Hello my dear readers! How're you all? :D
Here comes a new KaiHil one-shot, they seriously need some thrillers and adventures. (Ah, in this world, what could be more delicious as KaiHil thrillers?). Besides, it's my second western fic, second for KaiHil too. Don't worry, it's not so intense like the previous one, yet, you'll have fun while reading it :D
Dedicated to: K'onix, my inspiration to write KaiHil. Accept my offering! :D
Enjoy!
Poor slate-haired Russian. His only misfortune was to get caught in the hands of the miners, charged with stealing a stallion. Apparently, no other person in this world as sweet and naïve as they were but volcanoes would erupt if their temper rose once, almost impossible it would become to appease them. They were going to hang the thief to the largest birch tree in the entire Grandbrook. Almost all the town gathered there to witness it. Since Sheriff Tachibana was absent there, there was nobody to hold them back. All the arrangements of the hanging were taken. Some miners were still fuming at the thief who had tried to snatch their precious animal from them.
Right then, the chocolate-haired lady who was the first female sheriff in the history of Grandbrook, entered the town, riding the brown Derby mare. Seeing the crowd of the people, she pulled the rein of the horse in that direction. Getting down from the saddle, she pushed the mass and advanced.
"What's going on here?" She wanted to know in her usual high-pitched tone.
"He's got caught while stealing our horse," One of the sappers replied, "So, we are going to hang him."
"Who has given you the rights?" The brunette snarled, "Why're the rules and regulations here? Let me handle him."
"No!" All the miners protested in unison. One of them became over-excited, "Leave him to our hands. We don't want him to get rid of the punishment through the gaps of rules!"
Swiftly, the young lady pulled out the pistol from the holster hanging from the right side of her waistbelt. With an emotionless pitch, she threatened, "Let me see how much courage you all own."
Within no moment, the boiling vigor of the miners remained no more. They all knew that Sheriff Tachibana wouldn't hesitate a bit to use it if they nagged more.
"You," Her pistol danced at the thief, "Come with me."
In the jailhouse, the tall thief was standing, propping his back against the wall of his own cell and crossing his arms on his chest. The sheriff assumed that he wasn't more than 24-25. Well-toned body he owned, the twisted biceps and triceps of his arms were enough for giving heart-attacks to the prettiest girls of this world. Two-toned hair, in slate and indigo blue, was ruffled, messily covering his forehead. Needle-like beard coated his chin, adding a cherry on the top of his handsomeness. In his calm amethyst eyes, there was no emotion. From the pocket of her vest, Hilary brought out a notebook and a pencil and stared at him, "Name?"
"Kai Hiwatari." For the first time, the brunette got to hear his serious, heavy-accented pitch. Her body got goosebumps immediately.
"What's your job?"
"Vagabond I am," He shrugged, "Wandering across the countries."
"Why did you steal the horse?"
"I was compelled, that's why."
"As in?" Hilary frowned.
"After my stallion had been killed in the hands of American, I had to walk full thirty miles," Kai replied, "If you don't believe, you can check my shoes."
Hilary looked down. His shoes were ripped and the toes peeping outside were bleeding. He was right. Hilary thought that he couldn't be a thief without any reason.
"I didn't steal it," Kai spoke in his favor, "I only wanted to borrow it. I would return it soon."
"Maybe you're right," The brunette disappointedly nodded, "But I don't think it can be helpful anymore. Before Judge Hiro Granger, no justification can make its place. Anyways, I'm sending ointments for your toes, you'll feel better."
Returning to her office, the sheriff rummaged through the bag of the captive. Inside, she could find cloths, the brushes and colors of painting, some chemicals and a notebook. Reading the diary entries, she could know that Kai was the son of a rich merchant, having a large plantation in Stiffwater. The Russian was educated but his father couldn't have held him back at home. He'd fled away one day like a vagabond. From the very day, he was spending his days here and there, roaming across the towns of the wild west. For earning, he'd worked in salons, painting the portraits of the ranch dancers, as cowpunchers or cattle drivers in different places though he never stayed at one for a long time.
An iron-lady Sheriff Hilary Tachibana was but she could feel the existence of the soft heart under her tough face. She was feeling very sad for Kai Hiwatari at that moment. For a mere mistake, he was going to be hung. But a lot of hardcore criminals were surviving, committing graver offenses. The rules couldn't even touch their hair. Sometimes, she wished to return the badge of the law-lady and to do something else. Despite being a woman, she was one of the best and skilled Sheriffs of wild west. The inhabitants of Grandbrook were always pleased with her. Yet, she was sorry for the Russian. What was so special in him?
In the morning, with the tray of breakfast, Hilary came before the cell. She couldn't have enjoyed a single wink of sleep at the last night. Only his reflection had kept drifting on the canvas of her heart. Kai was peacefully sleeping, curling into a ball on the cot. Hearing the door getting unlocked, his sleep broke as he got up, throwing his arms above. His face was normal, indifferent, without any sign of staying awake through the night as if he had never faced any problem in his life. Suddenly, he got violent fits of cough, almost bending down on his knees. It wasn't stopping even. Keeping the tray on the table, the brunette asked, "You've tuberculosis? You tried to steal a horse in this broken condition of your health?!"
"Nope," The dual-haired prisoner shook his head, "Asthma. Turned my life into hell."
"Oh….." Hilary asked, "Which medication do you take?"
"Saltpeter."
"Hm," The sheriff scratched her chin, "Let me see whether it is present in the chamber of Dr. Judy."
Within half an hour, Hilary returned to the cell with saltpeter. Mixing some of it with hot water in a bowl, curving down, Kai kept breathing, opening his mouth. His breaths didn't take much time to be normal again.
"Keep the rest to yourself," She said, "Maybe, it can help you later on."
While having breakfast, Kai gaped at Hilary. Chocolate-brown hair she had, tied into a messy bun. Ruby eyes had some tiredness with dark circles underneath them, he couldn't guess why. Thin lips were creased in tension. Wearing fluffy shirt with rolled-up sleeves, khaki pants and knee-length boots, she was looking really badass, yet, absorbed in deep thoughts. The prisoner couldn't help admire her looks. He didn't know whether he'd ever got a crush on any woman or not. Never before it, he'd seen any caring sheriff in his life. She wasn't only a ruler; but also, she was the mother of the town.
However, the stars weren't in his favor. At the stage of morning, Hiro Granger came to Grandbrook. At noon, in the over-populated court, Kai was brought. A few from the miners gave testimonies against the thief. It was the turn of Hilary to interrogate the criminal. She tried her best to know the correct information as well as be in his support. Nevertheless, Kai answered to all her questions, being straightforward and heard the decision of his death penalty with the same amount of emotionlessness all over his face. Joys splashed on the face of the judge. It was decided that Kai would be hung on Saturday, in dawn.
In the next morning, Hilary got a shock when she reached Kai's cell. On the earthen wall, he'd sketched a skeleton. Now, he was giving it finishing touches. For drawing it, he'd used a piece of charcoal from the stove, kept at the right corner of the cubicle.
"Whose…whose skeleton is it?"
"Mine." He was blunt, she was speechless. He turned to her, sweats glimmering all over his exhausted, yet, pleased face.
"What does it mean?" Hilary glowered.
"Sheriff, how much time do I have?" Kai didn't feel necessary to answer to her question.
"48 hours."
"Then, I'll give you immortality and youth in this span," He offered, "I'll paint you in the best way and you'll never be able to forget it. But for it, you have to return my colors and brushes to me."
Her ruby eyes started glinting with tears. She was really feeling very bad for the prisoner. But she had nothing to do. She was tied in the shackles of rules and regulations.
Before the day of his death penalty, Hilary received a jolt at her heart when she reached the door of the captive's cell. The skeleton wasn't present on the wall anymore. Instead of it, the barrier was beautified with her own portrait. Hair was unbound, splayed over her slender waist. Pupils were glimmering like garnets under her slightly creased brows. Unlike her regular outfits, she was wearing a puffy-sleeved, light-pink and white ball gown in the picture, adorning herself with roses and pearls. She didn't find so much beauty in her own reflection ever which was evident in the portrayal. Folding his arms on his chest, Kai was smiling at her. It was his first smile that she'd seen after meeting him.
Again, tears bubbled in her eyes, she turned her face away for hiding it from the captive, letting out an inaudible sniff. She fell in immense love with the prisoner, completely losing her heart but she really had nothing to do for him-really nothing! It would be really hard for her to hang him. How would she do it tomorrow? How?
The whole night went sleepless for the Sheriff. Her portrait and the face of the prisoner kept visiting her mind again and again. A few times, leaving the bed, she went to the cell and discovered the Russian sleeping under the blanket very peacefully. But she knew from the experiences that the captives used to drink water recurrently, keep sitting on the bed, strolling around, scream and cry at the night before their death penalty. Why was Kai so much relieved?
Around 4-ish am, she felt a bit sleepy. Unexpectedly, hearing the sound of an explosion, she got up on her bed. At first, she thought that it was taken place by the miners in the hills but her ears said that it came from a place which was much close. Somehow putting on the vest and taking the pistol, she rushed towards the jailhouse and stopped before the cell of the captive who was supposed to be hung today, within a few hours. A few people gathered around her.
Kai Hiwatari was no more in the cell. A large hole was created due to some portions of the earthen wall which had collapsed. The smell of gunpowder was floating in the air. But the portrait of her painted by him was still intact.
"Someone must have supplied any explosive to him from outside." One commented.
"Yeah," Another agreed with him, "These thugs and thieves have plenty of comrades!"
Hilary didn't think much on it. These incidents weren't new to her at all. She was happy that everyone took the mishap normally. The election would take place in near future, if people became outrageous, it would be an opportunity for her opponents. A heavy stone landed from her chest at his escape. She fell in love with him, it would almost be impossible for her to kill him with her own hands. Yet, she had to constitute an investigation committee for formal reasons though she knew that it would never be able to reach Kai Hiwatari. He had escaped riding her brown Derby mare which was the fastest of all horses of Grandbrook.
But how had Kai fled?
While thinking, suddenly, everything became clear to the brunette like transparent water. Actually, he never had asthma. He had just pretended to have it for managing the saltpeter. In his bag, with other chemicals, there was Sulphur too. Charcoal was present in the stove of the cell. Using these three substances, it was more than easy for him to make a strong explosive to get the wall of the cubicle collapsed and flee away. At the time of cleaning the prison, she found a torn page of his notebook. There were some letters:
"Honorable Sheriff of Grandbrook,
At first, I apologize to cheat your eyes in this way. Yeah, nothing is more lovable to me like being alive. I want to see the world more and that's why, I had to do this. But don't worry, I'll return your mare soon though I'm afraid whether she'll return to you or not, thanks to my taming skills. However, come to the nearby fountain at midnight, you'll get your possession there. Just like the portrait.
Yours ever,
Kai Hiwatari.
P.S: Did I ever mention that how beautiful you're, enough to make me fall in your love?"
Then? Your imaginations! :P
Do read and review. Pardon the grammatical and spelling errors. Take care and stay safe.
Dear K'onix, I hope you'll like it :D
-Misty ^_^