Ch 5:

Rolling Thunder

Ochimusa steadied himself and rushed toward Isaac. Isaac smirked and raised his blade. Ochimusa swiped for Isaac's stomach again, but Isaac managed to perform a barrel roll over the horizontal slash. Ochimusa made a fast round house kick for Isaac's head, but he dropped to the ground and spun on his back, legs sprawled out. Ochimusa fell hard to the ground--tripped by Isaac's windmill--and quickly rolled backward, avoiding being struck in the face. He stood and waited for Isaac to stop spinning. Isaac made his way to his feet--dizzy from blood loss and his windmill--and rushed Ochimusa.
His swipe cut air as Ochimusa ducked to the side and stabbed his blade toward Isaac's stomach. He kicked the side of the blade, pushing it into the dirt, and used a back flip to place more force into his next kick. His foot smashed into Ochimusa's ribcage, causing to him to gasp and spit blood. He rolled several feet back, and continued to roll, placing himself to his feet.
Ochimusa turned to see a streak of black and silver flash to his head, which he barely dodged and answered with his own swipe. Isaac dodged swiftly and began to smile, realizing he was still moving slightly faster than Ochimusa. Ochimusa picked up speed and repeatedly swiped his blade with intimidating speed. Isaac lost his grin as he sloppily dodged each slash and lost more blood with each movement.
Ochimusa saw an opening and acted on it, but the stab still didn't connect. Isaac backed up and rushed forward again. He stabbed for Ochimusa's chest but was parried to the side. Isaac fell to his free hand and spun; legs kicked out. One of the spinning kicks hit Ochimusa's hand, sending his sword twirling to the side. "Ha ha!" Isaac laughed dryly. He planted his feet down but continued his spin to give momentum to his sword's slash. Ochimusa was disoriented for a moment, but the blade cutting into his shoulder sobered him back up.
He rolled toward his blade and managed to grab it just as Isaac glided over with a flying sidekick. Ochimusa stood and grabbed the extended leg--ducking his head as the veiny blade swiped for it--and threw Isaac far to the side. Isaac landed, gut first, onto a large rock. He screamed and rolled down, revealing a large red blotch painted on the top of the rock. Ochimusa watched, waiting for Isaac to walk out from behind the rock. When he didn't, Ochimusa went to investigate.
He saw a large streak of blood--slightly washed away by the rain--that glided down the side of the rock and disappeared through a naturally formed archway. He followed the blood trail and saw Isaac, lying motionless in the dirt.
Ochimusa spit a wad of blood into the rain and walked over to his body. He stamped his foot down on Isaac's back--squirting out two streaks of blood from his sides--and plucked the hat from his dirty dreads. Ochimusa chuckled lightly to himself and slipped the Number One headband off the hat. He stared at it for some time, thinking about his father, his mother, his sister, and placed it--along with the Number Two--in the pocket of his kimono. "No need for anyone to know where these two are hiding…" Ochimusa stared out to the sunbathed valley on one side of the plateau, and then to the dark and dreary world just on the other side. He smiled and walked to the greying edge, watching the thunder roll on in the distance.
The rain was once again a calm drizzle, and the warmth of a sudden sunbeam made Ochimusa look up. "Ow." He said lightly, realizing he was looking into the sun. He placed his hand up to the sky and smirked at the sun peeking out from behind its own grey hand. "Hm…I can't say my life played out quite like his. But still, I wonder, how alike are Afro Samurai and I?"
"Why don't you ask him in hell?"
Ochimusa froze and spun around. Isaac leapt to the air, tackling Ochimusa over the edge.

Ochimusa smashed into another rock, kicking Isaac off his chest. His vision grew fuzzy, but he had enough feeling to know when he smashed into a rock, and when Isaac's blade cut into his legs. He was instantly thankful they weren't in a completely freefall, the slope of the plateau made sure of this, but he wasn't thankful for the fact that the slope was riddled with protruding boulders and trees which to flip him about on his descent. His legs clipped a rock, flipping him onto his stomach. He landed on a flat rock, which shifted as he smashed into it. He looked up and caught his sword, rolling to the side once Isaac landed right behind it. Isaac's right shin visibly broke as he landed, but he hopped up on the other and began wilding slashing his blade at Ochimusa. Ochimusa could barely move, but he managed to draw his blade and block one swipe. Isaac leaned over the blades and spit in Ochimusa's face. "This God is going to take you with him into hell!"
Isaac was holding his blade with one hand and the other shot forward, ripping the torn kimono tie from the bullet wound. He threw it to the side and dug his fingers into the gash. Ochimusa shouted in agony and kicked Isaac in the stomach. Isaac's eyes glazed over as Ochimusa's foot pushed in further than normally possible. Ochimusa could feel hot blood streaming down his leg and he looked over the situation. Though Isaac was inches from death, he was still strong, if his fingers dug right, he could pull out a few vital arteries, and on top of all this--well, technically below--the rock was shifting and getting ready to tumble. Ochimusa studied how their swords were connected, and twisted his accordingly. Isaac's blade slid down Ochimusa's, slicing into wrist. Ochimusa kicked Isaac away and removed the dismembered hand from his shoulder.
"Gaaah!" Isaac crawled back on his knuckles, still holding his blade, and stared at his cleanly cut wrist. "You fucker!" Isaac stood and made his way to Ochimusa, but the rock below shook, knocking him over. Ochimusa look up, watching the scenery in the distance slowly move. He looked down the slope and saw they were descending quickly toward the bottom. The tremendous boulder jolted and jumped every so often, hitting other boulders, and slowly began to turn over itself. Ochimusa moved fast, and managed to be on the other side as it arched and flipped. Isaac was tossed from the boulder and landed far below in the grass. Ochimusa leaned over the edge and watched as Isaac looked up to what was shadowing above him. "Oh fuck-"
Isaac was instantly silenced, and barely a second later, the sickening crunch and bloody gurgle was no longer audible either. The boulder smashed into a tree, which roared with strain before splitting in a splintery explosion. The tree sounded like thunder echoing through the forest, and it smashed to its side, the last big rolling boom before an eerie silence. Ochimusa saw his blood traveling slowly down the boulder, and he decided he better do the same. After a moment of painful strain, he stood and made his way down the rock. He leapt from its side, landing harshly on his feet before rolling over to his side. Ochimusa lay on his back, looking up at the yellowing clouds, shaking his legs to make sure they weren't broken.
He laughed and sat up as best he could. He looked to the large boulder and stood, walking over. He sliced the boulder with his blade, sending sparks in a flurry. They sizzled on the rain soaked grass and Ochimusa left the enormous epitaph. He walked only a few feet before being too worn to continue. He sat on the tree, cutting away branches that scratched at his back and sides. He looked down to the ground, something black caught his attention.
Next to a black sheath laid a veiny black blade, lightly speckled with blood. Ochimusa picked them both up, sheathing the blade and placing it at his side.
"What a shitty morning…"
Ochimusa felt heavier and heavier as the seconds past and laid himself over the side of the tree. He was trying his hardest to keep his eyes open, trying hard not to fall asleep, and then we wasn't trying at all to enjoy the sleep that finally did come.

There was a familiar smell. Salt. Maybe alcohol. What were these smells? Ochimusa sniffed a little, smelling his nosebleed more than anything. He tried to move, his arms first, and when they moved stiffly, he tried to sit up. His back cracked and popped as he sat up, but nothing was broken.
"Oh my God! Look! Holy hell he's sitting up!" A boy's voice shouted.
"Ochimusa, Ochimusa say something!" A girl pleaded.
Ochimusa sat disoriented for a second before answering.
"What? I couldn't hear you, clear your throat and speak up!"
Ochimusa did so, realizing how dry his throat and lips were.
"I…I'm hungry…I'm thirsty and I can't see."
"Open your eyes dumbass." The boy said again. Ochimusa sat for a second, confused by the obvious, but opened his eyes. The blurring subsided after a few moments, revealing Taro standing next to Alexis and her baby. Behind them was an open sea, gently rocking the ship they stood on. Ochimusa realized he too was rocking, and looked around. All around him were masts, ropes, sailors, and open waters. Salt. He looked back to Taro and Alexis, and then to his body. He lay in little more than alcohol soaked bandages and his kimono bottoms. Alcohol.
He stared at his bandaged torso and after a few moments of thought, began patting himself. "Where's my kimono top?" Taro smiled and walked over with a laugh. "We threw it out before setting sail. It was so bloody after all." Ochimusa stared into Taro's eyes and nearly passed out as he fell back into his bed. Taro laughed at his reaction and suddenly something tickled Ochimusa's nose. "But we did empty it to see if there was anything of yours still in there."
Ochimusa's eyes opened to see the two red suns of the Number One and Number Two headbands. Taro dropped them and Ochimusa sat up quickly, yanking them from his face. He stared at them for several moments and couldn't help but laugh. He looked to his right, and saw two sword hilts leaning against the bed. He picked them up and stared at them both. He took Isaac's blade and wrapped the headbands around the end of the sheath closest to the hand guard. Once he was finished, they appeared to be just one white cloth wrapped around the sheath, no red suns or black markings.
"Why'd you put them on his blade?" Alexis asked disgusted.
"Because I don't want this blade falling into anyone's hands other than the man who killed its owner. Especially not Taro's hands." Taro recoiled at the comment. "Why would I want it?"
"Because you're gonna be training with a sword. You'll just use Blood Babe for now." Taro blinked for a second and then shook his head. "Wait, I don't want to learn how to use a sword, why do you want me too?"
"Because I'm crapped out right now, and I can't fight worth a piddely-poop."
Taro sighed and shook his head.
"Well I'm sorry your piddely-pooped out, but it's not like we're actually gonna be fighting any time soon! I don't need to learn anything."
"Sir! Hostile ship flanking us on the right! I think it's this bay's gang of pirates!"
"I thought it was a ship." Ochimusa said as he stiffly stood from his bed.
"How long have I been out?" He asked throwing his sword, the Blood Babe, to Taro.
He caught it sloppily and answered.
"About two days."
Ochimusa flexed his muscles and bent each stiff joint.
"Yeah, I should be good to fight some pirates."
Taro stared at the sword in his hands and drew the blade. An arrow stuck before his feet and he faced the oncoming ship. Ochimusa spit overboard and drew Isaac's blade. "Well, I guess you can guard Alexis and Ellen inside the ship's hull. You're a long way away from projectile defense…" Ochimusa cut down and arrow effortlessly and smiled.

"But you just might start as the Number Two tomorrow. Remind me."