Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. But I do own my story and the creativity that I put into it.
Chapter 1: The First Attack
Deep in the heart of an African jungle…
"Monster! Monster!" a fat little boy cried. He was almost of breath now, his stubby legs were doing all they could to keep him alive. Whatever was chasing him made an deafening roar and seemed to give up. He fell onto his hands and knees, panting and sweating. The air wasn't humid anymore, instead it felt pleasantly cool. Wind combed through the boy's soft, frizzy hair. This isn't right! He warned himself. This isn't right! This isn't right! This…isn't…right! The boy rose on his shaky legs and gazed dizzily around. It was too quiet to be considered safe, even the chatter of monkeys had died off.
Something cold touched his bare shoulder and he instantly rolled to the side, hoping to have had avoided an attack.
"Beetle? Why do you flee from your leader?" asked an old man who was standing where the boy's predator should've been. He was tall and erect. The scars on his chest reflected the many battles he'd won, or nearly lost. He had long gray hair and a short, curly beard. He walked with a long spear and lightweight shield. A simple loin cloth was all the clothing he wore.
The boy apologized and stared into the old man's emotionless brown eyes.
"Well?"
"I thought you were the monster, sir." Beetle explained, "It was chasing me but, I think it's gone now."
"Hmm?" the old responded, "is that so?"
"Yes." The old man shook his head, then sat down and crossed his legs, laying his gear aside.
"In this world." he began, "Nothing is fair."
"Sir!" the boy interrupted.
"And nothing is equal."
"Sir!!" he tried again.
"Take an enemy, for instance."
"Sir!!!"
"Even if they seem gone, they are still, always there."
"Leader Kagetso! Behind you!!" Beetle yelled, pointing. The old man sighed, and picked up his spear.
*
In a village not far from where we began…
Cecil leaned out her window with a basket full of smooth, black rocks (iron pellets.) A friend was waiting eagerly below.
"C'mon! Drop it down!"
"Okay, okay! Just be quiet. My parents still think I'm going to Nowata's."
"Wha? I thought you would've told them by now."
"They'd never approve." she said. Once Cecil had her entire body outside the window, she let go of the basket.
"Got it." her friend said triumphantly. After a second had passed, Cecil was at his side.
"When, did you get so fast?" he asked. Cecil felt her cheeks get warm.
"Dunno." she said, "things just happen."
They walked in silence for sometime, the movement of trees and the shuffle of their feet the only noise. There village was a simple village. Each place of residence was built of either straw, lumber, rocks, or leaves. Cecil lived in a two story building made from rock, a project that had taken her father more than ten years to complete. They walked passed the empty market place. Stands were everywhere, filled with many goods. People didn't worry about thieves there, there was no need. Cecil's friend was a boy named Gorillio. He was short tempered and hard to get along with. In fact, Cecil was the only kid who was able to see right through him. Gorillio stopped walking and gestured for her to follow him in a new direction.
"The blind man lives at the end of the street." he said.
"In that little hut?"
"Yep." Gorillio held up the basket of rocks out in front of him.
"What're you gonna ask for?"
"A sword." Cecil said.
"Why?"
"Because. Swords can be beautiful. They can be dangerous. They can protect, and they can kill." Gorillio stared at her with a dumbstruck face.
"How lame."
"What!! It is so not lame!" Cecil exploded.
"Compared to what I'm asking for, it is."
"Oh yeah? Then what is it?"
"A staff." Gorillio said, his wild green eyes sparkling as he said this. Cecil began to break into a fit of laughter.
"You mean, like a wizard staff?"
"No! Like a battle staff."
"Oh….." she laughed on.
They approached the blind man's hut at the end of the street. It was basic. It had a cylinder-shaped body, and a roof made from bark and leaves. Smoke escaped from a tiny window somewhere around the back of the hut.
"They say, he built it himself." Gorillio said. Both of them had sudden second thoughts about going through with their ideas.
"Okay. Let's do this." said Cecil. Gorillio agreed, and followed her in.
*
Meanwhile…
Kagetso lunged at the monster with his spear, but the tip had showed no effect against the monster's thick white mask.
"It's not dying! It's not dying!" Beetle wailed. Kagetso was exhausted, and the monster swiped him off his feet with its elephant-like trunk, sending him sliding across the dirt.
"Of course I'm not dying, stupid human!" It roared.
"Run Beetle!" Kagetso managed to scream, "Run!"
"Oh, you're still alive?" asked the monster with some surprise, "I'll fix that." It turned it's back on Beetle.
The monster was something that neither Kagetso, nor Beetle, had ever seen before. It was at least six times the size of a normal gorilla, with tusks and that trunk that snaked side to side as if it were sniffing the air. Its white mask was the most intimidating, even more so then the large hole in its furry chest. It picked up the old man with one of its hands and began and began to squeeze him. Kagetso could feel his rib cage begin to crack, and yelled in pain.
"Stop!" Beetle shouted, "Stop it!"
"You're next! Puny human boy." the monster told him. Beetle watched in horror as the old man was tortured, his eyes rolling to the top of his head, then back again. Next, the monster grabbed Kagetso with his other hand, and began to pull.
"Arrrrgh!"
"Yes! Die!" it said. Suddenly, the old man was pulled in half. His blood rained from his separated body onto the ground below, his spine and other organs hanging like vines.
"Oh my god!" Beetle shrieked, and vomited. When he looked up, tears streaming from his eyes, the last thing he saw was the monster's white mask closing in on him.
*
Meanwhile…
"Who's here?" The blind man demanded. He was no older than Cecil's father. He had messy black hair, and stubble on his chin. A blue cloth was tied over his eyes.
"It's Gorillio."
"Oh, the boy who was here yesterday." he said, and relaxed.
"You've brought someone?"
"Yes. My friend Cecil." The blind man nodded his head.
"And have you brought me iron?"
"Yes." they said together.
"Have you thought about what you would like me to make?"
"A staff." Gorillio said. The blind man waited for Cecil's answer. She looked to the area behind him. There stood an anvil, and the dancing fire in the oven behind it.
"A sword."
To Be Continued.
(reviews are really appreciated.)
Author's note: I plan to make this story as interesting as possible, so it will later include familiar characters from the Bleach anime. Stay tuned.
