Fire Starter

The heels of her boots beat loudly on the wooded deck of the ship as she ran across it, followed by the thunderous steps of her pursuers. Her breathing was short and quick, lungs burning in the cold night air letting out puffs of hot breath from between her red lips. She didn't stop as she reached the railing, they were nearing her from all sides now, she vaulted over the rail into the dark waters of the ocean. With a deep intake of air on the way down she cut through the water hard, her hands spread through the liquid thrusting her deeper into the cold depths. The shouts were loud but muffled as she pushed herself deeper into the water and kicked furiously in a bid to escape. She heard the sounds of bodies hitting the ocean but didn't dare look back to see. Her lungs were full but they could only hold out so long with such cold air inside them, her two-toned eyes could not see into the dark waters far. She felt a hand grasping at her long blazing hair and suddenly her head jerked back, she let out all of her air in a watery cry of pain and surprise.

No choice now. She thought to herself.

She twisted around and threw her hand out towards her attacker and closed her eyes. A bright crawling light spread from her hand mixing with the water, burning brightly and hot. The water around her began to boil and she heard someone yelling above water before there was deafening roar and explosion. The knock back sent her flying out of the water and away from the ship she had just escaped from. After a minute of confusion, she struggled to right herself and break the surface of the water. Without missing a beat, she rushed towards her dingy and pulled her soaking body over the edge.

"Get back here you dirty thief!" A man yelled across the waters.

She landed on the bottom of the small boat, sputtering and taking deep breaths. Her hand reached out and grabbed the rope laying coiled on the planks, using it to pull her cold weakened body up she managed to look across the water. Even though her body screamed for warmth and her hair dripped water into her eyes she smirked at the man.

"I took only what was mine to begin with." She stated simply. "Oh, great wind that carries the breeze of the morning, grace me with your presence and fill my sails this night." She folded her hands and made symbols before tossing a hand free hand out, the blast of wind that followed filled her sails to bursting.

"I'll get you girl! It will be mine! They will all be mine!" He shouted from the deck as she sailed into the dark.

She shook her head and looked to the stars for guidance as she brought her hand to her waist, a small sack rested there luckily not having been lost to the sea. She opened the sack and carefully removed the object. A circular mirror with an eight-pointed star in the center, dark as night and decorated like the sky.

"Almost done Milady, I have the Jewel and the Mirror now. I just need the Sword, I will find it and return them to your kin, this I swear to you." She looked down into the abyss, two toned eyes reflected back at her.

~~ Two Days Later

She docked her tiny boat and slipped into the crowd around her, she was currently in Nanohana, Alabasta, luckily, she had set her Log Pose at the last location she had visited. It had been difficult to stay in hiding long enough for her to set it. Those idiots really didn't know when to give up. She pulled the cover over her mouth, tugging the hood down over her face more. No one paid her any mind as she swept passed them all with practiced ease, as if she was not even there.

"Now, where was that store..." She looked around under the shade of her hood and ran smack into a fairly nude chest barely covered by a coat and scarf. She didn't bounce back out of sheer stubbornness but also because the offending wall grabbed her shoulder.

Her two-toned eyes looked up at the mountain in annoyance. He smiled down at her agreeably, his dark eyes looking directly at her.

"My apologies young lady, I did not see you right away." His voice was nice, soothing and not grating on her ears like some men get.

She was not amused however, he was tall yes and she was certainly shorter than him but it was simply rude not to even bother to look ahead of yourself for possible bodies or a box even. Fool! She reached up and tossed his hand that still rested on her shoulder off.

"Hands off mountain! Look down once in a while!" She skirted around him and kept on going.

"I do apologize miss." He said after her.

"If you have to apologize for being unaware of your own surroundings then you truly are a mountain!" She shot over her shoulder.

His laughter followed her, she tried to ignore the fact that she liked the sound of it, it wasn't often that she heard someone laugh at a quip of hers. Even back home her attempts at humor were met with silence, often a lecture.

"Miss, do you know a good place to eat?" He called after her.

Oh, great Goddess, did she look like she lived here? "Go down the same way and take the first left, you will see it right away."

She shook her head and tugged her hood over her face more and rushed into a crowd. Try talking to me now fool mountain! She grinned. Though after a moment, she realized she recognized him from somewhere. That hat and chin strap looked familiar, but who wore a chin strap with a skull and horns on it? Well, she had no time to ponder it, now where was that blasted store? She rushed through the bodies and gave a pat to a camel that leaned down towards her. The store sat in a little corner at the end of a small alleyway, the sign had faded over time and the letters were barely visible in white decorative cursive. She entered the shop, a bell tinkled as she did. A very old old woman sat at the table in the back, her blind eyes looked up but saw nothing.

"Welcome! Please take a look around." She smiled.

"Thank you, I am here for Jem." She walked towards the old woman.

"Blaise, you are back. You know where to go." The old woman gestured to the back.

Without further delay she followed the door and went up the stairs.

"Blaise, you have returned. You have the Mirror?" A man said from behind a shrouded door.

"I have it." She stated.

"Good."

"The sword Jem." She did not approach his shrouded place, knowing full well the repercussions of interrupting the private ceremony.

"Yes, the sword." There was a shuffling sound. "Find a path that leads to a broken town, there; in the mountains, you will meet a man who wields a blade not meant for him."

"Thank you." She turned away to leave, her new destination in her thoughts.

"Hold..." He said suddenly, she froze in place. There was more? "The path you seek is also sought by a man who wears fire on his skin, though be warned, there will be a choice you must make. One will lead you to the peaceful bliss you crave, the other will leave nothing but pain behind."

"What in the hell does that mean?" She whipped around quickly, her hood falling back to reveal the dark fire orange hair tipped with blood red.

"I do not know, I only tell you what they say." The man told her dryly, she knew better than to ask him.

She growled and stormed out.

"Even if you try to avoid it, fate has decided no matter what your course your paths will cross."

"Not if I can help it!" She barked.