Hi again, i felt like updating another chapter, i am already working on chapter 3 ^_^ and i have nothing really much to say. As for reviews well, i had gotten atleast one review _. Now people don't be shy i don't bite, so whenever you feel like reviewing go ahead ^^. Well, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own one piece, i think its quite obvious. XD
Chapter 2: The Plague
"NO!" he screamed with a threatening voice.
Everyone turned and faced Calgara.
"Calgara, we understand how you feel, but.." the council member could not even finished his sentence, he was interrupted by Calgara.
"You will not sacrifice my sister, choose some other girl, there are many other warrior's daughters to choose from." He waved with his arm towards the side pointing behind him towards the village.
"You know we have to do this, we have no other choice, and Muse is the best option. Listen Calgara…"
"No, you listen; if you all want my sister you all will have to go through me." He warned. Calgara turned and was about to head out when Chief spoke.
"Calgara! Are you going to turn your back on your own people? You are willing to sacrifice the entire village, just for the sake of your sister."
Calgara stopped, it suddenly became very quiet in the hut, and no one spoke a word. The Chief continued.
"You are a Shandian warrior, sworn to protect this village; promised everyone in the village that you will protect them, and this is how you act. Have you no shame. I cannot believe you of all people would act like this, you the hero of our people who protected us all these years, would now turn your back on us in our time of need."
Calgara turned around and faced everyone in the hut, glaring at them. His glare ended on the Chief. That old geezer always works on my nerves, he knows how to pin point someone weakness and use it against you. Grrrr, what to do?
The Chief knew that any Shandian warrior valued there honour more than anything. Before they become a warrior they have promised to uphold the protection of their kind above all other things, even family.
"If you go against us we are forced to consider this as an act of treason and have you thrown into the volcano to be burned alive, Calgara."A council member added but Calgara did not even acknowledge him. His mind was focused on the words the Chief Shaman said. Dang it, the old geezer is right.
Just as his father and his descendents before him, Calgara was a warrior. He was known as a hero amongst his people and a demon amongst his enemy's. When he became a warrior he knew that duty came before his own family. His duty was to protect this village and the gold City of Shandra; however, what he was doing now was selfish. Calgara contemplated. He knew his job was to protect the village, but it just does not feel right to have your little sister, whom he have protected his entire life, just to be sacrificed. What kind of older brother would I be if I don't protect my sister, even if it means death? But, if I choose to act selfish, the village will perish and so will the golden city of Shandra that has been protected for centuries will fall to ruins.
His decedents would be ashamed of him right now, if he were to choose to be selfish.
Dang it, I don't care what my descents think of me, or my father, their dead anyways. I would not be able to live with myself knowing I just let my sister be sacrificed.
But, deep down Calgara knew that he does care.
Dang it! He slammed his hand in the wall shaking the entire hut. What do I do? He asked himself desperately.
All the while this was going on, no one knew that little Muse was over hearing the entire conversation. She was standing just outside the hut, where she could overhear everything.
Before she arrived at the hut, she was looking for her brother to tell him that dinner was ready. She had guessed that her brother would be in at the priest's hut, as she was approaching the hut she heard her brother yelling. She had stopped where she was and she could not help herself as she tried to overhear the conversation that was going on in the hut.
Muse could not believe her ears. She was in shock. Sacrifice? I am to be sacrificed!
It did not surprise her that her brother was defending her. Tears were starting to form in her eyes, she was happy that her brother was protecting her, even though he knew he would be severely punished in the end. But I don't want brother to die, for my sake. The tears finally started to fall down at the side of her face.
As far back as she can remember her brother had always been there protecting her and the village. She always admire her older brother and wanted to return the favor, but when she always tried to return the favor, something would go a miss and she would end up being the one either saved or being consoled by her brother. This is now my chance to help my brother and the village.
She tried to stop crying, and wipe the tears from her face. She stared up at the sky for a while hoping that all the traces of her tears and puffy eyes were gone. She stood up, gathered her courage, and came out of her hiding place and headed towards the entrance of the hut.
Meanwhile back in the hut. Calgara had not budged one bit. He was not threatened by the consequences of his action, he could care less. The Chief softened up a bit now, seeing that his words had seemed to affect Calgara. The Chief took this as an opportunity to reach out to him again.
"Calgara, we know there are other fine warriors, but we chose from the best. That is why we choose Muse. Calgara, we understand how you feel, but you know better than anyone else that this must be done. That we have no other choice anymore." Chief said sympathetically.
Just as Calgara was about to respond, someone entered the hut. Everyone turned and noticed it was Muse who entered. She had a serious look on her face, her eyes seemed a bit puffy, but the look she gave was one that meant business.
"I will do it! If it will save the village, I will gladly give up my life." She said with her most serious look she can muster.
Calgara could not believe his ears. What is she saying; she must be out of her mind.
"Muse, you don't have to do this." He tried to convince her out of this.
"Think of mother" Think of how I will feel. He thought desperately.
Muse looked towards her brother.
"Brother, I know, but this is something that has to be done. If not the whole village will perish. If my life can bring an end to this plague and save the village, then I am willing to give up my life." She stated finally.
The Chief and everyone in the hut all stared with wide eyes. Silence one again befalling within the hut.
After, a while the Chief finally spoke up.
"Well, Calgara it seems your sister has made her decision. What say you?"
Calgara could not believe what was happening before him. His little sister whom he protected his entire life, was now refusing his protection. Calgara stared at her in hoping she would change her mind. However, he knew no matter how hard he pleaded with her or how long he waited, he knew she was not going to change her mind. Not with that look she was giving him.
"So be it." He whispered.
"Then it's decided the ceremony will be held at sun down tomorrow."
Calgara just turned on his heels and left the hut and headed towards the forest. He needed to be alone right now.
That night Muse went to tell her mother.
"Why are you crying, Mama?" Muse asked her mother sadly.
"I am going to meet the Sun God. It is an honour to be chosen as a sacrifice." She padded her mother on the back.
When Muse told her mother the bad news, right away her mother broke down crying. Muse was trying to console her mother, but nothing seemed to work she just continued to cry. Muse took her mother in an embrace.
"Mama! Thank you for raising me all these years. I love you. Please stop crying, you are starting to make me cry." As she thanked her mother, her own tears started to fall from her eyes.
She and her mother stared at each other. The mother started to cry even harder and returned her daughters hug tenfold.
The next day, in the forest, a boy around the age of 14 was sitting out in the rain on the floor. He was dressed similarly as every other Shandian.
The Shandian's dress generally resembles dress of Native Americans and their skin is often decorated with tattoos that cover large areas of their bodies, they have wings that are shaped in an upward direction. Even though, they have wings they are mostly for show, because they can't fly with those wings.
The boy could not believe his eyes. He stared at the green spot that he had on his arm.
"Please no, this cannot be happening to me." Tears started to form in his eyes. He kept staring at his arm hoping that this was all just a bad dream.
"If this is a bad dream, please let me wake up!" He stated desperately.
He took a rock using his other arm and started to hit his arm with the rock. Hoping that the pounding would make the green spot go away.
"Get off!" he continued to hit his arm. However, no matter how much he hit at the green spot, it was not going away. He lost hope with every hit he made and began to cry even harder. Even though, blood was starting to leak down his arm, he continued.
"Get off of me! I don't want to die yet" The little boy screamed desperately.
Just then Calgara came walking by. Calgara heard screaming coming from the forest and headed to check it out. He saw the boy on the ground.
The boy noticed him and looked up.
"Great Warrior Calgara…"
"Seto." Calgara looked down at the boy, his eyes going wide. He finally noticed why the boy was so upset.
The boy saw the men's expression and looked down with a sarcastic smile.
"Yeah, it has finally reached me. Here I thought I was not going to get infected." His expression now turning back to a sad one.
"I wanted to be like you someday. A brave warrior, fighting to protect our land!" Seto cried out.
Seto had always admired the warriors of his village, especially the great warrior Calgara. He had always wanted to be a great warrior and protect the village alongside the other warriors. He had trained so very hard, until the point where his body would give out. He had trained day and night for so many years, but now it all seemed for nothing. His ambitions are now only but a mere dream. Now that he was infected, it would only be matter of days before he becomes extremely ill with fever and then die.
I don't want to die like this. He always wanted to die protecting the village, but that to, seem to be out of his reach.
Seto got up and turned towards Calgara showing him his arm.
"I don't want to die like this!" he ran off screaming deeper into the forest heading towards the shore.
Calgara was too shocked; he just stared at the running boy. He hated to see his people suffer like that. Calgara tilted his head back staring up at the sky letting the water drops fall down on his face.
Will our suffering ever come to an end? How many more lives have to be taken before all this come to an end? He thought in despair.
"Captain, you never seemed to amaze me. We take the heading you say to, and sure enough, there's an island!" A crew member, Pablo stated.
Pablo is the doctor on board the ship. Even though Yuki was a capable doctor, Pablo was far better suited to fill in the doctor position on board the ship. Yuki was more skilled botanist then a doctor. Her knowledge on plants was outstanding and she was always eager to learn more; to examine new plants. Many times in the past she never failed to create medicine, and cures for the islanders who were plagued with illnesses. She had learned everything from her father Norland.
During the storm that day, Yuki told John to sail towards the direction she heard the bell chime coming from. Not soon after, sailing for a while, they came across a forest covered island.
"Yeah, and more good news. The storm seems to be gone." Stated Yuki while looking up at the sky.
"But, really, none of you heard it?" She asked to her crew again. She refused to believe she was the only who heard it.
"Nope, no one heard any bells." Pablo stated.
"Right, everyone!" John added in.
"Yeah!" the crew chimed together, probably ready to start teasing their Captain.
"You must have been hearing things, Captain! Perhaps you need to have your ears checked." Yuki rolled her eyes and ignored them.
After a while they finally settled the ship close as possible to the island.
Yuki and her crew started to prepare to go, explore the island. Yuki grabbed her coat and put it on, she placed her katana on her left hip, and tied her hair back. Just then someone under a cover in the far right corner on the deck was rolling over yawning.
Yuki looked up and saw her father.
"Dad? I thought you were sleeping in your room?"
Her father stood up stretching. A crack could be heard from his old joints.
"Well, the thing is. I was enjoying the sun, but then suddenly I fall asleep. I slept well." He said meanwhile yawning.
"Dad, how many times have I told you not to fall asleep on the deck, you gave me a lots of trouble, the last few times. And again you slept through a storm." Yuki shook her head with a hand on her forehead.
"I swear, you can sleep through anything, last time was through a snow storm, the time before that was when we were stuck in a whirlpool, and the time before that was when we were surrounded by numerous of massive hurricanes, and in each one of those situations you always fell overboard, because you fell asleep on deck." Yuki stated in a fed up manner.
"Ah, yes well, I don't really remember any of those events" The father said smiling while scratching the back of his head.
Of course, you would not remember you were asleep the whole time! Yuki thought.
Montblanc Norland, the name of Yuki's father. He was an Admiral of the kingdom of Lvneel, but he found out how selfish his king truly was and did not want to serve under such a king like that. Norland took his daughter and fled from the kingdom and he and Yuki has been roaming through the grandline ever since.
While sailing they had encountered many island that were under corrupt ruling. They would try not to intervene, and keep a low profile. However, they always found themselves mixed up in the problems of those islands and end up aiding them, because of Yuki. Over the year, they had gained a reputation among the people they helped and were viewed as pirates by the Marines.
"Well, Dad since you're up, just letting you know, me and the crew are going to explore the island." She pointed towards the island.
"We made it to an island that's good, I will join you. I need to get off of my butt once in awhile." He said while stretching again.
Yuki and her crew proceeded towards the shore, in small row boats. They made it to the shore; everyone looked around, and saw green everywhere.
"This is quite a lush jungle" Yuki stated while looking up.
"I hope we can find some good specimens to research." John stated.
From the jungle came some rustling noise. Everyone looked in the direction the rustling sound was coming from. In the sky, came a bird flying out, from the top of the jungle trees. The bird made a strange cawing sound. John took this as an opportunity to mess with his captain.
"Captain perhaps that is what you might have heard?" he said laughing. The rest of the crew also joined in.
"Haha, very funny." She pouted turning her head in their direction.
"Do you really think I'd mistake that strange bird's call for a bell?" she pointed towards the bird.
Pablo was about to say something, but then suddenly out of nowhere, a magnificent bell sound could be heard. Everyone stood quiet. A smile started to form on Yuki's face.
"Captain, did you…" A crew member started to ask, but then another bell chime cut him off.
Everyone turned towards the jungle from where the bell chime came from. The bell chime continued after another. Everyone closed their eyes and smiled enjoying the magnificent sound.
"It's unreal. The tone is so beautiful." John stated.
"So this island is inhabited." Yuki stated smiling and headed towards the entrance of the jungle.
"Hey, Captain! Wait for us! Don't leave us behind." Stated the crew a bit worried.
Yuki and her crew entered the jungle. A water drop fell on Yuki's head. She looked up towards the sky and saw that it began to rain.
They continued to go a bit further into the forest, but not too soon Yuki noticed something lying on the ground up a head. As she approached it, she noticed it was a boy.
"Someone's collapsed over here" She said towards her crew who were following right behind her.
Seto, not too long ago, came running in this direction, tripped and fell over the slippery floor of the jungle. He was so depressed he decided to just continue to lie on the floor. He was too weak to get up. I might as well just die here. Seto heard some people in the distance approaching from the shore.
"Oh no! Intruders, I have to warn the village." He tried to get up get up, but his strength failed him. He landed right back on his face and he started to cough.
"Hey, you there are you alright…" Yuki said with concern. She almost reached to where to boy was.
Seto tried again, this time managing to get up. As the crew caught up with their captain, a crew member noticed something was wrong.
"Captain, there's something strange about this kid!"
Seto started to run without really looking in which direction he was heading. His mind was only preoccupied with reaching the village to warn every one of the intruders. However, he was too weak so he was outmatched by Yuki's crew and was caught.
"Let me go!" Seto yelled angrily, wiggling his arms around trying to break free. Pablo noticed the green spot on the boy's arm. He knew right away without further examination what was wrong with the child.
"This is a plague known as Tree Fever and apparently it hasn't been treated." Pablo stated looking towards Yuki.
Yuki, now deep in thought had a serious look about her. The Tree Fever and it has not been treated yet, not good. The Tree Fever if not treated right away with doses of Cornia a special element from a tree bark of a tree, a person could die in the matter of days.
"W-We've got to get off this island!" A crew member stated a bit scared. Yuki ignored him and spoke to Pablo.
"Pablo, do we have any Cornia left? I think I saw some. Administer doses to this boy and the whole crew." Yuki added.
"Yes, captain!"
Yuki looked straight out up ahead in the jungle, narrowing her eyes. I have a bad feeling about this.
Hope u liked the chapter. Let me know what you think _ *cough* in the review section *cough*. XD
This chapter was a little bit longer then the chapter before. I don't know how long the next one will be. In the next chapter the two main characters will finally meet, so stay tuned XD. Until next time.