Chapter 18: Memories and Steel

She could see it, she could it, she could feel it. Their hands pulling at her, tearing at her, the thick blood she waded in was a bliss compared to the sensations she felt along her entire body. It hurt. Everything hurt. She looked down at herself, all cut up, a bullet hole in her chest, her hands dripping in blood. Her body drenched in blood, her hair matted from flesh and sweat.

She was in her armour, the one she had stashed away long ago. It was heavy, oppressive. She felt chained, her wings were clipped. It was happening all over again. The hands reached upwards once more for her. She finally took a look down to see the perpetrators, all were women. It was a gut-wrenching feeling, she had these women die for their country, knowing the could;Ve avoided everything if they didn't follow her. She didn't need to feel guilty, these women followed her in their own violation. But then again she spurred something within that made them follow her.

Their children fatherless, motherless, the noises increased. She was dreaming, she knew this. Then why was she not awaking? Or perhaps this was her reality. The corpses gathered around her, coming closer and closer. They all reached for her.

Takeko jolted out from bed with a fine sheen of sweat covering her face and arms, her breathing was heavy and laboured as she clutched onto her chest. Her hand instinctively moved towards her weapons to see if they still with her, a heavy sigh drifted from her lips. She collapsed back into bed with a heavy heart and a clouded mind. After a few moments of lying in bed she decided that a restless slumber would be no better than being awake. She pulled on her outer cloak and sheathed a short sword just in case and finally after washing her face she tentatively stepped out into the dark corridors. With only the light of a small candle she managed to guide herself through the numerous rooms and stairways, she had been down around the building countless of time, she had memorised everything so even if she didn't have the candle she would still know where she was going. SHe soon made her way out, stepping out onto the stone pavement, once feeling the soft moonlight glow touch her skin she immediately felt calmed and her inner turmoil died down.

She rubbed the back of her neck, soothing her heated skin, letting the cool breathe brush against her glistening skin. The moon was still, ever constant as it was meant to be and a silent reminder that she was still alive and not dead yet. Her eyes darkened at the thought as she pulled her hair from the loose bundle it was in. The hair flaying lightly in the wind, it's blackness matching the night sky.

"What are you doing up so late?" A voice said next to her.

She didn't even bother to clarify who the person was, because by the time she turned around her blade was already next to his neck. The silver cutting into the flesh as small beads of blood touched the shined blade. The candle was left on the ground snapped in half and forgotten.

"Hoh, you would point your sword at me?" His familiar taunting voice, the one that irritated and soothed her mind all at the same time. This enigma that could not tell from righteous to wrong, but would create it instead. Toyohisa. His hand took her wrist and slowly pulled the blade from his neck, there was a red welting line from where the blade touched, "You're a skittish one, ain't ya?" Toyohisa said absentmindedly as he scratched at his neck, his eyes still focused on the sword. Takeko blinked her eyes in shock for a moment and soon narrowed her eyes, she took a second to notice how big his hands were compared to hers and how rough it seemed against her skin. The hands of war and bloodshed, but she also took notice of how warm they were, unlike her cold and clammy ones.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention", she said, pulling her arm away from him and pulled up her sleeves. She slowly sheathed the blade and picked up the candle. Toyohisa watched her with keen eyes, she had slight bags underneath her eyes and normally she wouldn't be this edged. This wasn't quite like her, however there were times where he wasn't so sure what she was really like. He made no comment thought, opting to be silent and wait for her to do the talking. Takeko bent down to collect the two pieces of the candle, inspecting the dirtied wax.

"You went to the toilet?" Toyohisa said. A coughed laugh came out from her throat, she laughed but she tried to cut it short, resulting in the strange sound. She really found this man ever so amusing. There was never a boring moment when he was around, and what a strange thing to say. But then again, he was just being himself. There was no foolery or trickery. This man was just being his plain self and it was refreshing. She was rather sick and tired of seeing the painted mask, the well-crafted smile and the eloquent speeches, the versed words. Everything about that was a bore. There was a growing smile on her face as she looked up.

His expression was still the same. The same seriousness when he was talking to the elves. "No. Not the first thing I'd expect to hear but actually practical", she said with a smile. She turned away from him, pulling on the shoulder part of her gown. "I'm going back to sleep", she said, signalling for the end of the conversation. Toyohisa tilted his head, staring at her retreating form.

That had probably been one of the most boring conversation he had with her, but far more interesting than any one he had before with a woman. His lips curled into a smile, it was no wonder she could handle being around them for so long. Olmine couldn't stay in the same room with them for one hour, she left ever so quickly if she wasn't needed. But Takeko was persistent and she did her duty as their aide ever so obediently. He wondered if her talents were wasted serving them, and if she perhaps better suited for something greater.

Oda and Yoichi stood there in amazement and wonder as they watched the dwarves work, with loud bangs of metal meeting metal and the searing sound of blistering hot iron meeting cool water, it was all rather mesmerising. There was a sort of rhythmic beat as they worked, there were no words or communication between them, the lack of a 'human' voice made it even more out of the world as they worked. Oda could only watch in amazement and speechlessness as he had nothing to say, the dwarves had kept their word and at the crack of dawn at the day before they had begun working on the musket tirelessly. There were dozens of workshops around the military camp with many more dwarves however they were not working on the musket. Only this workshop was in use for experimentations, but the workshop alone was already showing such progress that was unhuman. Oda had opted for the dwarves to work in the workshop which was beyond the walls of the military camp, near the fields of grass and the sharp edges mountains.

Being inside the walls for him was too overbearing and suffocating, but there was another reason. If there was an unprecedented enemy attack he would ensure that he, Toyohisa, Yoichi and Takeko would be able to escape first. He was not going allow any one of them die, their skills and abilities were much too valuable to waste. As he was lost in his thoughts he didn't hear what the dwarf said properly.

"He's pretty good", the dwarf said as his fiddled with one of screws on the musket.

"Huh? What?" Oda said in surprise as he refocused his attention back on the working dwarf.

"I'm talking about this iron pipe of yours", the dwarf said sarcastically holding up the matchlock.

"What did you call this, a rifle?" One dwarf said absentmindedly as he continued to strike the steel until it was soft and malleable.

"I'm saying the smithery of countrymen is pretty good", the previous dwarf said with emphasis on 'pretty good', as if he wasn't expecting anything of usefullness from the Drifters world, he was pleasantly surprised, but seeing from the night before he knew not underestimate how simple a weapon may be. And after screwing the last piece on the barrel he held out the rifle with a rather unimpressed expression, "Well, they are still no match for us. There you go, the first one".

Oda's eyes widened out in shock, so soon?! "Wha…Hey! It had only been a day since yesterday! Are you saying you have already fully recreated it?!" Oda cried out in bewilderment, if it were back in Japan it would have taken at least a week for any musket to be created, even the most skilled wouldn't have been able to recreate the musket in such a short amount of time. And certainly if they had never seen it in their lives.

"If it was just a schematic it would have taken much longer, but the actual item is already here! It's a piece of cake to make a copy of it", the dwarf said casually, "Go ahead and try it out, there shouldn't be any problem", he said with an air of confidence and arrogance. The certainty in his voice was baffling and unnerving.

As soon as Oda regained his composure he went straight to business, "If we are to operate this workshop town at full power, how many of these do you think make?" Oda said in a dark tone as a shadow cast down upon him, obscuring his face making him more menacing.

"This workshop town alone provides for more than half of Orte's weaponry. We could do that even when we were starving and idling about", the dwarf claimed. "If we work together as one and do this seriously…let's see…" As he pondered over the thought of time and labour needed to make one musket he indicated with his fingers as he counted in his mind. "This is different from swords and armours. In order to get used to this, we will need some time", he began recounting his mind and finally after a short pause he gave Oda a rough estimate of how much they could make, "We can perhaps get seven to eight made at first. After we get used to the work, we can make to about ten".

"Just ten?! You talked with so much arrogance, I thought you could make way more than just ten!" Oda said disappointedly, after hearing him say that it was a total let down.

The dwarf rebutted back with as much irritancy, "That wasn't enough? Ten per day is the most we can make! Don't ask for the impossible!" What more could this moron could ask for the dwarf thought angrily, don't get too ahead of yourself!

"…Per day!" Oda had taken a moment to let the words sink in before shouting out in surprise, he did not expect the number to be so high. At most he thought of perhaps two or three, but ten?! That was absolutely amazing, if he had the option of going back to Japan he would take the dwarves with him, it would've made his life so much easier. 'Are you kidding me? These dwarves are really something!' He thought with a smirk as his eyes were downcast. He was deep in thought as he began speculating on how many tactics he could use to take down an enemy. There was so much untapped potential.

"Your face just suddenly made a really evil expression", the dwarf remarked in surprise, sometimes he would like to think that the man was no better than the devil himself.

"He does that at times. Just leave him be when he does that", Yoichi said deadpanning, he had become so used to seeing Oda like that. It didn't bother him anymore, and besides he was surrounded by monsters. They were all in their own rights but something made them stand out from the ordinary monsters and beasts, he didn't know what it was, maybe it was because of his youth or his inexperience.

"Where did Toyohisa go? Is he still eating?" Oda remarked as he looked around the room searching for a dash of red and a mob of black. He found nothing though.

"I wonder", Yoichi said absentmindedly with a mischievous smile.

The dwarf snapped his fingers as he recalled a memory, "If you're talking about that guy, he said he wanted to some exercise…to help with his digestion and gathered the young dwarven lads to do something".

"To be honest I can't see any difference between your older and younger people", Oda said sarcastically with a drawling tone. "Every one of you looks like and old fart. Did you get cursed or something?" Oda said with a bored tone with eyes furrowed in irritancy.

"SHUT UP!" The dwarf yelled hotly at him, he didn't deny the statement though for it was true to an extent.

"Takeko! I know you're here somewhere", Oda cried out, he knew that the brat was here. He could smell the fragrant scent of honey and chrysanthemum, when she wasn't soaked in blood from head to toe she had a refreshing scent which always reminded him of a tea. He didn't know why she smelled like that but it was always a good breather, most of the time she had the pungent smell of death and blood which clung onto her skin. "I need you to see if Otoyo is not doing anything stupid".

"Okay~", Takeko suddenly chimed right next to Oda's ear. Oda suddenly jolted away from in surprise, from above Takeko was hanging on one of the beams on the ceiling. As of the moment she was dangling upside down with her hair cascading down. Oda blinked his eyes in surprise, how the hell did she get there and how did they not realize she was there.

"When the hell did you get here?" Oda said deadpanning.

Takeko pulled herself up onto the beam with her legs swaying back and forth, she merely answered with a shrug. "Does it matter?"

"Just go and check up on Toyohisa. I have high fears that he will screw something up if we leave him by himself", Oda said tiredly. And finally a few moments Takeko finally relented and jumped down from the ceiling beam, she dusted herself and pulled her hair into a low ponytail.

"See you later then", Takeko said sarcastically. Oda gave her a half-hearted wave as she walked out the door.

Edit: 21/10/19 future me is here to say hi!

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