reason you asked for me personally. Did you just miss me?"
The older man narrowed his eyes at him and Kaim grinned.
"You missed me."
"Your efficient, that much I know about you. I don't know about your other mercenary friends."
"They get the job done too, I'm sure you looked into that as well. What do you need Yasen? You know I'll help you whatever it is."
Yasen went quiet at this, Kaim got straight to the point. Not because he was in a rush or wanted to leave but because he genuinely wanted to ensure Yasen was in a good place.
"...how's 'he' doing?"
The question caused Kaim's smile to soften a little, his eyes shut for a moment but he didn't let the silence linger too long as he looked back at Yasen.
"Still in prison. I visited him last week, he's doing fine."
Yasen gave a small nod in response and Kaim could tell he was looking for the right words to say.
"Yasen…I hope you're not still blaming yourself for that."
"...I could have done more Kaim."
"You were the only person that stayed by his side without a catch Yasen. That kept him far more grounded than you can imagine. You did better than me at least…I ran away."
"...I don't want you thinking that Kaim. You didn't have much choice…and you came back in the end."
"Well…maybe we both could have done more I suppose," Kaim said offering a small smile to the man. "In the end he asked to be taken there…."
"He had done to much ill to be let go freely," Yasen said. "He didn't permit you to vouch for him though as you did me. He knew he needed to do the time. How long is he in now?"
"Just a few years, they couldn't get him on everything…and at the very least I know where he's at now."
A silence fell between the two for a moment, Yasen's grip tightened on his mug and he spoke up to keep the silence from lingering.
"...It may not seem it but I'm positive he's happy. You two were practically inseparable when you were little. Though that's just from my limited experience with you two."
"You were more of a father to us then our adoptive one Yasen, I wouldn't use the word limited. He asks about you when I visit him. He really is sorry…and again I know he was grateful you stayed. You were the only part of the old world he had left when I was gone."
"...well you two were probably the closest things to son-uh….well it doesn't matter. It's good to hear he's managing."
The two fell into silence after that, part of it the awkwardness of speaking so frankly.
Yasen taught him more than anyone else had, he always tried kept his distance since they were the boss' 'kids' but in the end he helped them more than anyone else, and both of them thought the world of him, they were just too stubborn to say it in their youths.
"Well I should get going," Kaim said deciding not to press the matter. "Let's do this again without the business next time."
Yasen raised a hand to him as Kaim stood up, leaving a coin for his drink.
"Kaim."
Kaim stopped and glanced back at Yasen, who taking a long drink from his own mug looked back at him.
"...You didn't tell me the best day to visit."
Kaim eyebrows arched but he smiled and turned back towards the man sitting back down.
The familiar crunching of leaves under her feet, the morning sunlight filtering in through the trees, and the sweet smell of honeysuckle from the warm breeze. The shapes in the shadows were different, due to the trees growing larger and the shedding of leaves, but this path would always be familiar to her. The one dirt path in this old town, forgotten to time.
The buildings are decrepit, nature has reclaimed most of them and no one, not even the unwanted take refuge in this area, but Ria visits this place whenever she in the area. Nikos always gives her leave to do so without hesitation, the others understand as well. They were the ones that helped build the dirt road there, long after the town's fall.
She carried a vase full of pink carnations with her; each one carefully chosen Ria spent hours on it. She couldn't pick too many; she always disliked that, take a few so you don't separate too many for the family, and care for them as if they were your own.
"Always…the fun kind…of weird."
Ria made it to the end of the path, coming to stop in front of a single grave.
It was a simple grave but it was the most well kept thing in this old town, the reason for that was clear as Ria set the flowers off the side and started wiping it down.
The grave belonged to Aria, and saying she was important to Ria was like saying water was important to fish. Ria loved Aria and valued her greatly, that was just part of life.
"Hello…Aria…sorry for taking…so long…"
The previous vase was taken by Nikos not long before, he had come to pay respects himself. Though Ria told him a long time ago Aria's passing had nothing to do with him, a part of him felt responsible for not dealing with the problem sooner.
The two of them had met hunting the same organization, and while she loved his sense of responsibility, it worried her as well. At the very least he wasn't going too out of his way anymore at her request and by now she understood how Nikos was.
"I wish….you could have met….Nikos…while you…were here…"
The memories replayed in her head every time she came here, the red on the walls, the warmth leaving her body and the corpses silent screams.
For a moment she felt the slither of blood between his fingers, enough for her to look at her hands only to see they were clean, at least for today.
She placed the Vase closer to the grave and brought her hands together.
"Aria…I'm living…a wonderful life…my friends….are wonderful…I'm very…happy."
Ria went silent for a brief moment.
"I will hold onto this happiness with everything I have. I won't make the same mistakes. I've found people who accept me for me….just the kind…you wanted me…to find."
Ria took a few steady breaths, her breathing labored before she spoke once again.
"I'm…exactly where…I want to be…"
Ria smiled and lowered her hands, her eyes resting on the grave she turned her hand palm up, a mask appearing within it. The mask was extremely refined, it could be considered Ria's best work in a sense, it wasn't ornate with any particular traits to it. The mask was plain but it had a mysterious allure to it, a beauty to its simple aesthetic. It was also the first mask Ria made, and the only one she would never wear, a request from Aria.
"Every memory…every trait," Ria said as she held the mask with both hands. "The lightness… of your laugh…the kindness in…your gaze…all right here."
Ria hugged the mask close to her.
"It hurts….less…but I still miss you…Aria."
Ria made her way back down the dirt road, to the docks where her boat was waiting.
She heard Kaim had been forced to pick an apprentice named Aria, she had seen her fight Zilia before. She hoped to exchange blows with her one day, it would be a fun story to tell her Aria one day.
For now though, she'd return home to others who were precious to her. To the new home and smiles she intended on protecting.
Nina had always been an enigma, thus her randomly vanishing wasn't terribly uncommon. The only rule was she had to leave a note with a rough idea of how long she'd be gone. Mainly so Nikos could adjust their jobs accordingly. No one bothered to ask where she was going or why she was leaving, as Nina most of the time didn't have an answer. She just left for her random destination because she had too, and that was the genuine reason.
Her reasoning was instinctual and it happened so often that asking became meaningless, and Nina would generally inform them where she was going if there was a reason.
Thus when Nina stood up, set her book down, grabbed her swords and hopped in the dingy, most of the crew kept to their own devices, with a few 'stay safe' escaping from them before she hit the water.
The waves lapped at the small boat and Nina adjusted the cloak, tossed in the boat beforehand, around her. Pulling up the hood she grabbed a mask, courtesy of Ria and inspected it. Her power was somewhat tied to it, but the mask itself was personally made, a gift she had given her. The mask was white and was of an old woman, there were red marks however that resembled whiskers on the cheeks, and the eyes were slitted. It was perfect, just what she'd want, as expected from Ria.
Slipping on the mask she looked up as she noticed grey clouds starting to form above, the chill in the air confirmed her suspicions.
Nina made it to her destination in little time, a small town that she had been frequenting nearby. She had come here on a whim but found the food delicious, she wanted to bring the others here but she had to wait until tomorrow, at least that was the original plan.
"Ah look it's Miss Grandma."
Nina's gaze moved over to a few children who ran up to her, she had apparently been given that name upon encountering them, now the townspeople knew her as such.
"Miss Grandma can you do the thing?"
Nina stared at them in silence before turning fully towards them, spreading her legs shoulder width apart, she started hopping from one foot to the other, raising her arms in contrast of her feet, her torso turning this way and that way. The children watched the bizarre dance for a moment before their faces lit up.
"The happy dance! Yay!"
The children all joined in with the 'happy dance' until it's conclusion, they had also named the dance she had done to keep them from being suspicious of her.
"Miss Grandma did you come for the festival?"
"...yes."
Though she was going to come tomorrow as herself, she wanted to look at it today. The children happily explained things to her as she made her way down the long pathways where the stalls were held, many of the people raised their hands to her as she passed. Her story was that she was a traveling mercenary, and her face had been scarred during one of her missions. Most people stopped asking questions at that point and it was a story Nikos told her to tell, she tended to go into the gruesome details for anyone that pushed further, and that was enough to end the conversation.
The children were spared the story but the adults had let the matter go after a bit of digging, her buying a chunk of things from their businesses also helped. Kaim told her money made fast friendships, shallow ones, but ones all the same, enough to do what needed to be done.
Repeated visits and conversation got rid of lingering suspicions, now she was welcomed here.
"Ah Miss Grandma…thank you paying us a visit," an old man spoke to her drawing her attention.
"...hello Mayor."
"Normally I'd recommend a place for you, but those clouds above look dangerous. We may have to close up shop…which is unfortunate, we have many travellers here now. Ah…this storm came at the worst time."
The old man turned slowly towards the vendors and shook his head.
"Ah I'm sorry I don't mean to bother you. The festival will be continuing for a few days, so I hope to see you again if we have to close up today."
The mayor walked off and Nina looked at the children seeing they had shrunk in a little.
"...mommy said we may have to try again tomorrow so I think they're going to close up things anyway."
Nina stared at the other kids who stayed silent, she knew at least a few of their parents had shops here. The first few days were the most profitable, and drew in the most crowds she knew that from the point of view of a Prophet and talking to the people.
"...I need to use the bathroom," Nina turned and quickly walked away. "Stay right there."
She poined to the children before fading into a nearby alleway.
Nina climbed to the roof of one of the nearby buildings, making sure it was a fair distance away from the fesitivties and prying eyes. Closing her eyes she used her observation, sensing no life near her she nodded and her hands moved to the sheaths at her waist.
The black clouds above started to gather more and more around the town, almost as if the storm was targeting the place of it's own volition. People below started to take apart their stalls, as lightning moved through the crowds, thunder roaring through the area, warning of what was to come.
"Manifest."
A black glow surrounded Nina's sheaths as she spoke and letting out a small exhale, something echoed through the area. An invisible force extended outward, a shockwave passing through the town as a small 'clink' came from her blades returning to their homes, her hands moving away from them as the clouds dispersed.
That was the sight Nina witnessed, within the town the children had blinked and the grey clouds above were now replaced with bright blue sky, the storm gone with no explanation as to why.
"Hey look! The scary clouds are gone!"
The adults in the area looked up, eyes widening at the clear sky above, people stopped taking their stalls apart, and the visitors scratched their heads trying to piece together what had happened.
"The storm is…gone…"
"I could have sworn I felt rain though."
"I guess we can keep the festival going."
A pair of footsteps echoed nearby as Nina approached the children once more, and raising a hand accepted their guidance towards the 'best' stalls the festival had to offer.
When Nina returned to the ship she was immediately called to Nikos' office. Taking a seat in his reasonably comfortable wooden chair, which had a soft cushion on it due to a complaint from Kaim thanks to Nikos long lectures. Nina shifted a bit and folded her hands in her lap, Nikos sat behind his desk as he usually did, but once Nina formally sat down he put the paper in his hands on the desk and looked up at her. Folding his hands together, his eyebrows lowered slightly.
"...do you know why I called you in here?"
"...a raise."
"No."
"Then I don't know."
Nikos closed his eyes and let out a small sigh before speaking again.
"A storm was supposed to pass through this area yet the sky is perfectly clear…would you like to explain yourself?"
"...I don't understand."
"Nina you blew away another storm didn't you? I felt your energy flare up then fade away. We've talked about changing the weather on a whim."
"...may I lie Nikos?"
"By all means."
"Kaim did it."
Nikos reached up and squeezed the bridge of nose, pushing up his pince-nez in the process.
"Nina if you're going to lie at least do it well. Kaim can't blow away storms…least not yet anyway."
"I don't want to blame anyone else though."
"That's perfectly reasonable."
Nikos watched Nina lower her head a bit, her body tensing a bit at his stare.
"Am I…in trouble?"
Nikos didn't respond immediately, his gaze remaining fixated on Nina. There was plenty he wanted to say but in the end he just picked up his documents again.
"No you're not in trouble."
Nina's body relaxed a bit at this and seeing this Nikos continued.
"I just want you to be careful. You know why I have you hold back right?"
Nina offered a small nod.
"So no one knows how strong I am."
"Precisely," Nikos said looking back up at her. "This goes without saying but you are an extremely powerful swordswoman Nina. So much so to keep unnecessary attention from you, limitations have to be imposed, you've of course done this to yourself as well…though for different reasons."
He knew Seliria had probably given Alicia a warning about people to watch out for, though she promised not to give names, not that she would in the first place but the sentiment was appreciated in this case.
His gaze rose to Nina who stared back at him, her head tilting when their eyes met.
Nina was one of those people, and the only reason the mercenary hadn't slit her throat already was she'd seen their swordswoman was a gentle and pretty caring person…and Seliria ultimately wanted to see how far she'd go. It was a perverse curiosity and she admitted it, though knowing her there was probably some other reasoning for her sparing the woman's life.
Nikos had only clashed with her once with some degree of seriousness and it was abudnately clear they should never do it again.
The woman was a walking enigma, her sword skills, that strange technique and everything else was a mystery, or at the very least it wasn't easily explained.
None of that mattered to him in the end however, Nina was his comrade and friend. Being a walking natural disaster didn't change that.
"Nikos."
Pulled from his thoughts Nikos raised his eyes back to Nina, whose brows had raised a quarter of an inch, an indication of joy for her.
"Yes Nina."
"Thank you for being my friend. I love you."
Nikos blinked a few times at the sudden exclamation, for a moment he thought he saw a twinge of emotion in her normal stoic gaze, but it was the same straightforward expression as always when he looked closer.
"Your friendship is appreciated as well Nina."
Nikos went to grab another stack of papers only to stop seeing Nina was staring unblinkingly at him, she seemed to be waiting for something causing his eyes to twitch before he set his papers to the side, and folded his hands on the desk.
"I uh…love you too."
Nina gave a nod clearly content and Nikos suddenly felt extremely exhausted.
"Do you need anything else from me Nikos?"
Putting aside that it seemed like she had read his mind he gave a shake of his head and Nina stood up.
"Understood. I'll try to be more careful as well. No matter what I won't draw just one blade without your order."
"Good. Then we're done here. Isari's on cooking duty so look forward to dinner."
With a nod Nina turned and walked away, Nikos' gaze rising to his door once it shut. He knew she had probably done that to help someone, at least knowing her habits. He'd cover the area and make sure no unnecessary rumors were circulating later.
Just as he went back to his report the door was thrown back open, he almost reached for his blade but seeing Nina slowly retracted his hands.
"...did you forget something Nina?"
"Nikos everyone is free tomorrow right?"
"...yes I kept our schedule open at your request. Why?"
"I want to do bonding activities with everyone. May I take the lead tomorrow?"
"...very well. I'll leave it in your hands."
With a nod the woman closed the door and Nikos went back to his papers.
"Well at least she's consistent."
Shattering noises filled the air as crystal was broken apart by an unseen force, Isari lowered her body slamming her palm to the ground, silver suddenly filled the area in front of her again a crystalline wall blocking the assault of her attacker. The wall didn't hold out long, a thin line forming in it before it was cut clean in half.
Shimmering creatures were already leaping over the wall towards Isari's attacker, and while they were dispatched quickly her next creation was already forming.
She never had the opportunity to make it move however as a blade wrapped in cloth suddenly rested inches away from her neck.
She involuntarily swallowed as her eyes moved to her attacker, Nikos' gaze meeting her own before he lowered his blade.
"That will suffice for now."
Isari let out a sigh and fell onto her rear as all her creations broke apart, Nikos sheath his sword as their training session ended.
Her eyes rested on the shattered crystal on the floor, she had been training with everyone for a bit of time now, she was able to hold her own pretty well but in the end she always ended up like this, everyone in the Prophets were so powerful, and it showed in each session.
"Is something wrong?"
Isari looked up as Nikos held a hand out to her, taking it she was pulled to her feet and while she didn't want to bother him with anything, his stare made it clear he was concerned.
Withdrawing her hand she hugged herself a little.
"Everyone is so strong here…I know I'm new and still learning…but it always feels like I'm multiple steps behind. I feel like I'm being a burden…I know it's all in my head but I can't stop thinking about it."
Nikos watched Isari for a brief moment, she was strong but her self-confidence was lacking considerably. Zilia had informed them of this but seeing it first hand was another matter entirely, he saw this side her more than he liked.
"Isari."
The girl raised her head as Nikos spoke to her, and calmly adjusting his sheathed blade he spoke again.
"I'm making you our recon specialist."
"...huh?"
Isari's eyes widened and her entire body tensed up, Nikos stared back at her clear confusion with a blank stare, long enough that the young woman realized it wasn't a joke.
"Me? A specialist? That…I'm not worthy of such a title."
"Of course you are. You're fantastic at it."
"I…um…that-"
"Isari," Nikos said crossing his arms. "Kaim is our best negotiator and our strongest hand to hand specialist, few measure up to him in such matters."
Isari went silent at this as Nikos continued closing his eyes.
"Nina is a master swordswoman and is extremely efficient at assaults, so much so she's required to hold back to minimize destruction, her power is hard to match. Ria is extremely efficient at infiltration and spy work, she has few known equals. Aira's ability to lead ships and troops puts her above many in terms of skill and of course Tari without a doubt is skilled in all these things herself in some way, but her management is foresight is invaluable."
Nikos put his hands on his hips as his gaze fell back back on Isari.
"There is no one who can do what you do. No one who can emulate your ability to gather information. Tari suggested you be given the title, and she's the lead recon specialist herself."
"...Miss Tari said that?"
Isari lowered her head, unable to believe it and Nikos continued.
"Isari you don't have to be great at this like the rest of us," Nikos said this motioning to the training area. "We're a crew, our singular efficiency is of course important that's why we train…but it's what we can do together that matters more. Kaim is a better negotiator than I am, so he does that job. I'm able to handle organizing and paperwork so I do it instead of Aira. Any gaps that need filling we do together, that's what makes us strong. So don't measure yourself against us single handedly, you'll always come up short. Your skills are a great benefit to us, never doubt that. There are missions that would have taken months to finish, we did in days thanks to you."
Isari gave a small nod at this.
"Besides…you're not as weak as you think."
Isari looked up as Nikos held out his sleeve revealing the small rip in it.
"Your reaction time is much better than before, and you're adapting better to people closing the distance. You're making progress. You're not as behind as you think."
Isari stared at the small tear, a small smile resting on her face as she stood up.
"...thank you Boss."
"Again Nikos is fine but you're welcome. So will you take the position?"
Isari folded her hands together and closed her eyes letting the idea bounce around in her head a bit, Nikos had faith in her as did Tari, and she was sure the others wouldn't have a problem with it either. She was hesitant, but she remembered words Zilia had shared with her before.
"If one person can accept you then plenty more can…sometimes I need to do that for myself."
Closing her eyes she imagined her friend's face and folding her hands at her chest, took a deep breath in and letting it out looked back at Nikos. The Prophet's leaders eyebrow arched slightly seeing the change in the woman's eyes.
"I'll take the position. I'll do my very best Boss!"
"Good. Keep that attitude and you'll be fine. Now…"
Nikos trailed off putting his hand back on his sword.
"Let's start from the top."
Singing permeated the night air as the smell of smoke and ale filled the air, men and women slurring their words as they slammed their mugs together toasting to a job well done.
Airi sat on the edge of the ship as her first mate guided the boat home, a mug of ale in her good hand. Her eyes glanced back at the ships behind them, her own mini fleet at her disposal.
Their mission was complete and they avoided any casualties or lost ships, as she stared out into the night air, her mind drifted to the past for a moment.
"What the hell do you mean I'm being put in charge of our naval forces?"
Aira stared at Tari as she went over documents for their most recent mission, they hadn't been mercenaries for very long but they were already ahead of most of the competition, everyone including her had been working hard and it was paying off.
With all that said she didn't understand her logic when it came to all this.
"I mean what I said, you'll be the Blitz Commander."
"...putting a cool name on things isn't going to make me say yes."
Tari let out a small sigh and set her paper down.
"Is there an issue with you taking that position Aira?"
"Damn right it is. I ain't a leader, I'm here to bust heads, drink, sleep alone or with someone else, and repeat that until the day I die."
"Yes you've informed me of that…but you're the best person for the job."
"How exactly so…and you'd better not say my time as a pirate."
Tari's gaze rose up to Aira at this, the woman's eyes had narrowed at her and if not for the fact she'd lose her other hand Aira probably would have attacked her just for the insinuation.
She understood Aira's time as a pirate, while full of good memories, contained far more ill ones.
Betrayal did that to a person, but Tari admitted to being a tad disappointed in her for this.
"Aira…I'm not so insensitive as to make a decision based on that."
Aira's face softened slightly at this before a sigh escaped from her, a bit of guilt filled her at her assumption. Tari was right as usual, she understood each of them relatively well and was considerate of their circumstances.
"...right…yeah you're not like that…that's on me"
She folded her arms under her chest, that was the closest to an apology she could manage and Tari understanding that continued.
"I chose you because you have charisma and the capability to lead. You generally don't mince your words so you work better with normal people than nobility. I put you in charge of the mercenaries we hired more to keep them in line than lead them…but they followed you naturally and had nothing but good to say about you. They're the ones who asked to work under you."
Aira's eyebrows arched a bit at this.
"Those ornery bastards said that?"
"That they did. Preferred you to me, which is understandable, I do have quite the stick up my butt after all."
Aira averted her gaze at this, still a bit embarrassed about that old comment.
"If you're that against it I can put someone else in charge, I leave the final decision to you. I told you before, so long as you follow the rules, you'll always have a voice here. Even sometimes when you don't follow them…but only sometimes."
Aria was pulled from her memories by invitations to rejoin the revelry, she raised her mug as a sign she'd return in a moment before swinging her legs back onto the deck.
While she had openly agreed to lead their troops just to prove Tari wrong about her leadership qualities, she knew on the inside this was something she wanted, a crew of her own to lead.
Knowing Tari she knew that as well.
"Annoying know it all…" she mumbled as she walked back into the crowd.
The man shivered holding his bleeding arm, his heart caught in his throat as red seeped into his white outfit. His eyes rested on the man towering over him, his own blood still running down the blade in his right hand. He was dressed in ragged clothes, but he could tell he was once nobility, his fine garments unlike his own were torn and ripped in various places, that and his name gave it away.
He had introduced himself as Gregory Hillsmire, the Hillsmire house had fallen on hard times and was now no longer in the noble's 'circle', and the moment he spoke his name he understood why he was here.
He had played a part in their downfall, a large one at that. Thus the tall man, with his messy curly black hair, scruff on his face and bloodlust in his brown eyes, had a reason to be here.
"Any last words Pellimore."
His voice dripped with venom but he apparently had enough honor to at least allow him final words.
"...I cannot resist you, and I've made peace that this is my end…but at the very least spare my children."
Hillsmire followed the man's eyes to see a small girl hugging a smaller boy closer to her, he had not noticed them in the corner of the room. He heard he had children however. The daughter's eyes were locked on him but the boy's were jumping between him and his father.
He believed the girl was named Emily, at least that's what he had heard, the boy's name was unknown to him.
Hillsmire closed his eyes before turning back to Pellimore.
"No."
His answer was simple as his blade moved through the air and severed the man's head from his shoulders, he heard the boy's scream behind him but Emily's voice never escaped, her eyes only widened as she hugged her brother closer, all her energy focused on protecting him.
Hillsmire turned towards the children, their father's blood adorning his face. For a moment there was a sadness in his eyes but it faded quickly as he brought his blade to his side and approached them.
"Wow how cold of you."
An extra voice forced the man to spin around, a stranger sat in a chair next to Pillimore's dead body. They were dressed in tight fitting clothing, mostly black, but there was a bit of style put into it, a small red caplet rested over their shoulders, the hood pulled up and a mask was over their face.
The strange seemed to be a woman by her figure, and surprisingly not muffled by the mask, her voice was also feminine and insouciant given the circumstances.
Kara was the owner of the voice and her job had just been made easier.
"....who are you?"
"Oh just your everyday assassin. My target was this guy."
She motioned to Pellimore before raising her foot and setting it on the chair.
"I don't normally take credit for kills I don't do myself…but the client actually ordered a bunch of us to kill this guy, and the claim was 'whoever brought evidence back first', I actually got here a moment ago after dealing with the competition. They really wanted him dead, but well he clearly had plenty of enemies."
Kara motioned to Hillsmire as an example.
"...are you here to kill me?" Hillsmire asked as his grip tightened on his blade.
"Nope just here to collect his head for the bounty. You don't want it right?"
"No. I only wanted vengeance and I got it. I don't care about anything else anymore."
He turned back towards the children and Kara raised her voice again.
"Before you kill those two mind if I ask them a question? Confirmation and all that."
Hillsmire didn't want the interruption but getting into a fight with this stranger would draw too much attention and he wanted to slip out unnoticed if possible. He purposefully chose late afternoon on the eve of the party for that reason. By the time the other nobles noticed Pellimore wasn't there it would be too late.
He calmly stepped to the side facing Kara as she addressed them.
"Which one of you is the oldest?" Kara asked, looking at the children.
The little girl stared at the new 'face' and glancing at Hillsmire looked back at Kara before raising her hand.
"Ah then that makes you the heir to his fortune. Congratulations, you are now quite well-off. May I have your name?"
"...Emily."
"Well Emily you're now a fancy noble, part of the upper echelon. You're now richer than even I am by a considerable margin."
Kara applauded lightly with her gloved hands at this.
"With that in mind, I'm actually finishing up a job. If you wanted to hire me. I'll kill whoever you want. Even him."
Kara motioned to Hillsmire and the man's eyes narrowed and he started to move, a blue tendril however shot out of Kara, its pointed edge nearing the man's neck, stopping inches from it forcing him still.
His eyes widened as he stared at the strange appendage then the woman it came out of, her intentions were absolutely clear as the strange blade-like appendage tickled his throat.
"...kill?"
"Yes. Do to him what he did to your father. You can hire me. I am a professional though, I don't do things for free."
Emily stared at the unmoving body of her father, then at the man who had killed him.
"...if I don't hire you, you won't kill him?"
"Correct, I'll take your father's head then leave, and whatever happens happens."
"...how do I know I can trust you, you also wanted to kill my father."
"That is true, that's why you have to make a choice. I'm sorry to tell you but you're not going to have much of a childhood in one way or another soon. Especially if you want to protect him."
She motioned to the boy who was still cowering in her arms.
"So you're going to have to make tough decisions, choices no child should have to make. The world is just that cruel sometimes, this is one of those moments."
Kara stood up from her seat and walked past the man, approaching Emily.
"You can also hire me to protect you if that makes it easier rather than hiring me to kill someone. That is more expensive though."
Emily looked at the cowering boy in her arms, their eyes met and she offered him a comforting smile before looking back at Kara.
"I'd like to hire you to assassinate him, since it's cheaper."
Hillsmire's eyes widened but the smallest twitch of his body caused the appendage to move, Kara wasn't looking at him but it was clear her attention hadn't left him.
"Oh you were taught to save money. Good job. I know you have the money so I'll accept a verbal contract for now. I'll have you properly sign the documents later. Now…"
Kara knelt down and held her hand out, Emily stared at it for a moment before reaching forward and shaking Kara's hand.
"It's a deal. Cover the boy's eyes he's seen enough today, you have to watch however to confirm the kill."
Kara stood up and waited for the boy's eyes to be covered before, without turning around made the blade stab through the man's throat. Emily's eyes focused on the scene, with only a twitch of the eyes as her response to the act.
Hillsmire's gurgled cries grew silent quickly and Kara watched the girl's eyes follow his body to the floor.
"Contract Complete."
Standing on an adjacent rooftop Kara stared down into the streets as the guards went through the house, below Emily and her brother were being held by a crying woman.
"His mistress was the client."
A voice caused Kara to glance behind her, or as much as possible considering her covered face as Kaim approached stopping next to her.
"She was upfront about it from the beginning," Kara said. "Told me the whole story."
"Oh ho is it juicy?" Kaim said grinning at her.
"Sadly not really. He cheated on his wife with her, and ended up getting her pregnant. He needed an heir too so the fact she had a boy made things complicated. She could lay claim or at the very least stir things up, and he didn't want that so he tried to get rid of her. While that didn't go well he got the boy and thus could defend against any accusations."
"Ah so boring noble stuff."
"Yes…though to his credit in his last moments he tried to protect both of them, so he wasn't a complete waste of a human being, even if he only wanted the boy."
"Will she take care of them?"
"She loves her son of course and Emily is basically a daughter to her. She was more of a mother than her actual mother. Emily even visited her before she was ran out of town."
Kara crossed her arms under chest.
"She also didn't do it for the money, she figures the wife will get it and thus leave them alone. Life is gonna be harder for them soon, especially once Pellimore's lady realizes the daughter has inherited it thanks to a fun loophole from the current family head."
The son was supposed to inherit the fortune, but there was a loophole by one of the heads where the eldest could take claim, the son took priority but it was an option if one wanted it to be, and she had a feeling Emily would take it, to protect her family.
Kaim stared at Kara for a long moment as if waiting for something, after a few minutes of silence she spoke again.
"Oh right I took on a new commission so I'll be absent for a while. Make sure Isari comes my way so I can get my adorableness to go."
"There it is."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. I will let Isa know to come this way…"
He'd known Kara for a long time now, and there were two things he knew that were facts about her, the first was that she loved anything adorable.
Emily stared up at her mother as the woman adjusted her new clothes a bit, her brother was smiling nearby happily humming to himself. She smiled a little glad he was able still able to smile, strange as it was to think about, their father had been murdered in front of them not long ago. He still cried at night sometimes but at least his smile had returned. She on the other hand realized how right that mystery woman was, not long ago she had been informed she was now the holder of her father's fortune, it would take their grandfather the current head, a few months to get here and put everything in order. When that happened they'd be taken away from this place, their mother included, from her birth mother who wanted the fortune.
"I'm sorry about all of this Emily. If I didn't-"
"It's quite alright mother," the girl said, smiling at her. "We understand you have to work. I don't mind if you use the money though."
The woman shook her head as she finished adjusting Emily's ribbon.
"That won't do Emily. That's your money and until Sir Pellimore gets here to help sort things it's best we not touch it."
"Our money mother. I don't intend on keeping it to myself."
The woman smiled and gently fixed the child's hair.
"We can discuss that when the time comes, for now though just focus on your studies. Now I got you a nanny for when I can't be here…to my surprise she informed me she was quite skilled with a blade and would serve as our bodyguard at no extra cost."
Emily tilted her head a bit at this.
"She must have been expensive then."
"Well…no she was quite cheap actually. I wouldn't have believed her had she not cut an apple into pieces right in front of me with movements I couldn't even trace."
The woman blinked a few times thinking about it.
"Honestly she came at just the right time."
She anticipated the late Pellimore's wife would come for her son or send someone to do so, she couldn't deny this mercenary's appearance was a perfect situation, which is what made it all the stranger.
She couldn't deny the assistance though, she had work and Sir Pellimore would do right by them, but until then they needed as much protection as possible.
A knock came at the door and standing up the woman walked over to it realizing that was the new nanny and opened the door. A young woman stood in the doorway, a gentle smile resting on her face.
"Hello my name is Kara. I'm the new nanny. I look forward to our relationship for the next couple of months."
The second thing Kaim knew about Kara was that she had a soft spot for children, more than likely because of the first thing.
Yiora stared at her distant prey, bow and arrow in hand, the chill of the morning tickling her skin as she mentally traced her target in her head, their silhouette in the faint morning fog ahead. She slowly cleared her mind as she focused on what lied in front of her, she found a particular reminder pass by as she pushed the excess thoughts from her mind.
There was a time when she hated Luro Makachi.
It had been a long time ago, the day they met she already disliked him. He had no particular skills of note, his close combat was a joke, and he didn't seem to take anything seriously. She admitted that part of it was jealousy; he was the first recruited Drifter, Malas had been on his own up until that point. Her clan had always been about strength and hierarchy so for her senior to be weaker than her…it infuriated Yiora to her core.
Yiora had wanted to be taken in first, she had walked away from her clan, those one would call family. Luro was just taken in, an outsider who knew Malas, it angered her. What had he sacrificed to join them, the Drifters were the hated, the necessary evil, joining meant giving something up, yet Luro lost nothing and still was permitted to joined. He shouldn't be a Drifter especially with his weakness, that's what she believed.
She didn't realize how wrong she was until her life was saved.
It was a rainy day and she had gone out against Malas' wishes for a particular prey, one that was causing trouble with the surrounding clans. The Drifters were disliked so giving them dangerous jobs was commonplace, if they died there was no loss as far as they were concerned. Various circumstances led to their current job, a mix of bad hunting practice and civilization pushed a boar outside of its natural habitat, and it had grown angry, marked multiple times by failed hunts, and worst off it was hungry due to the area being essentially wiped out by those who inhabited the town.
She was new and wanted to prove herself so she stepped out, saying she could handle it even with the fog rolling in.
Pride had overtaken her, and unable to see much less keep her footing she missed her shot, and barely survived the charge that followed. Her side was cut open by the boar's tusks, in what she thought were her final moments as she was charged again, a single arrow pierced the creature throwing off it's rush, and a second one finished it off.
She had thought Malas had saved her when Luro approached holding a simple bow, he picked her up in his arms and took her back to the cabin, saying nothing.
Malas had always told her that the Drifters were stronger together, that they supplemented each other's weaknesses, no one was perfect alone. She didn't understand that lesson until she saw Luro shoot.
His skill with the bow surpassed even Malas himself, she couldn't measure up to him. The shots he could hit seemed impossible, rain, sleet or snow it didn't matter. His arrow found its target.
In her clan she had never been able to call her siblings by a familial title, she never felt close enough to them to do so. To call someone Brother or Sister was the ultimate form of respect.
Thus when she called Malas father, it meant something. She never thought she would use such words for Luro. When he sat at her side as she healed, telling her stories of his travels as he peeled apples for her, and taught her how to utilize her archery better after she recovered, the words left her mouth before she realized.
Because of her Brother she was a better person now and she respected that he could smile the way he did with all that he had lost.
Yiora released the arrow and it hit its target, she slowly stood up and with a smile went to claim her prize.
"I'll have to tell Ma'Nai about this one."
"I want to stay with you…but if I do I'll be betraying my family…and that will destroy part of who I am. Know that I love you and you will always have a place in my heart."
Malas' gaze fell out over the forest, Yiora had left a bit ago to hunt even though the sun had barely woken up itself. He smiled a little at her commitment and decided to watch the camp as he would handle breakfast.
He found his thoughts falling back to the woman who had changed him, the reason he wore this mark upon his face.
Digging in his rucksack he pulled out a small envelope, it was a bit worn due to age but the writing on the front of it and of course the letter within was still readable.
It was one of his most precious possessions, the last letter she had sent him. The letter was long and full of love, he had read it a thousand times over but the general message was simple.
"You have a son."
He'd never forget the feelings that ran through him when he received that news, how he trembled and how he was filled with joys and regrets all at once.
Malas always asked himself what if he had stopped her back then, what if he had begged her to stay?
At the time he was unable to say it, even now he'd have difficulty. She was a beautiful woman in many ways, and he loved every part of her, he knew that letting her stay would be hurting a part of her that he loved.
She had such a beautiful soul, and it was taken away far too soon.
It took all his willpower not to hunt down the one who had caused her death, if not for 'her' intervention he may have done something he would have regretted.
The one who shared her face.
He became a Drifter unwilling to lie about his love for her, he had thought that would be the end, that he would wander the world on his own until his time came.
The Great Spirits however had other plans for him, and to his own surprise he encountered his son, he recognized him almost immediately, he had her eyes and her smile.
He went by Luro for some reason, so he called him as such, though Malas gave him the last name Makachi.
Perhaps his mother had guided them to each other, whatever the reason he felt his heart full when he interacted with him, and Malas taught him their ways.
He had been concerned at the mist over his son's eyes though, he feared the darkness that may lie behind them. Yet his journey and those in his life had helped that mist clear.
Misfortune had found Malas, he had lost his family but gained another. The Drifters meant everything to him, and each one accepted each other, he couldn't ask for anything more.
He stood up from his seat as he noticed Yiora returning with her catch, he smiled at her and prepared to help clean it. Luro would be in the area soon so he was sure they'd be able to spend some time together.
His simple desire was for days like this to last until his end, when he'd reunite with her in the Great Beyond.
"Rasa."
A voice called out to Rasa causing him to pause in the long narrow hallway, he had come to one of the Red Raven bases to report on a finished job. Evening had fallen so the sky outside was a beautiful shade of orange-red, he wanted to paint it on a canvas but a late report meant a boring lecture, which made being stopped a bit of an issue.
Turning towards the source of the voice as he peered down the hallway, the light filtered in through the windows causing only some of the corridor to be illuminated. He could make out a form in the shadows, but before he could try and identify it the person walked forward into the light.
"Nura."
He spoke the name without realizing it, the blonde haired woman didn't respond to the name but he was aware who she was, it was hard not too. His fellow Raven had quite the reputation within the organization, someone who got things done. There were rumors she was acquainted with the top Quill, but he didn't believe such stories himself.
With a smile he gave a deep bow to the woman, bringing his arm around to his stomach in a grandiose movement.
"Nice to formally make your acquaintance. We've passed each other but have yet to properly converse."
"Do you have a moment?"
A woman who got right to business, he didn't necessarily dislike that.
"I have to report on a mission but after that I'm free."
"Meet me in the fourth room on the third floor, tell no one."
The woman walked away giving no other details than that, he turned around and made his way back to his original destination. After handling his busywork he made his way to the fourth room as requested. He didn't know what the room was for, he figured it was a storage room when he made his way there. It went without saying he kept the meeting to himself, he liked his head on his shoulders.
Standing in front of the door a strange feeling overwhelmed him, he looked at his hand only to realize it was trembling. Closing his hand into a fist he opened the door and walked in, his chest puffed out and a pep in his step. The moment he was passed the threshold the door slammed shut and he spun to see Nura behind him, he hadn't so much as sensed her, or the other person in the room.
A woman of moderate height, one legged crossed over the over and her arms crossed under her chest, she was garbed in a red skirt with a small slit in the side of it, revealing the dark red pants she wore underneath. She wore a long white dress shirt, with a belt across it, where four pistols rested. Her finger tapped on her arm, her hands covered with black gloves. His gaze went back to her skirt as the shifting of her weight made a strange noise, it was then he realized she had numerous pistols within the skirt herself. With how many pistols she had he was surprised there weren't some tied to the sides of her black boots.
He didn't dare speak this as the cascading long red hair down her back gave him a rough idea who she was.
This was Lina, the top Quill in the organization. He realized then why he was trembling earlier, this woman was not someone he wanted to make an enemy of. She is the only person that has stared the true leader in their face.
His instincts were on high alert from outside the door but the moment he entered it felt like an invisible pressure was trying to crush him. It made sense as this was the person that climbed their way to the top without a power to their name, he respected that in a sense. He didn't have powers when he joined but ate a Devil Fruit and climbed his way to his position, she did the same without one with only a couple of pistols.
He could also tell she wasn't trying to intimidate him, this was just her natural presence. He had to take a few careful breaths to keep from showing how hard it had been to breath just meeting her gaze.
"I won't waste too much of your time Rasa. Thank you for indulging me."
"The pleasure is all mine Lady Lina."
"I'll get right to the point, I'm sure you've noticed the Raven Organization is currently divided."
"I am aware. The organization is becoming a shadow of its former self."
It was a sad fact, they were one of the great Hidden Powers, but infighting and Civil War had more than halved their power, the fact they were still holding on spoke to their strength, but it would fade eventually.
The organization would fall one way or another, the Renegades or the Clipped. The ones who seek malicious change or the ones who seek staunch similarity.
"I want you to join the Clipped Rasa."
Rasa's eyebrows arched a bit in surprise at this, he expected Lina to take the side of the Renegades, the few Quills he knew were heading in that direction. The surprise didn't change his question however.
"Why me?"
"You joined the Red Ravens partially to protect your family. Especially your younger Sister."
Rasa's eyes twitched a bit at this.
"You protected people who tried to kill you, and saved your family from being destroyed."
"For the time being….they'll fall eventually," he responded gaining a bit of his composure back.
"You slowed the progress though, and gave hope to those still there. That's commendable, I consider you a person of good character, that's why I chose you."
Rasa was silent at her comment, she didn't speak further making it clear she wanted an answer to her question, and with a somewhat soft sigh he gave a shake of his head.
"I'm sorry Lady Lina, but I have no interest in politics. Got enough of that when I was a noble. While I appreciate the offer, I'm not interested."
"I'm sure you're smart enough to know the organization will one day fall Rasa," Nura said, speaking up for the first time since he entered. "No matter which way it falls, things will become complicated for whoever's left, especially those who stood in the middle."
Rasa's eyelids lowered slightly, Nura wasn't wrong and a part of him understood that. Whichever side won there would be a 'cleansing' afterwards, and the ones who didn't pick a side, would probably be considered enemies.
That wasn't enough for him to take action though, the moment he joined the organization his life was always going to be at risk. He intended on just doing his job until things reached a head then leaving, he'd deal with what came after when it happened.
"It's not politics for me."
Lina's words pulled him from his thoughts and Nura closed her eyes and remained silent.
"While I chose you for your character...I also chose you because of the love you have for your family."
Lina seemed to pause which caused him to tilt his head, there was a look in her eyes, a distant gaze that peered past him, but it was only for a short moment, and her eyes focused back on him.
"...My brother sacrificed his future for me many years ago. It's not an exaggeration to say I wouldn't be sitting here today without him. While it pales in comparison to what he did for me…this is my way of repaying him. He's lost right now though…and I want to do all I can for him. I've kept the Ravens at bay…but if the Renegades win this war…I won't be able to stop all of them. I'm honestly being selfish, I just want my brother to be safe. This organization's survival is second to that, it's the same for Nura."
There was plenty Rasa wanted to say but he found his mouth remain shut in the end.
The Ravens were very secretive, the Quills knew next to nothing about each other, it was better that way, no way to exploit weaknesses. He wasn't terribly surprised she found out about his family, she was the top Quill, but to willingly share something about herself, it spoke volumes at how serious she was.
Revealing she had a brother was exposing a weakness, she lost the advantage in their conversation. She could have used his family as a bargaining tool and made him help, but she didn't, this was a sincere request. They were on equal footing and she was just asking for his help, calling out to his character as straightforwardly as she could in this situation.
"Okay I'll help you," Rasa said with a small shrug.
Seeing Lina's eyebrows arch a bit it was clear she wasn't expecting it to be that simple.
"...I appreciate it Rasa. I'll admit I expected some manner of request in exchange," Lina said standing up.
"You want to help your family. I get that, don't need to make it complicated."
Rasa held his hand out as Nura stepped forward as well.
"I'll join the Clipped, I'll do all I can to help you protect what's precious to you."
"...you have my thanks Rasa," Lina said taking his hand and smiling. "It goes without saying we'll aid you should you need it."
"I already have eyes on your family, so you needn't worry about any Renegades sneaking up on them," Nura added stepping forward.
"...the fact my eyes didn't notice your eyes is disheartening but fair enough thank you," Rasa said. "From this moment on we are comrades! I'll fetch the wine."
"Wine?"
"Of course. Partnerships are blessed by wine. I had some about the price of a small country I've been sitting on. I'll open it today."
"Christen it however you like, let's just do what needs to be done," Nura said putting her hand overtop the two's.
"I shall. Let's do our best!"
Rasa slowly opened his eyes, the gentle rocking of the ship causing the red liquid in his cup to swirl slightly. His gaze moved to his crew on the deck, who seemed absorbed in their own affairs. With a smile he glanced over his shoulder back at the sea, to the orange sky in the distance and the endless blue that stretched out beyond him.
"Captain."
Rasa's gaze moved to one of his crew as they approached.
"You alright you seem…off a bit."
Rasa reached up and touched his face, before chuckling and offering a shrug to the man.
"I lost myself in reminiscing."
"Captain you gotta share fun stories, you can't keep them all to yourself."
The man smiled a little and Rasa returned it though his was far smaller causing confusion to replace the man's jovialness.
"I'm afraid only the first part is fun. The latter…is a little sad."
Rasa turned his attention back to the sea.
"I was just thinking of two good friends of mine…who worked very hard to save a single life."
"...did they succeed Captain?"
"They did…but I've been left with some of the cleanup I'm afraid. How close are we to the base?"
"We'll be there by nightfall."
"Good," Rasa said standing up and walking past the man.
"Captain?"
Rasa turned back towards the sailor who seemed to hesitate for a moment but spoke up pushing down whatever feeling was holding him back.
"The fun part…was it worthwhile?"
Rasa arched a brow at the man, instead of an answer however he laughed leaning back a bit as his joyous voice filled the ship causing everything to stop around him.
"Hahaha! Said like a proper member of my crew. Yes…yes the fun part was extremely entertaining. I doubt I'll find anything like it in my remaining time!"
Rasa was not a man who reflected on the sad for long, life is more entertaining when there's fun to be had. He'd have time to reflect when his time came, for now he would toast to the departed and ensure the best he could that no more friends of his would have to make the choice they had to.
How did she feel about Luro Makachi?
Nura contemplated this complicated question as she loaded bullets into her gun, making her way out of their makeshift base. Stardusk would arrive at the island soon, and the showdown would happen as orchestrated. She had sat in the small house that served as their camp, finishing the letter she had been writing for what felt like months now, she'd hand it to Lina to deliver later. She had also downed some drink she had brought with her, mainly to steady her nerves, she was more than likely about to die after all.
Approaching the front door she noticed Lina leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed under her chest and her eyes shut. Her pace remained steady as she knew the woman wasn't going to stop her. Nura was aware she wanted too though, she could tell by the way she gripped her shirt, she'd known her since she was a child, she had easy tells in moments like this.
The one thing she could sincerely thank Luro for was the opportunity to watch her grow up.
She passed Lina not looking in the woman's direction as she stepped fully outside.
Neither really knew the proper words to say in a moment like this, both had made peace that bringing Luro back could mean both their deaths so 'see you' didn't seem right. Goodbye would be an insult at this point and she wasn't good at cracking jokes in situations like this.
"....thank you for everything Nura."
Nura stopped when Lina spoke, a simple phrase that spoke volumes more than anything else she could possibly come up with.
The words almost broke her, or rather the tremble in Lina's voice almost did. Of all the times to show such sincerity this was the worst possible times. She wanted to turn around and hug Lina, tell her that she had enjoyed every moment of it.
That wasn't an option however, she was barely holding on as it was and everything she wanted to say was in her letter, if she spoke the words out loud she'd lose her nerve. She had always hated her cowardice, how the words never came out when they needed to, how she would always lie instinctively instead of being honest. Lina was always stronger than her in that regard, she trusted her to succeed if she failed so hesitation wasn't necessary, she reminded herself of that.
"It was nothing. Take care of yourself Lina."
Nura walked forward adjusting the blade on her waist, taking a deep breath to focus her thoughts again.
"If he digs a grave for me…then he can still be saved."
With those last words to Lina she contemplated the question in her mind again.
How did she feel about Luro Makachi?
"...This time I won't hesitate," she mumbled as her visage faded into the trees.
She would say it. This time she would speak the words that needed to be said, she'd bring him back, and they'd all laugh together like they always did.
Nura let out a small chuckle as her nails dug into her skin, she truly hated her cowardice.
"That will suffice. Wonderful doing business with you."
Maka watched as the papers he laid out were signed and after giving them one last look he shook the hand of his client before beginning the trek back to his ship. While making his way back a few people waved and called out to him, he offered a small greeting in response, along with a smile as he kept on his way. He had taken the time to form proper relations in this town before his client arrived, just in case he asked around but it apparently wasn't needed. Their reputation had preceded them so his recent patron was more than happy to do business.
His mask hung at his waist, more of a decoration than anything else at this point in time. They had agreed to work openly as Merchants, or as openly as possible to also draw Devil Fruit Users to them.
Some people also disliked doing business with someone who hides their face, so this also made it easier on some fronts.
He raised a hand to his crew as he boarded his ship, before immediately heading towards his quarters, the moment he opened his door a pair of arms wrapped around his neck.
"Welcome back."
He glanced over at Yuli before offering a smile and returning the hug.
"I'm back."
"How'd it go?" she asked backing away from him.
Maka held up the papers as a response and the two went inside to discuss what would happen next. They now had more options which in their line of work was never a bad thing.
"He was well worth the investment. We can easily make back what we lent him, and more," Yuli said as she poured over the documents. "Good job Maka."
"I just helped lead things in the direction we needed, it was your intuition that led me to approach him in the first place."
"Well I was a former Quill, a single conversation and I can pretty much estimate someone's Capital."
"Indeed, you truly are amazing Yuli."
"Oh what's that? Is that a compliment? Is that praise I'm hearing?"
"It is. The wonderful lady I married is a shrewd businesswoman and beautiful to boot, I count myself quite lucky."
Maka watched Yuli raise the papers to cover her face, it was a subtle gesture easily confused for her just looking over the documents, but he knew her enough to know she was hiding her embarrassment. His eyes went to the ring on her finger and he chuckled a bit before grabbing the fruit she had prepared earlier.
"...Kinda hard to respond when you answer so sincerely," Yuli muttered lowering her papers. "Still this wonderful lady chose you so by extension you're not bad yourself."
"Oh what's this, a compliment, praise for me?" Maka said smiling at her.
Yuli waved a shooing hand in his direction before handing the papers back to him.
"It's taken a few years but everything we put in place has paid off," she said grabbing a piece of fruit herself. "We have a fair amount of connections, and smugglers who work for us now."
"We pay fairly compared to most of the competitors, and we take on most of the risk. Well they think we do, in all honestly it's no problem for us," Maka said motioning to Yuli. "With your Replica's smuggling is pretty simple to do."
It was a simple matter of supply and demand, most merchants even 'honest ones' were smuggling something, with the current state of things it was the simplest method to make a good profit. Tobacco was especially well received in some places, and they had ties to high quality crop.
There were some who fell for their machinations, believing as fresh-faced merchants they were taking on all the risks, so they bought big expecting them to fail and be compensated. Needless to say when they succeeded and showed them the contract they learned their lessons quickly.
Even now a few of their smugglers assumed they were taking most of the risks dealing with customs, but they did more than just have shallow draughts and hidden cavities. Yuli could hide something in plain sight with her Devil Fruit; to a point that no amount of searching would reveal anything.
Vices had essentially made them rich, there were people who had never touched rum much less brandy, and someone at one point had even asked for silk.
"Seems opening a shop soon is becoming a real possibility," Yuli said motioning to the papers.
"From the looks of it yes. We have a few ships, dependable crew and Captain's. All is as it should be."
"Good then we can talk about the important things," Yuli said taking the papers and putting them to the side.
"...I thought this was the important things?"
"There's something far more critical."
Yuli folded her hands on the table.
"So I'm thinking two. A boy and a girl would be nice."
Zilia sat across from Maka, watching as he poured tea into her cup then his own. Setting the cup in front of her she offered a nod of thanks before taking hold of it.
For some reason Maka had contacted her, they had met at a small cafe that was essentially empty. The owner apparently didn't pay attention to the conversations there which meant whatever he had to say was important.
"What did you need Maka? You seemed…adamant about seeing me as soon as possible."
"Yes well…I had a question for you."
"Not sure what I could answer that you or Yuli couldn't but I'll do what I can. What is it?"
"Could you watch over our child if we die?"
Zilia stopped the cup at her lips, before setting her cup back on the saucer; adjusting her glasses she folded her hands together, and resting them on the table leaned forwarded slightly.
"I'm sorry…could you repeat that?"
"If Yuli and I should pass away and our child isn't of age. Would you be their guardian?"
Zilia reaching up removed her glasses, and setting them on the table squeezed the bridge of her nose.
"Yeah…yeah you said what I thought you said," she said before putting her glasses back on. "Where is this coming from?"
"Yuli recently brought up the subject of children again, now that we're more stable. We agreed to put it off until we had a fair amount of money and could stay in one place, and buying a shop is a possibility now, along with keeping it stocked for the foreseeable future."
Maka took a sip from his own cup which gave Zilia some time to sort out her thoughts before he continued.
"I still don't feel fully comfortable since our feet aren't fully on the ground…but…"
"Yuli wants some."
"Very much so."
"I have discussed it at length with her, well I have with you as well. This isn't about not being a good parent again right?"
"No I'm past that, I just…want to have everything in place before welcoming a new life to this world. Yuli understands and that's why we've waited…but we're pretty stable now…but I can't help thinking we can be more, but she thinks it's enough and now we're in a weird place."
"...she's still waiting though since you're nervous."
"She is considerate like that yes…but I feel guilty as a part of it is that tiny fear of inadequacy."
Zilia went silent for a moment, considering her next words carefully.
"So if you had a place to settle, one where you could set up your shop and have a place for Users to live freely, or at least a possible place you'd feel better."
"I would…but I know that's asking a lot, one place would work but both is another matter. It could take most of our lifetimes and we both know it. Thus this cycle we're stuck in."
"Then I may be able to help with that."
Maka's brows arched and Zilia motioned to herself.
"Sor asked me to take over for the Circle in the future."
Maka's eyes widened a bit at this and Zilia continued.
"There's a good chance I will. Not now of course since I'm with Stardusk but it is in my plans for the future. Should that happen…I would be more than happy to set aside a space for you. The Navy presence there is also minimal so no problems there."
"...we already knew it was a good place for Users from when we were there before…but threw that idea away after the incident. We wouldn't have to worry much about trade, or customs as well."
"The Circle is also large so I can easily give you a part of the territory, and normal people do live there who will need supplies, Sor already has merchants working for him there. You could even go chat with him now, I'd put in a good word for you."
"...that's not a bad idea. We've formally apologized but we've yet to make amends. I shudder to think what it will cost…but the Circle would be perfect. Though I'd prefer to move there after you've taken over. I trust you over Sor."
"I hear that often lately," Zilia said sipping from her cup. "Oh this is good."
Maka stared into the brown liquid in his cup, it was a good offer, almost too good in a sense. There would still be risks but it was better than anything else they had in mind.
He'd also stop feeling guilty for stopping something they both wanted.
"...I'll discuss it with Yuli when I get back."
"Fantastic, oh and yes."
"Pardon?"
"I intend to settle in the Circle and live there either way, so yes I can watch your child if something happens. I would appreciate if you make an effort to still avoid that possibility with that knowledge though."
Maka offered a smile to Zilia and bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you Zil, we'll both feel better knowing that," he said before raising his head. "Our goal is old age so don't worry about that. Also…don't settle too quickly. I know the moment we have a formal place there…"
"I get it. There's no escape at that point."
"Precisely, I've learned there's no escape anymore."
Maka's gaze averted from Zilia for a moment and she closed her eyes offering her silent condolences, if Yuli wanted something she got it, Maka made peace with that long ago.
When he returned his attention to her she straightened up a bit.
"I'm sure Yuli will want all three of us together to formally handle things, but that's for later. For now I'll enjoy this small victory."
Maka raised his cup and Zilia did the same before she called over the waitress, Maka was treating today after all.
Mia sat on the side of her ship reflecting on some of the more recent changes in her life, under the starlit sky, the gentle breeze and the ocean's song. She found herself reminiscing before she knew it.
"So much has happened."
It felt like an understatement when she said it out loud, they were now Worst Generation Pirates which was itself a shock. They had only taken on the guise of pirates at first for their old work, but when the organization fell Lina saw no reason to change their profession. When Lina passed she became Captain, they then went toe to toe against one of the greatest powers of the sea, survived and were now moving forward at their own pace.
Right now their only goal was 'higher' but it was a goal all the same. If they were going to be Worst Gen, may as well move towards the top, and it'd be fun competition.
Everything in-between almost felt like a blur in a sense, yet she could recall each moment almost vividly.
Even now she could think back to when she stood in Luro's path, as he held the motionless Lina in his arms, the tight grip on her weapons, enough to cut into the skin drawing blood.
The anger that flowed through her, the misery that almost propelled her forward. How much she wanted to give him a fragment of the pain she was feeling.
Now she couldn't imagine a world without him in it, the brother Lina knew, that Lina believed in, she decided to trust in that and she hadn't regretted that choice.
Now she was on good terms with Stardusk, something Lina had wanted all along.
A small chuckle escaped from her as she swung her legs back onto the ship returning to her cabin.
Tomorrow they'd figure out their next course of action, though she was pretty sure they'd be raiding a naval base from one of the maps they acquired at Belfield.
At least that was the general plan until she looked at the paper the following morning.
Holding it in her hands her whole body trembling, her entire crew came over to her.
"T-the Pirate Lord title is out in the open!" Mia exclaimed.
For a moment she stared at the words, eye wide but her shock didn't overtake her for too long. A wide grin adorned the woman's face and she tossed the paper to her first mate.
"Navigator we're changing course! If the Pirate Lord's title is open we have a lot to do!"
"W-wait don't we want Captain Runali to have it?" Mia's first mate said as the woman ran towards the wheel of the ship.
"Well of course! That doesn't mean I'm going to make it easy for my sister!"
Mia spun the wheel on her ship changing their direction, at her orders they went full sail catching the wind.
"What fun is reward without some challenge right! We're Worst Generation too! Let's give them some friendly competition! If I happen to get it before her she can fight me for it!"
"You clearly just want to fight Captain!"
"Of course I do, now less talking more sailing! The horizon calls to us. The Wolves will be the last to howl this day!"
A fire burned within the Captain of the Lupis Noctics as her crew prepared for the journey ahead. "Lina…you wanted me to pursue the future my own way…I'm going to make you regret telling me that. When we meet again. I'm going to make you all kinds of jealous with the stories I'll have to tell!"
When she first awoke in the spirit world, she was filled with memories that were both sweet and bitter. Ones full of smiles and others full of tears. They made no sense to her, she felt like she was watching a play from the middle, a show where she was the actor and she couldn't piece anything together. However among her strange recollections was a redheaded young man, whose smile brought her both comfort…and sadness.
"Brother."
The words left Lina's lips before she realized it, and everything seemed to click in that moment.
She never expected she would meet Luro Makachi, not here, not in this place. Yet their paths crossed, and when they did more memories returned, the memories he held of her. Seeing them filled her with warmth; This man was her family, her precious sibling who gave all he was just for her.
Then a woman came years later, a Captain named Runali and when she did she saw the rest of her own life. The sadness she felt staring into the eyes of the madman she had created with her past weakness, and her death at the hands of her brother.
Yet she smiled as she welcomed the Captain, and it was only after she had left, returning to the real world that another kindness was given to her, a moment to speak to the brother who had taken her life, or rather the life of Lina Makachi. A brief respite, a rending of reality against the gods courtesy of an invisible hand. Luro returned to where he was meant to be, his heart a bit lighter, but she was still here, bound to this place and once she was sure he was gone, that their connection to this place had been severed; it was only then she fell to her knees and wept, cried for her brother, for herself and cursed whatever fates orchestrated such an ending for the two of them.
"...this place is so peaceful."
She wasn't sure how long it had been since she had been in this domain, but she always enjoyed the field of wheat when the sun set, bathed in an orange glow the sight always brought her comfort.
She sat in a single wooden chair, hands in her lap staring out at the field. Runali had left this world some time ago, and her conversation with her brother had passed for many moons.
The seasons never changed so it was hard to understand time here, and she had given up counting at this point, there was no meaning in it. She was bound to this world, knowing how long she'd been here would mean nothing, and she disliked the idea of counting. The lifespan of a human wasn't that long and if she knew the years, she'd be forced to acknowledge the end of her brother's life. She would live far past a human lifespan after all.
"...I hope wherever you are you're at peace." "What a nice sentiment."
Lina stood up from her chair, her hand moving to her pistol as an unfamiliar voice reached her from behind. She turned towards the source to see a woman leaning against her chair, red hair cascaded down her back and she met her eyes with a small grin.
She reeked of danger and Lina wasted no time aiming her gun at her. "Whoa hold on there Phantom. I just came to talk, or rather give you something."
Lina's hands rested on the trigger of her pistol, her eyes narrowing a bit. "You don't want to pull that trigger Lina. I won't be able to be nice anymore if you do."
Lina felt her body tense as the woman's body straightened up, something in her instincts told her she was serious, even though she spoke such words with a smile.
"...how do you know who I am?" "I have a connection to Luro Makachi."
Lina found her guard almost drop at hearing her brother's name but she kept herself from relaxing.
"Are you an Imposter?" "No more than you are."
"How did you get here?" "I came here."
"Lies. This is a place for remnants." "You're right…but I go where I want and I came here to find you…though honestly I'm not 'really' here."
"What do you mean?" "You didn't get memories from me right?"
Ashia tapped the side of her head at this and hearing this Lina's grip tightened on her gun.
"...your name stranger." "I have a lot of them…though some people here call me the…Trickster, others the Hunter. Did you like talking to your brother?"
Lina eyes widened at the woman's words and though hesitant she lowered her gun. "You can call me Ashia though, don't worry I won't bother you for too long."
Lina went to speak only to stop noticing her gun was no longer in her hand, she blinked staring at her open hands only to see Ashia standing behind her holding the pistol. "What fine craftsmanship."
Lina spun and reached for her other gun only to find it was also missing, looking back at Ashia the woman was holding both of them. "I know you have more but I came to speak not fight."
Ashia tossed her guns back to her, and Lina clicked her tongue but catching her weapons put them away and crossed her arms.
"What business do you have with me…Ashia?" "I came to free you from this place."
Lina's eyes narrowed at the woman waiting for her to finish, when only silence met her she felt irritation rise within her again.
"...care to say that again." "I'm here to get you out of here, or give you an opportunity."
Lina shook her head at the woman and turning her back to Ashia walked back towards her chair.
"I will not leave this world, to do so would mean taking over another's being. I won't do that." "Even if they're basically blubbering messes."
"...they're still people," Lina said picking up the seat. "...you have her morals all right. You really are her Phantom."
Lina turned towards Ashia only to find the woman a few inches away, she immediately backed away causing the redheaded woman to laugh. "A spirit with morals is an entertaining thing, don't fret Lina I have a way to return you to the world without taking over another body…well a human one anyway."
Lina started to ask what she meant when Ashia held out her hand, a red orb appearing within it. The strange appearance of the object caused her to set the seat down, temporarily abandoning moving to another area. "This is the presence of an Imposter. If I give you this with a little manipulation it'll work as a soul and manifesting a body is simple enough."
"...an Imposter. You want me to take the soul of one of those things?" "Well I wouldn't call it a 'soul' per say but essentially yes."
"I will not become an Imposter." "Why not you already are one."
Lina's hands twitched at the woman's retort, Ashia's eyelids lowered slightly. "You are an imitation Miss Phantom. An Echo of Lina Makachi when she passed through here, your memories, your emotions, your appearance all of them are just things you either got from her, or those she's encountered. Nothing you possess is really yours, you are a beautified wraith at best."
"That's-" "The real Lina stands on Davy Jones Ship, she has already entered the cycle of rebirth. I have stared her in the eyes, shook her hand. You are not Lina Makachi, she is dead and gone."
The woman's word cut her to her core, she knew all this. She knew this memories weren't hers, this form wasn't hers, it was borrowed from the real owner. When she met Runali she saw the fate of her true self, but she somehow already knew. She wasn't real, she'd never been real.
She wanted to be though, she wanted to smile with them, laugh with them, be with them, but it was an impossibility.
"I get it…I know already. I know I'm not real! I'm just some fake pretending to be her, did you come here to laugh at me, to make me beg to become 'real' with your twisted gift!"
Ashia watched Lina, or well her phantom's body shudder, Ashia's gaze raised to her eyes seeing a wetness gather in them, she was holding back her tears, trying not to show weakness in front of her and failing at it. "Of course not," Ashia said. "I also never said being a fake was a bad thing."
Lina's eyes raised to Ashia and the woman took a small step closer to her. "I believe that a fake can be just as good as the real thing."
Lina reached up and rubbed her arm, trying to calm herself down. She knew these words were meant to entice, to draw her in but she couldn't deny her curiosity and it sickened her.
"What do you mean…" "...there are many humans and perhaps other beings as well that have spoken of this matter. The value of a real and a fake. However I'll keep it simple for you, rather then get into philosophy."
Her smile widening a bit she held up a finger. "If you were to buy an expensive piece of art for example that you found beautiful, made by a famous artist…would you hang it up in your home, on full display?"
Lina didn't understand the significance of the question, but Ashia seemed to be waiting for an answer, so with a sigh she decided to play along and responded.
"...I would." "Now what if I told you that it was a fake, an imitation of that artist's work by another not so well known one…would you still keep it up?"
"...I would yes." "Why?"
"...because it's still beautiful to me."
A toothy grin adorned Ashia's face and she offered a nod to her. "Precisely. Just the answer I would expect. Yet if some haughty person found this out, they would tear it down. What good is beauty without value, or originality, at least to them."
Ashia took another step forward, the orb vanishing from her hand. Her hands reached forward and though Lina flinched she didn't move as the woman's hands touched her cheeks. Ashia leaned her face closer to hers, to the point their noses were almost touching. "What's the harm in a fake…"
Ashia lips moved to the Lina's ears, her breath tickling her, as fingers grazed the back of her neck before becoming entangled in her hair. "If someone still finds beauty in it."
Ashia's expression was unknown to her as she lingered near her, imitating the touch of a lover with the presence of coiled snake.
Ashia backed away and lowered her hands, though she still remained inside Lina's personal bubble, something the other woman was still bothered by. If it wasn't for the fact she was aware this woman could tear her asunder with little effort, she would have put a bullet in her stomach.
"If you take this, and place it within you...then at some point you will be able to enter the world of your own volition. You can choose what form you take, and choose whatever name you wish. If you want to live as Lina Makachi, then feel free to do so. If you wish to reunite with your brother then I wish you the best of luck, if you decide to avoid him then that's your choice. I'm just giving you an opportunity."
The red orb appeared above Ashia's palm once more and Lina stared at it. "You will however be a fake in the real world, an Imposter as far as nature is concerned. You may be hunted by those who dislike such creatures in their world, but that will not happen for some time after you awaken. You will not be bound by Imposter's curse, but by their presence. When you die your body will dissipate and your 'soul' will be taken, one way or another. You will live a normal life, or as normal as one can as a living Phantom. The gap in your memories from Lina will also fill, no thanks necessary."
Ashia held the orb a bit more towards Lina. "It's your choice. Spend your remaining days in this world as an Echo, or leave and become a fake in the other realm."
Lina's eyes remained on the orb, and the faces of those Lina had come to love flashing through her mind. Would it be right of her to enter that world, much less as Lina Makachi. Was it right for her, a shade to receive a smile meant for the real Lina?
"...what's your game? What do you want for this?" "There's no game Miss Phantom. I'm just giving you an opportunity, take it or don't it's up to you. For what I want…it's nothing worth mentioning."
Lina's eyes moved to Ashia, to the woman's grin and the strange look behind her eyes she couldn't identify.
"...this place is still beautiful."
Lina stared at the wheat field from her seat, her hands in her lap as she watched the gentle sway of the plants she had come to know in this realm. The stalks that never withered or grew taller or shorter, they had become a part of her life just as much as the rising sun.
"...I suppose I won't see this sight for some time soon."
Lina had given the tiniest nod to her and the woman didn't hesitate to push the sphere into her. The words she whispered to her when she did so still echoed in her mind. "You'll be reborn into the world. You'll know when it's time. I won't tell you if you made the right or wrong choice…but you made one all the same. So you've given yourself value even as a fake. Don't squander it."
She would enter the world as Lina, and if the fates decided it she would stand in front of her brother again, in front of Runali and Stardusk once more…and in front of Mia. She was honestly afraid, but something about this…felt right. She was an imitation, but she would live a life with as much fervor as she could.
"I will live an existence worthy enough to be as real as my counterpart, if not more. That's the most I can do to repay her for this warmth."
Lina brought a hand to her chest.
"Our paths will cross again one day Brother…when that comes….will you smile at me the same way you do her?"
The gentle song of the songbirds, the sunlight filtering through the trees and the warm breeze tickling her skin. A beautiful morning and she was walking through the forest with her fellow guardian Val. Nature was at it's most wondrous splendor and all it took was a glance around to see the beauty that was the world.
"I hate this. Let's raze this area to the ground," Lia said as fire surrounded her hand.
"Can you enjoy nothing but destruction?"
Val shook his head at his fellow guardian's penchant for carnage, it wasn't even that she hated nature, she just hated things considered tranquil, so quiet forests were 'dull' to her.
The annoying part is it was her idea to walk through the forest in the first place, instead of keeping to the main road.
Zilia had asked them to scout an area for her, a natural thing considering Stardusk were wanted and she liked to avoid trouble where she could. Anything considered a threat should be reported back to her, not dealt with by them; she was very particular about that.
He had taken the form of a young adult as it would look strange for Lia to be traveling with a child, and she wasn't partial to explaining, she just slit throats and moved on.
Though to her eyes his appearance would look the same as it always did, it was an illusion for those around them.
While he was contemplating what to ask as a reward from his mother, he felt his instincts flare up, he raised his arm just as Lia's clawed hand came down, her red talons inches from his eyes as her arm collided with his.
Slamming his foot into her stomach he forced distance between them, the woman sliding back a few feet into a nearby tree.
Seeing the smile on her face he clicked his tongue as he looked at his now ripped shirt and bleeding arm.
"If you hadn't blocked that I would've been disappointed," Lia said as her hand returned to normal.
His eyes narrowed as she licked his blood from her fingertips, his wound healing as he waved his hand over the ripped cloth repairing it.
"I don't make a habit of letting my guard down around beasts," Val said keeping his body turned towards her.
"Good wouldn't want you thinking we were friends."
"Hardly. You're an obstacle to Mother's affection, same as the others. I put up with you because she requests it."
"Yeah you're still creepy," Lia said, lowering her arms back to her side. "You were raring to go though weren't you?"
Val watched Lia's bloodthirst fade back into her, he drew his own in not pleased she had picked up on it. His eyes watched her and his silence and stillness caused her to shrug and walk ahead getting the message.
He followed after Lia joining her side but keeping a two person distance instead of one this time.
"I don't need to hear creepy from you. Your twisted infatuation with Mother is revolting."
"Least I don't take the guise of a child to try and manipulate her emotions."
"You're just upset you didn't think of it first."
Neither of them could honestly stand each other, they'd had ripped each other's throats out had it not been for Zilia. Val could put up with the other guardians but he hated this woman. She was the 'firstborn' so technically she was their elder sister, he was the 'secondborn' as his existence stemmed from a desire not to manifest Lia. Thinking on it in a food sense, the same ingredients were used to make them, his recipe was just altered slightly form the main one. He came partially from her at the end of the day, or her existence at least.
That made them as close to siblings as possible and it was something they both hated.
"Didn't Luro ask us to grab something while we were there?" Lia questioned ripping a branch off a tree.
"I was just going to forget about that."
"Zil requested we grab it while getting something for her though."
"...I have no desire to do anything for that man," Val said squeezing the bridge of his nose.
"The sentiment is shared, but Zil did ask us."
Val had to shut out his irritation, it would do him no good to think about Luro at a time like this.
"We could always 'drop' it on the way back, so it's a bit damaged," Lia brought up swinging the branch.
"If we kick it at the right angle, our footprints won't show on it," Val said bringing a hand to his chin.
"Oh ingenious, let's do that."
"We're in agreement then."
It was a strange thing, in all other aspects the two of them couldn't stand each other, but their combined hatred for Luro Makachi dissolved any bad blood between them in an instant.
There was a good chance that helped keep them from destroying each other.
"Let's hurry Mother is waiting for us and the report."
"Okay okay. I get to kick it first though."
It was strange, no matter how many times she stood in front of this door there was always this sense of nervousness, not a bad one just familiar. She once described the feeling akin to butterflies in her stomach, and Caleb asked what she had eaten. Feeling irritability at the thought she pushed it out of her mind, she didn't want to be irritated right now.
The sky was dyed a bright orange and night would approach soon, she hoped she wasn't being an inconvenience because of a simple selfishness.
Taking a deep breath she raised her hand and knocked on the door.
The shuffle of footsteps came from within, signaling the approach of the resident, as they got closer she felt her heart catch in her throat, which she promptly forced back down as the door opened.
A young woman opened the door, dressed in a simple white blouse and a simple brown skirt.
"...Ria."
Seliria spoke the woman's name causing a small smile to grace her features.
"Liri…
A young woman stood before her, golden wavy locks that generaly fell to the middle of her back, were tied in a neat low ponytail. Her aquamarine eyes that made her feel as if she was staring into the sea, met her own the same gentleness behind them.
A part of her couldn't deny a bit of jealousy at her pristine apricot skin, she knew her work so the fact she was able to look like this with basically no effort was just another reminder of their differences.
Though it wasn't as if Seliria was trying to look good for anyone, save the person directly in front of her, and even then it was a bare minimum, a fact they both knew.
She would never tell her how long she spent just messing with her hair before coming here.
Seeing Ria staring at her in moderate confusion she realized she hadn't said anything and had gotten lost in her own thoughts.
"I happened to be in the area…so I came to visit," Seliria said.
The woman named Ria offered a small smile and folding her hands behind her back, spoke with that melodic voice Seliria still couldn't resist.
"That's a fib Liri. Caleb told me how quickly you were headed back this way when he asked me for some metal. The letter reached me before you did."
Ria offered a smile to Seliria who calmly adjusted her gloves.
"I see...I'm glad Risa is on our ship now since we'll be down a crewmember today."
"Oh I know you love him, anyway come inside I missed you."
Seliria refuted the woman's comment but entered anyway, closing the door behind her.
Seliria sat in one of two fancy cushion chairs as Ria walked off into her kitchen. Ria called the seats Bergère chairs though she wasn't sure what that meant much less the significance of knowing the name. Ria was a woman who loved antiques and things from other continents, whether these chairs were counted among them were beyond her knowledge or interest, they were comfy though.
They were her 'guest' chairs as the two faced each other with a small round wooden table between them.
Lanterns sat next to each chair on mini wooden desks; put there to ensure she could converse with anyone no matter the time of day. Her home itself was small and simple, full of weird antiquities all around, and multi-colored rugs and wallpaper.
She informed her she had a midwife's taste in terms of decoration and her retort was that she at least had an interest in it, a fair point that ended the topic right there.
Ria returned setting a hot cup of tea in front of Seliria, before sitting across from her and grabbing her own cup, Seliria took a small sip and immediately felt her body relax. Ria's tea felt like home to her, a familiar taste flavored to her exact perferences, something the woman had studied and figured out over years of making it for her. It was a small comfort that made most of her troubles melt away.
She'd have it every day if it was an option.
"I'm glad you stopped by."
Seliria looked up as Ria spoke to her.
"...when you told me you were heading to Belfield and why…well you know my worry. I know you'd be fine…and I know you told me you were safe…but getting to actually see your face means more than I can put into words."
Seliria remained silent at the Ria's smile and took another sip from her cup.
"Sorry to worry you."
That was the extent of the conversation and Ria understanding it was already moving on.
"Did you come all this way knowing I was worried?"
Seliria closed her eyes for a moment keeping the cup to her lips.
"...I didn't want to deal with you when you're mopey," she said before setting her cup down.
"Anyway Caleb has business here as does the rest of us, so I'll be around for a few days. Do you want to go somewhere?"
Ria offered a smile as Seliria stared at her, resting her cheek on her fist. She had learned the woman's mannerisms, had grown accustomed to her gruffness, her business-like tone even in situations like this, and was probably one of the few people still alive that understood her in ways many wouldn't.
She always found moments like this adorable before and after that acquired knowledge.
"Are you asking me out somewhere?" Ria inquired, deciding to poke back a little bit.
"I'm asking if you're free," Seliria said closing her eyes. "You have your work don't you?"
The epitome of adorable.
"I just finished a commission so I'm free. I imagine I'll be given another tomorrow but I can do it after."
"Fair enough," Seliria said before downing her drink. "I'll be back tomorrow then."
Seliria turned to leave but stopped as the woman grabbed her hand, she looked back as Ria took a step closer, taking her hand in both of her own.
"There's no real harm if you stay a bit longer. I also want to take a look at your weapon as well."
Seliria hesitated for a moment, glancing away, but it was hard to turn down that offer.
Ria was the best blacksmith she knew, the only person she trusted to handle her weapon, she couldn't deny that was the other reason she came but she was going to save it for another day.
"Well I did have to use her…so it wouldn't hurt to have you take a look. Fine I'll stay a bit longer."
Ria put aside how little of a fight Seliria put up knowing the woman was actually fine with staying, a simple excuse was enough. She also wouldn't comment on how her hair looked nicer than usual today.
"You're adorable Liri."
"You get one of those a day Ria."
"Understood. Now come on, tell me about your adventures."
Seliria watched as her teacup was refilled and Ria took her seat once again in front of her.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed but at this point she was probably just going to end up staying the night, she sighed knowing that had probably been Ria's intention from the get go.
"Would you mind telling me about Stardusk a bit more? We haven't spoke of them in some time."
Seliria eyes raised to Ria at her request and staring into her cup she offered a small nod before leaning back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.
"I suppose so. I'd like to get my thoughts out and in order anyway.
"The woman is insufferable in some aspects…and originally I didn't understand my Captain's interest in her. It wasn't as if I didn't see the potential but I didn't see why they were invested. That is until I interacted with her myself, and observed Stardusk and their ventures, sometimes personally. Runali is a good leader, she's not like other Captain's forcing others to follow her way of things, her trust in her team to handle tasks in 'their' way is a sign of a good leader, and she's also shown the means to direct them when they move away from a goal, or when uncertainty appears.
Seliria eyelids narrowed slightly.
"More importantly, her ability to face danger calmly and collectively is a very valuable trait. Personally I believe she wings things 'too' much, but she has more control of a situation then she reveals sometimes. That carefree nature of hers while annoying is a good trait in dealing with the slew of situations that arise."
Seliria leaned forward a bit folding her hands together.
"She's a good leader, but I feel she still has to face a few obstacles to become a great leader. She aspires to replace Sterling, but when put in that position, albeit temporarily, she handled it effectively but it showed her inexperience at the same time. I have faith she'll get there one day though."
Ria took a moment to recall the Stardusk Captain and remembered a few of their exploits, she personally already thought she was a great leader with all they went through but she also understood how harsh of a critique Seliria could be, that this was her way of saying Runali was above average, and Seliria's definition of average was harsh enough.
Seliria seemed a bit hesitant to actually broach this subject, Ria decided to give a bit of a push.
"The daughter of Sakura, I still hope to meet her one day. I was unable to approach the Tashigi house during my visits to Yula Fei."
"Pass on that. It's bad enough Zilia met you and not even intentionally…just happened to be in the right area. I'd rather Alicia not meet you anytime soon."
"She'll reach new heights though right?"
Seliria offered a small nod at this and picked up her cup.
"Alicia will surpass Sakura and myself, I'd give her a few years at best and she'll be stronger than me in my current state, no doubt about it. I know how Sakura's Power of Destruction felt, how it manifested, how pristine it was, and Alicia is close to that."
Seliria brought her cup to her lips but staring at her reflection in the brownish liquid stopped.
"...it's not because Sakura and I 'stopped' either," Seliria said before taking a sip.
"Sakura stopped to raise her family and my disease weakened me over time, but that's not the only reason. Alicia went out into the world, she faced people both weaker and stronger than her, she was humbled, faced death and met many fighters in her travels. Because of that she learned adaptability, learned the weaknesses of her own style and ways to counteract it.
I've met many with a blade who have gone to one or two places and walk around as if they're the strongest around. Alicia faced strength greater than hers and fought with it, even though I'm stronger than her there's not this immense desire to be 'better' than me, she just wants to improve, and by doing so naturally she'll end up surpassing me that way, even if I hadn't helped her. I maybe saved her a year or two at best, maybe half-a year."
Ria wasn't sure if she agreed with that much less if Alicia would but decided not to say anything.
"With all that said however…there are too many things holding her back."
"...such as Irukia."
"That's one of them yes…"
"...why did you not tell her about your own 'Irukia'?"
Seliria remained silent and took out the mask on her, staring at the mark made down the center of it. A reminder of their last 'conversation'.
"...I won't compare my burdens to hers, that would be insulting…and she'll have to face hers sooner than I did…for better or worse," Seliria said before putting the mask away. "I understand more than she knows…but telling her that won't make the burden any lighter."
Seliria moved on and Ria decided not to press the matter.
"Besides that…Alicia will find her own way. Sakura…there is only one Sakura and I hope more people come to understand that. I would prefer Alicia be more than Sakura's daughter."
Seliria's eyes narrowed a bit at this.
"Sakura…had this way about her. I'll never forget when we first met and I showed her something she had never seen before, she countered me in a way I never would have imagined. It went beyond a skill as a swordswomen and a warrior. It was ingenuity born only from how the woman lived her life and what she had faced. There is no way for Alicia to mimic that, thus she'll never be 'Sakura' and that's a good thing. There need only be one Sakura and there need be only one Alicia….but she's still a ways off from that…but she'll get there. I know she will."
A small smile rested on the Seliria's face causing Ria's eyebrows to raise, a smile graced her own features in response.
She knew Seliria cared for Alicia, even as a child the swordswoman would watch her training from a distance whenever she was nearby, that smile wasn't one she gave just anybody.
She even respected her privacy by not speaking her true name, knowing by habit if she did she'd say it unintentionally.
Seliria didn't show it well sometimes but she looked at Alicia as if she was her own family.
The women would never openly admit it though, though Ria hoped against all odds she would one day.
"That being said," Seliria said, her smile fading. "With my body no longer ravaged by that annoying sickness I'm working to regain my former strength, beyond if age doesn't stop me. Can't sit still even if those former brats are growing into their own."
"Speaking of protogè how is Zilia doing?"
"She nor Alicia are my protegè," Seliria said, narrowing her eyes at the woman.
Crossing her arms at the mere suggestion Seliria's eyes twitched before she answered the question.
"...she's coming along well enough. I still think she's far too attached to me."
"You do remind her of her mentor," Ria said clapping her hands together.
"In some ways but I made it clear with her that I'm not some replacement."
"She's aware of that, just like there can only be one Sakura, there can only be one Dr. Vilimar…I think she's just comfortable around you."
"...I know she's aware…" Seliria mumbled looking away.
"...are you not gonna tell her you knew her?"
Seliria glanced over at her before shaking her head.
"It's not as if it was an intimate relationship, the woman was a legend in her own right, even back then. She was speculation and rumors with an uncertainty as to what was real or fake, not surprising she couldn't go by her first name anymore, woman's a walking myth."
Ria let out a small chuckle as the woman went to clearly move on from the subject.
"Zilia still has her own issues to deal with…but she's not in a necessarily bad place right now. Compared to when we first met she seems more…collected. She was full of doubts, her eyes clouded over by insecurities, worries and a lack of self confidence in controlling herself. She's still plagued by doubts but she's facing them in a better way now. Not just accepting them but looking for ways to change or fix what she can fix."
Seliria leaned back folding her hands in her lap, a heavy sigh escaping from her as she kept herself from sinking in the chair.
"...Her Devil Fruit is incredibly powerful, and she's learning to not only control but live with it better. She's fighting a battle against herself and she's made far too many opponents…but she also has the ability to conquer each one. She's stronger than she gives herself credit for."
Seliria turned her gaze to the ceiling and closed her eyes.
"I want to see her succeed, annoying as that is to admit, seeing her work so hard I can't help but want to see her effort bear fruit….and also for her to leave me alone."
"Oh you don't mean that," Ria said. "You like her company, you're less tense when she's around."
"Moving on," Seliria said lowering her gaze back to her.
"Understood…then moving on. What about Jack and his wife Adelaide? Ria asked refilling their cups.
"Where do I start with those two….I had to dig pretty deep to learn about Adelaide…out of respect for her I won't speak about what I learned."
Ria offered a nod understanding, Seliria shared much with her but some things she chose not to mention for her own reasons, even her explanations from before lacked certain specific observations. This was merely one of those instances and she'd respect that.
"Jack though….hmmm I won't share too much of his business since he makes an effort to keep it, but what I can say is that he's made quite a name for himself. When I first met him I could tell he was involved with the more…'hidden' side of society, some people have that way about them, their mannerisms, how they speak. During our little adventure together I got to see the other side of him as well, what he's like when he wants to protect something, that was probably the point I came to understand him, at least enough to form a proper opinion. Thus I wasn't surprised to hear the Underground has an eye on him."
Ria eyelids narrowed a little bit at this but Seliria held a hand up to assuage her worry, before leaning back in the chair, her eyes moving to the ceiling.
"They're just watching him, that's all. Not too many people know of the Underground, and if they do they certainly won't find them. At first I thought it was Jack's involvement with the Thieves Guild, but it went beyond that, they see his work and his reach. The Underground only 'watches' people if they have an interest in them or consider them a threat. It's clearly the former here and that alone shows how far he has come."
Seliria lowered her gaze back to Ria and folded her hands together.
"The Spy Master of Stardusk…he'll easily surpass Charlotte, and will be the one that stops most problems before they even start. I still see things slip through the cracks here and there, but he's not entrapped in the 'strictly business' mindset. Those people lose their sense of touch, sacrificing a bit of your humanity or emotions, makes it's harder for you to understand them, and thus harder to plan for them. So long as he doesn't lose that sense of self, he'll make it far, I don't doubt that, I genuinely look forward to where he'll go from here, I'm sure the Underground does as well."
Ria didn't press for any information on Cedric, he had come up before but she heard he had passed so she thought it in bad taste to pursue such a curiosity now.
"What about their navigator?" Ria said taking a drink from her own cup.
"Hmm…he's quite the enigma himself. The information I gained from him was an indication that he went missing some time ago, and from what Zilia told me about the Undersea…I understand why."
Seliria finished off her cup and Ria poured her another, causing the woman to offer a nod in thanks before continuing.
"The Undersea is a mystery, what little I know is from third hand accounts, and their navigator is just as much of a mystery…but he hasn't steered Stardusk wrong yet. The one who calls himself 'Pathfinder' has been doing just that for Stardusk, Luro has nothing but good things to say about his guidance and it's hard to ignore the skill of a man who weathered them through the other world. With that said during that great storm the Navigator was unable to carry them through it…I've yet to hear of another instance and I hope it stays that way. Perhaps the man he is today could face what had taken them years ago. It's a question I should ask him one day."
Ria watched as Seliria sipped her tea, she knew there was another Stardusk but the woman didn't seem like she was going to touch on it, almost as if she was finished.
"...what about Luro?"
Seliria's eyes twitched a bit and Ria smiled realizing she was trying to move past it, with a sigh she set her cup down and spoke up again.
"...Where do I start with that one," Seliria said closing her eyes. "Let me ask you a question. What would throw you off more, a red rabbit with other rabbits, or a red rabbit sitting in a den of lions?"
Ria blinked a few times at the sudden question but the answer was a simple one.
"The latter with the lions," she said causing Seliria to shrug.
"That's how I feel about Luro."
She let her answer linger for a moment before speaking again.
"Jack was clearly good at hiding parts of himself but that one…that one was impossible to figure out, still is honestly. Even when Zilia and Luro stayed on our ship for a bit I had trouble figuring him out."
Seliria's eyes moved over to her tea cup and stared into the liquid, her eyes narrowing at her own reflection.
"Luro Makachi is fighting something, has been fighting something since I met him. Couldn't tell you whether he's winning or losing but I can see he's putting up more of a fight than before. His eyes had this…emptiness to them, joy was there sure but beyond that….I sensed nothing, Caleb couldn't either…human beings aren't like that. They're a myriad of emotions, filtered through one another. People are good at hiding it but you can still sense it even if you don't know what it is."
Seliria's eyes narrowed a bit at this.
"With normal people hiding it, It's like peering into a dirty pond, sure you can't see the bottom but you can make out forms, you know something is there, those extra 'shapes' are the 'emotions' you can't decipher."
Seliria offered a small shake of her head at this.
"Makachi…Makachi was 'one' thing, no matter how deep you dug, or how hard you looked you only found one aspect of him, it was inhuman. Well at least that's how it was. I sense more from him now but it's still less than normal."
Seliria's eyes narrowed a bit as she leaned back in her chair.
"I spoke with Nikos over tea at one point, he was griping over their finances looking at bounties they could take and I asked him as a joke, would he rather capture Runali or the Pirate Lord. I expected him to say Runali, given his disposition. He'd put honor before money any day but to my surprise he said the Pirate Lord."
Seliria offered a small shake of her head at this.
"I asked him why and he told me 'Runali's presence keeps Luro in check' and that he'd prefer she remain alive and near him. Given he's the only person to see Luro as…well the South Sea Monster I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised."
Seliria took a sip from her cup and offered a small shrug.
"There are no records of Luro from back then, the Navy wiped the records clean, silenced anyone who knew, and the Ravens who barely got the information lost it due to his sister. Even Nikos can't give a full recount. No one except Luro will ever know truly what happened back then…"
Seliria adjusted herself in her seat, before running her hand trough her hair and looking back at Ria.
"The man's an enigma thus my earlier question. If he's the rabbit among the lions…what the hell can he do that let's him stay…it feels like it's more than just his mechanical skills. So I asked myself what if…Luro is holding back something?"
She let that question linger for a moment and Ria offered a small nod to show she was following.
"Luro Makachi at Runali's behest has held back in every moment. No matter the situation or circumstances Luro is not allowed to go all out. That would betray Runali's rules, a comment he told me himself when I asked why he was holding back during one of our sparring sessions."
Seliria closed her eyes at this.
"Luro may be Stardusk's fallback."
"I'm sorry I don't fully understand what you mean Liri," Ria said refilling her cup.
With a small nod as thanks Seliria continued.
"The last resort essentially. The option that should never come to pass. If Runali's luck run's out or her leadership isn't quite enough, if Alicia's blade can't cut whatever lies in front of them, if Jack is unable to see them through, if Kadi's navigation falls through…if Zilia's medicine or Fruit can't do the job…when the chips are completely down and there's absolutely no hope…that may be the purpose of Luro's presence. He'd probably die in the process though."
"Wasn't that the case at Belfield?" Ria asked.
"No there was still hope in that situation. Past the destruction we had options still, many were just too blind to see it. The fact Runali wasn't taken meant there was at least one Worst Gen Captain still around and Nani was still alive and well. I mean when the only thing left is defeat or death."
Seliria's eyes narrowed at the very thought.
"It's a good thing if he never shows what he can possibly do. If that 'creature' as Nikos describes it never appears again, it means there's still hope. Luro is wholly willing to do whatever he must for Stardusk…and under Runali's leadership hopefully he'll never have too. We'll never know whether he's playing the fool…or actually is one. Honestly it may be better that way."
Seliria took a drink from a cup and held it out to Ria who refilled it.
"Of course this is all just speculation, but it is true I've never seen him go all out nor do the reports make it seem like it, and he's openly admitted that while he wants too, he can't do so without breaking Runali's rules which he refuses to do…if he's gotten this far holding back…I'll admit I'm curious how much further he'll get."
Seliria offered a small shrug.
"That said I think he does try at least a fair amount, so I could be wrong, again I can't get a read on him. He has essentially three emotions."
Seliria let out a long sigh and rested her cheek on her fist.
"Even with this generation things are still complicated. I imagine the next won't have it any easier."
"All the more reason to keep an eye on them and give them guidance when they need it," Ria added.
Seliria's gaze moved over to Ria who offered a gentle smile, the woman averted her eyes at this offering a small shrug.
A small silence fell between the two as they sipped their tea and ate a few of the biscuits Ria had prepared, such silence was natural for the two of them. Seliria was fine not talking at length and Ria was fine just enjoying the company. There was never an awkward silence between them, just an understanding and acceptance of the person in front of them.
Seliria however knew Ria and could tell when she wanted to say something.
"Speak your mind Ria," Seliria said grabbing her cup.
Ria looked up at Seliria and letting a laugh escape from her, looked back into the steaming liquid within her cup, the sweet scent brought her a small joy, less than the presence of the women in front of her, but joy nonetheless.
She knew Seliria well but that went both ways, Seliria could read her sometimes as well. It was hard not to laugh a little at that happy realization, even if her inquiry couldn't be considered a cheerful one.
"How was your visit to Sakura's grave. One visit before lead you to meeting Satia correct?"
"That was some time ago…and my recent one was fine. I spoke with Sakura about Alicia and Satia. The younger one has some fire in her."
If Seliria was being honest she wanted to sit down and see what Satia could do properly now, but Alicia's power was a bit more dangerous, the sooner she refined it the better, especially being more out there in the world where it was constantly tested. Each time she visited Yula Fei however she always checked on Satia and Hanako, watched the flow of their energy and some of their training.
"I still won't forget the day I saw Sakura in action myself," Ria said picking up her own cup. "During my travels honing my blacksmithing skills, seeing her swordplay was…astonishing. Her movements with the blade brought me so much inspiration. What I could see at the time anyway."
Ria smiled a bit at the memory, she went harder into her work to create a blade that could be refined as finely and be swung as gracefully in the right hands from just a single encounter. The woman inspired those around her, it was just how she was.
Even after she was gone she still provided hope
"If you could say one thing to her…what do you think it would be?"
It was a question Ria had asked many a time, Seliria didn't say anything to the question but from their many stories she could guess. She expected Seliria to wave it off as she normally did, but when the woman set her cup down and folded her hands in her lap, Ria found herself tense a bit, surprised at an actual answer.
"Thank you for putting up with me."
Seliria said the words simply, her eyes raising to Ria. The woman stared at her wide eyed before a small laugh escaped from her, Seliria's eyes narrowed a bit at this and Ria waved a hand as an apology.
"Sorry Liri…that's just like you that's all."
Seliria patiently waited as Ria took a few deep breaths and composed herself.
"I don't think she minded Liri," Ria said after a small moment.
"I'm aware…but it's still something I should have said."
Seliria took a small sip from her cup.
"There's a little less light in the world without her…"
The woman's eyelids lowered a bit, and her hands clutched the cup a bit tighter. For a moment Seliria's eyes softened, and for the briefest of moments she looked a bit smaller. A side she only showed Ria, but it faded as quick as it came.
"Only a little though, since you're here," Seliria said as she straightened herself.
"Oh Liri…you can be sweet when you want too."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Ria smiled and held up the kettle only for Seliria to hold her empty cup out towards her.
These small moments, this warmth shared over a cup of tea, the memories shared with loved ones. Seliria would put everything she had into protecting these moments for herself and all the ones who came after her.
Hopefully when her own time came, when she followed after Sakura, she would also leave something for the next generation, but until then she'd be a guide when they needed one, and that was enough.
Lily stood on the deck of her ship staring out at the sea, a few of her crew manned the sails and she watched the distant horizon in silence. There was something different about the sea air in the wee hours of the morning. The sun had barely peeked out from over the horizon, enough so that there was still a bit of chill in the air even though it was spring.
"That's it lass, just like your ma taught ya."
Lily glanced over her shoulder to see Mary guiding the ship from the helm, the old seadog Ramis stood next to her giving her a bit of direction. She smiled a little at the sight before turning her gaze forward again.
She had taken Mary out the year before, saying when she turned 13 she'd let her guide the ship for once, and she did just that, right into the reef. She apologized profusely afterwards.
She's had plenty of practice since then, but still get's nervous even a full year later having someone next to her tends to calm her enough to actually guide the ship.
If not for her directing the crew she'd be up there helping her once again.
"I…think I got it, Grandpa Rammy."
"Uncle Lass. Uncle…" Ramis said sighing a bit. "I ain't that old yet."
He said that but Lily knew she was basically a granddaughter in his eyes. By some miracle Moura had accepted his 'courting' after he promised to retire from the sea for her, saying he loved her more than it. They were married a few years back, it took some getting used to him actually being around the mansion.
To his word he did retire as she was the Captain of his crew now, but it's hard to separate a sailor from the sea, so he'd join them when Mary was on board to give her lessons, Moura let it go knowing the man by now.
Lily's gaze moved to her daughter once more after she finished directing one of the men, she was dressed as she used to be. Adorned in a green long sleeved bodice, with a white shirt under it where the skin would show, a pair of brown fingerless gloves and a brown asymmetrical skirt over a pair of black trousers with brown boots. Instead of knives however she had a belt of pistols and knives on her waist.
Moura made Mary the outfit similar to her own, she had even made her new outfit once she became a captain. A red long sleeve coat with black fur on the inside, a white button up dress shirt from Brass Cape with a jabot for extra flair, and a pair of brown trousers. She chose the black boots but Moura provided her black gloves.
Moura still gave her a look on occassion wanting her to be a bit more refined, but she relented with just this.
She was reminded every day that people looked out for her, and wanted the best from her.
Years had passed since then but she was still grateful to Nura and Lina, to the Prophets, Luro and to Stardusk as a whole for what they did.
Back then trapped on all sides, all she wanted was an escape and if anyone else had found her she would have gotten it. If that happened then this reality wouldn't be a thing for her, this wonderful feeling, and these wonderful sights.
Hunting down the Ravens and keeping them from attacking thier loved ones, both now and in the future was the most she could do to repay that debt. However she knew it wouldn't happen in her lifetime. The Red Ravens have roots from over a century back, even as the 'leader' she doesn't know all their installments, the Prophets and the remaining False Leaders of course help her, but they have their own lives, as does she. With all the trouble she caused Stardusk she would never impose this burden on them, they'd dealt with them enough.
She'd fight against them until she was unable too, they were part of her family lineage, it was part of her responsibility. Her worry wasn't how long it would take, but that it would become an 'inheritance' for Mary.
Her gaze moved back to Mary who was still guiding the ship, her brows furrowed and her body stiffed slightly at the thought. She smiled a little at how worried Mary looked on the open sea with no rocks in sight.
She wanted Mary to live a normal life, but she knew that was impossible. When she was adopted she became a part of the Red Raven lineage, whether she liked it or not. She didn't want Mary to suffer that same fate, but there was no way to escape it.
That thought kept her up at night at times.
"You have worry on your face."
Lily's gaze moved to the voice to see Moura approach her, the older woman stood next to her offering a small smile before lookin back out at sea.
"...was it that obvious?"
"That old dog probably noticed…and Mary too if she wasn't focused on not crashing the ship into nothing."
A silence fell between the two for a moment and as Lily was looking for the words to say, Moura spoke up.
"She's always had a choice."
The words caused Lily to flinch a bit, Moura always seemed to know what she was thinking.
"...did she though? With the Ravens-"
"Mary is receiving a proper education, she has a loving family, and she understands that she has the option of taking over the honest part of the family business…you have never forced her to choose."
Moura looked over at her.
"Master Makachi said it best. 'Lily's a smart girl, she'll be fine'. No matter the decision, you'll be by her side, and that's all she wants."
Moura watched Lily's body relax slightly and turned her attention forward again.
"...thank you Moura."
"Of course Lily."
"How does ma lady look so good from the front and the back!"
A heavy sigh escaped from Moura as she turned to Ramis seeing he had taken the wheel. The man grinned at her and she gave him what he called an affectionate glare. Sensing no malice behind it Lily was inclined to agree.
Her gaze moved to Mary as she approached her, taking her hands into her own.
"Are you okay Mother? You seem tense."
She stared into the worried eyes of what was her whole world, and offered her a smile.
"Nothing's the matter. Everything is perfect."
Mary tilted her head a little but seeing Lily was fine offered a small smile to her, which Lily happily returned.
"Oh I think Luro is in this area. Would you like to visit him?"
"I'd love to see Uncle Makachi again. I've gotten better since his lessons."
"He'll love to hear that…Ramis!"
She called up to the helm giving Mary a small pat on the shoulder as she made her way up the stairs.
"I'll take the wheel, we're making a small detour."
"Aye Captain. The day is young and the sea is ours, set the course."
With a nod Lily whistled drawing the crew's attention to her.
"Full Sail! We got people to see and the wind at our backs!"
The crew immediately started moving, with Mary helping with the sails as Ramis rejoined Moura, Lily's fingers gripped the wheel tightly and she took in a deep breath of sea air, this warmth in her heart would never cool so long as she protected what was in front of her. With a smile she sailed towards the horizon.
"I'm surprised you showed yourself."
Mari remained silent, her hands folded behind her back as she stood in small room, multiple navy officials seated in front of her. The higher ups weren't going to bother with her, not with the fall out from Belfield, but she had been running around in her uniform knocking out her own people.
Punishment was inevitable working with pirates after all.
There were four people seated in front of her, three men and one woman, all Captains and she was a Commander…at least for the time being.
Expulsion would be the kindest thing she would get here, execution was far more likely considering how bad the navy looked after all this.
"I'm not the type to hide," Mari responded simply.
From left to right the Commanders were Harris, Belia, Wesin and Vulos. She still remembered when Captain Belia gave her advice years ago to keep her head down, being the only female Captain in this area she had to face her own problems, many wanted her position and were looking for the smallest opening, she didn't want the same for her. The look in Belia's eyes irritated her, one that basically said 'you should have listened', but she had to practice patience here.
Still she was better than Wesin and Vulos, both of them were scared of their positions being taken, so she was competition, she could tell they were grinning on the inside at their positions being safe now.
Harris was the eldest member here so he was doing most of the talking.
"Mari you know our laws, so you should understand your fate given you're being charged with treason," Harris said his eyes narrowing at her.
For a man with lines covering his face and his hair a mix of black and grey, he seemed to forget the rules when they weren't pointed at him. Even in this situation she should be called by her title, it made it obvious what their decision was before they even said it.
This whole thing was irritating, these four did basically nothing during the attack yet they spoke as if they were on the front lines, as if they were standing with their men when they fell and how sad it was. She gave the benefit of the doubt to Wesin, he did fight with his men, but retreated when Eliza was taken out.
"Can you hurry this along please, I have things to do Captain Harris," Mari said ensuring to be polite in her rushing.
She had no patience for these facade's, when Harris' eyes narrowed at her she merely returned the gesture.
"Not surprising the traitor wants to ignore protocol," Wesin said waving his hand in front of his face. "I agree let's finish this off.
"Very well then…" Harris said. "Mari for your act of treason you will be executed. You-"
"Need to be executed to set an example," Mari said finishing the sentence for him. "With the organization in disarray, the higher ups are afraid they're precious structure will crumble, having a few examples will keep the order and I'm convenient enough to be used as a sample."
Harris remained silent at this and that silence spoke volumes, he set his papers down and folded his hands on his desk.
"That's our judgment…while it won't mean anything at this point, you may speak freely."
"Very well then. Would you all check the fourth page in your documents."
The four looked at Mari at her request and looked down at the papers in front of them. Each one flipped through them to the fourth page; the color seemed to drain from all their faces simultaneously, wide gazes met Mari's narrowed one, a mix of fear and anger in their stares.
"When my head is removed from my shoulders those documents will be spread throughout the organization, conveniently about the ones trying to make examples of people who can't follow the rules. So…fellow rule-breakers what was that about my sentence?"
"Captain!"
Mari sat with her boots on her desk back in the Circle, polishing her blade as one of her people burst into her office.
"I told you already that I'm a midship man now Dela. You rank above me so calling me by my name is fine."
"That's not important right now Captain! Look at this!"
Dela handed Mari the newspaper and setting her sword down she flipped through it.
"...what? The Pirate Lord did what?!"
The Pirate Lord's title was now on full display, and Mari already knew every Worst Generation…no every pirate was going to be gunning for that title.
"That woman…does she realize how much chaos she just created?!"
"I…uh I think she did. Captain what do you think is going to happen?"
Dela realized they were about to get extremely busy if the navy was going to respond to this, she expected Mari to grimace but seeing a smile instead of a frown caused Dela's eyebrows to arch.
"Captain?"
Mari had to use a bit of 'ammunition' she had saved up to avoid execution from her superiors, instead her rank was dropped basically to the bottom. She could have kept her rank as well but she liked to have more in her back pocket, and in the end she was going to get thrown back into the Circle anyway if if she staved off the execution, away from the action, at least that would have been the case.
The navy's plan failed, and they were now recovering and just as one of the great powers was doing this, the Pirate Lord made every pirate start moving, it was a good play she couldn't even be upset, especially once she realized something.
"This might actually be a boon Dela."
The woman next to her adjusted the hat on her head, her furrowed brow showing she was clearly not following along.
"What do you mean Captain?"
"Gather everyone immediately."
"Y-yes Captain."
The entirety of Mari's troops had gathered, and the woman walked up the small stage that had been made, mainly for appearance. She walked to the center of it, turned towards her crew and taking in a deep breath addressed her people, with all the vigor she could muster.
"We have been handed an opportunity my fellow Hunters! The Pirate Lord has left her title open and as such every pirate on these seas will be gunning for it. With Belfield weakened the pirates are about to have a true renaissance, their own Golden Era."
The crowd looked amongst each other, worry adorning their faces as their brows lowered, whispers filling the crowd, but Mari's voice brought them to silence.
"Many of you will think this a bad thing, but we are the type to turn misfortune into fortune. The recovering Navy will have no choice but to rely on all hands that can fight, especially those in dangerous waters. To put it simply, we can turn this into our own Era. My fellow Hunters, we are going to ride this wave, and propel ourselves to greater heights. We have been handed a gift by the pirates, and we must return it in kind! It will be dangerous! You will have to face yourselves and your weakness, you may turn tail and run I will not judge you, but if you have fire in your heart, then raise your voices and you shall stand alongside me, as we rise higher!"
Mari watched the crowd before her explode in revelry, hats filled the sky and each person cheered before all stood at attention towards their Captain, not a single soul took a step back, all met Mari's fiery gaze with their own. The woman offered a nod at this and raised her sword to the sky.
"Our awakening begins now! Let the beasts roar and your blades sing. We are the Hunters! The Navy that will follow their own path to the top!"
A yawn escaped from Max as he climbed out of bed, he stood up and grabbed his navy uniform making sure it was properly straight. After a few adjustments and double checking his hair he made his way towards the stairs. He ended up sleeping in a little so he wanted to make sure everything was in order, he was going to end up yelled at for being tardy, he didn't want his cleanliness called into question as well.
He was a step away from being made into an ensign, he was a midshipman still but due to his cleaning prowess they were considering giving him a promotion. While this would probably be exciting for many people, it was not for him as he was a step away from his volunteer service being over.
Years had passed since the one known as Luro Makachi put him in this situation, blowing up a quarter of Brass Cape and leaving the blame to him, or rather he was the only one around when the guards came.
Instead of being thrown in prison since his record was clear he was given volunteer service, a way of 'teaching' him right and wrong, they were also short-staffed so it solved two problems.
After meeting the dreadlock man and the angry faced woman, a little sad he couldn't remember their names he realized that Luro person was a Worst Gen, some Worst Gen had been brought in recently so a part of him was hoping he was among them, another part didn't want that as he knew how dangerous those people were.
His silent wishes aside, his volunteer time was at an end, thus he didn't want the promotion. He just wanted to finish his time, and go back to Brass Cape. He knew his job was gone but he could get another one with some effort.
Thankfully he had been put in Belfield, one of the most secure places in the world. Life had been simple here, he just did his job, followed the commander's orders, cleaned up and went to bed. He had been moved here after most of the places he was at, were either destroyed or something happened to them.
It got to a point some considered him a curse wherever he went, he was even avoided as the 'bringer of misfortune' since any place he worked at went under. With that in mind they sent him somewhere it would be impossible for him to mess something up.
Thus as he opened the door to step into Belfield and continue his day he went out with a light heart and a pep in his step.
"Where have you been?!"
At least that's what would have happened if most of Belfield wasn't on fire at the moment, and his commanding officer wasn't yelling at him.
Max took a look around after being informed what had happened. Apparently one of the Worst Generation Pirates, had attacked Belfield with allies and done immense damage. Most of the city had been destroyed and whoever wasn't dead was injured in some way.
Belfield, one of the largest home bases the navy possessed, was aflame after being invaded by a foreign power and barely still standing.
"While we were being assaulted you were taking a nap!"
He flinched a bit as his commanding officer continued to yell at him.
"What is wrong with you Max…uh.it doesn't matter! Do you realize this is abandoning your duty! It's cowardice!"
He wasn't sure how to feel right now, once again he was called by his forced name Max, which to this day no one knew his last or full name. The pause the Commander did was one he knew well, an attempt at calling him by his full name but not knowing it.
On the other hand he was being yelled at for sleeping, granted he did oversleep but he was a midshipman, there was nothing he could have done against Worst Gen Pirates, there were Captain's worth five of him that had been killed.
"I didn't think it true…but wherever you go only Chaos follows. There's only one thing for it then."
Within the navy there were a few stories, ones equivalent to the boogeyman or some other monster that lurks in the dark. A common one is if one sees a lantern on a foggy night on the sea, accompanied with humming, to immediately turn around.
Another was about a place called The Circle, not much was discussed about it, but the general acknowledgement was that being sent there meant the end of your life.
Thus as Max stared at the navy base, which sat within a place he thought was only rumor, his trembling was understandable.
"I'm in…The Circle…well maybe it's not as bad as-"
Max cut himself off as a loud explosion filled the air, he felt the air shift and heat pass over him as he spun to see black smoke a little bit away, at the sea behind him.
"Sorry about that."
A voice called his attention as a woman walked up to him.
"We were just testing our defenses, there's not a lot of time for negotiation in some cases, so having the option to just blow things up is handy here. Anyway come with me, the Captain's waiting for you."
Following the woman who was apparently the first mate Dela, he was lead inside a base.
Max had been to many bases while serving the navy, big and small and he had never been to one like this.
The base itself was impressive, there were multiple buildings that stretched relatively high but it was the center area that drew his attention.
In the core of the headquarters there was a small arena, a few people were sparring in it, while others were cheering nearby in small stands. He could see a garden in the distance, with a few vegetables either grown or being grown and what looked like aquaculture next to it. There were many things around that made the place seem more like a small city than a naval base.
"The Captain's in here."
Max gave a small nod as the First Mate stopped near a door, he took a deep breath, double checked his buttons which caused the woman to smile for some reason before entering the room.
Max had been called to many Captain's offices, it was always a terrifying experience. To meet the Captain who had survived The Circle, they had to be absoultely frightening
Max entered the room and was surprised by how bare it was, there was a simple desk, and what looked like the bare minimum necessary to look like a 'Captain's office'.
Most Captain's he encountered normally had medals or something on the walls, this place was surprisingly plain. His eyes fell on the desk in the center of the room, a woman had a strange looking sword on the table that she seemed to be cleaning. When her gaze rose to him he immediately stiffened and went to attention.
"At ease," she said setting the blade down.
He relaxed his form a bit folding his hands behind his back.
The head of this base was surprisingly…approachable if he had to put a word to it. Her uniform was a 'bit' fancier but aside from that it was no different from his own, no medals on her torso, and her rank wasn't even on display. If she hadn't been in uniform he would have thought some random civilian had wandered into the room. That was until he met her gaze, there was a sterness to it that wouldn't belong to a civie, he swallowed instinctively and almost tensed up again, one look and he was reminded this was commanding officer, he reminded himself not to let his guard drop again.
"You must be the new recruit they sent to me. To end up in The Circle you must have done your fair share."
"Yes Captain I-"
"Mari."
"Huh?"
"My name is Mari. I'm only one rank above you so there's no need to address me as Captain."
Max's brows arched a bit at this, meeting the woman's gaze. She returned his stare with one of her own apparently waiting for him to acknowledge he was listening.
"...everyone calls you Captain though."
The words slipped out of mouth without thinking, he quietly made peace with himself his eyes going to the blade on her desk, and how much it would hurt when it was shoved through him. To his surprising however Mari didn't move, she just gave a small shake of her head, her shoulders drooping a bit as she spoke again.
"That's some quirk they all have. Hierarchy wise I'm an Ensign, especially now. My goal is to become a Captain but due to various reasons I haven't acquired that title yet. Thus Mari is fine, I'm even a lower rank then some of the people here, not that rank matters in this place anyway."
Max had no idea how to respond to this information, was this just how it was in The Circle? Even if that was the case he wouldn't dare call any of his superior's by their names alone, he didn't even know some of them. Mari continued on however past his confusion, causing his attention to focus back on her.
"If I remember correctly you were a former inventor at Brass Cape. Your name is Maxwell Williams and-"
"Wait!"
Mari stopped as Max extended his hands out, he stared at Mari, eyes wide and his body trembling.
"W…what did you just call me?"
"...Maxwell Williams. That is your name correct? I admittedly had to do a bit of digging since it's not in any of our records."
"...no one's called me by my actual name for years. They've just called me Max…no one's believed I've had a last name all this time. No matter how many times I tried to explain."
"Ah I see. Unfortunately that makes sense. Most higher ups aren't going to take the time to look to deep into who you are past what they need to know. If your records say 'Max' then Max is your name as far they're concerned."
Mari said this before picking up another of her documents.
"I like to at least know the name of those coming into my crew. Do you prefer Max or-"
"Maxwell please."
"Maxwell it is then. It appears you were brought here due to multiple 'incidents' at your previous bases. You are apparently…cursed it says here."
"That sounds like what my other Captain's have said yes. Are you…worried about it."
"Not really. I personally don't think you are."
"I appreciate that."
"Apparently you were also put here due to a sentence, serve the navy instead of going to jail, from an incident in Brass Cape."
"Yes…though it wasn't my fault."
"Mind elaborating on that?"
Max looked up at Mari who calmly folded her hands on her desk, he waited in silence for a brief but she only stared at him, clearly intent on listening. He told her the story of what happened, expecting the same response the others had given him, a narrowed glare and generally some comment about 'making up stories', to his surprise however Mari only let out a small sigh.
"Luro Makachi…huh…yeah that checks out."
"Huh?"
"Still the fact it was only a quarter is a good thing, and the report did say no casualties so all the better."
"Hold on…you believe me?"
"Of course I do. I've met the man myself."
Mari noticed that everywhere Max went Stardusk seemed to show up in some capacity, Luro especially. His 'curse' was easily explainable, but she decided not to share that information for now.
"You've met him and you're still alive?!"
"I have and I am. Also you're my subordinate now, the bare minimum I can do is have faith in your words until proven otherwise."
With her peace said Mari picked up her papers as Max stared at her, mouth slightly agape.
In all his years no one had believed him, it got to a point even he questioned it but this person not only validated his past but knew his name.
No one thought a Worst Generation Pirate had met him, treated him kindly then destroyed a quarter of a city before leaving, the blame falling on him. It sounded like a frantic lie even to him.
"Doesn't seem like you'll be my subordinate for long though, your time is almost up. That's probably why they sent you here, once done you no longer have to serve."
Max was pulled back to reality at Mari's observation, and the thing he had been working at for years.
"Yes…I only have a few months left."
"Do you have any plans after?"
"...not really no. I'll probably go back to Brass Cape. It may be difficult due to my past reputation, but years have passed so I should still find work."
Mari stared at Max for a moment, then looked back down at his paper.
"Why don't you stay with the Navy?"
"...huh?"
"According to your records, you are a hard worker. You keep your nose clean, follow instructions and do whatever job needs doing."
"I just did that because I didn't want to get into more trouble," Max said shaking his head.
"I wouldn't say that. You were a hard worker at your old job too from what I read, even if that is the case, you have the capacity which is all that matters. I know plenty who have come through in similar conditions, for lesser crimes that don't change their ways."
Mari looked back up at Max and motioned to him offering a small smile.
"Even if strange circumstances put you here, I think you're a good fit for the navy."
Her smile faded and her eyelids lowered a bit.
"With that said if you did stay you would end up in my crew. Which would mean living in The Circle and that's no simple task, it's also dangerous. Still you would be treated fairly and given the respect you're due."
The idea of staying in the Navy seemed like a nightmare after everything that happened, everyday was hard and it always seemed what he did wasn't enough.
He couldn't deny there were nice moments though, the smiles of the people, the 'appreciation' he would receive on occasion. There were times where he felt like the job was worth doing, but they were few at best. There was always this tense feeling in his chest whenever he stayed in a base, this invisible pressure once he met his commander, but it didn't feel that way here.
He also had no idea if he could even get good work at Brass Cape, it was a gamble at best since he now had a record.
"I'd…like to make that decision at the end of my service."
Mari gave a small nod to the man before digging into her drawer.
"That's perfectly fine. If you decide against it I will send you back to the mainland with the payment you're due. Relax and take your time to know everyone, I'll have you shadow my first mate today so you can get a hang of things, we'll start you off light, you can take it easy today."
"Thank you Captain."
"I told you I'm not a Captain," Mari said handing him a few papers. "Sign those and bring them back when you check in tomorrow."
"My apologies, I ended up doing it on instinct. Aye Capt-"
Max cut himself off and Mari just waved him off with a small sigh.
"Call me whatever you wish, go get situated, we'll talk tomorrow, and make sure to eat something today. For however long you're here welcome to The Hunters. Oh hold on."
Standing up Mari walked over to Max, he blinked at her before she stopped in front of him and reaching forward took the rank off his chest torso.
"Rank doesn't matter as much in The Circle. I'm just boss since I'm the strongest and I've been here the longest, you beat me you become the boss simple as that. Off you go then Maxwell."
He couldn't image the possibility but Max gave a small nod and excusing himself walked out of the door, Dela was waiting for him and with a smile beckoned him to follow.
"So how'd you like the Captain?"
"...she's pretty great. It never felt like she was talking down to me…I think I'll like it here"
"Glad to hear it. Don't' worry once you're one of the Captain's, you're basically family. Let's get you settled."
Zilia approached a large tent seated in the middle of a forest, she had heard rumors of the place but to actually stand in front of it was shocking to say the least. She never thought she'd see the day where Vai would have a stationary place, at least for a single day.
She entered the tent and took a seat as Vai was finishing up with another person, she smiled a little at the sight.
Vai would generally only appear to people when called upon subconsciously, he would then vanish after giving his reading.
However during Belfield he ended up saving a fair amount of lives thanks to his predictions, and the people he saved ended up grateful and brought him more customers then he anticipated. She recalled many asking for love advice, she never saw emotion on his face but she'd known him long enough to know his eyes sometimes revealed emotion, that day was the closest to confusion she's seen from him.
His tent didn't look terribly different from usual, light from the outside only existed upon entry, while the tent itself was filled with the same strange knicknacks, green smoke wafted throughout the tent which as usual was larger than it seemed. To this day she didn't understand how this place became its own world.
The people in front of her bowed to Vai before making their way out, Zilia approached and smiled at the fortune teller as she took a seat in front of him.
"Hello Vai. You seem to be doing well."
Vai allowed sand to slip between his fingers into the bowl in front of him, his empty gaze rising to look at his new guest as Zilia spoke again.
"I'm sure you already know why I'm here."
"...I do," Vai responded looking back at the sand. "Which is the complicated part as answering your question isn't simple."
"I didn't think asking how your new methods are working was so hard to answer."
Vai didn't respond at first, allowing the last of the sand to leave his hand before he looked back at Zilia.
"It is a strange sensation. I normally only appear to those who specifically call on me. Providing them what answers I can to their personal inquiries, aiding them in finding something they seek. I was gone within half an hour at most…to stay in place for a whole day is...different."
"Good different or…." Zilia asked crossing her arms.
"....it's not terrible. I do receive questions that don't seem important at first glance but it brings them comfort and satisfaction, while also being the truth so I have no complaints."
Zilia couldn't read Vai's expression but his actions were enough to get the point across, even back then when he chose to help, he had no obligation to answer their call, he met everyone else to an extent once but as he had told Zilia at the end of it all. "I have seen a glimpse at what Stardusk may become. It is not absolutely clear to me…but what I have seen is interesting…I would like to see where it goes."
Being unable to see a set future meant there were multiple possibilities. Vai without a doubt could see the future, he'd proven that to her plenty of times, but his power wasn't perfect, in the end he only saw what could be, not what will be. Whatever possibility he saw in Stardusk caused him to change the way he did things, from what she knew he hadn't changed his methods for over twenty years, perhaps more. There were some who had their fortunes told forty years ago but she had never had the chance to speak with them at length.
At the very least twenty years without change and whatever he saw caused him to act differently, enough so that she could sit here after hearing about him in passing, on a walk through town.
Something she never thought could be a possibility.
"I also know the other reason you're here, the real reason and I can't tell you," Vai said replacing the full bowl in front of him with an empty one.
Zilia shook her head as she had a feeling he would say that, but she still intended on pressing the matter.
"Is it really necessary not to speak of it? I am curious what future you saw for us."
"There are too many possibilities for the risk," Vai responded simply. "Too many diverging paths weaving into each other, if not for the possibilities you've already passed…I would not have mentioned it at all."
"Not even a tiny hint Vai," Zilia said leaning forward a little.
She watched Vai's already narrow eyes lower ever so slightly, she wasn't sure what that expression meant but put it aside as he spoke again.
"If you are willing to take the risk I will tell you one thing."
Zilia nodded and leaned forward even more watching as Vai made a small motion with his hands, as he did the little green fish that hovered nearby moved in front of him, and circling into each other, he blew sand into them causing an image to show.
It seemed to be of a young girl, she didn't recognize her and the image showing it was off, like staring at a distant mirage.
However she had long bluish hair, and her back was facing them.
Zilia wasn't sure why but she felt a strange comfort staring at her, as if a part of her understood the importance of the woman.
"Who was that?" She said looking at Vai.
"...a child you will come to know in the future. She will become important to you and many others."
With that Vai allowed the rest of the sand to slip through his fingers, she noticed it fall into the empty bowl and smiled a little.
"That is the most I will give you."
Zilia let out a small sigh but nodded and stood up, she went to dig in her pocket only for Vai to hold his hands up.
"Unnecessary," he said but Zilia still tossed a coin to him.
"That was a regular reading not my normal one, I'll definitely come visit again and not just for a reading."
With that Zilia waved to him before walking out of the tent, Vai stared at the coin in his hands before dropping it into the vessel in front of him, pouring green water into it he dropped a bit of powder into the liquid.
Upon doing so Zilia's visage appeared in the smoke that followed, Vai's eyes narrowed slightly as he folded his hands together.
"...it seems your future like he's has divided even further….perhaps due to…no…I won't speak of such possibilities," he said waving his hand the image fading. "I will observe, as I've always done, until the very end Stardusk."
Lifting the bowl he set it to the side as his gaze raised to his next customers.
Yora followed behind Sor as they made their way through a small forest, Sor had informed her she didn't have to accompany him on this particular outing and she reminded him she was his bodyguard. Whether she liked it or not she was required to go with him, and now was no exception.
What bothered her however was his present silence, after her response he had just smiled and left and hadn't said anything since. Normally he'd make some annoying joke about 'how she was following him' or something along those lines.
Yet from the moment they were on the ship, made their way here and through the forest he hadn't said a word, she wasn't even sure where they were at.
She had lived in the Circle for years but never knew about this place, it was in some far off corner away from everything.
The buildings on the way here were old and clearly empty, it was obvious no one had lived in them for decades, the streets were also full of cracks from the vegetation that now grew out of them. No residents had come to this place in a long time, it was rare to see an older part of the Circle like this. The history of this place was known only to a select few, its mystery's ran deep.
Sor apparently knew all such places and more than likely their stories, she wondered if these were the places he went when he vanished. That was admittedly the other reason she pushed to come along.
Unable to deal with the silence she spoke up first.
"Where are you going?"
"To pay respects."
His answer was short and simple and he didn't explain past that, she thought he only paid respects to Doctor Vilimar but she was on the other side of the island, a woman she knew little about and he wouldn't explain when she accompanied him there.
Admittedly she didn't know much about Sor himself either, he was just like these old places. Shrouded in mystery she only knew his name, normally she wouldn't work for a person like this.
However annoying as it was to admit she owed him.
She came to this place with nothing to her name, bleeding out and floating on a dingy. By some weird twist of fate she ended up in the Circle and Sor had her treated.
He got her situated, got her a place to stay and some basic work. He didn't ask any questions on who she was, why she was here or anything about her past, just handed her a basket of fruits and said 'Welcome'.
The only thing she was good with was a blade and wanting to repay him she offered to be his bodyguard. Which he laughed about and declined the offer, but she kept offering wanted to repay his kindness and eventually he said yes, and now she was basically his babysitter.
"What in the world was I thinking…"
It was too late for regrets and he paid well so she could put up with his nonsense, but the lack of his normal jovial attitude made this trek far more awkward then it should be.
With this silence she was only reminded that she knew next to nothing about the man in front of her.
Sor eventually came to a stop and Yora stopped next to him, her gaze moved past him and she noticed a small clearing in the forest.
The light almost as if guided fell on a singular grave, a small simple upright headstone. If Sor hadn't focused on it she could have easily missed it, the tiny monument barely came up to her ankle.
She watched Sor approach it and she realized that the grave was very well kept, the vegetation around it had been cleanly cut and now that she looked closer she could see flowers had been planted around it.
Walking over herself she knelt down next to Sor and watched him take out a piece of candy before settting it on the grave; pulling a similar piece out he popped it in his own mouth.
Looking closer she saw the headstone had writing on it.
'Someone who will be missed,' was all that it said.
"...who is this?"
Sor didn't respond immediately to her, he just closed his eyes, his mouth moving but no words coming out. She watched him in silence as he finished his candy and when he opened his eyes he grabbed the other candy and set a flower in its place before tossing the piece into his mouth.
"The previous Sor."
His answer gave her pause and she found her remaining questions catch in her throat.
Her eyes focused on the grave, and she stared in absolute disbelief.
Sor was a central part of the Circle, nothing moved without his say, every denizen in here answered to him in some form or fashion, in short the position was the topmost one in the Circle.
Thus to see the previous in some forgotten corner with a grave barely larger than a shoe was surprising.
"Right…there were other Sor's weren't there," she said glancing over at him.
For as long as anyone knew, Sor was always here. There were only rumors of another at one point, even old man Asius couldn't say for certain when Sor appeared, nor did he intend on it.
To see the rumors were in fact true and there was another Sor brought a barrage of questions.
"...what were they like?"
That was the only question that came to mind or the one she was able to actually voice.
Sor didn't respond immediately, only stared at the nameless grave in silence.
"...she was perfection personified. She did her job with a level of efficiency that made my efforts look amateur. She was immensely powerful, no one in the Circle could match her including myself. Yet she carried a kindness that melted the hearts of all those she encountered."
"She sounds wonderful…"
"She was."
The enigmatic Sor watched the grave, the curve of lips barely showing, and his body a little smaller, a look in his eyes that saw far past what lied in front of him.
Yora had never seen such an expression on Sor's face, she always felt there was something behind his gaze or smile, this was the first time he looked normal…as if everything was on display.
This was the first time she had seen him actually look….sad.
"Why…"
Yora trailed off not sure if it was a question to ask but leaving it in the open didn't feel right either.
"Why have you never brought her up? I'm positive you've been asked about the past."
"She requested it."
Yora grew silent at this, while she was curious why someone didn't want to be remembered, she felt she was opening a particular door that may need to remain shut. However Sor spoke up again more than likely catching her curiosity.
"The Circle was in a bad place a long time ago. We're an ornery bunch sure, this being a place for 'criminals' and the rejects of society…but it's a controlled chaos. Back then it was anything but…she was the one who created the 'fair is fair' rule."
Yora knew that was the other name for the law followed in the Circle without question, favors are repaid with favors of equal value, no exceptions.
"Back then the fighting seemed endless, every day it seemed like hundreds died. 'Sor' didn't really exist, at least as the head of the Circle. Surrounded by assailants on all sides she rounded up every single threat, beat the living daylights out of anyone who didn't want to follow the rules and brought order to the Circle with her own two hands. It took years before agreements were made."
"She fought every single person within the Circle?"
"While keeping the Navy at bay too. She was smart enough to know just beating them down wasn't enough, she needed to ensure order stayed, but this isn't the Navy. She wanted everyone to live freely…but maintain enough order for civility. She always said 'We're a Chaotic Family,' and meant it."
Sor crossed his arms a small chuckle escaping from him at the memory.
"When she passed to avoid the scars of the past, or rather to keep those claims away from those remaining she said not to mention her or our past. At least until everyone is ready to hear it."
"...and we're not ready."
"Not yet regretfully. You know how the mercenaries are and Relias is much better than before but we're not completely unified, just enough to maintain ourselves and deal with outside threats. There's still plenty of in-fighting here and there."
He wasn't wrong, the place wasn't in chaos but there was still plenty of cutthroat activity, they were still dealing with the backlash from Relias' acting out as well.
"How did she pass?"
"She caught a sickness that was in the Circle at the time. There weren't too many skilled doctors then so they caught it too late."
"Oh…I'm sorry."
"Haha it's not your fault, don't worry about it. Still even today the name 'Sor' is respected, its ingrained in the Circle, no one knows the full reason why they just understand it's important. That was her influence, how amazing she was that even no longer with us her influence remains."
With that Sor gave a small bow to the grave before turning and walking away from it, Yora offered the same gesture before following behind Sor. While catching up with him she imposed one of the questions on her mind.
"Was she your sister?"
"Why do you ask?" Sor asked glancing over at her.
"Well you have the same last name, Sor and all."
"Sor's not a last name, it's a title. Silly Yora."
She stopped walking for multiple reasons, the first was Sor seemed back to his usual self and the second was this information she wasn't aware of.
"Sor isn't your name?"
"Nope."
"What is your name?"
"That's not important. Sor is fine."
"...no really. I've been guarding you for years, the bare minimum you can give me is your name."
"No need to change what works," Sor said waving to her as she continued walking.
Yora watched the back of the man as he got further away and for a moment, she remembered a comment Relias made in the past. About an old disease from over forty years ago that took the lives of many, according to the few records. She opened her mouth to say something, to inquire further but ultimately just followed after him.
Sor is a man with no history, who has existed in the Circle for as long as anyone has known. Just knowing another existed at one point was probably the most she was going to get and a part of her made peace with that.
The waves slightly rocked the boat of the traveling fighter, her eyes focused on the horizon as she rewrapped the bandages around her arms.
She had traveled far seeking a very specific place, one that any person pursuing the martial arts went looking for, a place generally called 'The Floating Tower'.
It had a more official name but it was lost years ago, the tower itself lived up to its namesake from what she could see. Floating on a small piece of land, a large tower made its way across the sea, carried only by the waves. It was its own personal territory, bound to no one and never in one place for one time.
The WG was aware of its existence but left it alone and any pirates foolish enough to try and ransack it paid the price, generally in broken bones.
To anyone with confidence in their fists however it was a highly sought place.
A multi-floored tower, believed to have eight to 10 floors for the most part.
What she knew of it she was told by her Mentor and Zilia, both of them had climbed the tower and polished their own martial arts in the process.
Both had sought it out and both found it accidentally, she had tried to ask more about it but part of the rule was not to reveal specific information to future challengers, she didn't even know if they made it to the top.
However the two did reveal that they ended up getting stumped on different floors, that was permitted.
She didn't doubt that they reached the top with how skilled they were and just like them.
The rules of the tower were very simple, the person who entered could stay for a full month, there was a garden and clean water within the tower.
The challenger would have a place to sleep, bathe and would be fed. If they were a good guest they would be treated with the utmost respect.
If they were unable to pass a trial they would be allowed to stay on that floor for one week, if they failed to win in that week they had to leave and upon finding the tower again would have to reach that floor again from the bottom.
Each floor tested one's martials arts in a different fashion, each one a different opponent who specialized in one form. At least that was the rumor, both her Mentor and Zilia revealed they were probably much stronger than they appeared but they were trials before they were opponents.
They only said this as the two felt as much sparring with them, as they would live with their opponent that week and all of them were happy to spar at any point in time, they only got serious during a trial.
Those foolish enough not to follow the rules were thrown out rather forcefully, onto a dingy of course, and sent on their way.
At the very top of the tower is apparently an extremely strong martial artist, a master of their craft and every person in that tower is their apprentice. The goal of every climber is to reach the top and have a proper fight with the 'Master of the Tower'.
That was the reason Aria had come this far as well, this would be a good learning experience.
Aria noticed the tower in the distance, a landmass with a giant tower that seemed to be made of bricks appeared in the distance. There were openings in the tower but she wasn't able to see what was inside, as she drew closer she couldn't help feeling excited.
"The tower that Mentor and Zilia climbed…I'll be a step closer to them once I reach the top."
A bright smile rested on the woman's face as her ship drew closer to its destination.
The focus her Mentor had given her to improve herself and another level to reach, that was all the woman needed to push forward.
At a round table in a dimly lit room, a group of people sat together. It was evening pushing night so minus a few candles placed here and there, the faces and figures of those within the room were half concealed by darkness.
This didn't mean much to those present, this reunion was commonplace, they always sat in the same chairs, at the same time and even with their eyes shut could tell who was talking.
One particular person disliked this and that was Noram.
He had forgotten how long he had been stuck in this place, at the very least since Stardusk first came, years had passed and he still couldn't leave.
His eyes moved to the people around him, to some of the Mercenaries of the circle.
Leader of the 1st group Raos, he had gotten a new eyepatch to match his new hunting clothes, his bird ate feed out of his hand as he pet her a small smile on the man's face. He still had his baby face but he smiled more than he used too, though he knew the smile would fade when the meeting started.
He still kept his hair short, something Noram thought was a bit of a waste.
The leader of the 2nd group Milis sat nearby, she was still covered head to toe in armor resembling the knights of old, though she had commissioned new armor from Brass Cape. It looked far heavier than it was, she could still swim in it just fine, she also retained the same youthful features from years ago.
Her long golden locks still fell over her shoulders, she had cut her hair slightly but it was still relatively long falling to the middle of her back.
He still had no idea how old she actually was but she remained the kinder of the mercenaries, and to keep it that way he knew not to inquire.
The next one at the table however he made sure not to make eye contact with, even in the pseudo darkness. The man was still dressed in fabric of a foreign land, still held a glare on his face and as always had his boots on the table. Sor had revealed the russet skined man actually had dyed hair, because of that Noram had a hard time not staring at it. He was Vorik the leader of the Third group, the 'troublemaker' in the Circle, he was the one who also caused a bit of trouble for Stardusk in the past. He had calmed down a bit as a few years had passed and he was no longer the 'newbie' of the outfit so he didn't feel the need to act out. Sor's response to his actions also made him calm down considerably.
His eyes moved over to an old man who hadn't changed much over the years, his grey hair was still slicked back and his gloved hand ran over his white beard, which was maybe a few inches long over these past years. Noram was sure he had gained maybe one or more lines along his face, counting the man's wrinkles was a good way to pass time. His outfit hadn't changed, a long red cloak with simple armor underneath, his muscular form still easy to make out even in the darkness. He was as aloof as always even as his eyes moved around the room.
He was Asius, the leader of the Fourth Group and the voice of reason most of the time. He always thought of the Circle so there was never a time he wasn't at these meetings.
Sor was also there but he was more of a witness than the person that called it together, he liked to know what some of the powerhouses were up too so it was rare he ever missed these get togethers.
The meeting when it finally started was a simple one, a check in by everyone and what they've been up too, a few arguments here and there, swords being drawn then immediately put away. Payments passed along and discussions over territory and the like.
The part that always bothered him was the next part.
"It's my turn to have Noram," Vorik said.
"You had Noram two turns ago, it's my turn," Raos said.
"You're both wrong, it's my turn," Milis said raising her hand slightly.
Asius remained silent as the three continued going back and forth over who would 'have him' this time.
Noram had no say in this so he was basically an object to be passed around.
This conversation continued for about an hour with multiple claims laid bare only to be countered by evidence of how he had intervened already.
The ships he helped route last week, the ground assault he halted, the strategy he had seen through and countered. Such examples continued long into the meeting until eventually Asius raised a hand.
"We're talking in circles let's take a break, we'll come back to this in a moment."
The group complained but everyone save Sor stood up agreeing they weren't getting anywhere, Noram decided to ignore the smile on Sor's face as everyone separated.
He decided to get some fresh air away from everyone, not wanting to be stared at or approached for one thing or another. There was a small balcony on the upper floor he liked to go to, the view was actually nice and looked over the forest.
Slipping away he made his way to the veranda, to enjoy the small peace he would get until they came back together.
"Hello Noram."
His peace didn't last very long.
He glanced over to see Asius walk onto the balcony, it was a relatively wide one so there was about a three person distance between them as he also leaned on the stone railing.
Asius was one of the few he didn't mind, the man still fought to have him on his side, but he actually showed consideration towards his feelings…sometimes.
Granted that could all be to win him over to his side as well, the man was smarter than he let on.
"...if this is about the earlier meeting-" Noram started but paused when the old man shook his head.
"The meeting is for such discussions, we're on break so now isn't the time for that."
Noram was appreciative of that but still didn't know why Asius had come up here.
When the man pulled out a cigar and lit it he realized why, he was thankful the man turned his head away as he blew out smoke trying to save him what nice night air he could.
"You've come a long way, haven't you Noram?"
Noram glanced over at the man a little bothered they couldn't just stand in silence.
"...I suppose so. I'm apparently wanted around this place. Even Sor talks with me sometimes."
"I don't mean that way though you're not wrong," Asius responded before taking a quick puff.
Blowing out smoke he lowered the cigar from his lips keeping his attention forward.
"I mean you comin' halfway around the world."
Noram felt his body seize at that, his hands gripped the rail a bit tighter and it took an extreme effort not to look over at the man.
Not a single person, save maybe Sor knew where he came from, much less who he was. The only person who knew his past was Zilia and he had told her personally, he hadn't said anything to anyone else, he just knew Sor had eyes everywhere.
Though Noram realized he may be overthinking it, he was clearly a foreigner so the reference could be to that.
"What are you talking about?"
"I see you go by Noram now…which makes sense considering your history."
Noram was a second away from turning into a cloud and shifting away from this place, he wasn't overthinking it, the man was referring to his birthplace. Tempting as it was if he ran it would only make things more complicated. Was the old man threatening him, trying to gain his aid in some way? He didn't want the people here knowing who he was, he had to find a way around this, change the subject.
"...nice weather we're having."
"It's cloudy."
He didn't have the social skills to defuse a situation like this but he still put in his best effort.
"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not trying to gain anything from ya. I just wanted to say something while the others are downstairs bickering. I only found out who you were recently after all."
Noram at this point looked over at the old man who glanced sideways at him.
"Over a decade ago…a great army came down on a country that had nothing to its name. 25 ships against their five, with only one of them possessing any kind of military, the rest were basically farmers and merchants just trying to defend their home."
The man focused his attention forward again and took a long puff of his cigar, allowing a pause before he let out a low sigh, smoke filling the night air.
"There was no hope of success."
Noram's eyes narrowed a bit at this as the man continued.
"However…a boy…probably hadn't even gone through puberty yet asked for command of the fleet. Of course the commander was dumbstruck by this and refused, however the child showed how bad his formation was, and the commander knowing there was no real hope allowed the boy command of the tiny fleet. The army came and the small town lost two ships…and the remaining 25 were wiped out."
Asius raised himself off the railing at this.
"That young boy saved a small country, but the Commander was recognized as a genius tactician. The boy left with no fanfare, and no thanks. He left the night of the same day taking a few pieces of old fruit to eat on the way as payment for the thousands of lives he'd saved. His only reward."
Asius put out his cigar at this and Noram turned fully towards the man.
"An older soldier however never forgot that boy's actions, and for one reason or another was banished from his home country, possibly after punching said Commander in their face for a stupid choice that got many soldiers killed."
Asius turned his head slightly and looked at Noram.
"That former soldier…wanted nothing more than to thank that child for saving his country as stupid as they were in their final days. Giving no name, no title, and asking for nothing but enough food to reach the next place. With all that said that old soldier is probably long dead by now and never found out where that boy is nowadays."
"I…see…well I'm sure that boy was just happy to help."
Asius didn't respond for a moment but a small smile formed on the man's face as he turned back towards the inside.
"That old Soldier would be happy to hear that…if he was still alive"
With that said Asius made his way back inside, though he paused in the doorway.
"I hope…that boy who has probably seen more war and blood in his childhood than most ever will…is able to live a somewhat normal life soon."
Asius vanished into the depths of the building not waiting for a response from Noram, the youth took a deep breath and turned back towards the Circle.
While far from the peace and quiet he desired, the small moments like this were all he wanted in his life.
Now if only he could find Zilia to join him.
"Hah…I wonder if Mari's free today. I need someone to listen to my whining."
"Noram! It's time! Get your butt back down here so we can talk about you joining me next week!"
"You mean joining me!"
Noram's shoulders drooped and he made his way back inside, at the very least he couldn't say he wasn't wanted.
If you'll indulge me for a moment I would like to briefly discuss my mother, I speak of course of Zilia Vilimar.
Now I have received a few questions, even from our fellow Guardians as to why I refer to her as my mother. Part of it is that I was born from her yes, but it goes beyond that.
We are strange beings, Imposters of Imposters or Pseudo Imposters if you want a more technical term. Even if we are fakes of fakes we are still monsters at our core, ones who would slaughter our benefactor without hesitation. Mother is aware of this, Lia attacked her with the intent to kill the moment she summoned her again, my birth came from her not wanting that to happen again, so I can confirm she was aware of the consequences.
Yet even with that knowledge I possess free will, I can think and act freely.
Is that not the height of foolishness? We are manifestations of her will by her fruit, she could easily control us, make us mindless weapons…I wouldn't even blame her.
Instead she permitted us to emulate humanity and act freely, and she did so without hesitation, as if it was just a natural thing.
We are not human, the closest comparison I can find for us with mortal terminology is Homunculus.
We are artificial in every way, even our hearts. Our behavior and emotions stem from mother's memories and interactions with others, we are children playing pretend at best.
She understands this and the fact I am a fake and yet she looks at me…at us with the same eyes she gives Stardusk.
To show us such affection with no strings attached, how can I not refer to this woman as my Mother. We are at our core still Imposters, even if only a little. However since we are born more from Mother than Imposter, our natural affinity towards her affects us more, and because of that our murderous inclination towards our benefactor was replaced.
We became her Guardians instead of her Killers, each of us protect her for a different reason but each of us do so of our own volition, and of course mother's natural desire for safety. We are by all means still a creation of her Devil Fruit and her will, so her desire for the welfare of others and herself is carved into us.
Even fakes however seek chaos and harmful intent however, though thankfully those feelings have been directed elsewhere where they won't be an issue.
No one will miss Luro Makachi after all so our hatred has a place to rest, but that is a discussion for another time. We would prefer not to speak of the one that serves as our Father.
Zilia Vilimar is my mother, and she is Lia's…well I do not know what to call their relationship aside from complicated but she wishes for her safety as well. The other Guardians are no different, those of us with a capacity for free thought and even those of us who can act only on instinct.
We fakes of fakes will protect the one known as Zilia Vilimar for as long as we are able, my Mother is bound to the laws of humanity, so separation will come naturally but I will not think of such things, we will not bind ourselves to our inevitable loss; we will cling to what is here and now and knowing death is inevitable, will makes us ensure it remains at bay from our creator for as long as possible.
This I swear as the child of Zilia Vilimar, and the monster permitted a heart.
