Chapter 6
The Journey
"Ah, going away are we? Do send a postcard and keep me updated on your little adventure!" the motorbike spoke as Blade came walking in the shack of the saloon.
A gloved hand suddenly reached and grabbed a watch-like device from where the miles and fuel were on the bike and strapped to his wrist under his glove.
"H-hey! What are you doing?!" the device asked. So the voice was actually coming from a small device the whole time.
"You're coming with me. I'm going to need your help." Blade said.
The device let out a light chuckle. "Ha ha! Of course you would! After all, where would you be without me?" The voice paused for a second. "Don't answer that."
As Cowboy Blade emerged from the shack, he saw Ruby saying her good-byes to Ram and Slade.
He couldn't hear them, but their faces showed enough emotions to tell him the words being exchanged.
Sadness and fear. They were afraid for their friend's life. He had earlier insisted in taking this job by himself, but she was determined to go.
"I volunteered, so therefore I'm going. I didn't see your hand up before mind, or did you just raise it up really quick?" she had said.
"You want to protect her. You're not falling in love with her are you?" the voice from the device asked.
"You're out of line." Blade warned the device.
"Hey I happen to know you well, Cowboy Blade. You think it's your code that forbids you to get close to another. You can't always envy these emotions, that's what makes you human. And I know that deep down inside, you crave the share of the warmth of one's heart. One day you'll learn that it's not impossible for a guy like you to fall in love."
Blade said nothing.
"I may be a demon trapped in this crystalline gem of this…whatever you call it. But I once knew a few things about humans."
The bounty hunter just continued to watch as Ruby was saying her good-byes.
"At least she wore a skirt." the voice laughed.
"Don't get any ideas." Blade scowled at the device on his wrist.
"Blade?"
The bounty hunter turned to see Amber behind him.
She gave him a small smile, looking at his face though she could barely see his eyes under the long rims of his hat.
There was a pause as she fumbled with her hands for awhile.
"I just wanted to say that…I know it's you, Knight. And I…" she began.
"Eagle…"
"Please, let me finish."
Blade fell silent.
"I just wanted to say…I'm sorry. I tried to help keep you in the Gaians, but the council…"
"It's no use worrying about it now." Blade spoke in his deep and cold voice.
Amber her hung her head then looked back up with a smile.
"Just…be safe." she told him.
Blade nodded, and watched her leave with the other Mallrats.
Amber, the woman that many believed would bring the world into a better future, but what he could see she looked devastated as if someone had crumbled her world.
He knew that feeling, it still haunted him from this very day.
"This Bray she had talked about in that pub there, he was her lover and the father of her child. In case you are wondering." the voice said.
Blade fell silent and turned to the blond now stood beside him with a satchel over her shoulder and her whip at the side of her belt.
"You two old friends?" she asked.
"…" The bounty hunter walked away.
Gee, it's so nice to be traveling and getting back to old times with an old friend, she thought wryly and sarcastically at once.
And so, the journey began.
It was late in the afternoon as they were walking down a narrow path.
"Why exactly didn't you bring your motorcycle?" Ruby groaned. "We could've gotten farther if you just…"
Blade held up his hand as he stopped. He started walking into the side of the path. Ruby giving him a questioning glance.
The forest have all types of strange noises both animal and not. It would always seemed to scare small children whenever they came in forests, thinking that a giant bear would come and eat them.
But there was one sound that told Blade something that he was very much use too.
Him and Ruby had been followed since they left Liberty.
Blade started walking past a large bush. Too large in fact, that he quickly spun around and thrust his arms forward, catching whatever was hidden.
With a sharp tug the bounty hunter pulled out none other then the deputy sheriff of the city himself.
Lex gave him a nervous grin. "Uh, hey. Lovely afternoon, ain't it?"
"Lex?" Ruby exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Blade set Lex back down, allowing the deputy to fix his jacket. "Long story." he replied.
"You were following us." Blade spoke up.
"Okay, maybe not exactly a long story. I wanted to come with you guys. Don't ask me why, but I just have this feeling that I should be traveling with you." Lex admitted. "Besides," the deputy rolled his shoulders, "Zoot and I still have a little fight to duke out. He made the challenge right before he fell to the bottom floor of my home."
Ruby and Blade both stared at him.
"It's the truth! Honest…for once in my life." he held up his left hand.
Ruby looked to Blade who was still looking at Lex.
"Lets go then." the bounty hunter said and headed off again.
"Great!" Lex grinned. "Don't worry about a thing, I got your backs. Your in the good hands of Sexy Lex, King of the Jungle."
Ruby chuckled and patted the deputy's back. They both walked on together with Blade leading the way.
"Why couldn't you at least have brought your motorbike. It would've been faster you know." Lex spoke up.
"Don't need it." Blade said.
"Don't need it?! It's nearly 100 degrees out here and Zoot could be already in America by now, and we don't need your motorbike?!" Lex exclaimed.
"There's a boat leaving for America in a few hours just this way." Blade revealed without missing a step.
"Oh." Lex smiled. "Well, in that case…."
"Right there with you, pal." Ruby said to the deputy.
"You all right?" Trudy asked her best friend.
Amber nodded her head. "It just…feels good to get out once in awhile."
Trudy agreed to that. Then Amber became silent for awhile. When Trudy looked up to her face, she could see the tears the young girl was struggling to hold back, and she was losing.
"Oh Amber." Trudy put her arm around her friend.
"I miss him." Amber paused for a moment. "Everyday I wonder, would it have been better to just stay back in the forest than return to him in the city?"
"Of course. But then again, that's for you to decide. And besides Amber, it's over and done with in the past." She smiled down at her friend. "But you have a beautiful son that's waiting for you back home. The best we can do is just tell him about his father if we never do find Bray. We tell him the truth, that Bray was a good man. A true leader, just like his mother."
"And you." Amber smiled at Trudy.
Jay watched this silently from behind.
They haven't lost faith, and neither will I.
Jay pulled out a leather strap hanging around his neck from under his uniform. In the leather strap was Ebony's ring she had given him back at the Eco camp.
I will find you, I promise.
The Journey
"Ah, going away are we? Do send a postcard and keep me updated on your little adventure!" the motorbike spoke as Blade came walking in the shack of the saloon.
A gloved hand suddenly reached and grabbed a watch-like device from where the miles and fuel were on the bike and strapped to his wrist under his glove.
"H-hey! What are you doing?!" the device asked. So the voice was actually coming from a small device the whole time.
"You're coming with me. I'm going to need your help." Blade said.
The device let out a light chuckle. "Ha ha! Of course you would! After all, where would you be without me?" The voice paused for a second. "Don't answer that."
As Cowboy Blade emerged from the shack, he saw Ruby saying her good-byes to Ram and Slade.
He couldn't hear them, but their faces showed enough emotions to tell him the words being exchanged.
Sadness and fear. They were afraid for their friend's life. He had earlier insisted in taking this job by himself, but she was determined to go.
"I volunteered, so therefore I'm going. I didn't see your hand up before mind, or did you just raise it up really quick?" she had said.
"You want to protect her. You're not falling in love with her are you?" the voice from the device asked.
"You're out of line." Blade warned the device.
"Hey I happen to know you well, Cowboy Blade. You think it's your code that forbids you to get close to another. You can't always envy these emotions, that's what makes you human. And I know that deep down inside, you crave the share of the warmth of one's heart. One day you'll learn that it's not impossible for a guy like you to fall in love."
Blade said nothing.
"I may be a demon trapped in this crystalline gem of this…whatever you call it. But I once knew a few things about humans."
The bounty hunter just continued to watch as Ruby was saying her good-byes.
"At least she wore a skirt." the voice laughed.
"Don't get any ideas." Blade scowled at the device on his wrist.
"Blade?"
The bounty hunter turned to see Amber behind him.
She gave him a small smile, looking at his face though she could barely see his eyes under the long rims of his hat.
There was a pause as she fumbled with her hands for awhile.
"I just wanted to say that…I know it's you, Knight. And I…" she began.
"Eagle…"
"Please, let me finish."
Blade fell silent.
"I just wanted to say…I'm sorry. I tried to help keep you in the Gaians, but the council…"
"It's no use worrying about it now." Blade spoke in his deep and cold voice.
Amber her hung her head then looked back up with a smile.
"Just…be safe." she told him.
Blade nodded, and watched her leave with the other Mallrats.
Amber, the woman that many believed would bring the world into a better future, but what he could see she looked devastated as if someone had crumbled her world.
He knew that feeling, it still haunted him from this very day.
"This Bray she had talked about in that pub there, he was her lover and the father of her child. In case you are wondering." the voice said.
Blade fell silent and turned to the blond now stood beside him with a satchel over her shoulder and her whip at the side of her belt.
"You two old friends?" she asked.
"…" The bounty hunter walked away.
Gee, it's so nice to be traveling and getting back to old times with an old friend, she thought wryly and sarcastically at once.
And so, the journey began.
It was late in the afternoon as they were walking down a narrow path.
"Why exactly didn't you bring your motorcycle?" Ruby groaned. "We could've gotten farther if you just…"
Blade held up his hand as he stopped. He started walking into the side of the path. Ruby giving him a questioning glance.
The forest have all types of strange noises both animal and not. It would always seemed to scare small children whenever they came in forests, thinking that a giant bear would come and eat them.
But there was one sound that told Blade something that he was very much use too.
Him and Ruby had been followed since they left Liberty.
Blade started walking past a large bush. Too large in fact, that he quickly spun around and thrust his arms forward, catching whatever was hidden.
With a sharp tug the bounty hunter pulled out none other then the deputy sheriff of the city himself.
Lex gave him a nervous grin. "Uh, hey. Lovely afternoon, ain't it?"
"Lex?" Ruby exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Blade set Lex back down, allowing the deputy to fix his jacket. "Long story." he replied.
"You were following us." Blade spoke up.
"Okay, maybe not exactly a long story. I wanted to come with you guys. Don't ask me why, but I just have this feeling that I should be traveling with you." Lex admitted. "Besides," the deputy rolled his shoulders, "Zoot and I still have a little fight to duke out. He made the challenge right before he fell to the bottom floor of my home."
Ruby and Blade both stared at him.
"It's the truth! Honest…for once in my life." he held up his left hand.
Ruby looked to Blade who was still looking at Lex.
"Lets go then." the bounty hunter said and headed off again.
"Great!" Lex grinned. "Don't worry about a thing, I got your backs. Your in the good hands of Sexy Lex, King of the Jungle."
Ruby chuckled and patted the deputy's back. They both walked on together with Blade leading the way.
"Why couldn't you at least have brought your motorbike. It would've been faster you know." Lex spoke up.
"Don't need it." Blade said.
"Don't need it?! It's nearly 100 degrees out here and Zoot could be already in America by now, and we don't need your motorbike?!" Lex exclaimed.
"There's a boat leaving for America in a few hours just this way." Blade revealed without missing a step.
"Oh." Lex smiled. "Well, in that case…."
"Right there with you, pal." Ruby said to the deputy.
"You all right?" Trudy asked her best friend.
Amber nodded her head. "It just…feels good to get out once in awhile."
Trudy agreed to that. Then Amber became silent for awhile. When Trudy looked up to her face, she could see the tears the young girl was struggling to hold back, and she was losing.
"Oh Amber." Trudy put her arm around her friend.
"I miss him." Amber paused for a moment. "Everyday I wonder, would it have been better to just stay back in the forest than return to him in the city?"
"Of course. But then again, that's for you to decide. And besides Amber, it's over and done with in the past." She smiled down at her friend. "But you have a beautiful son that's waiting for you back home. The best we can do is just tell him about his father if we never do find Bray. We tell him the truth, that Bray was a good man. A true leader, just like his mother."
"And you." Amber smiled at Trudy.
Jay watched this silently from behind.
They haven't lost faith, and neither will I.
Jay pulled out a leather strap hanging around his neck from under his uniform. In the leather strap was Ebony's ring she had given him back at the Eco camp.
I will find you, I promise.