Chapter 3: Wanting, Needing

Dawn brought light, and with it, a woman's scream, then an explosion of birds from the tree tops.

Mai was missing.

Darting through the thick foliage of the overwhelming forest, Jin kept a steady pace ahead with Mugen close behind and Fuu stumbling to keep up.

"Wait!" She shouted breathlessly as she ran, losing sight of them. But her demand went ignored.

"Foolish of you to run away. You honestly thought you'd escape? That we'd let precious possessions go so easily?" The throaty voice of an unseen man pressed. Mai was currently restrained by a brute of a man, clothed in black threads, his mouth hidden by a garnet cloth. She bowed her head hopelessly. "Let's get the hell out of here." The voice finally added, passing his accomplice. And as the man turned with Mai in his grasp he felt something tap his shoulder. Spinning around, his gray eyes met with Mugen.

"Hello." He said plainly with a grin before meeting his fist with the thug's face. Mai gasped, immediately fleeing as her captor crashed backward onto the rocky ground. The other man was quite taken off guard by this stranger, clearly he had expected this to be an easy recovery of "property". Mugen was an unfortunate mix to the equation; Mai should have been alone. Despite his shock, however, he swiftly exposed a dagger from inside his robes. "Gimme a break..." Mugen sighed, disappointment dominating his tone. This man was what Mugen would surely refer to as a "fat ass geezer", far from being a worthy opponent. Nonetheless, he started for Mugen, thrusting his weapon in every conceivable direction. Mugen easily avoided every stab, ducking and swaying to either side. The enemy's dagger meeting with nothing but air."Damn, you're irritating." Mugen stated as he swooped down in one quick motion to swing his leg toward the man's feet, bringing him down. "Your blood ain't worth touchin' my sword..."

"Mugen!" Mai abruptly shouted. Spinning back toward her direction, he saw only her looking on distressed. Jin seemed to fly from out of nowhere as he sped past Mugen from behind, striking the second brute who intended to return the attack. Mugen quickly looked behind him, exchanging glances with Jin.

"I knew that..." He informed the fellow swordsman smartly. Mugen turned toward Mai, "You're more trouble than you're worth."

"Damn straight..." A new voice emerged. Mai's indigo eyes grew immense in pure fear at the man before her and the several others who stood behind him. The old man on the ground, meanwhile, swiveled around, grasping the ground as he scrambled to his feet and fled toward his cohorts.

"The old man told us about you..." One of the swordsman stated with a smirk. "What was it that he said? 'Some nice young man who stopped to carry his cart of children over the bridge'." Mugen's face twisted into a frown. "A real pansy. His fish were awful good, he sliced open as well as they did..."

"Bastard..." Mugen barked contemptuously.

"Enough of this nonsense.You took something that's rightfully ours. It's one thing to steal a man's food, but to steal one of his women is unforgivable." The silver haired man informed defiantly. He had to be the leader. "We demand you return the woman to us." Jin didn't so much as flinch and Mugen was more than ready and raring to fight. "I knew I shoulda killed that old man when I laid eyes on him..." Mugen growled as he lashed out to begin the battle. Jin, puzzled by this statement, ignored it for the moment and too joined in bringing down the four men. One of them headed directly for Mai but Jin foiled his attempt, thrusting his sword deep into his stomach. He fell to his knees right in front of Mai, she being his last earthly vision. His katana slid from it's sheath and Mai focused in on it apprehensively.

It was not long after, that Fuu came stumbling through the brush several feet away, her eyes widening to take in the scene before her. Men, shouting, blood, everywhere, along with clashing bodies and swords. "FUU!" She spun her head toward Mai's frantic cry, then turning around her mouth gaped in fear at the goon swiftly approaching her. Mai then shot her eyes down quickly to the ground, the light from the sun glaring off of the katana blade. She swooped down, her hand meeting it's rough tsuka. Fuu froze, only able to look on in shock, she saw the blade coming at her, time seemed to slow but then it returned when she realized Mai had flung in front of her, a sword in her hands; she had blocked the mans fierce blow. Astonished, Fuu could say nothing as she observed in awe of Mai's unexpected strength. She pushed back against the man with the sword, he stumbled back as astonished as Fuu was but he quickly shrugged it off coming back in for a final blow. The two clashed. Visually, his smaller female opponent seemed no match for him and he chuckled in mockery at her as she seemed barely able to thwart his strikes. The pain in her ribs elevated, reminding her of the attempt on her life earlier. The wounds making it even more difficult to fight back.

Finally, he struck her left shoulder, his sword's blade slashing her sleeve, revealing the deep wound beneath. Mai cringed and shot her hand to the wound, blood seeping over her pale fingers. But she was nowhere near giving up. The struggle ultimately came into more attention as Mugen noticed the only woman in the crowd of men was fighting. His reaction came just as startled, if not more than Fuu's, as he too observed. It wasn't long after Jin became aware of it as well, he was at a standstill. The man grunted and cried as he brought down his sword heavy, missing Mai by mere inches. She fell to the ground hard. He stood over her and raised his sword. Fuu decided she had to do something; anything was better than just standing there watching it happen. But as her feet finally willed her to move, the man in front of her suddenly dropped his katana, it clanged horribly as it met with the ground below. Mai's blade was now deep inside his chest. Her eyes grew wide with trepidation as the trembling hands gripped the weapon firmly wanting, needing, to let go, but simply could not.

All time came to a crashing halt as both men stopped dead in their tracks. Their gazes bore onto Mai and the bloody sword she held firmly in her trembling hands. "You'll die now for that, you murdering-" One of the swordsman exclaimed as he charged at Mai but Jin flew to her side, swinging his sword forcefully bringing her attacker down. She dropped the sword, her body falling back into a tree. Mai gripped the bark to keep herself steady, her eyes still great with shock, but realization had long since overwhelmed fear.

"They'll have double the men after us now.They wanted her body to sell it, now they'll just want it for revenge." Mugen stated, breathing deeply as he looked out into the distance. They had overtaken more than half the men but the rest had fled. Jin's eyes quickly darted toward Mai, who shot him a quick glance of guilt and apology. He spoke,

"Then let them come."

Later that evening...

"So you met that man he was referring to." Jin inquired of Mugen, referring to the days earlier exchange. Mugen nodded,

"Bastard ratted me out..."

"Something tells me that was not his intention."

"Screw that! Intention or not, now we're gonna have the slave trade on our asses." Jin glanced quickly behind him where Fuu was oddly quiet, and Mai's head was bowed. "As much as I live for a good fight, I'm savin' diein' for one, another day. I mean, yeah, she's hot, but I say we dump her...she ain't givin' me nothin' for protectin' her anyways."

"She gave you nothing in return for the medicine." Jin reminded.

"Exactly! How fuckin' ungrateful..."

"No. I meant in order for her to acquire it, she was not obligated to give you anything in return. You brought it on your own free will, with no motivation other than to help a woman in need." For once, Mugen fell silent.