Wow, I've been slacking off. But I've had a lot of school projects. I'll try to update as much as I can.

By the way, for some dumb reason, FFN won't let my chapter title be bolded. Go figure.

John: Demon Summon? Eh, we'll see. Probably not a main character, sorry. But maybe a villain or someone could have him.

LunaticChaos: Yes, I have. InuYasha rules. You left Daine wondering what the heck happened, by the way. Yeah, I like Bakura a lot. He's cool. But not their decks. Meh, oh well. Glad you like, and yeah, Teknisk Wereld Version 2 will be updated soon.

Chapter 4: Master of Silence, and Two in Peril

The man stared down at the group from his position in the trees.

"So many people, in these troubled times. Interesting…"

He leapt down, cautiously following them.

-----

"So why are you going to town?" was Hope's first question to their new companion.

They were still walking through the forest, shortly after meeting Varen.

"I don't really have a specific job," Varen shrugged. "I just go here and there, and if anything interesting comes up I try to find out more on it. You know how scarce jobs are."

"Indeed," Hope sighed. "It's just my luck too. I don't know how I'm going to pay back Yamato."

"It's not my problem," Yamato pointed out.

"I know; I just feel like complaining."

Karen was staring at Yamato. Daine noticed where her gaze was directed.

"Something on your mind?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Karen said, shaking her head.

Hope was trying to find out more from Varen.

"So you run an Atlantis deck? I've heard of them, but I've never seen one in action."

"You guessed correctly. I like the card Atlantis because of my love for water."

"Water?" Karen asked.

"Yeah. It might seem strange, but rainfall and lakes, among other water-related things, calm me."

"Someone who likes rainstorms? You're lucky. Normally, people prefer to stay out of it," Hope commented.

"That's just the way I am."

While moving, Yamato had been paying close attention to the surroundings, in case anyone decided to attempt an ambush. So far, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Suddenly, Gaignun snarled, turning to face a certain tree. Everyone else looked at the source of his violence.

"What's the matter with him?" Varen asked.

Her bow was in her hands in an instant, with an arrow already notched. "Whoever's out there, show yourself!"

A man jumped down from the tree, landing neatly in front of them. He wore a slack white outfit with light blue patterns. His sleeves were quite wide, but when he moved, he made little sound. Over that he had a brown cloak. His brown hair had strange cat-like tufts over his ears, and a pony tail of sorts. It was tied at the top, leaving the hair to go straight down. They also noticed the scars on his arms, which somewhat reminded Daine of stripes. His eyes were half-closed, which made the color of his eyes hard to tell.

"I'm surprised you managed to see me," the man said. "Then again, I can see that's a wolf. Of course his-or her-sense of smell would be able to detect me."

"You've been following us?" Daine inquired.

"Yes, for quite some time."

I don't understand. Why didn't I hear him? Even the most quiet person would have to make some kind of noise in here, Yamato thought. How did I miss his presence?

"Why show interest?" Karen asked.

"Why wouldn't I? It's rare to find such a large group anywhere, except maybe towns."

"Well, that's true," Hope admitted. Gaignun, what do you think of this guy?

I sense nothing wrong.

"I overheard you say you were headed towards town. If you don't mind, I'll accompany you there."

"What benefit is it to you?" Daine questioned.

"It's safer to travel in groups than alone."

"He has a point," Karen said.

"The more, the merrier," Hope told him. "What is your name?"

"I'm called Ryei."

"Welcome to our ever-growing party," Hope greeted him. "Of course, once we get to town, we'll probably split up, to go our separate ways."

"What is so special about this town?" Daine asked.

Varen and Ryei looked at him in surprise.

"You mean you don't know about it? Are you not from this area?" Ryei inquired.

"Um… yeah, he isn't," Hope lied. "Daine, this place is one of the only populated towns around. It's a good area to get supplies and news. And if Yamato wants a new motorcycle, this might be the area he will be able to get it."

"I see…" Daine nodded. "So what is this place called?"

"After the incident, we've renamed many of the towns and cities that occupy the area. We call this one 'Side Capital'."

"Side Capital?"

"There's also a main Capital, which is the most important city we have."

"Oh…"

"But the Capital is a little too far for us to reach easily," Hope explained. "So that's why the Side Capital is our best bet."

"What happened to the names of the towns?" Daine inquired. "I mean, 'Capital' and 'Side Capital' aren't exactly the greatest names I've ever heard."

Hope shrugged. "After the incident, most people just completely forgot or ignored the fact that towns once had names. All of the other towns are called 'Town' with a number after it. What was yours once called?"

"Well…" Daine thought. "Strange… I can't remember…"

"There, you see? Many just plain forgot. With the crisis going on, we were more worried about trying to stay alive than simple things such as names. So instead of renaming the towns, we just threw numbers onto them. That's the kind of world we live in now."

"It's fine to explain these things, but can we keep walking?" Varen requested. "The sooner we get to the town, the better."

"Yeah," Karen agreed. "Let's keep going."

Yamato began to lead the way, while Daine and Hope dropped to the back of the group.

"So what was my town's number?" Daine questioned.

"Hm…" Hope murmured. "Well… I can only think of one town around that area… does your hometown have a huge clock, stuck on twelve?"

"Yes."

Hope laughed softly. "How ironic!"

"What is it?"

"That town is the first one that was discovered in this area with no survivors at all. They must not have found you. So in other words, everyone thought it would be a place of bad luck. That is the reason your town is now called Town 666."

Daine fell silent, thinking about that as they walked on.

-----

"We're finally here!" Varen announced as they emerged from the trees to see the Side Capital. There were many sleek, tall buildings, and several people walking around.

"How did they all survive?" Daine muttered to Hope.

"To this day, scientists still question that," she replied softly. "Some people were in outer space. Nobody died out there. The rest, we don't know."

They entered, only to see a guard.

"State your purpose for being here!" the guard demanded.

"A place for shelter," Ryei told him. "It's almost dark, in case you didn't notice."

"Sorry, but this area is under strict guard," the guard explained. "We have orders to look for a criminal that has just recently left. We are to keep a careful eye on all newcomers, in case they are here to help the criminal."

"Someone's way too concerned," Daine commented dryly.

The guard shrugged. "I don't like it any better than you. But hey, life isn't always fair." He jotted down a few things on the clipboard he carried. "Simple enough process, but it gets tedious after some time. Alright, you're free to go in. Enjoy your stay."

They walked down the street, looking for a hotel to stay in. Daine examined the area, seeing several office buildings and normal business stores.

"Why are there no houses?" Daine asked.

"The people still alive today don't have the time to care for a house," Varen replied. Apparently, he had gotten used to the fact that one of his new companions often asked strange questions. "So they usually just live in their store, or office. Limited space, but it works out and saves time."

Karen gave him and Ryei inquiring glances. "I thought you two had to be somewhere now?"

"I'm just waiting for something interesting to come up," Varen shrugged. "Nothing else to do, really."

"I am much the same way," Ryei said. "So until necessary, we may as well stick together."

"We aren't paying for you," Yamato informed him.

"I didn't expect you to," Ryei replied.

By now, it was night time. It was a clear night though, so the stars and moon brought down enough light to see well enough. After some time, they finally found a hotel, and entered.

"Can we get a few rooms for one night?" Hope requested to the woman at the front counter.

The woman looked at Gaignun with disdain. "No pets are allowed."

Gaignun growled harshly as Hope protested. "He isn't my pet!"

"Fine, I'll be more specific; no animals, period. Get out."

"That sucked," Varen muttered as they left the hotel.

"Yeah… sorry guys," Hope apologized.

"No big deal," Ryei replied. "It won't be a problem to stay outside."

"Back to the forest," Karen sighed. "At least it's a nice night."

They entered the woods, searching around for a good place to stay. There were several small, good spots, but they weren't big enough to hold six people and one wolf.

"How long is this going to take?" Varen complained after about thirty minutes.

"Hopefully, not much more time," Ryei responded. "I recognize this area. I think we're about to arrive at…"

A sudden scream of pain cut him off, echoing through the night.

"What was that?!" Karen exclaimed.

Gaignun snarled.

I smell blood… it is a fight. I will lead the way.

"Guys! This way!" Hope called, running after Gaignun. The rest followed swiftly, hearing occasional agonized cries.

Gaignun stopped. Approach cautiously. It is just ahead.

Hope slowed. "We have to go carefully, or we might be caught in whatever is happening. I get a feeling we're about to be there."

Another yell backed up her words. They warily advanced, hiding behind some trees to see what was occurring.

There were about thirty soldiers, including the injured and dead. They all carried a sword and gun, but the ones outside of the fray were afraid to fire their long range weapons, in fear of hitting their companions.

The others were trying to cut down a female opponent, who was backed up to a tree. She looked to be about twenty, with black hair that came down below her shoulders. She wore a long sleeved, navy shirt with dark brown pants, and black shoes. Her emerald green eyes were piercing and harsh. She wielded two katanas. The silver blades were about as long as her arm, with black handles. She was obviously very skilled, judging by the bodies that were around her. But she was cut in several places as well. While she fought well, she was being overridden by the number of soldiers there were.

She slew another man, blocking a sword with her second katana. However, she failed to notice the blade coming for her until it was nearly too late. She tried to dodge, which was the only thing that saved her life. As it was, the blade cut into her back, leaving a long wound. Combined with the other injuries she had acquired, this was too much. She collapsed, blood flying.

"It's hard to believe she lasted that long," one of the soldiers muttered. He wore a standard blue uniform. He had short, brown hair and matching eyes. He wore a gold pin on that signified his position in the ranks. Obviously, he was in charge of this group of fighters.

One of the soldiers nearby their opponent tried to advance to the tree where she had been in front of. He didn't know what killed him as the katana went through his heart. He fell, landing nearby the tree.

She was down on her knees, using one of her katanas to support herself, trying to rise.

The leader looked amused. "Still fighting? Just give up. You have no chance to survive anyway."

Another soldier shook his head in bewilderment. "How can she still fight? Nobody should be able to even be conscious with that amount of injuries!"

"Warriors who have a goal will strive to accomplish it," the leader responded. "But in the end, it won't matter. She's about to collapse."

Hope seemed confused. "What is going on here?"

"Not sure," Varen whispered in reply. "Let's find out, shall we? You all up for it?" He looked around. "Hey, wait… where's Ryei?"

"He was just here…" Karen responded. "He couldn't have left without us hearing."

Their problem was forgotten when they saw another combatant walk up to the female, lifting his sword for a death blow.

He didn't even have time to scream as Ryei drove six kunai into his throat. He held three in each hand, and gripped onto them in a way that made them seem to be claws. Ignoring his victim, Ryei turned to face the stunned soldiers.

"Anyone else care to try their luck?"

The commander shook off his shock. "Where the hell did you come from?!"

"We'd like to know too," Varen commented, causing the soldiers to jump in surprise. Distracted, they hadn't heard the group move behind them, blocking off an exit route.

Ryei shrugged. "I'm very fast and silent."

"That's true, but I was hoping for specifics," Varen said impatiently.

The leader of the squad held up his gun, aiming for Ryei. The rest of the soldiers aimed at the group. "If you want your lives to be spared, you'll surrender now."

Karen grinned, reaching over her back to grab something out of a pack that nobody had noticed until now. "Sorry, but we have other plans." She whipped out a blue bazooka that was about as big as her arm. She smiled innocently as the soldier's expressions turned to horror. "Good bye!" Holding onto the bazooka with both hands to be able to withstand the kick back, she launched a blue bullet that sped across the clearing, crackling softly with energy.

It hit home, exploding when it came in contact with the commander. The soldiers were taken out by the blast as well, which was surprisingly not very loud. It was effective nevertheless, leaving only about five soldiers alive. They ran for their life instantly, not even turning to try and fight.

"Cowards," Daine muttered.

Varen was looking at the bazooka. "Did we know you had that?"

"Nope!" Karen said with a charming smile, putting it back into her pack.

With them out of the way, they went up to the female, who had fallen unconscious some time after Ryei came into the area. Hope looked over the wounds, and checked her pulse.

"We'll need to stop the blood flow of her wounds, especially the one on her back. Otherwise, I think she'll be ok. It all depends on how strong she is. If we can move her to a different area, I can take care of her injuries."

"I can help move her," Daine volunteered.

"I will too," Varen decided.

Ryei seemed to be more concerned with the tree that she had been in front of. He walked over to it, looking at a black cloth that had been thrown against the trunk. He seemed to be observing it.

"I see…" he murmured. In a slightly louder tone, he said, "It's ok now. We're not here to harm you."

After a few seconds, a boy stepped out from the area he had been hiding in, bringing the cloth with him, and a Duel Disk that was much too large for him-it was probably the female's. He was very young, looking to be about six or so. He had on a white t-shirt and shorts of the same color, with no socks or shoes. The cloths he wore were in terrible condition, small rips in several areas. His arms and legs had several scars, many old and others new. His hair was a very dark red, a shade that almost looked like rust. It went down to his shoulders, and was tangled in several areas. His eyes were a startling, dark violet, and unlike most children's eyes, they held no innocence and happiness of simply being alive. His seemed to hold pain, and fear.

"So that's why she wouldn't quit fighting…" Varen realized.

Hope knelt down in front of the boy, who flinched away from her hand. "Ryei's right… we won't hurt you. What are you called?"

The boy still seemed nervous, but answered quietly. "Valor."

"You know who she is?" Varen asked, indicating to the woman.

"Yes… she's called Zari."

"We want to help her, and you," Hope tried to assure Valor. "Please, trust us. If you want to, you can come with us, and stay until your friend is healed. Is that ok?"

The boy was looking at Zari's back injury. He looked worried still, but nodded.

"Then we'd best hurry," Varon said as he and Daine lifted Zari carefully. "Ryei, did you say you knew where that area was?"

"Yes. I'll show you the location."

The trip was a short and silent one. Soon they emerged by the same river where Varen had been dueling Ikari. It wasn't the same location, but it was the same river. Hope approved instantly.

"A water source is always helpful," she stated as Daine and Varen laid Zari gently on the ground. "I'll get to work now. Everyone else, please try to get some rest."

They obliged, except for Valor. He sat down beside Zari. "I don't want to leave…"

Hope nodded in understanding. "Ok. Go ahead and stay."

Varen was trying to get Ryei to explain how he could move so quietly.

"Come on! Nobody can be that swift and silent without some kind of magic!"

"I've practiced a lot," Ryei told him. "Nothing more. It's completely natural. I just happen to be good at it, while most are not nearly as skilled. Good night."

Varen muttered a few unpleasant phrases about smart alecks before settling down to sleep with the others.

Gaignun settled down beside Hope, eyes never leaving the trees nearby, as he and Valor waited for Hope to be done.

After several anxious minutes, Hope was finally done. She smiled in relief. "There! Now she just needs rest. At least she will be ok eventually, although there will probably be some really nasty scars left over. The back wound was worst, but luckily it was pretty shallow."

Valor nodded.

She noticed that he was still holding onto the black cloth that had covered him in the tree. "What is that?"

"It's hers…" He hesitated, and then handed it to Hope.

She looked it over. "A trench coat of some sort…" She handed it back to Valor, and then stood up. "Gaignun will be staying up to keep watch. If you need anything, just wake me up." After laying Zari against a tree, she went over to where the others were sleeping, and was soon slumbering herself.

Valor felt too uneasy and afraid to sleep, fearing not only for Zari but that these new people might wish harm upon them. So he stayed up, waiting for her to regain consciousness.

It was a few hours later when she finally opened her eyes. She looked around quickly, eyes resting on Valor.

"Are you alright?"

Valor had been trying to stay awake. When he heard her voice, he was instantly up, hoping it wasn't a dream.

"Yes, I am. Are you? I was so worried!"

Zari winced as her back flared with pain. "Nothing too serious; I've had worse wounds. What happened? The last thing I can recall is someone killing another soldier, and then I must have fallen unconscious…"

Valor indicated to the sleeping companions. "They saved us. I was unsure if I could trust them, but you were in a really bad condition so I came with them."

She scanned the group. "I see why you would hesitate to anyone. I think it will be ok though. So what happened to the soldiers?"

"Five managed to get away, but the rest are dead."

Zari shook her head. "They let five escape? That was a bad decision."

"Why?"

"Those five will report, and then we won't be the only ones on the wanted list." She sighed. "This could get complicated. I'm sorry to have gotten you into this."

Valor shook his head wildly. "No, no, it's ok. This is much better than the life I was living before."

"I guess so." She tried to make herself relax against the tree trunk. "Well, until those others get up, there isn't much else we can do. I'm going to try and relax, and I suggest you do the same."

He nodded, lying down on the grass.

Zari stared at the stars, trying to think of a solution but not finding one. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft whisper from her companion.

"Zari?"

"What is it?"

"I can't help but feel scared."

She smiled slightly. "Very well." She took him into her lap, trying to make him comfortable. After a few more minutes, his even breathing told her he was asleep.

Zari shook her head. Ironic situation. I never thought I would be assisting one so similar to myself.

-----

Hope woke up to Gaignun pawing her.

Rise. It is morning.

She got up. So, did anything happen?

Yes. The woman has regained consciousness. She seems to be fine.

That's good. Hope looked at the others. They were coming around as well, except for Varen.

"Apparently, he's a deep sleeper," Ryei said dryly.

"Well, maybe this will bring him around." Hope took out a water canister and threw the contents over Varen.

He yelped in shock, jumping up. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You said you liked water," she teased, going back to the river to refill the canister.

"Resist urge to kill, resist urge to kill, resist urge to kill…" Varen muttered.

The noise of the group woke Zari and Valor up. Valor got off of Zari as she attempted to get up. This time, she managed to stay up, even though her back protested to it.

Hope noticed that they were up coming back from the river. "Oh, I'm sorry! We didn't mean to wake you up." Everyone else turned to see the two new companions.

"It's fine," Zari assured, looking over them. "Thanks for helping us."

"Not a problem," Karen replied. "Why were you being chased by soldiers?"

Zari shook her head. "I can explain that later. We have a bigger problem now. Valor says that five soldiers managed to escape."

"That's right," Varen confirmed. "What about it?"

"Those five will report back, saying that you all assisted a wanted criminal. In other words, you will be in great danger of the military."

"Drat… that's true," Daine sighed.

"See the problem? You won't be able to enter towns and such for a long time, if ever, until you are cleared. Quite a dilemma."

Ryei seemed to be thinking. "What if we go to the Capital? It's far away from here, and news of us might not reach there."

"Well… that might work…" Zari responded. "They might have word of us, but if we hurry, we might be able to get there before anyone becomes aware of the events here."

"Then we had best hurry," Daine stated. With that agreed to, they began to walk away from the forest.

-----

The mayor of the Side Capital, Anthony Watson, was an impatient man. He might have seemed kind and caring to the civilians, but that was just a mask of his true nature. He really could care less of the people that looked up to him, as long as it was him that they looked up to.

Normally, he had an even temper, but it was hard to keep on his calm exterior now. He tapped his pen against the desk top with irritation, waiting.

His phone rang. He instantly picked it up. "Yes?"

"Sir, he's here."

"Excellent. I'll meet him now."

A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the door.

"Enter!" Watson called.

The one he had been waiting for did so, and closed the door behind him.

Watson raised an eyebrow. "Well well. It looks like the information I read about you was correct. You are willing to do this mission as long as I pay you correctly?"

"Yes. I have no right to refuse your request."

"That is true. Have you heard any information on this mission?"

"No."

Watson handed over a sheet of paper. "Alright then, I'll explain it. You are to go after these eight people. Seven of them are wanted criminals, for resisting the military. They are quite strong though, considering they killed twenty-five men easily."

"You said seven are criminals, yet there are eight people?"

"One is a boy that is about six years old. I want him to be brought back alive. The others are to die, but under no circumstances may you kill the boy."

"I see."

"Make sure they are all dead. I want no chances taken; behead them all if necessary. Any questions?"

"I do not have the right to ask the questions I wish to."

"Wise," Watson murmured, turning his chair to see out of the glass behind him. "Alright. You may start the mission immediately. Be sure to hurry, or they will have gotten away. I will also be sending military soldiers. If you should meet, do not worry. They have strict orders to not get in your way."

"It is appreciated." Then he left.

Watson smirked. "This just might work. And if doesn't… well, I have other options." He laughed to himself.

To be continued…