Unknown, Uncharted
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Prologue: The Island
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The helicopter glided through the air, its propellers chopping the air around it, pushing through the thick, humid air as if it were trying to break through an impenetrable barrier that pushed the tiny craft away at each attack. Through the radio, the pilot heard a crackle. "Keep pushing at it. It will break." It was not a reassuring comment, but it encouraged the pilot. So, wiping his forehead with a cloth, he started again. The helicopter surged forward with renewed strength. The barrier shuddered as it was popped, only a little hole, where the helicopter had been pushing, for evidence. The pilot felt his soul eaten alive, emerged in the stench of the island, but continued driving.
Despite the pilot's discomfort, they flew over a wide canopied forest and the air grew thicker, humid. Day was just emerging from its dark shell, as the sound of propellers lead the tiny craft over meandering rivers, rolling hills and mountain peaks. Upon closer inspection, brown blobs could be seen, dotting the hills in areas where there was a flat plane. All was peaceful, except for the pilot who was smacking 3-hour old bubblegum between his teeth, which was barely audible over the roar of the craft.
The buzzing sound of the helicopter nor the chewing did not disturb the two sleep induced passengers, but the crackle of a radio, alarmed the male as his ears twitched at the unexpected noise, but held his eyes closed.
The driver picked the radio up on the passenger seat and pressed a button to the side.
"I'm at the island. Where would you like me to drop them off?" He released the button.
He spoke in gruff and uneducated tones, but in reality, he was a very skilled assassin, put off by being denied the kill of his prey. Instead, all he was to do was drop them off on an uncharted island. One, a man lying down at the back and a woman were the victims. Apparently, the man had been competition to his boss. Since his boss only cared about two things: his reputation and his property, it was most likely the former, only because he had heard of the famous CEO of Shikon Corp. For the girl, he was guessing reputation too. Before he had her drugged, she had been screaming and insulting him like there was no tomorrow.
A masculine voice transmitted through. "Wherever you want to," his boss replied suggestively. "When you get back, you'll be paid in full for your services."
The button was pushed down again. "Will you direct me back?" Each mile, he had been given coordinates and specific directions by the boss, that confused him, but he took them one step at a time. He was without a map and a compass. A nagging amount of urgency bit at him. He let go of the button and waited. There was no answer, only static. He pressed it again. "Naraku?"
He shook off his worries. It was probably nothing. The boss was a busy man and probably left the walkie talkie to get a drink or something, but his doubts were becoming reality.
Up, up and away
No matter what, he still had a job to do. The assassin maneuvered the helicopter over to a frosted mountain peak. The air immediately became cooler and thinner. The woman in the back stirred, and the man beside her clamped his hand over her mouth as her eyes widened when she remembered what had occurred in the last few hours.
The man took quick and careful steps toward the pilot, who was hovering the helicopter over a craggy precipice, ready to drop them off. The pilot turned to his sleeping passengers to be punched right in the face. He staggered a few steps back, leaning against the control panel. The man's fury was to be quenched as he came nearer to the man to deal the pilot, with blood dripping down his face, the final blow.
Behind him, the assassin grasped for anything sharp or long. His search was not in vain when behind him, he hid a long walking stick under the dashboard. He had a few tricks. Sesshoumaru Nakaharu had nothing on him.
Assassin versus Businessman
This was going to be too easy.
The pilot swung the stick at the businessman with all his strength, but was pushed away by the mere force of his quick, yet effective block with his arm. The assassin seemed stumped for a moment and came back for another round, running and then hitting the businessman wildly, but no matter how fast he went, his attacks were all blocked.
Why wouldn't he attack? He asked himself frustratingly.
The assassin didn't have time to blink when a powerful punch sent him flying out of the helicopter. He tried to grab anything to keep from falling, but his arms went flying behind him before he could grab anything. He went tumbling down the cliff. Both the woman and the businessman watched the body finally roll to a stop at the base of the mountain.
The woman shuddered in revulsion. "Was that really necessary?"
"Girl," he growled. "It was either him or us."
She protested and held her hands up. "Killing is killing. There's no excuse for it and besides, he could have helped us. He could drive this thing." She pointed to the helicopter.
"Can you?" She asked, daring him to answer.
He replied quickly. "And you can't?"
The young woman frowned. Damn multitalented know-it-alls. "He might have known the way back though," she finished lamely.
The businessman eyed her. "Did you happen to hear the same conversation I did?"
"As a matter of fact I did." She replied, placing her hands on her hips and staring him in the eye, even though she had been unconscious at that time.
"Did you hear the pilot mention that he does not know the directions? Did you hear none of this?" He smacked his forehead, at the stupidity of what looked like his future traveling companion.
"I'm just saying, if we're going to try to get back, we might as well have someone who has already driven the route." He thought that she was stupid, did he? He was wrong. She'd show him…she just had to prove it.
He shook his head, not bothering to even answer. "Come. At least we will continue to talk about this while searching for some of the necessities to ensure our survival."
"Fine," she said tartly, disappointed.
They landed and exited the aircraft, quickly and the woman started to walk in the direction of the forest, excited at the prospect of exploring a new land, that is, until a low voice reverberated through the lonely hills.
"Where do you think youare going?"
She stopped in her tracks. "I'm going where there could be a potential amount of firewood, wood to build a shelter and a lake for water." She gazed at him with her doe-like eyes. "Where are you going?"
"I happen to be walking in the direction of the huts that adorn the whole island. If you want to take your chances in the wilderness, go ahead. I will be heading in a direction where there seems to be a large amount of civilization." He then, turned his back and glided in the indicated direction.
She had had enough of his high and mighty act and her stubborn chin set its place, directly below her pursed lips and nose in the air. She then, set her pace into the foreboding 'dark forest', forgetting of her fear of dark places. "Get eaten by cannibals then, for all I care!" She retorted.
The man had barely walked a few steps before he hesitated. He could sense there were things in the forest that could make her shriek in horror, and make her quiver in terror, hiding in the shadows. There was a feeling of the intent of pure evil. One step into that forest, and she would be devoured. He was getting nowhere, thinking so long. Take action. He turned around and grabbed the mechanically marching woman, who had bravely decided to venture into the forest and pulled her by the wrist. All her strength faded as she dissolved into his arms and he held her tight, thinking vehemently, 'Weak human."
He carried her in her arms and took off at a speed not accomplishable by any other type of species towards the smoke that drifted out of the crudely made chimneys of those straw huts.
-Kyouka Natsuki