Trick or Threat
Shaad staggered to his feet, groaning at the exertion required for that simple action. His head was foggy and thoughts unclear as he tried to take in his surroundings.
"Finally." Raine's voice, spoken with an abnormally husky drawl, drew his full attention, his gaze enraptured by her swaying hips and the tantalizing curve of her lips.
As if the dumbfounded expression on his face didn't tell enough of his confusion, he soon opened his mouth to erase all doubt.
"What are you. . . Where are we," Shaad stuttered out, turning his head every which way to avoid looking directly at the enticing sight that was Raine.
The room was pristine; Shaad didn't recognize it, though. They were obviously in a very nice hotel, but that was hardly the only surprising sight as Raine sauntered deep into his chest and now looked up at him with a mischievous smile on those full lips.
"We're in a hotel bedroom, obviously," Raine offered in a sultry tone before pushing Shaad backwards and onto his back as he tripped up on the foot of the bed.
"No, I'm supposed to be in the Illusory Forest with Vega."
"Tomorrow; no need to rush." Raine's voice was soft but firm as she stood over Shaad, tracing a manicured nail over his exposed chest.
'This doesn't make any sense.' Shaad's mind raced. He remembered splitting from Vega at the edge of the forest. What he didn't remember was anything that preceded this moment, and certainly not how he ended up with his shirt open.
Those thoughts were thrown into disarray as Raine allowed the thin, pink silken robe draped around her to flutter open and let it drop softly to the ground.
Shaad felt the lump forming in his throat and knew the captivating sight of Raine's lithe, nude figure slinking toward him couldn't be real, but the light touch of her lips tracing their way up his chest to lightly nibble on his earlobe and the flowery scent of her natural fragrance were unmistakably more than mere constructs of his imagination. Subconsciously knowing better, Shaad allowed his eyes to drift closed so as to better take in the sound of Raine's heated breathing in his ear and that intoxicating scent wafting above him.
'Wait. . . flowers?'
Shaad's eyes shot open as his swords were drawn in a flash. Shaking loose the mental fog that still bothered him, the soft mattress and satin sheets were replaced by the feel of soft grass at his feet, leaves and pollen clung tightly to his skin and clothing. Wiping his face clear, the scent of morning dew atop fresh spring flowers again filled his nostrils, vision clouding as sleep and dreams threatened to overtake him. However, a sharp prick to the chest quickly brought the senses to bear just as his arm was scratched from the sudden movement of jumping away.
The white shirt, freshly cut and now stained with blood, was hastily removed. Shaad balled up the satin material and used the unstained back to wipe the pollen and leaves from his person. Shaad was by no means an arborist, but he'd spent more than enough time around hypnotics and psychotropics to know their signs and effects.
After clearing what mess he could, the young pirate swiftly tore strips of the cloth to use as cover from additional particles that might interfere with his current goal. Vision now cleared, his eyes set upon ascertaining his location, the true weight of his task collapsing atop him like a towering tree upon realizing he had yet to even breach the forest's perimeter.
Spread out before him, a field of leafless, grayed, and gnarled trees with branches sharp as knives and so interspersed as to seem covered in a shadowed mat mocked his feeble attempt. Borne of a combination of necessity and frustration, Shaad lashed out with his swords, meaning to slice through the line of trees blockading his entrance. While the swing was nowhere near serious, he rightfully anticipated far more damage, curiosity rising within as he had noticeable difficulty cutting through even the relative saplings only about a foot or so taller than himself.
However, there was no time to mull it over as the young pirate could hear a mass of footsteps approaching his position from over the hill. There was no time to think or clear a wider berth. Shaad ducked beneath cover of the trees, careful to avoid the knife-like branches swinging about in the gentle breeze. Though he escaped to a more open path, scanning his limbs and seeing the crimson liquid freed from his veins showed it was not without much effort and some cost.
"Form up," Shaad heard a voice yell, watching from behind some tall grass as uniformed men with armor and spears lined up at the forest's perimeter, iron masks shielding their mouths and noses. With the soldiers lined up like a formidable wall, Shaad got his first glimpse of their commander. He was a fairly young man, clean cut in taped off, layered robes instead of armor with two pistols in his waistband. "We received word of a stranger attempting to enter Namijima Forest around 0830 this morning. We have no way of knowing his purpose or if it's related to the smuggler from a few days ago. Now, the blood here is still fresh," the commander declared, snapping his fingers to immediately be flanked by six soldiers in light armor moving through the line to the forefront.
"Damn." The word escaped Shaad's lips minus his will, the pirate immediately regretting it as the commander's sharp gaze scanned over the area where he lay in wait. Just as Shaad thought himself in the clear, the commander spun back around pistols drawn and fired two shots.
"We'll go in, apprehend the criminal, and use him to find his partner. Infantry, form a wall; don't let anyone through."
Shaad was still a bit frozen. He'd heard the bullets whistle by his ears, felt the strands of grass clipped up next to him. Turning his head, he mentally mapped out a route, taking to foot with a burst of energy, uncaring of those watching. Whether he'd come to regret his haste would be determined later as the commander's nose began to darken in color, extending out as black fur covered his entire body and a pair of furry ears poked up from his head. Long, slick tail swaying side to side, the commander now stood on all fours: a black Labrador.
Shaad raced through the unknown depths of the forest, the feeling of someone following him ever-present though he dared not look back to check who. Were he to escape, it wouldn't matter. If caught, he'd find out nonetheless. Expending even more energy to aid in his evading capture, Shaad bull rushed through extended branches and wildly overgrown shrubs, tearing vines and trampling brush underfoot. While he pushed energy to the surface to dampen the blows of such a reckless charge, the pirate was thankful there didn't seem to be more Ironwood trees this deep in. But, even as Shaad kept up such a breakneck pace, his pursuers stayed on his trail, gaining on him with every indecisive moment.
The young captain had no desire for a fight under the circumstances. The way his adrenaline was pumping, it strained his heart just to keep that intoxicating pollen from overtaking his senses again even through the makeshift face mask. It wasn't really his choice, though, as a snarl informed him that his pursuers were not just men but beast as well. 'What kind of prey have I become? Chased by fuckin' dogs,' Shaad chided himself, all the while incorporating a zig-zag pattern to lose his pursuers. However, the tactic backfired greatly, giving the once thought dumb beast time to close gap through more direct pursuit, Shaad hearing the growl grow louder in his ears while the new sound of twigs and fallen branches snapping underfoot joined as well.
Shaad scanned the horizon looking for something he could use. He didn't want a fight, but he would not be bested by a beast, even one not so brainless as first thought. Gripping his swords tighter, Shaad rounded a massive tree, stowing himself on a high branch under shadow of higher canopy. However, while he lay in wait, the real predator in this scenario caught him by surprise.
A black flash crashed into Shaad from a tree to the right just as soon as he caught sight of it. The young man howled in pain as sharp teeth sunk deep in his shoulder, the animal's full weight blasting into his chest and throwing him from his perch. Shaad hit the ground with enough force to pry the animal's clenched jaws loose and throw it off while Shaad willed himself up in spite of it exacerbating the already throbbing pain.
However, before Shaad could ready himself, two shots rang out - one clipping the pirate's injured shoulder - and put him back down to a knee. Shaad could hear the runners getting closer now, and the commander was already in front of him. 'This is bad. And, that damn dog must be lurking around somewhere,' Shaad thought, using his sword and good arm to stand up.
Shaad was back on his feet, albeit unsteady, just as the commander was finishing saying something. 'Where' was all he heard. The actual question. . . or statement or demand didn't matter though. The only concern was the two revolvers trained on him. The commander had taken a couple of steps closer but was otherwise being extremely cautious, itchy trigger fingers curled and ready.
Shaad moved slowly. Deliberately. Raising his sword as if pointing, he held it towards the space just over the commander's left shoulder before shifting slightly to aim at the center of the older man's chest.
"Are you saying your partner is behind me? Or, do you merely wish to die this day?"
Shaad simply smirked. This situation was far from ideal, but he had a plan and one chance for it to work. This was all or nothing. This was. . . Interesting.
Loosening his grip, Shaad let the raised sword drop from his hand. It was meant as a feint, but the enemy commander noticed the slight drop in his hips and saw the dip of Shaad's shoulder as he prepared for a shoulder tackle. His target firing twice, Shaad was plugged in his good arm by the first bullet while the second scraped along his side-turned chest. Before the commander could fire another volley, though, Shaad had further lowered his shoulder, going under the outstretched arms and driving deep into his foe's stomach below the ribs and slamming them both into a towering tree.
Shaad let up his attack ever so briefly to grab the silver bladed sword from his left hand, slashing up the enemy's torso with everything he could muster. The commander was just able to cross the dual pistols in the sword's path and they withstood the strike surprisingly well despite being blown aside by the force of Shaad's swing.
While the powerful strike cut deep, it was clearly not enough to be considered life threatening. However, before Shaad could deliver the killing blow, a kunai glanced off his blade. Out of time, Shaad kicked off the ground and ran away. As he tried to grab the black bladed Tairyoku he'd dropped earlier, a bang split the air as a bullet lodged itself in the earth in front of Shaad's extended fingertips.
Catching the commander's barely raised gun in his peripheral, Shaad knew he didn't have time to stay and fight, not in his condition. So, he reluctantly left his sword there and fled the scene, dashing past some rocks and behind a high thicket of bushes.
Judging by the sound of footsteps, the first few reinforcements at least didn't bother stopping to help their leader. Shaad contemplated turning to face them, but if either of them or that animal from earlier got the jump on him, he'd be in trouble. Cutting down a couple of trees blocking his path, Shaad jumped into a space dominated by budding flowers and wild vines.
As his steps became increasingly sluggish, Shaad realized that he'd lost the thin piece of fabric he'd been using to filter his breathing. And, as that reality dawned on him - teetering on unsteady footing near one of the trees - Shaad was blindsided by a tackle, the momentum sending them tumbling into a nearby lake.
Submerged in water, Shaad's struggle to remove the hands suffocating him was short-lived. The lake's water was clear, but it was easy enough to get lost in the shadows of its depths. It was from there that Shaad, unable to fight, watched the soldiers converge overhead through a break in the trees. The only sound he heard was that of water filling his ears, but Shaad could just make out the sight of moving lips as the soldiers apprised their approaching leader of the situation.
Quickly scanning the area, the commander almost immediately diverted his path to the lake, where his pirate prey was currently unable to breathe, searching for clues leading to his quarry.
This gentle suffocation wasn't all that bad a way to die, Shaad mused, as he felt the cold embrace of death surround him, albeit a bit pathetic all things considered. He caught one last look at the eyes of the man that pushed him to this point before one of the soldiers pointed across the lake, apparently yelling something. But, the weight of unconsciousness finally became too much as heavy lids drooped shut, again missing as the commander morphed into his animal form and ran off in the proffered direction.
"Spirit?" Raine's eyebrows arched up as she surveyed a cute, dark red backless halter, reading the word scrawled across the chest in wispy, bedazzled lettering. "I've never heard of this brand," she called to the attendant, a frumpy, but well accessorized, middle-aged woman with a figure like two peaches stacked on top of each other and squeezed into a too tight ensemble of blouse, slacks, and heels. "What," Raine questioned, an edge rising in her tone at the woman's blank stare. The provocative pirate's cocked eyebrow rose higher as perfectly manicured nails pressed into the material covering a swung-out hip.
"Sorry. . . Sorry," the woman apologized. "You're not from around here, huh?" Raine's eyes rolled in response. "Sorry; it's just. . . we don't get many visitors to this part of town. You must have quite the connections."
A dry scoff escaped Raine's throat, telling the woman to move on. At least now she understood why those stoic guards wouldn't let her through.
"Oh yes; Spirit. It's a local brand sold only on this island. My son's actually the one who designs it," the woman bragged. "He was inspired by the forest's guardian spirit."
That caught Raine's ear. She didn't believe in spirits or the like, but there was usually a good story behind legends. And, better yet, riches. After all, spirits had to protect something. "A spirit? What started that superstition?"
"No superstition. A guardian spirit resides in that forest, attacking any who wander too deep."
Emotion briefly flashed across Raine's face. "How strong is this guardian," she asked, unconciously chewing the inside of her bottom lip. "I mean. . . it must be quite formidable to inspire a clothing line, right?"
". . . Oh, yes. . . But, it's the city guards that handle most of the hunters. It is illegal to enter Namijima Forest after all.
"Hunters?"
"Bounty hunters, treasure seekers," the shopkeeper informed, "all types of unscrupulous fellows come to this country for one reason or another involving that forest. None have ever beaten our Chief of the Royal Police, though. . . You're not a hunter are you," the rather plump woman asked accusingly.
"Oh no, of course not. My friends were hoping for a tour of the legendary Illusory Forest before heading off to the Grand Line. Sadly, it seems lucks not in our side."
"A tour," the attendant repeated in disbelief. "Wait. . . Illusory Forest?" Raine didn't like the change in tone. She'd obviously let something slip she shouldn't have, and it was too late to walk it back now. "Only people with connections to the underworld call it by that name," the shop owner informed a flustered Raine, her voice rising an octave out of fear. The forest's real name is Namijima Forest but locals call it the Bewitching Forest."
The woman's voice was becoming shakier and she began to speak faster as she continued. Lifting the back of her shirt, Raine reached for the baton stuck in the back of her shorts. This woman was about to do something stupid if Raine didn't calm her down soon.
"Merchants call it the Laughing Forest while it's become known as the Forest of Dreams in tall tales (Forest of Nightmares in scary stories). B-b-but. . . you-"
"Sorry, my parents were Marines and I got the name from some files they brought home. You know kids," Raine explained with a fake smile, hand gripping the baton behind her back tightly.
"O-of course, the older woman unconvincingly stuttered, letting out a cheap laugh as she continued to back her way towards the front desk. "Then I'll just call the guards so they can go get. . . your friend. It's. . . It's d-dangerous if he breaches the perimeter."
After fumbling around for the receiver, the woman turned around to dial the authorities. Raine's hand quickly clamped down over the woman's fat, sweaty digits, that fake smile still showing her pearly whites.
"No need. He can take care of himself; don't you worry."
"Dammit," Shaad cursed between deep breaths for air. The sinking, crushing feeling was gone and he could move and breath freely. Opening his eyes, he stared at the nearby mask of Vega. "You. . . Thanks." Vega helped him up as the captain was still feeling a bit slogged. "Where'd they go," Shaad asked, getting his answer by following the direction Vega was facing. He saw it immediately: a water trail on the opposite end of the lake.
"Not only did you use the lake to clean yourself off, but you came back here to save me while maintaining the wherewithal to leave only a single trail." Shaad sounded impressed, smirking wolfishly, but Vega neither confirmed nor denied his part. "I made the right choice in choosing you to be my shadow. . . Scout ahead; find our target. And, careful. That mask may help you, but this forest gives me a bad feeling." With that direction, Vega was off, moving in the direction opposite the soldiers.
'Or maybe that's the bullet wounds and unhealed stabbings,' the voice in his head mused. Shaad agreed with a scoff, the short-lived feeling of amusement completely overtaken by the overwhelming rage that boiled within him upon seeing his prized Tairyoku gone.
Standing over the unconscious saleswoman and a customer unfortunate enough to walk in at the wrong time, Raine heard what sounded like laughter coming from outside. Tying the two women up with some packing thread she found in the back, Raine peeked out the front to see the source. To her surprise, it wasn't laughter at all, but a strong wind blowing from the island's east. 'Well, that explains the Laughing Forest moniker,' Raine concluded, withdrawing into the store to cast one final gaze upon the women. 'They'll be found sooner than later. That cuts down the time we can remain here.'
Cutting off the lights, and turning around the open sign, the navigator stepped out onto the streets in her new outfit - the shirt she'd been admiring matched with a pair of low-cut jeans - and a few extra souvenirs including a pair of strappy sandals with only the slightest heel. 'Well, if we're gonna be heading for the Grand Line, I'm gonna need a few things.'