Open Sea Draft Part Three
Inside Sarah's bar there was a big mess. It had been attacked by one of the Twilight Dragon's king Makenshi and some Twilight Dragon's soldiers. Makenshi had used some of his Wind magic within the bar and several broken bottles laid on the floor with some broken stools. Makenshi had grabbed Sarah, Sarah was struggling to break free from his grip but found herself unable to do so.
Sarah: Let me go!
Makenshi: Sorry my orders are to bring you in alive and orders are orders no matter what they are.
Sarah: Why do you need me?
Makenshi: Surely you must have noticed our dear Zankai has a great big spot in his heart for you. Master Haku noticed this and has decided that having you would be a great bargaining chip in getting him to return to where he rightly belongs.
Sarah: Why do you want him to return so badly?
Makenshi: I honestly don't care if he comes back but the Master has ordered it so and I dare not go against his orders.
Some of the soldiers that had come in had gone upstairs.
Sarah: Hey don't go up there!
Makenshi smiles.
Makenshi: And what's up there I wonder.
Sarah: Nobody.
Makenshi smiles further.
Makenshi: Ah I see so it's a person, by chance it wouldn't be your daughter?
Sarah: DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!
The soldiers that had gone upstairs came back down again and one of them was carrying Rose. Rose struggles to break free but to no use.
Rose: Mummy!
Sarah: Rose, If you bastards harm her in any way…
Makenshi laughs.
Makenshi: As long as you come with us there will be no problem, in fact she could be quite useful we need her to take a message to him.
Zankai wakes up, he's covered in sweat after having a nightmare.
Zankai: That dream seemed so real.
Zankai gets off the bench he was sleeping on, he seems to be a little stiff from sleeping on it for a while and so stretches a little. He then hears his stomach grumble.
Zankai: Man I'm hungry, I knew I should have eaten more sandwiches back at the bar, guess I could head back there.
Zankai searches his pockets for his Money. As he cant find it in his pockets he starts to panic and continues to search himself more.
Zankai: Ah I remember now, I think I left it at Sarah's place. Just as well now I have an excuse to go see her again.
Zankai grins and then claps his hands together. He then starts heading to the king's horse tavern. His smile disappears when he arrives however and is replaced with a look of shock and fear. Zankai can see the place was attacked as the doors to the Tavern are on the floor.
Zankai: What happened?
He runs inside.
Zankai: SARAH! … ROSE!
Zankai looks around, the place is a mess and can not see anyone inside. Then to his relief he sees Rose on the floor in the corner knocked out. He goes over to her and checks her pulse. He sighs a relief as she is still alive.
Zankai: Thank god, Rose can you hear me? You need to wake up.
Rose slowly opens her eyes and looks at Zankai.
Rose: Big brother?
Zankai: Your going to be ok, now tell me what happened here?
Rose starts to cry.
Rose: Mummy they… they took her a mean man in a white suit they took my mummy!
Zankai (thinking): White suit? ….. Makenshi wears white suits was it him?, was my nightmare real?
Zankai: Was he alone or was he with some of the soldiers from the Twilight Dragon's?
Rose nods
Rose: Yeah they were the ones that brought me downstairs. As they took mummy away they knocked me out. I was so scared.
Zankai (thinking): This is all my fault, I should have just stayed away when I left the Dragons. If I had then maybe Sarah wouldn't have been dragged into this mess.
Rose: Big Brother you have to go save her.
Rose starts sobbing some more.
Zankai: Of course there's no choice I'd have gone even if you hadn't asked. But listen we have to go to my house first there's something I need to get.
Rose: Ok .. Ah there's something I need to get from upstairs.
Rose runs upstairs and comes back downstairs a minute later. She is now holding a small pink bag which is filled to the top with plastic stars, plastic moons and sea shells. There also appears to be glitter on top of it all. Rose hands the small pink bag to Zankai.
Zankai: What's this?
Rose: My treasure, my mummy said you're a bounty hunter. She said they catch bad people for money and I don't really have any money so I can only offer you my treasure. I hope its enough to pay you with.
Zankai smiles and puts it in his pocket.
Zankai: That's more then enough, anyway we need to go.
Zankai picks up Rose and he runs out Tavern straight to his house without stopping and as soon as he gets inside his house he locks the door from the inside.
Zankai: Ok now I need you to do me a favour I want you to stay in here and don't let anyone in here until I return ok.
Rose nods.
Rose: Ok.
Zankai: If you get hungry just go into my kitchen and ask it to make you something to eat don't worry it will do that for you though sometimes it takes the mick when waiting for something to made. Lets see oh if you get tired and feel like sleeping just tell my couch and it shall transform into a bed. Though do make sure you ask it nicely because it wont do it otherwise, its stubborn like that. And I think that's mostly it oh bathroom is down the hall… to the left I think sometimes it's the right not to sure it likes to move sometimes cursed thing. Did you get all that?
Rose: I think so.
Zankai: Good, now I'm going upstairs and you might not know it but I shall have disappeared after a few minutes once I have gotten what I need. Lets just say I will have taken the top exit and will be gone for sometime.
Rose: Ok, urm Big Brother?
Zankai smiles at Rose.
Zankai: Its ok don't worry I will save her.
Rose nods and smiles back at Zankai. Zankai then runs upstairs into his room. He then goes over to his wardrobe and opens it. Inside is a long black leather jacket and Black boots. Zankai takes off his shirt, on his chest is a giant tattoo of a red dragon which is a symbol of the Twilight Dragon's. Zankai stares at the tattoo in the mirror on inside of his wardrobe's door. He then smiles.
Zankai: Just another reminder of my past.
Zankai throws his shirt into the wardrobe and then takes off his sandals and throws those into the wardrobe too. He then takes out the boots and puts them on as well as the long leather jacket.
Zankai: Didn't think I would be wearing this again anytime soon.
Zankai then takes out his Mana shot from his holster and goes over to his desk and opens a large draw. Inside was a large strange looking revolver with two sets of bullets.
It was the Guntetsu, a gun mage weapon which unlike the Mana shot takes real bullets and doesn't draw straight from there Mana supply. The Guntetsu uses two types of bullets normal and magical. There are a range of different magical bullets for each element and every element has a different colour. Each set bullets (apart from the normal ones) has a different amount of mana that charges them to make the magic within to work. On Zankai's Guntetsu there is a bit of paper taped to it, it is a storage seal. Zankai picks up his Guntetsu and removes the seal and a huge amount of mana returns to his body that was stored in the gun.
Zankai: Ah that's better not so bad now, still not sure if it was wise to store over half my mana like this but I suppose it kept it charged until I was ready to use it again.
He puts the Guntetsu on top of the desk and then takes out five normal bullets and loads them into it. He takes out the treasure that Rose had given him out of his pocket and put it carefully down on the desk. Zankai then takes a couple of handfuls of normal bullets and puts them in his left pocket and then puts a handfuls of magical bullets and puts those in his right pocket. Zankai then closes the draw and puts his Guntetsu in his holster. He then heads to his window and opens it. Zankai climbs out it and climbs up to his roof. It is already dark outside.
Zankai: Time to settle my past once and for all. Wait for me Sarah I'm coming to save you.
Zankai looks to the city's centre and he can see the huge tower which belongs to The Twilight Dragon's.
Zankai: Best to get the led out now.
Zankai then jumps, thanks to his mana returning he is now able to jump further and faster then he was before, he lands on a building a few away from his house. Zankai continues to jump from rooftops to rooftops and gets quickly closer to tower he so desperately needs to get to. As he gets closer with each jump he can see that there are ton of soldiers at the front entrance.
Zankai: That's more then normal though I guess that should have been expected I suppose. Now how to go about this, I cant just rush the front entrance. I could just jump over the wall and head around to the back entrance but I'd still like to move the soldiers that are posted there. Ah I know what to do…
Zankai goes through his magic bullets pocket and takes out a rainbow bullet. He then takes his Guntetsu and takes out one normal bullet and replaces it with the rainbow bullet. He charges a little mana into his gun and fires into the air. The rainbow bullet leaves the Guntetsu and then explodes in the air near the front entrance to the Twilight Dragon's HQ. From the explosion there is now a firework display. The soldiers from both entrances go to see what has happened, the fireworks are still going of in the air and Zankai jumps from the rooftop he was on lands on the wall. He then jumps off the wall and is now on the ground.
Zankai: That distraction at the front should give me at least a ten minute head start before they realise what's happened.
He then runs towards the back entrance and enters it. As he enters he see's a set of stairs and long hall way. Since Zankai knew the way to Master Haku's office he starts heading up the stairs. As he starts climbing he quickly reloads his normal bullet back into the Guntetsu.
Zankai: This should be enough hopefully at least with the normal soldiers anyway. Maybe a little sticky should one of the other three kings turn up.
Zankai checks his magic bullets supply as he goes up the stairs.
Zankai: I should have enough water and ice bullets to deal with both Kaiza and Viper. Not sure how I would deal with Makenshi and his wind magic.
Zankai comes to the end of the stairs and enters a hall way. He can see two soldiers walking along it. He ducks behind the corner before they can see him.
Zankai: That was close.
He then sighs and jumps from around the corner into the hallway and fires the Guntetsu. He manages to surprise them and hit the first solider in the shoulder and the second in the leg. Both soldiers fall to the floor in pain and Zankai runs past them.
Zankai: No time to say sorry boys.
At the end of the hall way there is a fork and of the paths heads towards the next set of stairs. Zankai forgets which way it is and heads right. He comes to a dead end and runs back the other way down the left path and comes up to the stairs.
Zankai (Thinking): Its strange I'd have thought there would be more soldiers waiting to ambush me.
Zankai goes up the stairs and down another hall way. There were six soldiers walking down the hall way. They spotted Zankai straight way and Zankai didn't get a chance to reload and only had four shots left. The soldiers ran towards him with their spears and swords. Zankai fires his four shots at four of the six. The bullets hit the soldiers sending them to ground but Zankai avoided hitting them where it would kill them. The last two soldiers continued their advance at Zankai, the first soldier went to stab him with his spear but Zankai was quick enough to dodge out of its path. Zankai then hit the soldier in the back of his head with his Guntetsu, the second soldier became hesitant but ran towards Zankai with his sword in the air. Zankai was faster and before the soldier could bring his swords down Zankai was able to point his Guntetsu at the soldier's face. The soldier panicked and then passed out from fear, Zankai smirks at this.
Zankai: Just as well I forgot to reload.
Zankai reloads the Guntetsu with normal bullets.
Zankai: Something's wrong though there should have been more soldiers.
He continues down the hall and gets to the stairs and runs up them quickly. When he gets to the next hall way there isn't any soldiers.
Zankai: This isn't right, there should be more soldiers then this, could it be that there waiting for me upstairs?
Hesitantly Zankai runs down the hall and comes to the next set of stairs where a strange smell lingers in the air.
Zankai: Smells like blood. What's going on?
Zankai goes up the stairs and already sees the next set in front of him however the smell of blood is stronger now. It appears to be coming from down the hallway. Zankai opens the hallway door and to his surprise there are a bunch of bodies on the ground. Zankai runs into the hall and checks them. They all appear to be dead and most of them were soldiers and part from one or two them. The others were Mage Scientists.
Zankai: What the hell? … Looks like they were slashed by some kind of sword.
Zankai checks the bodies further, one of the Mage Scientists had half a handcuff on, the other half appeared to have been burned of with something.
Zankai: If memory serves me this should just be a storage area, so why were these Mage Scientists even down here their lab is like a floor up… wait a second could it be this is where Master Haku was hiding the Dark Holy Water?
There's a loud crashing noise coming from the floor above, Zankai looks up to the ceiling. The noise changes into a bunch of people screaming with an evil cold sounding laugh going along with them. The screams stop and the laugh echoes for a minute and stops completely.
Zankai: What the hell is going on up there?
There is now the sound of someone shouting at another person, followed by some crashing noises and then the sound of thunder and lighting. It goes quite and then suddenly there's a loud smashing noise from the sound of a broken window.
Zankai: Sounds like trouble. Which means I need to pick up the pace.
Zankai runs towards the hallway door and then stops to turn back and look at the bodies on the floor. He claps his hands together and preys.
Zankai: Requiescant in pace.
He then heads outs the hallway door and up the next set of stairs. When he gets to the next floor there is a line of blood leading from the next hall heading up the next set of stairs. Zankai braces himself and enters the hall. Down the hallway there are corpses of Twilight Dragon Soldiers and like the ones on the floor below they all appear to haven been cut. Further down Makenshi is laying on the floor covered in blood. By him there is broken glass that has come from a window that has been smashed.
Zankai: Makenshi!
Makenshi moves a little, Zankai runs over to him and knells down to him.
Zankai: Makenshi can you hear me?
Makenshi opens his eyes a little and looks at Zankai.
Zankai: Ah you're alive, what happened?
Makenshi: Zan….kai… where….. is that…. Bastard?
Zankai: Who?
Makenshi: Viper.
Zankai: Viper? Why do you want to know where he is?
Makenshi coughs in pain.
Makenshi: Because.. he did this… he killed our own men… and… wait Kaiza is he still alive?
Zankai: What do you mean?
Makenshi: He was…thrown… out that window.
Makenshi points to the broken window. Zankai gets up and looks down the broken window. Its pretty dark outside but he can see a large body down on the ground which appears not to be moving. Zankai looks at Makenshi and shakes his head.
Zankai: Sorry I'm afraid not.
Makenshi: Dam it.
Zankai goes back to Makenshi and kneels by his side.
Zankai: But I don't get it you two shouldn't of had a problem dealing with Viper, what the hell happened?
Makenshi: Your right…. we shouldn't of had …. a problem me and Kaiza…. but…. he… went and did it.
Zankai: Did what?
Makenshi: Found…. dark…holy water.
Zankai: Shit, let me guess he drank it right?
Makenshi nods.
Zankai: Just tell me where is Sarah, is she safe?
Makenshi: Your woman…she's upstairs… with Master Haku. But I don't… know… how safe… she will be.. Viper was heading up there… I think he is…going to kill the Master.
Zankai: Dam it he's trying to take over.
Makenshi: Zankai… I have… to.. tell you… I'm … I'm sorry.
Zankai: What, why?
Makenshi: It was I who… brought your woman here… If she dies…. It will be my fault.
Zankai: No I should have been protecting her its my fault, if I had stayed away from her never getting close to her then she wouldn't have been dragged into this mess.
Makenshi shakes his head.
Makenshi: No don't…. say that, do you… think you… don't deserve…the chance….to be happy?
Zankai: I've hurt so many people when I was working here and so many more of them were killed because of me that I should have been working on ways to atone rather then trying to be happy.
Makenshi: Listen to… my dying words.
Zankai: Don't be stupid your not dying
Makenshi: Yeah …I am, now listen… If anyone had…. to atone…. then it would have to…..be me and….everyone else in this… dam mess of a team. Everyone in this… group has killed.. and all in the…. name of justice. I ask you… what…. Is… justice?
Zankai: I don't really know. So what is it then?
Makenshi: I'm no… closer to understanding…it….myself. I did however…. see that good people….. will do bad things….. because of it and try….. using the….. logic that its justice…. to do those things, if we took away… that word then…. what would it…. really be? Just plain …..old murder. But you were… different no matter what….. you didn't give in….. to your own beliefs and…. never killed because of it. You have nothing to atone for.
Zankai: But I…
Makenshi: No buts…. don't be stubborn. Their blood…. is on our hands… not yours. When you leave….. here with your woman….please don't return… to the past….continue…..living…the way you…have been…. since leaving this group. Look to the future… without any regrets.
Zankai: Why are you telling me all this?
Makenshi: Because I…. finally…understand why it is you…..left us…. I saw what.. they were doing… to those.. people in the lab.
Zankai: That was the reason I left, it was bad enough knowing that the people I helped capture were killed but when I took a look down in the lab I saw that they were turning some of the people that they let live into monsters.
Makenshi: In some ways….it was worse then….killing them. And those….. bastards were enjoying …..themselves like it was….. some kind of game.
Zankai: I know and the worse part is we helped bring those people in.
Makenshi: I wish….. I could make it up…. somehow but….. its to late. I'm already… about to go from…. this world now. There is however….. one more thing …..I can do, Zankai give me your…. left hand.
Zankai puts out his left hand, Makenshi puts out his left hand and grabs Zankai's.
Zankai: What are you going to do?
Makenshi: I'm giving…. you a gift, it's a few… of my wind…. and mist spells.
Zankai: What?
Makenshi: Zankai please….. take them and use…. them the right way unlike…. how I used them. I've dishonoured… my families magic but….. now that you get them you… should be able to redeem them and…. bring honour back to them.
Makenshi glows a little, the magic passes from his hand and into Zankai's which then travels all the way into his body, Zankai glows a little because of it.
Makenshi: There…. It is done…it will take some time….. before you can use them…but once you can I hope…. you can use them for a greater good then I…. ever could.
Zankai: Thank you.
Makenshi's eyes slowly close and then he passes away. Zankai gets up and heads towards the hallway door. He then turns around and looks at all the bodies that laid there and does another prey.
Zankai: Requiescant in pace.
Zankai then runs through the door and up the final set of stairs. Up ahead was Master Haku's office.
Zankai: I hope I'm not to late.
When Zankai reaches just outside of Master Haku's office the normal Soldiers that guarded the office were dead.
Zankai: Viper, how many more must die because of your madness.
Zankai busts through the office doors. Inside is complete darkness, Zankai takes a step forward and nearly trips over something. Zankai looks down and sees that it is someone tied up.
Zankai: Master Haku.
Master Haku is completely tied up and gagged. Suddenly the lights go on. Zankai takes a look around the room, it is a mess as it appears as two people have been fighting. On the floor there is a large spear that has been broken and in the corner there is a cage with someone in it.
Zankai: SARAH!
Zankai is about to run to her.
Viper: Don't move.
Viper appears from no where and is standing next to cage. Viper is holding his lighting blade very close to the cage. Zankai points his Guntetsu at him.
Zankai: Viper!, what are you doing?, Why did you kill Makenshi, Kaiza and all those Soldiers?
Viper: Because they were weak and because I could with ease thanks to the Dark Holy Water. Its making me feel like a god.
Zankai: Your no God, your just a monster. That water makes you stronger sure but it changes you, look what it did to the Master.
Viper: I'll admit it does in fact change a person once its inside you but it frees you from those chains that normal people are held down by. A great desire, a desire for power, a desire to kill and a great desire to ascend.
Viper laughs coldly.
Zankai: Why is the Master tied up?
Viper: I'm about to teach you your wrong.
Zankai: About what?
Viper: Tell me why is that you don't kill like the rest of us?
Zankai: I've told you why, I promised my father that I wouldn't.
Viper laughs coldly.
Zankai: What's so funny?
Viper: Its funny I've looked up your father and while it took awhile I found out something interesting. It turns out your dear father was a killer.
Zankai: What? You're a liar. My father was a …
Viper: A killer and a good one at that too.
Zankai stands in shock still pointing his Guntetsu at Viper.
Zankai: Do you know where he is?
Viper: Nope. But I do know your brother is looking for him. There is one thing you should know.
Zankai: What's that then?
Viper grins.
Viper: You're a killer.
Zankai: What? I'm not a killer.
Viper: Oh yes you are, there's a killer in you that's just itching to get out. I've sense it in you every time we have fought someone in the past, its there even now as you point your Guntetsu at me. I feel you wanting to pull the trigger and blow me away. Even this afternoon when you caught that bounty head I could feel you had that itch to kill him.
Zankai didn't say anything, he simple stands there pointing the Guntetsu at Viper.
Viper: You know I'm telling the truth but your being held back by a weak promise. So I'm going to make you break those chains that hold you back.
Zankai: How do you mean?
Viper Grins.
Viper: It's simple, as you may have noticed that weak fool Haku is on the floor tied up. Use your Guntetsu and kill him.
Zankai: What makes you think I'd do that?
Viper: Because if you don't I'll kill the woman.
Zankai: DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!
Viper: Ah your desire to kill has risen, I dare say you want to kill me badly. Do you think you can? I'd say it would be hard to do so now seeing as thanks to the Dark Holy Water my body has become indestructible, your bullets wouldn't even be able to pierce my skin.
Zankai starts to sweat.
Zankai: Why do you want me to kill him, why don't you just kill him you've had plenty of time to do so.
Viper: Ah while its true I want to take over as leader and thus had two of the other kings killed I feel that it would be more enjoyable to break your will first and so having you kill that worm would be killing two birds with one stone.
Zankai's hands start shaking he still has his Guntetsu pointed at Viper. He then closes his eyes.
Zankai: I cant do it, I cant kill this man.
Viper: Fine then, then the woman's life is mine to take.
Zankai opens his eyes in shock, a tear rolls down his eye. Viper starts to swing his sword towards Sarah.
*BANG*
Suddenly there is a gunshot, Zankai has shot Master Haku in the head and Viper has stopped his sword swing towards and smiles.