Bounty Hunter
Chap.2
Ten years later………
" It's a youkai! Help, youkai!" The cries rang through the village and spread like wild fire. A bat-like youkai was attacking.
" Did you hear that?" Gin asked the girl who sat calmly in a chair. The elder village leader stared at the girl for a response. " It's batlike…..forest green fur….glowing red eyes…..wings." A grin appeared on the face of the girl, and the elder could of sworn that behind her sunglasses, her amber eyes were shining with a light unlike any other. She stood up and pulled up her black trench coat, making sure to top off her outfit with a wide brimmed black lather hat.
" Yeah, Gin. I heard." She pulled on her gloves and picked up the shining silver gun laying on the table.
" Are you really going?"
" Of course. He and I have a score to settle."
" Aha ha ha hah!" The youkai laughed as he swooped down on the humans and prided himself at his own speed.
" Hey, jackass! Leave those humans alone! They have nothing to do with this!" A voice shouted. The youkai turned to see the young woman.
" You look vaguely familiar. Have I met you somewhere before?"
" Hell. Don't tell me you've forgotten! You killed my parents!"
The youkai still didn't get it. He rushed forward and the girl drew her gun, aiming quickly, and with pin-point accuracy, hit the youkai straight in the heart, nearly killing him right there. He reached out one claw, trying to grasp the girl's ankle.
" You're….you're…."
" Get your damn claws offa me!" The girl shot the youkai again, this time killing the youkai.
" You're……." The youkai's voice faded as his life ebbed away.
" Freakin' good at what I do, if I do say so myself." She grinned and sheathed her gun.
The village was quiet for a few moments, then all of the people burst out cheering. The girl waved off the villagers' praise and continued to the office where the sheriff was.
Seeing her, the sheriff whistled, and tore off a poster from the wall.
" Nice going out there, Lian. You're the best there is when it comes to bounty hunting. As promised, a hundred gold." He handed her the bag.
" Thanks, Sheriff Rao, but you know I didn't kill that scumbag because I wanted the reward, though it's a nice bonus for my efforts. " Lian replied, glancing over to the cemetery.
" Ah, yes. Still, it's nice that you rid us of that nuisance."
" He killed my parents, for heaven's sake, Rao. I had every right to kill him; bounty or not." Lian leaned against the wall of the office and lit her cigarette. " I was just a kid then, but now that I'm older, I actually do something." She took a drag.
" Ah, Lian, you know, too much of that is bad for you." Rao pointed to Lian's cigarette.
" Look, Rao, I've been training for ten years to kill that guy. I've killed over ninety-five youkai in the last three years alone. That's a lot for a girl who's only nineteen, right?"
" I suppose." Rao agreed.
" Don't you think that I deserve a drag after all that?" Lian asked. She blew a puff of smoke in his direction." Unless you disagree." Rao coughed and turned away from the smoke, the pulled a poster off the wall.
" I'm not saying anything. But here's a new bounty for ya. It'll get you outta this boring town, if that's any consolation for you."
" 'Fraid not. What is it?" Lian snatched the paper from Rao. Her eyes want wide. " This is…..this youkai is….."
" I guess even Lian lightfoot gets scared of bounty heads, huh?" Rao smiled. Lian grinned.
" This youkai is the best I've ever come across." She looked up at Rao. " I'll take the job."