Chapter 29 – Of Blood and Fear
'Please make this spinning stop!' Scarlet cried out as he soared through the air. It felt like over an hour had passed, even though it had only been a few minutes at most. Like many Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, he had plenty of experience of being launched into the air, but gaining control of your body once you lost it was very hard, especially when you're panicking.
However, he had been travelling long enough to gauge where he was: above a body of water. He tensed his muscles as the pull of the planet brought him down. 'C'mon, c'mon, straighten out!' He recovered his body control and assumed a gliding position. He put his arms straight in front of him, with his fingers pointed and tightly closed, and kept his legs straight and locked together. The water rose to meet him; he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Hydrodynamics took over from gravity as his momentum was preserved, and he dove below the surface and swam like a torpedo.
Scarlet decelerated and eventually came to a stop, breaching the surface for air. He treaded water and looked around him. How luck would have it that land was in sight, albeit a few hundred metres away.
He heard someone screaming, to his left. He turned and saw a blue-haired boy flailing his arms and desperately trying to not sink.
'Neptune!' Scarlet entered a front crawl stroke and swam as fast as he could towards his friend. He didn't seem to be getting any closer.
Finally, he was within five metres. Neptune went below the surface, unable to stay afloat.
'Neptune, hang on!' Scarlet took another deep and dove down. He couldn't even squint his eyes in the salty water, so he had to blindly reach out with his hands. 'Where are you, Neptune?!'
Something hit him on his right arm. 'There!' Scarlet managed to get his arms underneath Neptune's armpits. Kicking his legs as hard as he could, Scarlet brought Neptune back to the surface.
Neptune spluttered out seawater and inhaled, but his panic was still there. 'Help! Help!'
'Neptune, please calm down! I've got you!'
'Scarlet?!'
'Yes, it's me! Float on your back, and I'll swim us to shore!'
'How do I do that?!'
'You just… ugh.' Scarlet reached down and pulled Neptune's ankles to the surface, meanwhile holding his back steady. 'Spread your legs and your arms out. It'll stop you from sinking.'
'O-okay…' Neptune did as he was told. It was hard because his limps were shaking in fright.
'Neptune, just relax; you're safe. Think about Weiss or something.'
'U-oh yeah, Weiss. Sure thing.'
Scarlet gently put his left thumb and forefinger under Neptune's chin, whilst using his right arm and legs to swim them to shore. The long distance was amplified by the weight of their clothes and the slow paddles that Scarlet had to make to preserve his energy. Swimming with boots also made it very awkward. 'Please stay chill, Neptune. It's like you always say: be cool.'
'I can't see! How much longer do we have?!' Neptune inquired.
'About halfway there!'
'Man, please hurry! The water's cold and I can't stop shaking!'
'Just be patient, cuz we'll be there soon!'
Neptune closed his eyes, to prevent saltwater from splashing into them, and also to hide himself in his thoughts and imagination. He remembered how pretty Weiss had been at the Beacon Dance. That felt like it had been a long time ago, even though they were technically still in the time period of their second semester.
'She was on-board the ship as we were all heading to Ionia. I wonder what happened to her, and everyone else for that matter. Hopefully they're all okay.'
'Finally, we're here.' said Scarlet. He briefly let go of Neptune and used his hands to push himself onto the wharf. He then put his hands and arms underneath armpits once again and pulled him to safety. With delicacy, he removed Neptune's jacket and weapon and loosened his tie.
Neptune laid spread-eagle and took deep breathes. 'You're a lifesaver, dude.'
'You really gotta learn how to swim…' said Scarlet as he sat against the stone wall next to the wharf
'You know I can't do that.'
'Yes you can. You just need to get over your fear of water.'
'I'm not afraid of water. We've established that already.'
'C'mon, if you're not, then you have no excuse to not learn.'
'Change of subject: where do you think everyone is?'
'Umm, dunno.'
'You think they're around here, like in the sea or something?'
'Hard to say. Maybe we all ended up in different places.'
'You reckon? Hate to imagine them all being stranded in the sea.' Neptune shivered.
'When you're ready, we should check out this place and see what we can find or if we can get any help.'
'Yeah. Just give me a minute.'
A short man with two missing teeth walked down from the sidewalk above to the wharf. He saw Scarlet and Neptune. 'Oi, kids, you in trouble?'
'Huh?' Scarlet stood up and faced the man. 'No we're fine. My friend here is just recovering after nearly drowning.'
'Oh, I understand. Still though, I need you two to move. We're unloading here.' the man said, pointing to a ship that was slowly approaching the docks.
'No worries, we can move. C'mon Neptune.'
Neptune stood up, carried his jacket by his side, and hugged the wall as they walked past the man and headed inland. 'So what do we do now?'
'Maybe we could see if we can find anyone we know.'
'I wouldn't count on it. It's probably better if we find food, water and shelter. Don't think we have a way out of this place, and ain't no way I'm going near the water again.'
'Survival skills. Got it.'
With no clue where to go, they looked around to see if anything or anyone caught their attention. The area was bustling with activity. Men and women alike were carrying crates, counting fish, cutting catches, exchanging goods and chatting.
'Does anyone stand out to you?' Neptune asked.
'I don't think it really matters. Anyone will probably be able to give us some advice.'
They approached a young-looking fisherman, who was sitting on a crate and drinking something out of a bottle.
'Hey pal, umm, do you know where can we find food and water?' said Neptune awkwardly.
The fisherman lowered the bottle and wiped his lips with his left hand. 'It's all around you, lad.' He laughed. 'Fish and seawater for miles and miles around.'
'Great, but can we get anything without, you know, having to actually go to the sea itself?'
'What's wrong with a bit of seawater, ey?'
'N-nothing. I'd just rather have easy access to it and not have to come here and get it every time.' said Neptune, who was not entirely sure what he was saying.
'If you've got money in ya pocket, you can ask a whole load of guys here who can sell ya any fish. Either that or just go up the cliffs and find a pub that sells ya cooked fished and side foods. Get plen'y a good drinks up there too. If you're after fresh water, you gotta either go to the river or the sea, take the water, and boil it until it's safe to drink. Guess you lads ain't from Bilgewater?'
'…is that the name of this place?' said Scarlet.
'T'is right. How'd ya get to this place, anyhow?'
'We… flew here.' said Neptune in a joking tone.
'Haha, ya don't look like birds to me. Well, it's no bother of mine. Ya might wanna get some money though. Things are either cheap, reasonable or stupidly expensive, but are rarely free here.'
'And how do we get money?' Neptune asked.
'Many ways to go about it. It seems ya don't like fishing, but it feeds or pays fairly well, I can tell ya that. Going to the Slaughter Docks and carving up big sea monsters is pretty good too. Other no-skilled jobs might be cleaning or serving in shops and bars. It's all dirty work, but someone's gotta do it. Only other thing I can say is that ya stay away from jobs that require prior experience, or dodgy stuff.'
'Thank you.' said Scarlet.
'Yeah. Cheers, man.' said Neptune.
'No problem, mates. Just watch ya-selves.' said the fisherman. He got up, picked up the crate he had been sitting on, and moved it towards the nearest ship.
'Let me guess. You would rather be away from the sea?' Scarlet asked, although he knew what Neptune's answer was going to be.
'Duh, of course I would. So let's head up the cliffs.'
They headed towards a nearby stone stairway, taking two steps at a time. A wonderful view presented itself to them. Ships were neatly parked in the docks and a long, stone bridge was noticeable pleasing to look at down below.
Plenty of people were moving past, carrying crates and goods, or just making their way up or down.
At the top, they were presented with two options: go left or right.
'Where should we go?' said Scarlet.
'My gut feeling is telling me to go left.' Neptune replied.
'How come?'
'I dunno. It just is.'
'Well, I don't have any objections, so we might as well.'
The walkway was attached to the cliff, with buildings mostly comprised of old ships and other wooden structures. The ingenuity and efficiency of the materials used was quite impressive. As they walked, they noticed that a few people were giving them funny looks. Maybe it was their appearance: especially Neptune's.
'Are we going to stop at some point and check if we can find food or a job up here?' Scarlet asked.
'Yeah, I guess so. It's just about finding one suited to us.'
'And what exactly is suited for us in particular?'
'Something where we'll stay dry.'
'Doesn't seem like there's many of those in this kind of place.'
'I'm still going to look for one though.'
'How about we try one of these little shops, then?'
'Alright. Here's one. Let's go inside.'
They opened the door to the little building and walked over the threshold. The interior was quite small, Shelves went along the walls and centre of the room. The left side had components used for fishing, including rope, nets, hooks, and daggers. The right side was lined up with various tools, such as hammers, nails and saws. The shelf in the middle contained accessories: namely baits and guides on how to fish or construct things through carpentry. At the back of the shop, next to the counter, was a display of fish, which was being preserved in ice. There were even a few species that they did not recognise.
Scarlet and Neptune went to the cashier who was standing behind the till. He was young – probably only a few years older than Scarlet and Neptune themselves – and had very short hair.
'What's up?' said the cashier in a lackadaisical tone.
'Hey there. Are you hiring people at the moment?' Neptune asked.
'You wanna job?
'Yeah. Do you have any available?'
'Afraid not at the moment. Little stores like these don't need many hands on deck. Are you looking for any kinda work in particular?'
'Nothing specific, just so long as we're not too close to the sea.'
'Bit of a thin range of choices then.' the cashier remarked.
'I told you this is gonna be the case.' said Scarlet.
'Can you think of anywhere at all up on these cliffs were we could earn money?'
'Umm… you could try working at a bar. Especially at night when everyone's socialising, people are demanding for drinks, and the bartender can't keep with all the people he's trying to serve. There's a few good bars up here. Myron's Murderhole is the most popular, but The Glowing Lady's also good. It'll soon be the around that time when working hours are over, and everyone comes from the docks to socialise up here. Maybe you could give that a try.'
'It's worth a shot.' said Scarlet.
'Yeah. Where are the bars?'
'If you turn right when ya leave, just keep following the walkway and you'll soon see a sign which reads: "The Glowing Lady" You can't possibly miss it. A short walk onwards and you'll find Murderhole too.'
'Let's do it.' said Neptune. 'Thanks, dude.'
'No worries.' said the cashier.
They waved and left the store.
'Hopefully this'll work.' said Neptune.
'Hopefully the pay's good. We don't know how much things generally cost. That guy we saw earlier didn't give us a clear answer.'
'Let's not worry about that just yet. Surely we won't need much for a meal. I just kinda wish there was more than fish on offer.'
'Maybe there is, but fish is probably easier to get your hands on when you're surrounded by the sea.'
'True, and we can't be picky eaters right now.'
The walk to The Glowing Lady was rather short from the shop. They passed more makeshift buildings, stores, and even an inn along the way until they found it.
It did not have any doors, and instead had a wide-open space, allowing groups of people to walk in and out as they pleased. A couple dozen people were sat at various tables, whilst chatting, drinking and smoking.
Scarlet and Neptune went towards the counter and queued up behind two gritty men.
'Did ya hear?' said the first man, with a missing tooth and a black eye.
'Hear what, ya say?' said the second, with a scarred, but rather handsome face.
'The Scourge.'
'What d'ya mean?'
'The Captain. He's back.'
'You mean… Gangplank?'
'Yeah. The one and only.'
'What are ya talking about?'
'He's alive. I swear by the Bearded Lady, he is.'
'But, I thought he was gone. Ma'am Fortune took him down, didn't she?'
'That's what I thought as well, but just the other day, I saw the Bounty Board, and I see his name written there in blood, with a high price on his head. You knew how he used to always do that, right? Putting it there himself to as a challenge to us lot.'
'He was a nasty piece of work, for sure, but he's still human. Could be a joke by made by somebody.'
'Maybe, but not quite. My mates and I were by the Slaughter Docks, and we see 'im. T'weren't anyone else it could be; that mean beard and scars says it all. Even saw that he had a new metal arm. He took some Noxian's ship with ease and loaded it with everything he's got: pistols, barrels of gunpowder, and even oranges.'
'Huh… well alright then. What ya say we do then?'
'Stay out of his way. I dunno 'bout you, but I'd rather not be in the warzone, 'cause it's coming for sure.'
'You and me both then.'
Scarlet and Neptune were only waiting for a few minutes until the queue had cleared and they were next to the bar.
'Evening boys.' said the tall, young bartender.
'Yo, how you are doing?' Neptune returned.
The bartender looked at their faces. 'You're… a bit young, ain't ya?'
'Maybe, but we're not actually here for a drink.' Neptune continued. 'We're looking for work, because we just arrived here in… Bilgewater, for the first time. Yeah, that's the name of the place. Do you have any jobs that me and my friend here could take?'
The bartender scratched his chin. 'I mean, if you can count money, swab floors, scrub tables, pour drinks, carry heavy stuff and be nice to guests, then an extra pair of hands could be useful.'
'Sounds good to me. Doesn't it Scarlet.'
'Hmm, yeah, I agree.'
'Alright, come this way then.' The bartender beckoned them to come behind the counter as he lifted the flap upwards to let them through. 'Be with ya in a sec.' he said to the next person in the queue before he showed Scarlet and Neptune the workstation. The area behind the counter was rectangular and contained all the essential equipment, with a door in the right corner that led to all the extra storage space.
'So down there, ya got all ya boxes of drinks. They're all labelled. When someone gives you an order, either take a bottle, pour some of it into a glass and serve it, or give 'em an entire bottle. Glasses are all in that cabinet, up there, and bottle openers, corkscrews and silverware are in the draws underneath the counter. You'll also see that there's a bucket of ice. Put three cubes in a glass if they ask for it. The sign right there says everything ya need to know:' He pointed to a list of prices stuck against the wall behind them. 'Ya said you're new to Bilgewater, right?'
Scarlet and Neptune nodded.
'Just to let ya know then, the money you're dealing with are Silver Serpents and Gold Krakens. Serpents are the lowest value, and Krakens are worth five Serpents. Put the money into the chest, right there,' He pointed under the counter at a worn-out chest with blood markings on top. 'and give 'em change where needed. If ya can count past fifteen, ya should be good. Any mess and you get a mop and broom in the storage, on ya left. Got all that?'
'Yep, shouldn't be too much to handle.' said Neptune confidently.
'Absolutely.' Scarlet agreed.
'Welcome aboard then. What are ya names?'
'I'm Neptune.'
'And I'm Scarlet.'
The bartender shook hands with both of them. 'You can call me Mast. Right then, I'm off to the back. I'm expecting some more beer to be delivered tonight. I'll also tell Rusty that we got two new boys working for us. Catch ya in a bit.'
'See ya.'
Scarlet and Neptune waved as Mast went through the back door.
'Nice! The job's ours, so let's make some money.' said Neptune jubilantly. He stretched both of his hands and went to the counter. 'Sorry to keep you waiting.' Neptune said, smiling to the customer. 'What can I get you?'
'It's that easy to get work, is it?' the man laughed. He had a large belly and a thick moustache. 'A simple glass of beer will do for me.'
'Okay, that's… three Silver Serpents.' said Neptune as he checked the price list. He reached into the box labelled "Bilgewater Beer", and pulled out a bottle, whilst Scarlet took out a glass from the cabinet and a bottle opener from the drawer. Neptune gave Scarlet the bottle and he flicked the lid off before gently serving its contents to the customer.
The customer placed down three Silver Serpents, and Neptune delicately pushed the glass towards him. 'Enjoy your beer.'
'Many thanks, lads.'
The next customer stepped forward. He was beefy and lightly muscular, with dark brown clothing all over. 'Hi there, boys. I'd like two Dark Rums.'
'Coming right up.' said Neptune.
'Oh, and just to let ya know, I'm gonna go outside for a quick smoke with my mates. If I leave ya a Kraken and a Serpent, would ya mind if one of ya brings 'em to that table over there?' he inquired, pointing to the table in the middle of the bar, one removed from the right-side wall.
'No problem at all.' Neptune replied.
'Cheers, boys. Appreciate it.' He slapped the two coins on the counter and scooted past the other customers as he exited the bar and turned left.
Scarlet and Neptune placed the money in the chest and prepared the drinks.
'Do you want to go and put them on the table then?' Scarlet asked.
'Yeah, fine by me.' Neptune lifted the flap and firmly clasped the two glasses. 'Excuse me, guys.' he said as he squeezed past the queue.
'How can I help?' Scarlet said, welcoming their third customer.
Neptune weaved his way through packed tables to the one he had been instructed to deliver the drinks to. 'This is a piece of cake so far. I wonder why he ordered two drinks though. Is the dude gonna have them both to himself?' No. Someone else was already at the table. Neptune's heart skipped a beat as his eyes found a beautiful, young woman. She looked similar to Yang: long, blonde hair, a pretty face, and a large bosom. She wore a pair of knee-high leather boots, a short brown dress over her figure, and a grey coat on top.
She smiled and waved at Neptune as he approached. 'Hi there. Is that my Dark Rum?'
'Yep: already been paid for.' Neptune confirmed. He placed the glasses on the table and hesitantly turned around.
'I'm curious.' she said suddenly. 'Ya got some interesting clothes on. I've never seen those garments before in my life.
'Oh, um, I'm not from here. I guess that's why you've never seen them before.'
'That explains it then. Well, I like it. Ya look mighty stylish.'
'Thanks. Uh, you too.'
She laughed and took a sip of her drink. 'Oh, sorry. Am I distracting ya from working?'
'No, of course not.' said Neptune without thinking about his answer.
'Why don't ya sit down then for a bit? Be good to know more about ya. Whereabouts do ya hail from?'
Neptune ran his hand through his hair and pulled out a barrel from under the table. 'You've probably never heard of it.'
'Say the name. Maybe I will have.'
'Mistral.'
'Mistral... hmm. Well you're right. The name don't tell me anything. Sure must be a fine place though if it gives us boys like you.'
'Whoa, is this going somewhere?!' 'And Bilgewater must be a great place if beautiful ladies like you are born out it.'
'Aww, thank you.' she took another sip of the Rum. 'This stuff's strong, but so damn good. You should try it.'
'I don't know if I'm allowed to take drinks from the bar without permission.' Neptune chuckled.
'How about taking a bit from this one then?' she suggested, pointing at the second glass that Neptune had brought to the table.
'But, isn't that for the dude that bought them?'
'Ah, he don't need to know. Just a tiny bit on your lips will be enough.'
'Uh, okay then, if you say so.' Neptune gingerly picked up the glass and had a small taste.
She was right, it was potent but flavoursome: a great mixture of sweetness and spices.
'Mmm, yeah that is good.' he said, putting the glass back down on the table.
'Told ya so. It's why so many people get wasted on this stuff. It's so good that they all forget it's alcohol. Can't imagine my life without it at least once a week though.'
Neptune nodded. He meant to say something but was too transfixed.
'Alrighty, I should probably stop pestering you now.' she said. 'Ya look like a busy boat, after all.'
'W-wait. Would you like to… maybe, hang out one day?' Neptune asked timorously.
The lady faltered. 'Umm, I'm usually never free during the day.'
'How about an evening like this then?'
'Don't ya work here at those hours though?'
'Oh, yeah, that's true…' Neptune stood up. An impulse was swelling up inside him.
'You're a lovely boy, don't get me wrong. I just-'
He reached out stroked her hair.
She gasped and swatted his hand away.
'I-I'm sorry. It just sorta c-'
'OI! Get away from her!' an angry voice roared from the entrance. The man who had ordered the drinks stomped towards them, followed by five other burly men. 'What do ya think you're doing, touching my wife?!'
Neptune eased backwards. 'Sorry dude. I was just… complimenting her.'
'Ya little wharf rat! Ya think you can just go up to my wife and do what ya please to her?!' He took the cigar from his mouth and threw it at Neptune.
Neptune ducked, and it flew past the ears of the customers sitting at the table behind them, and hit the wall. 'Whoa, chill dude. Like, I shouldn't've done it. I get it.'
'Gerald, please calm down.' said the man's wife nervously. 'Don't make a scene.'
The angry Gerald shoved Neptune hard on his chest.
In retaliation, with no consideration, Neptune grabbed the Gerald's glass from the table with his right hand… and smashed it into his face. The rum splashed onto Neptune's front, down Gerald's clothes, and onto the floor. The glass shattered into pieces and scattered across the ground.
Gerald staggered backwards, holding his hands over his face. When he finally removed them, Neptune saw multiple cuts, blood trickling out of them, and a look of unrelenting wrath.
'You've done it now.' said the second man, closest to Gerald. He cracked his knuckles, and so did the rest of them.
Every conversation in the bar had been put on hold, as all attention was now on the antagonism between Neptune and the man he had provoked.
Neptune braced himself for the ensuing brawl.
Gerald threw a punch directly at Neptune's face. Neptune moved his head to the right, just in time to evade the blow. He took the brief moment of Gerald's exposure to his advantage. He kneed Gerald in the groin. Gerald winced and bent over, clutching his testicles in agony. Arguably, Neptune had not started the fight himself by making the first move, but he was locked in now.
'You're gonna pay for this, ya little runt!' said the second man. He charged at Neptune at full speed.
Neptune landed a successful backflip onto the table behind him (the two people who were sitting at it quickly stood up and ran to the counter) and the second man ran uncontrollably into the table, unable stop himself in time. The wind was knocked out of him as his stomach made impact with the side of the table. As he gasped for breath, Neptune kicked him in the face, and he fell backwards into Gerald – they both toppled to the floor.
The next two friends of Gerald stepped forward. Both of them pulled knives out of their pockets. 'Gonna gut ya, you rotten kid!' said the fourth man. They approached, slower this time than the second man had done, with their muscles tenses and eyes homing in on their target. The third man threw his knife at Neptune's heart.
Neptune swerved his body to the right, allowing the knife to barely miss him and stick itself in the wall behind him. He recovered just in time to jump out of the way of the fourth man's attempt at an attack, who had opted to stab him up close.
The man quickly climbed up onto the table, but Neptune immediately kicked him in the stomach, and he flew back, landing on top of both Gerald and the second man as they were making an effort to get up.
Neptune looked for the knife behind him and pulled it out of the wall. He had looked away for just a second too long though, for he did not react to the fifth man, who had taken a barrel from the nearest table and threw it with as much strength as he could muster at Neptune. He could not evade or guard himself with his arms in time, and it knocked him off the table, to the left.
'Rush him! Now!' someone bellowed.
Neptune looked up and saw a man running towards him.
Bang
Something hit the running man in the shoulder. He clenched the spot he had been hit and fell over.
Neptune looked to the side to see Scarlet still behind the bar but holding his pistol in his left hand. 'You could've done that sooner!' said Neptune.
'You looked like you had it under control until just now!' Scarlet replied. He hurdled over the counter and rushed to Neptune's side. The majority of the customers had evacuated the bar, with only a few hugging the walls against the other side of the room.
Gerald and the second man were back on their feet. In addition to Gerald and his five friends, eight more men had stayed, and were also holding up their fists, eager for their slice of the action.
Neptune stood up, remembering that he still had his weapon with him. He kept the knife he had taken in his coat pocket. Scarlet held his pistol in his left hand and brandished his cutlass in his right hand.
The man that Scarlet had shot was on the floor, but there were still thirteen men glaring at them belligerently.
'Ya got the jump on these guys before, ya brats, but you're outnumbered this time! Ain't no way you're walking out of here now!' said a man standing to the side of Gerald's group.
'What do we do?' Scarlet asked through gritted teeth?
'We're Huntsmen. What do you think?' said Neptune half-seriously, half-jokingly. 'You go over there, and I'll take the other corner.'
Scarlet ran to the counter, to where everyone had been queuing. Seven men followed him. Neptune jumped over two abandoned tables and took the opposite end of the bar. Gerald's gang and another man surrounded him.
They both had seven men occupied each. It was up to them to come out on top.
Neptune was cornered. They were all standing close together to form a wall. The only thing that separated them was a round table between them.
'Ya done for, this time!' Gerald shouted. 'Ya got nowhere to run!'
'Pff, who said anything about running?' said Neptune cockily. He wasn't sure if provoking them any further was a good idea, but they were already mad enough, so what was the harm?
'Not one at a time: together!' They hurtled at him.
Neptune waited until they were close enough before reaching behind him and deploying his weapon into its guandao form. He swung it in a crescent, bashing each of their heads and they fell on top of each other like they were dominoes. Neptune activated the electrical charge and thrust it down onto the nearest man's abdomen. He shrieked and convulsed violently for five seconds before going still. Neptune lifted his weapon back up. 'Six to go.'
The six men men rubbed their heads as they regained footing. Gerald looked down at man that Neptune had taken down. He growled. 'Not impressed!'
'You still haven't seen anything yet.' Neptune chaffed.
'Watch out for that weapon of his! Work around it!'
The man who had thrown a barrel at Neptune earlier picked up another one from a table behind them and held it above his head. 'Alright tough guy! Swallow this!' He tossed the barrel with all his might.
Neptune ducked behind the table and converted his weapon into its projectile mode. The barrel broke into pieces as it collided with the wall. He stood straight and rapidly fired, electrifying each of them. As they were stunned, Neptune slid across the table, with his weapon now as a trident and thrust it into the man who had tried to stab him earlier. Neptune's speed pushed him to the ground. He hit his head hard and his vision became a blur of humiliation.
'Down to five. I got this.' Neptune held his trident at the ready with a mocking smile. The five men reobtained their focus.
'Is that all you got?! You'd better hit harder then that if you want to stand a chance!' the second of Gerald's men taunted.
Neptune quickly took the knife he had taken earlier out of his pocket and threw it with pinpoint accuracy straight at the second man. It lodged into his guts, causing him to fall to his knees.
Gerald snarled. 'I'm gonna make ya eat the dirt off my shoes! Ya hear me?!'
'Loud and clear.' Neptune said condescendingly.
Gerald picked up a glass from a behind him. The man who had thrown his knife and the last of Gerald's men, found a glass each too. 'See how ya like a glass tearing your face apart!' They threw in unison.
Neptune ducked and ran all the way round behind them.
The barrel throwing man was stepping up his game. Even Neptune was shocked when he lifted the entire table, which was next to him, over his head. 'Let's see ya dodge this one, ya bloody rodent!'
It was an intimidating attack, but predictable. Neptune saw it coming and dived out of the way to his left. He readied his weapon into its gun form as he stood up again. The table broke apart in splinters
Another table was already above his head! But instead of letting him throw it again, Neptune, with catlike reflexes, fired a bolt of electricity from his weapon. It hit the barrel throwing man squarely in the face. 'Arggh!' he dropped the table on his head; the impact from both the weight of the table and the floor knocked him out cold.
The two of Gerald's remaining men rushed mindlessly at him. They ducked, thinking they could avoid an electrical blast, but only to find that as they raised their heads, they were bludgeoned by guandao form of Neptune's weapon and were knocked unconscious faster than they could cry out in pain.
Neptune looked over his left shoulder at Scarlet. He had made an absolute bloodbath of his contenders. Only one still remained. 'What a man.'
He resumed his focus on Gerald: the last man from his side standing. He was still livid, but a look of shock had been etched onto his cut and bruised face.
'What… the hell are you?! How did you do that?!'
'Look, dude; I didn't realise that she was your wife, and I'm sorry that I touched her. Why don't we just stop this fight now? I mean, come on, you clearly aren't going to win this.'
'Y-ya think I'm ever gonna listen to a punk like yourself?! Never, not after what you've just done!'
Neptune shrugged his shoulders. 'Have it your way then.' He fired a bolt of electricity at Gerald's chest. He was thrown off his feet, landed on his back and jerked violently only momentarily before finally joining his friends in defeat.
Scarlet walked over to join him. 'Nicely done.' he said.
'Bro, you really made a mess over there.' Neptune remarked.
'Swords and skin don't go well together. These humans don't seem to have an aura like we do as well.'
'At least we showed them who's boss.'
The gave each other a high-five.
'What?! What on earth happened here?!'
Mast had returned through the back door. He stared in shock at the horror show that had unfolded during his absence.
'Oh, uh, hi, Mast.' said Neptune awkwardly. 'Just to let you know, we've quit. This job's not for us.'
Scarlet nodded in agreement.
'Goodbye then.'
Neptune waved and sprinted out of the bar and turned right.
'Neptune, wait for me!' Scarlet called after him.
Neptune finally slowed down, allowing for Scarlet to catch up.
'That was a big oopsie. Sorry about that, mate.' said Neptune contritely.
'Ehh, it's alright. We might be able to find work somewhere else.'
'Yeah.'
'How'd you get into a fight anyway?'
Neptune sighed. 'So I went to the table that the dude asked us to put his drinks at, and then suddenly there's this really hot lady sitting there.'
'Seriously?'
'I know, I know: I'm an idiot. You don't have to tell me that. But she started talking to me and offered me to sit down at the table. She commented on my clothes and that she's never seen anyone wear anything like it. She asked me where I was from, and even suggested that I try a bit of her husband's drink. I just thought it was going somewhere, you know?'
'Man, you really need to stop hitting on every attractive person you come across.
'C'mon dude: she was the one who started talking to me.'
'Hmm, fair point.'
'Anyway, I then asked her if she wanted to hang out some time, but she didn't seem comfortable with that. Now I know why… And then, I dunno what came over me, but I reached out and stroked her hair.'
'And her husband caught you in the act?'
'Yeah, exactly. I tried to get him to calm down, but he shoved me hard, so I kinda hit him, by smashing his glass in his face. To me, it felt like self-defence, but that really pissed him off, as you can imagine, and at that point I was in a fight with him and his friends.'
'At least you handled yourself well.'
'You too, dude. I just hope we don't get into a situation like that again. You heard those guys talking in the queue in front of us, right? About some infamous captain?'
'They weren't exactly whispering.'
'Well, the thing is, we don't know this world at all and what people are capable of. We don't want to go messing with the wrong people.'
'Yeah, obviously. Hold on, is this Myron's Murderhole?'
'The sign says so, so it must be.'
They approached the bar. Like to The Glowing Lady, it had a similar structure, with an open entrance. The layout inside was almost identical, but with even more people and actual chairs instead of barrels as tables.
'You wanna try this place?' Neptune asked.
'It's a lot busier, and honestly I think I've had enough for one night.' Scarlet responded lethargically.
'What are we gonna do about food, water and shelter then? We need money. Look, I promise I won't screw us over again. I'll be self-controlled.'
'Alright, I guess we can give it another shot.'
'Great. Let's just make sure we aren't being followed.'
They turned and checked behind them.
'It doesn't seem like it. Let's just hope that they don't suddenly come to this bar.' said Neptune.
'You wanna take that chance?'
'Yeah, why not?' We already know that they're no match for us. Wait, what the...?'
A distinctly dressed man was strolling towards them. He wore an ostentatious white coat, a small grey scarf, and a bowler hat with a red band on top of his bright orange hair. He also carried a cane in his right hand. He made brief eye contact with Scarlet and Neptune before he walked into the bar.
They also noticed that his clothes were wet.
'That's not…' Neptune hesitated.
'I think I've seen him before.'
'It's got to be: Roman Torchwick. Who else would dress up like that?'
'Isn't that the guy you and Sun fought earlier this semester when you hung out with Team RWBY?'
'Yeah. You also remember when Sun went off with Blake to the Vale docks last semester? He was there too.'
'Oh yeah, he told us about that.'
'What's he doing here then? How'd he get to the new world?'
'No clue.'
'Well, we were gonna go inside anyway.'
'Do you think he recognised you?'
'Honestly, I didn't do much that evening. He was piloting one of those Atlesian mechs and I did a bit of damage to it with my weapon, but I don't think he ever saw me. So we should be safe.'
They entered the bar.
Torchwick had made his way to the counter and was talking to the bartender.
'We should get closer to him and see what he's doing.' Scarlet proposed.
'If that's your idea, we might as well go right up to him, tap him on the shoulder and ask him what's he up to.' Neptune responded facetiously.
'Let's see if he sits down anywhere first. If he leaves, we can just follow him at a distance.'
Torchwick moved away from the counter, without a drink in hand. He looked around before stopping. He then stepped forward, and then backwards: he looked indecisive. But his mind seemed to have been made up quickly, for he began to walk slowly towards the top right corner of the bar, where two men were sitting at a table. The first had long hair, a kempt beard, and wore a large hat with a card tucked inside a band that ran around the base of the head. The second man, by contrast, had scruffy head hair and facial hair, and had a large cigar in his mouth. They looked particularly pleased as Torchwick approached them.
He began to speak, but there was too much noise in the bar for Scarlet and Neptune to hear what he was saying. A few exchanges between them passed before he sat himself down in front of them.
'There's a table near him, just there.' Neptune pointed at a circular table that was behind him, diagonally to the right.
'But there's already people sitting there.' Scarlet objected.
'Hey, be cool man. It's only two people.'
They neared the table, and the two middle aged men, with lightly scared faces, looked up at them.
'Hi guys. Do you mind if we sit here? We won't bother you; we just want a place to sit. That's all.'
'Seats ain't reserved, so why d'ya even need to ask?' the taller of the two men asked jokingly, slurring his words.
'I just thought I'd ask, in case you weren't comfortable with two random people sharing a table with you.' said Neptune with sincerity.
'Good to see a young lad with manners.' the second man laughed boisterously. 'Sure though, park your rears down. Ain't no bother to us. We'll be off soon as it is.'
'Cheers.' Neptune smiled.
'Thank you.' said Scarlet.
They moved their chairs around to the sides of the table, so it looked like they were having a conversation together whilst simultaneously eavesdropping, and without making it obvious that they were watching that particular table. Even though he was not facing them, the two men that he was talking with would have see them, and if Torchwick turned around, he would have seen them too. Even though the bar was still a bit too loud, they were in the best position they could hope for. Torchwick was less than a tables' length away from them after all. They saw out of the corner of their eyes that the man with the cigar offered one to Torchwick too. He appeared to not react well to it though.
'You think he knows these guys?' Scarlet whispered.
'No idea. If we could hear their conversation clearly, that would help.'
'Alright boys, we're leaving now Enjoy your space as much as ya please.' said the first of the two men who had allowed them to sit at the table.
'Oh, okay. Thanks again.' Neptune returned.
'No problem at *burp* all.' said the first man, and they ungracefully staggered out of the bar, leaving their bottles behind.
'Great, now that they're gone, we can hear him better.' said Neptune with a grin.
'Oh yeah. That's handy.'
'Let's start with the name then. You can call me Torchwick. Roman Torchwick.'
'Roman Torchwick, hey? Cool name, that's for sure.' said the man with the cigar.
'And how about you two fine men. What names do you go by?'
'The name's Graves. Malcolm Graves.'
'And they call me Tobias.' said the man with the card in his hat.
'Okay, they've only just met. That's something to note.' Neptune commented.
'Do you know of a place called "Vale"?' Torchwick asked.
'Don't ring a bell from the top of my head. You know it, Tobias?'
'Nope.'
'It's very, far away.' said Torchwick.
'What brings you to Bilgewater then, Roman? Why travel so far to here in particular?' Tobias asked.
'Job opportunities. Employment in Vale is a bit haywire at the moment. If I am not being deceived, Bilgewater houses a whole load of ways to make a living.'
'Okay, he's definitely the same Torchwick that we know and hate.' said Neptune.
'Do you think he's telling the truth though? Why would he go all the way to Runeterra just to find work? He's a crime lord, he doesn't need to get money through work.' Scarlet brought up.
'Hmm, good point. There's something very fishy about this.'
Tobias brought out a deck of playing cards from his jacket. He gave some suggestions on what he, Torchwick and Graves would play.
'Gambling?' Scarlet whispered.
'I don't know him well, but he does have that look of a person who takes risks to get big gain, so I'm not surprised.' Neptune commented
'But surely this can't be the only reason he's here. Either he got here by accident, or he's here for a much bigger purpose.' Scarlet conjectured.
'No one accidently stumbles across one ocean to another, so he's gotta be here for a reason.'
'But what is that reason? It has to be worthwhile.'
'Mate, keep your voice down. He'll hear you.' Neptune hissed. 'Let's stop talking and listen again.'
'Okay then, let's start with something simple. Have you ever played Go Fish?' Tobias suggested.
'The one where you have to create as many Four-of-a-Kinds as possible?' said Torchwick.
'Exactly.'
'Then yes, I have.'
Tobias shuffled the deck and dealt out cards to Torchwick, Graves and himself.
'You think we should just wait this out?' Scarlet asked.
'I think so. There might not be anything particularly interesting about a card game, but listen out in case he says anything interesting.'
From the players' perspective, the game was exciting and seemed to go by rapidly. For an onlooker though, it seemed to take forever. Perhaps it was because Scarlet and Neptune had unrealistic expectations that something exciting would happen. From their position, they could not see the cards themselves, and thus had no indicator of who was winning and far they were through the game.
'This'd better be worth it.' said Scarlet wearisomely.
'I don't think he even bet any money this round. Ugh, oh well.'
'Yes!' Torchwick slammed his cards down onto the table after what felt like twenty minutes.
'Nicely done, Roman.' said Tobias, somewhat disingenuously. He and Graves finished off the round, with Torchwick coming out on top.
The next game was about to begin, but this time money was at stake, and the pressure was on.
'It's interesting that the dude with the cigar gave some of his money to Torchwick.' Neptune observed.
'He can't have been here long then, if he's got like no money with him.'
'Yeah. And if he loses, he's probably gonna be broke, and I get the feeling that the guy with the card in his hat isn't a fair player.'
'Why do you say that?'
'He just looks like a rotten cheater. If was in Torchwick's shoes right now, I would not trust him one bit.'
'Being a bit judgemental, aren't you?' Scarlet sniggered.
'A bit, but I can tell that this game is gonna be stained with some dishonestly.' Neptune reckoned.
'I guess we'll wait and see then.'
Graves was not taking part for this turn, and they were playing Rummy instead. Tobias also insisted on making the first move.
It was to no one's surprise except Torchwick himself that the game ended so soon. Tobias got rid of six entire cards at once, and Torchwick promptly dropped the ones he still held out of disbelief.
'W-what? H-how...?'
'It's just all in the cards, Roman. Sorry to say that they just weren't on your side this game.' said Tobias patronisingly.
Torchwick grunted as all of his coins were swept away from him.
'Good game though.' said Tobias.
'Yeah. A bet's a bet after all.' Torchwick replied, and they shook hands.
'Torchwick's looking thoroughly at his cards. I think he's spotted something wrong.' Neptune murmured.
'You cheated…' Torchwick muttered suddenly
'Excuse me?' said Tobias.
'You cheated.' he repeated a bit louder.
'What do you mean?'
'You cheated! Look!' Torchwick sprung up. 'See this?! An Ace of Spades was in my hand! There's also an Ace of Spades in this meld right here! Explain to me why there are two of the same card!'
'Roman, my friend, please calm down. I won this game fair and square. We're grownups here. You should know better than to throw a tantrum at a loss.' said Tobias with implicit scorn in his words.
'Don't play innocent with me!' You cheated! Give me my money back! Or I swear I'll r-'
Torchwick raised his hands, edged backwards and laughed nervously. Graves had drawn a shotgun and was pointing it straight at Torchwick's head. The whole of the bar's attention was now on the men's quarrel.
'I'd watch your tongue if I were you… We gave you our time for some nice card games, and I even gave you money freely. You have some nerve to shout at my good friend here and falsely accuse him of playing dirty.' said Graves bellicosely.
'Hehe, you're right, you're right.' Torchwick stammered. 'I was just… overreacting. Please beg my pardon. I often lose my temper when things don't quite go my way.'
Graves got to his feet and pushed Torchwick back even further with his shotgun. 'Seems like you need to learn how to look at defeat in the face. Now, you're gonna leave this here bar, and you're not gonna show your face around here again for the rest of the night. You come back here tomorrow at this time, with at least thirty Silver Serpents, and you're gonna apologise for your bad manners... Have I made myself clear, Roman?'
'Yes, Malcolm. You could not be clearer if you tried. Hehe…'
'I'm glad to hear it. Now get out of our sight.'
Torchwick grabbed his cane and made a clumsy exit to the bar, bumping into his spies' table as he did.
Without even consulting each other, Scarlet and Neptune got up and followed him out the bar, heading right.
Torchwick ran surprisingly fast, but it was nothing that the two Huntsmen couldn't handle. He kept running until he found himself by a more rural area in Bilgewater, and the opening of a river, which was lit up by dim blue lanterns. Long grass ran across the paths next to both banks, and an archway of tall trees created a dark canopy above the river.
His pursuers crept low and kept themselves far away from Torchwick's line of sight. Neptune was especially keen to stay away from the river's edge.
*Squelch*
Scarlet stepped into a thick puddle of mud. He and Neptune quickly crouched down into the grass. Torchwick looked over his shoulder in suspicion. It was dark though, so they were safe.
'Ugh. That's disgusting.' Scarlet complained.
'Shh, it's alright. It's just mud.' Neptune whispered. 'Nothing to worry about.'
'Wait until you step in a puddle…'
As they continued to persue Torchwick, they heard a pleasant-sounding tune in the far distance. It was like a mixture of a guitar being strung with some humming and singing.
Torchwick continued to walk along the river, leaving Scarlet and Neptune no choice but to follow him even deeper into mysterious darkness.
*Squelch*
Another puddle! Scarlet winced before Neptune forced him down into the grass once again.
Torchwick turned his attention to the direction that the squelching was coming from once again. He frowned. He obviously thought that someone or something was on his trail. Surprisingly though, it didn't deter him from continuing to look for the source of the song, which was getting even louder now.
And then they saw it: sitting on the opposite side of the river. A peculiarly odd creature. It had skin that looked like it was both a fish and an amphibian. Its eyes were sharply yellow, and its mouth was comically big, with horrific rows of teeth lining it. Even more ridiculous though was the dark trench coat and tight, burgundy shirt that it wore around its fat body, and a small top hat with a red ribbon on its head. The creature was playing the tune that they had heard by stretching its tongue out of its mouth with its left hand and stringing it with the fingers on its right hand.
Torchwick exclaimed the words that Scarlet and Neptune were thinking to themselves. 'What the?!'
The creature let go of its tongue, and it plopped back into its mouth. It stared at Torchwick with a look that belied its true nature. 'Please, excuse my song.' it suddenly said with a very deep voice. 'The tune's purpose was your attention, for I saw you on the run with troubles, and I can offer absolutions.'
'What… are you talking about?' Torchwick asked apprehensively as he tiptoed closer to the river.
'Hehe, boy, you are as open as a door without a lock. You look dishevelled and disconcerted, like you're carrying a burden on your back that's bigger than a full moon. Do you wish to be emancipated from your tribulations?'
'What the heck does that even mean?' Scarlet and Neptune both pondered at the same time.
'Well, I gotta say that I don't exactly know who or what you are. What services can you provide to me?'
'Anything you crave, boy. Anything that your heart desires.'
'Anything at all, you say. Hmm. Can you get me money then?'
'Money is an indispensable component of a happy life, yet so many people owe it due and only the finest of folk have enough to spare.'
The creature eased its corpulent physique into the river and waddled over towards Torchwick. 'Woah, not so close!' said Torchwick with discomfort.
'Stay unperturbed, my child.' said the beast. It reached into its trench coat and cast a small bag towards Torchwick.
Torchwick stepped aside and picked up the bag warily with only his thumb and forefinger. 'Ugh…'
'No reason to be so nervous around an innocuous bag of coins.' the beast laughed. 'The very contents of that bag right there are thirty Silver Serpents.'
'Great. Thanks.' said Torchwick, unsure of what to say.
'However, the offer does not end there. I'm sure you can tell. You could walk away with just a measly bag of coins, but why not stay and be rewarded with a whole sack of money instead?'
'Where are you going with this?' Torchwick asked; his interest piqued.
'Allow me to elaborate. You see, I've got voracity, that ain't easily sated, but those proud men of the city never have a table reserved for yours truly. So, I need good natured, altruistic men like yourself to let me in.'
'Not surprised, looking at how big that thing is. It could probably eat Torchwick alive if it wanted to.' Neptune thought, humoured by the idea.
'And what would that involve exactly?' Torchwick inquired.
'The price? It's a minuscule thing. Bring me a fish – any kinda fish – and give it to me. Do that, and I'll give you a bag of forty Silver Serpents, the next time you come and see me. All bargains I offer are as easy to fulfil as finding and catching a snail on a rainy day.'
Torchwick gave no response for fifteen seconds, presumably considering the creatures offer. 'Alright, you've got yourself a deal.' he eventually said.
The beast chuckled. 'Now those are words I like to hear. Farewell, young man, and remember, if you're ever in any trouble, you're safe in my abode.'
'Err, sure. I got it.'
'Hehe, the world's one big river, and I'm its king. Ain't no place I ain't been. Ain't no place I can't go again. If troubles encroach, call upon the epithet of Tahm Kench, the River King.' It finally had nothing left to add. He dove into the river and disappeared from sight.
Torchwick turned around and went back the way he had come.
Rain suddenly sprinkled from the sky. Neptune let off a girly shriek (They were even safe under the canopy of trees and only a few droplets were breaching it…)
Torchwick growled. 'I know you're there! Stop following me like a stray animal!'
Neptune was fighting the urge to run and find solid shelter. Somehow though, he and Scarlet were both motionless.
Despite not actually seeing them, Torchwick stared straight in their direction for ten whole seconds. He shook his head and entered a jog.
There was no way for Scarlet and Neptune to keep up with him without exposing themselves. They kept low until he was gone and then they stood up and walked to the beginning of the river. The trail was dead and Torchwick was gone.
The rain was heavy. Neptune cowered at the mere idea of stepping out into the shower.
'Neptune, stop being a cat. It's just rain.'
'B-but I don't want to get wet.'
Scarlet sighed. 'How on earth do you manage to wash yourself?'
'With difficulty.'
'C'mon. You've already been soaked this evening from almost drowning in the sea. What's a bit of rain gonna do to you?'
'Fine… but we'd better go somewhere dry.' Neptune groaned, submitting to reason.
'Man, we need to sleep somewhere. It's getting late, and I'm tired.
'Let's go up to the top again.'
'There's nowhere to stay up there.' Scarlet pointed out. 'No one's gonna let us crash in a shop or something.
'Didn't we pass an inn on our way to the bar? We could just get room there.'
'We don't have any money, genius…'
'Oh yeah… Forgot about that…'
'We gotta find a place where no one will bother us. Let's stay at sea level and see if we can find an obscure spot.'
Neptune looked horrified. 'You really expect to me to go down to the sea again?'
'Not necessarily by the sea, but somewhere where no one's gonna happen to stumble across us in the night.'
Neptune took a deep breath. 'Yeah, I get what you mean. Let's move then.'
Scarlet patted Neptune on the back and smiled.
It was difficult, but Neptune was also determined to not let the rain take away his composure. They walked past the steps that led up to the cliffs and the nightlife, and carried on along the path next to the coastline.
'You're doing really well. Keep it up.' Scarlet said encouragingly.
Neptune smiled and nodded. 'Cheers, bro. By the way, what do you think was up with that toad-catfish-like thing that we saw Torchwick talking to?'
'All I know is that I understood only about half of the words it used. It's like it swallowed a dictionary or something.'
'Same here. I couldn't take it seriously either. An ugly hybrid of a fish and a frog, wearing a man's clothes and speaking with a fancy vocabulary. What are you supposed to make of it?'
'Dunno, but I wouldn't trust that thing with my life. I guess Torchwick is really desperate for money if he made a deal with it.'
'Well we certainly aren't resorting to that ourselves.'
'Agreed.'
Their roam was not entirely aimless, but it did seem fruitless for a while. What were they expecting to find? Bilgewater's entire layout was an improvisation of what could be made out of limited resources. The cliffside held no cave or even an alcove so far, and to the right there were only a few piers and boats tied to bollards.
'This is hopeless. We're ain't gonna find anything.' Neptune sighed.
'Let's not give up yet. We probably haven't explored even a quarter of this place. There's bound to be somewhere we can sleep.' Scarlet said with a note of confidence. In truth, it felt futile to him as well, but saying it out loud might help.
The path ascended moderately, and now the sea was a few metres below them. They plodded on and constantly looked left, right, up, down and all around.
At last, they spotted something with potential suitability.
'Down there.' Scarlet said, pointing towards a wide harbour. The stone stairs led to a wide, open space with crates that had been dumped and scattered across the area. Wooden houses were lined up against the small cliff that divided the harbour from the path above them. If you turned left at the base of the stairs, you would enter a small settlement of structures and homes of varying sizes. Two ships were docked against the edge of the harbour by roped tied around bollards. Three wide, naturally occurring stone walkways stretched out over the water at the centre, and each one had six little wooden shacks set up across them on both sides.
A sign stood right next to the stairs:
"Bloodharbor" Neptune read aloud. 'That does not sound like a very friendly place...'
'You wanna keep looking for another place in the rain? This has to be better than nothing.'
The rain had admittedly calmed down slightly, but not enough for it to justify them to continue searching for something when this could suffice.
'Shall we go into that little town over there?' Scarlet suggested, pointing left at the cluster of buildings.
'I don't think we can count on anyone giving us a place to stay, but there might be some secluded area we can hide in. So yeah, let's have a look.'
It seemed like everyone had gone to bed for the night. The inside of the town was poorly lit, with only a few street lamps faintly illuminating the streets. A few hooks hung from the ropes that were tied to the roofs and gutters of the buildings, and their shadows were cast on the walls of the buildings.
Scarlet and Neptune weaved through the streets, keeping their eyes peeled for anything that would be even remotely sufficient for their needs.
They crept down a path that led to the water's edge, hoping to find one that would lead either left or right. It was a dead end that led to a pier for small boats.
'No good. Let's try a different direction.' said Neptune, feeling queasy at the sight of the waves lapping over the edge.
They spun around and headed back down the way they had come.
Halfway through, they stopped dead in their tracks. Two blue, glowing lights emerged from the dark. They were dim, but very unsettling. They flickered and squinted, as though they were a pair of eyes. They could not see what they belonged to though…
'What is that?' said Neptune through gritted teeth.
'I dunno.' Scarlet hissed.
They took slow steps backwards, without taking their eyes off the ones glaring at their own. Neptune's heels hit a small crate behind him. He flinched but recovered his balance and held a hand over his heart.
'What do you think we should do?' Scarlet said frightenedly.
'I'm thinking.' said Neptune back, equally as afraid.
The eyes gently rocked up and down, and moved closer to them.
A harpoon on a rope flew out of the darkness, straight towards them. They noticed it just in time and threw themselves out of the way, against the wall of the houses on either side of them – Neptune to the left, and Scarlet to the right.
The harpoon returned to the shadows.
Scarlet pulled out his pistol and pointed it in the direction of the eyes. Neptune did the same with the gun form of his weapon.
'W-what do you want?!' Neptune yelled, trying not to sound scared. However, his throat was dry, and his voice was quaking.
'You. You look familiar...' a growling voice murmured.
'What?' Scarlet and Neptune said at the same time.
'You were there… You watched me drown. You cut my line…'
'Dude, what are you talking about?' said Neptune. 'We don't know who you are, so l-leave us alone!'
The glowing eyes vanished, and an eerie noise of what sounded like something swimming through water took its place. Whatever it was, they couldn't see it, but it encroached on the two Huntsmen.
The two of them took wider steps back, unsure of what to expect.
'Rise!' It emerged from thin air, creating a splash of water that soaked them. It dashed straight through Neptune as he was caught off guard by the water. Neptune spun on his feet to counterattack, but felt a searing pain encase his body. A watery phantom of the assailant followed his move and also went straight through Neptune. The force of it stunned him whole. He fell over and dropped his weapon. He could not guard himself or dodge as the attacker turned around and thrust his harpoon straight at Neptune's abdomen. Fortunately, his aura protected him from the stab, however the watery phantom and that single stab was almost enough to break his aura entirely. He was dizzy and incapable of even standing properly.
Scarlet took his cutlass and swung it at their assaulter. Their blades clashed. As they pressed against each other, Scarlet was able to momentarily see who they were up against:
The man was bald, with water-damaged skin. A red bandana with mangled teeth covered his mouth. He wore a green cloak with a small net of hooks on his back. The ghastliest thing of all though, aside from his glowing eyes, was the pair of shark's jaws that he wore on his shoulders as pauldrons.
The harpoon was carved with curved spikes. It caught Scarlet's cutlass, and he was unable to pull it back. They struggled, pushing as hard as they could.
An opening presented itself. Neptune, though debilitated, reached for his weapon and fired it at the attacker. It electrified him momentarily, giving Scarlet enough time to kick him in the stomach and knock him over.
He grunted, but laughed sinisterly. In a flash, he went invisible and swam through the air.
'Let's get out of here!' Neptune shouted. The initial shock had ended, and he was able to stand up.
'Yeah!' Scarlet agreed.
Before they could take even two steps though, Neptune felt something dig into his back and it pulled him with great force towards the water. He yelled in fear and dropped his weapon again.
The assaulter put his left arm tightly around Neptune's neck, and stabbed his harpoon into the back of Neptune's guts. The tip of the blade shot straight through the intestines and pierced his belly and clothes on the other side. His blood wetted the harpoon and trickled down his legs.
'Another name off the list.'
'Neptune!' Scarlet screamed and sprinted as fast as he could towards him.
The assailant dove into the water, bringing the helpless Neptune with him and dragged him down.
The hole in his guts stung as the salt flooded his insides. Neptune reflexively screamed and swallowed the seawater that was already consuming him in terror.
Scarlet threw himself into the sea and swam after them. He couldn't see at all or feel anything; they had already gone too deep. There were no bubbles left to follow. He ran out of breath and kicked back to the surface.
Neptune no longer had any air. His lungs were filled with nothing but water. With no more oxygen, he lost all consciousness. There was nothing he could do. His attacker mercilessly sunk him to the bottom of the sea, beyond the reach of help, in the worst possible fate Neptune could ever have...
"Support" by the way.
