The piercing crunch of bone echoed through the caved-in wallsbefore a strained scream of agony. Blood splashed across dusty stone. Foam drenched the ground, mixing in with the heavy amount of blood among the silver and white. The stenches of rusted metal, blood, rot, and earth all combining into one.

Swaying ringlets, a group kneeling before one.

"It's okay, it's okay," A voice so warm assured, crouching, covering the entire figure in their shadow. "Don't worry about a thing…" It sounded as if that person would mouth a name but it happened too quick to comprehend.

"No, no! It's not!" The injured screamed, tears dribbled into puddles of blood on the dust. Screeching and piercing metal roared, clanking and clattering dangerously. "I can't move! I'm gonna die! I'll never be able to fight again!"

"Get her out of here, hurry!" The wounded was identified as a female. A quick "okay" and the reassuring one dropped to their knees, placing a hand around the girl's shoulders, another under her knees. She screamed as he took her away from the blood and dust, shaking on his feet.

"Oh, Alex! Oh, Alex! I'm so terrified!" The girl wailed. Her arms around his neck shook violently. "Alex, please protect me! Save me! Don't let me die!"

Alex, careful with her leg, started into a sprint out of the cave and into the warm light. "Don't worry, I won't. You'll be fine…"

The scene faded into darkness as the two fled.

Ellie leaned her head on Alexander's shoulder. The boat rocked and thrashed at some points in the water. Ellie's soaked curls pulled back in a messy fashion. Alexander, still not smiling, brought his head over her own and sighed. "It almost feels weird to be alone with you to some point."

Ellie, still unmoving, looked out into the horizon as the sun sunk lower. The sky was a swirling blend of color as though it were a watercolor painting with yellows, oranges, pinks, blues. So beautiful it was to be out on the water. "How come?" she asked, shutting her scarlet eyes and exhaling a breath of sea air. She could practically taste the salty water. The smell once made her wrinkle her nose but it was nothing to her now. She was practically immune.

Alexander's heart began to thud a bit faster. "Ah, it's just that being alone with a girl…is a bit uncomfortable at times." His heart continued to quicken in his ears and he inwardly swore at himself. Ellie still hadn't moved. Did she hear his rushing heartbeat? Was she paying attention in the first place? "I've never really spent time alone with a girl except my sisters…"

Ellie was quiet. "What's a sister like?"

Alexander picked his head off hers and craned his neck to look back. There were no boats in the area. The shaky compass pointed north so they were headed in the right direction. Slowly but surely, a small island was coming into view. He smiled as he looked ahead. "Well…sisters are always different. I have two little sisters and an older brother so I'm used to it. Do you have any siblings?"

Ellie reopened her eyes, a sad gleam sparkling. "I…don't know." Her voice grew lower and it would've been difficult to not notice the waver in her typically mechanical voice. "I don't think so?" This sentence came out more as a question as if maybe he knew something she didn't.

A wall of ice formed between them. They edged closer to the once grain-sized island, which had now tripled in size. The air became warmer and silhouettes of town houses and markets formed. Ellie moved away from Alexander and stood up. She squinted as she looked far ahead. "Pretty. Are we going there?"

Alexander also stood, seeing as they were much closer. "Only for a short time, though. You never know when there could be marines around."

She shrugged, exhaling a different breath of warm air. "True."

They docked at the pier but before they got off, Alexander turned to Ellie, blizzard blue eyes demanding. "Get your weapons, keep on-guard." he ordered, pointing to her cabin. "You never know."

Ellie looked to him with frowns marring her forehead. "Must you always be so stern?" she asked, rolling her eyes when he didn't answer. "Okay, fine. Fine!" He watched as she descended the stairs before his thoughts carried him away.

Why had he rescued her? Why had he risked his life? All. For. Her. He had a family, he had his sisters, friends…no, scratch that. Acquaintances, maybe? He didn't think before he acted and was now being hunted by The World Government for idiocy but he couldn't help but think.

It was worth it.

Ellie ascended the stairs with two gun holsters on either sides of her leather belt with a spare set of bullets taped to her thigh. She raised a brow at him. "And yet you don't have a weapon?"

He raised both fists, gesturing to his knuckles, which were sheathed in brass armoring. "I'm not stupid."

Ellie released a soft sigh. "I'd hope not."

Alexander made sure the boat was docked and they climbed down. Ellie was greeted by a man pushing through Alexander and pressing a gun to her temple. She looked casual as the man looked monstrous but his eyes betrayed him. Straw-colored hair parted through the middle and ochre eyes flaring. He was handsome. His finger trembled as it crawled to the trigger, seeming like he didn't want to put a bullet in her skull. Alexander was frozen, wanting to intervene. Was it because he knew Ellie didn't fear it? Maybe. But he was in silence behind Ellie.

"What are you doing in our land?" His voice blazed with possession and despair. His hand began to shake violently. The barrel barely touched her skin anymore. "No trespassers allowed! Did you not see the sign? So take you and your boyfriend and get out!"

It would've taken a blink of an eye to miss Ellie's gloved hands reach and take his huge hand in her tinier ones. Her fingers closed over his fist and she tenderly ran her fingertips over the crease in his knuckles. "It's going to be okay," The gun dropped from his hand and clattered to the cobblestone dock. Her scarlet irises lit up with warmth, her hands not forgetting his. "It's going to be okay…"

Suddenly, something out of the blue occurred. His eyes grew round before moisture shined in them. Sparkling tears rolled down his tan cheeks, streaks of wetness. Shamefully, he slid his hand out of hers and collapsed to the dock in tears. His body shook with sobs. "I-I-I'm so sorry…!" he blubbered, shaking his head. "I-I-I was so violent! I-I'm sorry!"

Alexander took a step closer as Ellie dropped to her knees. He was no older than twenty. Ellie placed a hand on his shoulder. Her scarlet eyes flickered to Alexander for a second as she handled the pistol before sliding it across the ground to Alexander. "Just…" Ellie began. "Tell me what happened."

He made a fist and punched the stone. His knuckles split. "Our town is being terrorized!"

"Oh!" A young woman chirped as Ellie, Alexander, and the man now known as Blake entered his home. The woman was timid by the two extra guests but, nonetheless, a smile came to her pink mouth. A curtain of strawberry blonde framed her face and petal pink eyes. "Blake, I wasn't expecting guests! Either way, it's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Rosalina."

"Likewise, Rosalina. I'm Alexander." Alexander greeted, still not smiling. "This is my friend, Ellie."

Ellie held out a hand to the woman, who laid one hand over her protruding belly in return. Rosalina's smile broadened as she shook Ellie's hand. A ghost of a smile crossed Ellie's face. "Nice to meet you, ma'am. But…" Her sentence trailed off as she looked out the window to identify an ample grove of tangerines and vines of grapes hanging off healthy trees. The other house windows were shut by blinds, revealing no glimpse of light. "Did something happen here?"

Blake took his place besides Rosalina. "Uhhhh, at some points, yes."

Rosalina nodded twice. "Yes…" She took a nervous glance to the open window as she chewed her lower lip. She took a plastic tea tray off the dinner table. It held two slices of burnt toast and and a tall glass of milk. Her expression was grim. "I'll return shortly. I'm going to go see my…daughter."

Ellie took a step towards Rosalina. "Would you like me to help you?" She outstretched her arms to take the tray from the woman's hands and without even taking time to think, Rosalina dropped the tray in her hands.

"Thank you," Rosalina said. "Is it okay, if you go yourself? Only if it's fine with you. I'll tell you later."

Ellie raised a brow and nodded. "Sure, just show me where the room is." Rosalina said nothing but nodded as she led her into a corridor with dimmed light. Rosalina stopped halfway through the hall, extended her arm, and jabbed a slender index finger to the half-open doorway. "Right through there…for my daughter, please."

Without another word, Ellie disappeared into the darkness of the hall and entered the room. She moved the door a slight to fit her body through as its hinges squeaked. Ellie felt the wall for a light switch and turned it, lighting the room in a soft white light. There were pink walls patterned with cartoon animals, a child's bed by a curtained window, a cracked mirror. In the bed was a small girl, three or four. A tangled riot of curls in her flushed face and her pink eyes, Rosalina's, were wild with surprise. She looked frail as though the lightest wind could take her away. When she noticed Ellie, she beamed.

"Oh." she said in a tiny voice. "I-I…don't think I know you. Are you one of Mommy's friends?"

A little smile came to Ellie's face. "Yeah, baby." She placed the tray on the chestnut side table and kneeled at the girl's bedside. Her blanket was a shallow white tablecloth and her "pillow" wasn't even a pillow. It was a potato sack stuffed with crumpled strips of newspaper. "Want something to eat?"

The girl shook her head no. "No, I don't need it…Mommy says I'll be sleeping with the angels soon."

Ellie felt her heart collapse and lurch. Her eyes were hot but she managed with them. She looked at the girl to see her smiling. "It's okay," she assured Ellie, despite the large gap of years between them. She was smart for her age. Ellie's hand shot forward and brushed away curls from the child's eyes.

Ellie took a seat on the bed and pulled the little girl into her arms. The girl nuzzled her head into Ellie's neck as Ellie detached her holstered belt. Ellie released a breath, her chest rising up and down. "Tell me, honey…" Her voice was kind but her words were stiff.

"Hoshiko."

Ellie blinked. "Huh?"

Hoshiko smiled a heart-warming smile which she probably inherited from her mother. "I was born under the stars, that's what Mommy says."

Ellie shut her eyes. "Cute."

"I'll tell," Hoshiko said, her eyelids fluttering. "Mommy left me here…after I got sickie…" She sniffled. "She gives me food and since the bad people came to our home, th-they took our thing. Daddy calls it the dragon claw! It heals boo-boos and a girl went to them but she got locked up and…and…they make everyone pay a lot of money to live or they kill you!"

Ellie opened her eyes to see the girl close to tears. Ellie hugged her tight, arms wrapped around the girl as if to shield her from the dangerous world. "Don't cry, baby. Don't cry. You don't need to worry about a thing."

The screen door wheezed open and slammed shut. Rowdy footsteps came down the hall toward the room. Ellie's eyes narrowed as she calmly ordered Hoshiko to hide under the covers. A tall man came to the door, wielding a shiny black handgun and a psychotic grin. "Where's the brat? Duties need to be finished fast, bitch." From under the covers, Hoshiko began shaking. "Her parents told me to come and kill her…actually, they didn't but someone outta! Har har! If I can't get her, I kill you, eh?"

He noticed the girl quivering from under the cloth. "I see her there." He aimed the barrel of his gun at the girl, who started to whimper underneath her makeshift blanket. He fired a single shot and Ellie proffered her arm. The bullet wedged itself into her elbow, an inch away from rupturing a muscle. She smirked as the bullet hissed in her arm before crackling out onto the floor.

He began to shake himself. "Y-You're a freak!"

Ellie raised her own gun and shut an eye. "I'd rather be a freak than a monster."

Smoke exhaled after the gunshot, a bullet soared, and a body crumpled to the ground in a puddle of red.

Meanwhile, chains rattled and clattered as a girl's arms were chained behind her. Her ankles also bound. She was locked in a dungeon. Metal with metal clanked from outside the door. The creaky door opened, allowing an outpour of light into the cobwebbed room.

"Get up, bitch. Morning's here." A man snarled. The girl raised her head reluctantly, dark rings hung under her heavy eyelids. Her hazel eyes were narrow and it was indicated that she had pale, fair skin. She smiled and readjusted her position. Her clothes were shredded.

"Good morning," she greeted icily.

The guard mirrored her cruelty. "Likewise. Now, maybe if you stop talking back to Hagashi-sama, he'll quit giving you extra time."

She scoffed. "Whatever."

"We'll return with some food in a few minutes," he said blankly.

She laughed dryly. "Maybe I'll get a chance to eat it today!"

The guard growled. "Shut it, Akane!" And with a slam and lock of the door, he was gone, the light with him.

Akane's smirk never left.

Dead or Alive: Akane Hirugimi

'The Devilish Swordswoman" –B4,000

And with that finishes another chapter. Most of your OCs will start appearing but let me first say thank you because I loved each and every one of them! So creative and well described, truly wonderful.

But anyways, I'm not trying to sound demanding here but I'll need a few more OCs. Maybe three or four?

But to be more specific I need a doctor, cook and sniper. And anything else creative you all come up with!

The character form is on the previous chapter's page. So send in some OCs, don't be shy! :D