Sol of Luna: Near and Far

Author: Gakusangi

Author's Notes and Acknowledgements:
RECAP – Near, Mello, Matt and Linda all find themselves held captive by the warring natives of the Scarlet Hill region. Despite his daytime fatigue, Near is forced into a battle of wills. Facing off with the tribes shaman, Near takes on a spiritual transformation and battles for dominance. Emerging the victor, Near manages to win the children's freedom from their primitive captors. Meanwhile, using Misa as a distraction, Light manages to slip into the prisoner tent for a secret meeting with Lind Tailor, former lieutenant of the Akabannin.

This is a Death Note fan fiction. Many of the characters presented here are not mine, but the legal property of writer Tsugumi Ohba, and artist Takeshi Obata.

Chapter 17: Money

"They took my tobacco!" Matt cried in alarm as he frantically shuffled through the contents of his travel pack.

Mello was busy doing the same with his own pack.

"Yeah, they took my chocolate too!" Mello snapped in frustration.

"And all our money!" Linda whined as she tipped her coin purse upside-down and shook it just to be sure it was empty.

They were all sitting just outside the boundaries of the Scarlet Hills region, the large hills still visible in the distance. Near lay asleep next to Matt, nothing had so much as stirred his usually light sleep since he passed out at the circle. It appeared that whatever had occurred between him and painted man had sapped all of his remaining strength. He was breathing was deep, and his eyes did not move beneath their lids. It was a deep, dreamless sleep. To Matt, Near finally looked peaceful.

"We're not getting across that desert without supplies." Matt said, turning back to the other two.

"No money, means no supplies." Linda stated flatly.

"We'll stop in one of the border towns." Mello said.

"And what?" Linda asked.

"We're guildsmen," Mello told her, "We'll find some work and earn it."

He glanced over at the slumbering white haired boy next to his best friend.

"We should get some rest." Mello told the others. "We have long way to walk, and we start at nightfall."

"How's your head?" Matt asked, indicating the wound just above Mello's right eyebrow.

"I'm fine." Mello replied, lying down in the grass.

He noted that the greenery here seemed stiffer, dryer. He knew that as they continued onward, the temperate climate would give way to warmer temperatures, and that all the plant life would become sparse, and eventually give was to rolling dunes of sand. They still had a long way to go, and yet, they were drawing nearer and nearer. And it was this thought the followed Mello as he fell into a dreamless, but still fitful sleep, into the lion's den, as Linda had said.

* * * *

Near discovered that he still had the phantom taste of fresh blood in his mouth when he woke. It lingered even as he and his traveling companions gathered themselves up, and moved out, just after the sun had sunken beneath the horizon. He turned his head and spit in an attempt to relieve himself of the coppery taste. Matt looked on with amusement.

"Attractive." Matt remarked.

Near didn't respond, so Matt pressed a little harder.

"It's nice to see that you've been taught proper manners, back at the palace." Matt mused.

"Yeah, Near." Linda joined in. "It's unbecoming of you. You're a Prince, and you're in the presence of lady, after all."

Mello glanced around, catching Linda's attention.

"What is it, Mello?" Linda asked with concern.

"I'm just looking for this lady you were talking about." Mello cheeked.

Linda glared at the back of the blonde boy's head, and Matt snorted in amusement. They walked on, the large, stained hills fading in the distance far behind them.

* * * *

The air was already heavy with intense heat, and the once rich foliage of the surrounding landscape had become dry, and seedless, by the time they spotted the small town just ahead. They were nearing the border, and the land would soon give way to an expansive dessert, the Barrens, as the natives of the land knew it. Daimyo territory, the forbidden zone, they were none too eager to continue, but knew that they had no other choice at this point. As far as they could tell, the town was nameless, having no sign or banner to prove otherwise. It was a rundown little place, dry as its surroundings, but still not nearly as dead. The residents tended to stay indoors, where the air could be kept cooler…or maybe they were just weary of new comers.

They made for a larger structure at the end of the main road, if in fact it could be called that. The streets of this place were simply large spans of dust and had been packed down from being tread upon frequently. Wagon tracks could be seen in the dust trail, indicating that there was still some kind of trading arrangements made between this place and its neighboring towns. But the state of this dried out, husk of a town left the children less than hopeful. The air was so dry and thirsty for moisture that it seemed to consume the very sweat from their brows. Even in the darkness of night, this place was like an oven. They were very close indeed. They all came before a set of swinging, saloon doors, the sound of someone on a piano playing out to them.

Mello turned to the others.

"Okay," Mello started, "Linda and I are going to go find some work."

"At this hour?" Linda said skeptically.

"What choice do we have?" Mello replied with a shrug. "We might have to wait until morning, but if we can find something tonight, it would save us some time."

The blonde boy turned is bluer than blue eyes over to his tall, redheaded companion.

"Matt, you stay with Near, and keep him out of trouble." Mello told his best friend.

"No problem." Matt replied.

"We'll be back before dawn." Mello said. "So stay here, where we can find you."

"You got it." Matt responded.

With that, Mello and Linda departed, leaving the redheaded boy standing with the, almost a full head shorter, Near standing beside silently beside him, curling his hair. Matt tapped Near on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Let's go inside." Matt offered. "Maybe I'll be able to bum a cigarette of someone."

He stepped past Near and pushed through the saloon doors, Near following quietly behind him.

* * * *

Kari stood on the corner of the street, her mind alight with all the trouble she was in. If she didn't have something for Koren by the end of the day, she was likely not to see another sunset. She thought back on how she'd landed herself in this mess. Kari had always been good at the long con. It was her looks that captured them first, peeked their interest. She was very beautiful, and young, almost too young. Medium length blonde hair, like strands of golden silk, sparklingly blue eyes, and ruby red lips. Her skin was fair, a light pink and without any signs of blemish, smooth and soft. Her figure, in a good stage of development, shape was beginning to define itself, but she wasn't yet full in form, petite as one might say, but not lacking in anything alluring.

A look in their direction, a little bat of the eyes, and a pouting of the lips and she could get anyone to listen to what she had to say. That's were she got them next. Her voice, like that of an angel, singing hymns in the empyrean kingdoms above. A voice that could have landed her a great living as a singer, but singing had never been the thing for Kari. No, singing didn't have enough thrill, at least not when compared to scamming. So she was no saint, but everyone had to make coin somehow. With her striking looks, and enchanting voice, she would weave intricate and ingenious webs of deception, and before she knew it, she would have more money than she knew what to do with.

But it wasn't to last. Nothing ever is. The cost of high living, in a place so far from civilization was steep, and before she knew it, she would be back on the street, waiting for the next passer through to look her way. But times were tight. There was a war going on in the background, and their neighbors, who chose to steer clear of the frontline, had all but abandoned the border towns. And so, in her desperation, Kari had found Koren. If there were anyone better at conning than Kari, it was Koren. Not dashing or elegant in appearance, but tough, and rugged, with a deep and powerful voice that could turn all heads to him. But he knew how to use that voice, picking just the right tones, and tying the perfect words together in order to get you to see things his way.

In over her head, and completely out conned, Kari found herself indebted to Koren. Koren was not the man to owe. Kari wasn't entirely sure just how many unmarked graves outside of town could be attributed to Koren, but she figured that he had a higher body count than most plagues pinned to his name. And now the time was drawing near, and Kari was beginning to think that she was finished. You could imagine her relief when she spotted two knew faces walking down the street. A young boy with longer, blonde hair, and young girl with brown, both couldn't have been far from her own age. The first things that Kari's eyes fell on were what they were carrying. The boy had an elegantly crafted sword, antique looking, but in good condition. The girl had a set of very exotic looking long knives sheathed behind her.

Kari nearly jumped with excitement, but managed to keep her composure. Both items were sure to fetch a high price, at least enough to get her out of the hole she'd dug herself into. She noted that the girl didn't appear to be related to the boy, so she was likely his companion. It would be a bad idea to try and be seductive. Instead, she would approach them all smiles. Judging from the way they were glancing about, they were more or less lost, so she could play the Good Samaritan. Kari took a breath to steady herself, cleared her head, and then threw on her game face. She stepped off the corner, and into the street to meet them.

* * * *

Linda wasn't sure what to think when a young girl, who could have easily been Mello's long lost sister, suddenly approached them with a broad smile. Instinctively, Linda's hand casually fell back, and rested itself lightly atop the hand of one of the Kris Knives. Linda didn't fail to notice how Mello's hand automatically found its way over to grip of his sword as he eyed the girl suspiciously…well maybe not suspiciously, but with a keen interest none-the-less. The girl gave a little giggle as she came before them.

"It's nice to see some knew faces!" The girl said excitedly. "Welcome, welcome! Not a whole lot of kids my age left in old Hitomura!"

"Hitomura?" Mello repeated. "Is that the name of this place?"

"Sure is." The girl replied happily. "No signs or anything, but everyone here remembers the name."

She leaned in close to them, putting the back of her had to the side of her mouth, as if trying to tell them something that she didn't want anyone else to hear. Something that Mello thought was odd, since she had been the only sign of life in this town since their arrival.

"Most of the people around here are old enough to have heard its name when it was founded." She said, giving them a playful wink.

She stepped back, and looked them up and down.

"So what brings you here?" She asked, then she gasped slapped the side of her head. "Oh, where are my manners. I'm Kari."

She smiled at them again. Well, since she was already smiling, she simply broadened her expansive crescent of teeth, nearly cutting her head in two.

"I-I'm, Linda." Linda stammered, overwhelmed by the Kari's enthusiasm. "And this is, Mello."

"Pleased to meet you!" Kari burst with a small hop. "So, what brings you guys to Hitomura?"

"Actually, we needed to get some supplies." Mello explained. "But we don't have any money. So instead we were looking for work."

The girl hummed, placing her index finger to her shining, red lips thoughtfully. Mello was instantly reminded of the way L sometimes did the same thing when he started up a long train of thought. Then Kari slapped the bottom of her fist into her palm, as if coming to some conclusion.

"Old Koren's got a warehouse stocked full of stuff." Kari told them. "He's always open for trading goods. If you have anything you could give him, you could exchange it for something else."

Neither of them was too keen on bartering their gear, but if anything, this provided an opportunity to see what the town had to offer. So they both gave a nod, and were soon being led off down the street by the ball of hyperactivity that was Kari.

* * * *

They hadn't walked far before Kari's mind went alight with more insidious plotting. She had to be certain that the weapons weren't some cheap replicas with an antique finish. That wouldn't get her anywhere. No, somehow she had to get a look at them, or at least one of them, just to be sure. The sword had look authentic enough, and she made sure to stand closer to the blonde boy, something that was out of habit. She liked boys, and they tended to like her, so it came naturally without any thought. She hadn't missed the way his eyes had fallen over her. The girl's eyes had looked suspicious, but not his. His looked longing, something else she was used to.

Her next move had to be quick. The slightest mistake would only serve to make her look like a fool, rather than achieve her ends. There were rocks up ahead, and that was perfect cover. She took a moment to glance back at the blonde boy, what's-his-name, and offered a devilish grin, her cheeks flushing as she did so. Some color rose in his cheeks as well, as she had anticipated. The cover was set, and the rocks were coming. This was either going to be a brilliant display of cunning, or it was going to get her into some trouble.

Mello was beginning to get uncomfortable with Kari's notable interest in him. He wasn't shy to the affections of the fairer sex, but he had only just met this girl, he wasn't particularly interested, even though she was undeniably pretty, and he had a job to do. He was about to say something to her, to break her heart really, when suddenly the toe of her boot caught a rock in the middle of the road, and she began to tumble. Mello was fast to react, much faster than Kari had hoped for. He took her arm at the elbow, to stop her fall. But she was low enough and quick enough to follow through.

Kari reached out, trying her best to make it look frantic and uncalculated, and grabbed the handle of his sword. She pulled, as though trying to stop her fall, and managed to work the blade out of its sheath, exposing only a few inches of polished, wave patterned steel. She gasped. It wasn't part of her act, but genuine surprise. Kari knew a thing or two, at least enough to make her some quick coin. She could spot a fake, and this weapon wasn't, by any means. In fact, she doubted that there was another one of its kind in all the world. They didn't make anything like this, at least not anymore…maybe not ever. She had hit the jackpot.

Mello pulled her gently, but quickly back to her feet, pushing his sword back into its sheath with his free hand. Kari blushed, intentionally, and looked at him with dishonest regret.

"Sorry." She squeaked.

"Are you alright?" Mello asked, there was concern in his tone, but he seemed a little stiff.

"Yeah." She replied.

Linda stood in silence. That fall…had been perfect. Linda had an eye for detail. It was part of what made her a good artist. Kari's stumble had been intentional, Linda was certain of that. But for what purpose? Then Linda caught the glint of steel, and heard the familiar scraping noise that accompanied the draw. And in that moment, Linda understood. Kari had wanted to get a look at Muramasa. A cold feeling set into Linda's stomach. Something was very wrong here, another thing that Linda was certain of.

* * * *

They arrived before a warehouse soon after Kari's tripping incident. It was large structure, one of the largest they had seen in town so far. It didn't have the same feel as the other buildings here. It didn't seem dried out and in disrepair like everything else. Linda's bad feeling only intensified with this. She wondered if Mello felt the same way. If he did, he didn't show it. Kari ran head suddenly, causing them both to instinctively move to their weapons. But all Kari did was pushed open the door to admit them into the warehouse. She stepped in first, and then beckoned for them to follow, all smiles.

Force of habit caused Mello and Linda to step in cautiously and take in their surrounding quickly, there hands resting on their weapons all the while.

"Wait here, I'll go get Koren." Kari said brightly, skipping off out of sight.

When she was certain they couldn't be heard, Linda leaned in beside Mello.

"Something's not right." Linda whispered.

"Yeah," Mello agreed, "I got that feeling earlier."

"She's too…natural." Linda said.

"Yeah, something about it all seems fake." Mello remarked.

"Her fall, it was too perfect." Linda went on. "She wanted to see the sword."

Mello only nodded.

"Well, what do we do?" Linda asked.

"See what happens." Mello replied. "But stay sharp."

Linda nodded.

* * * *

Kari dash quickly up a set of stairs, hidden behind a wall of crates. She was relieved to finally be out of character and back to normal. She scolded herself for coming on a little too strong. She hadn't come out innocent and trust worthy, as she had intended. She just seemed hyper and stupid. Oh, well. She was pretty desperate at this point. She came before a door, and knocked upon it lightly. It opened to reveal a tall man with long, straight hair, blackest of black. His narrow eyes fixed upon her, but she was used to his glare.

"Hi, Veyne." Kari said casually. "I need to see Koren."

Wordlessly, Veyen stepped aside to admit her. Kari crossed the threshold. Across from the door was sturdy desk, with a man sitting behind it, his feet propped up atop the desk. He was tall, and slim, but his muscles were strong and well defined. He had short, scruffy hair, deep-brown, but graying at the sides. He had square chin with bristly bits of stubble shadowing it. His eyes were green, and sharp, like those of a hawk. Those eyes set themselves on her, and she found it difficult not to squirm under their gaze.

"Hey, Koren." Kari said nervously.

Koren smiled, showing a straight set of well managed teeth. It was an odd contrast to his otherwise rough and unkempt appearance.

"I hope you've brought me something I can work with." Koren said quietly. "I'd hate to someone like you go to waste because of poor decision making."

Kari gritted her teeth. He was teasing her.

"You should see what I've brought for yourself." Kari said.

"Something…interesting?" Koren asked, seeming hopeful.

"You have no idea." Kari replied.

Koren rose and came around the desk, standing before the young girl, towering almost two heads taller than her. She wasn't the least bit intimidated by his size. It was his eyes. Those sharp, piercing, cunning eyes, which bore into her, seeing everything in her, she could hide nothing from him. And yet, his mannerism and charm almost made her not want to hide, like he was drawing her out. It was an odd feeling, something she had never before experienced with another person. It was his power over her, over all the people he lured into his traps.

"Show me." Koren demanded in a calm and gentle voice, making it seem as though it weren't a command.

Kari obeyed all the same. His power over her was far too great to resist, even if he had already cheated her, and threatened her life. His hold lingered, and she was powerless against it. They stepped quietly out of the room, and headed back down the steps. Kari glanced around a wall of crates, and spotted her two victims standing in the middle of the warehouse, looking a little unnerved. Koren looked past Kari at the two.

"What's this?" Koren asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"Those two are money on legs." Kari told the man. "Look at the weapons."

Koren squinted a little. Then he nodded.

"Knock-offs?" Koren asked.

"The sword is authentic!" Kari said excitedly, maybe a little louder than she had intended.

"You're sure?" Koren asked, seeming very skeptical.

"Positive." Kari replied. "I've seen it up close."

Koren nodded.

"Okay," Koren said, "I'll send Veyne out back, and he'll ride ahead to meet Bannister."

"You're getting a shipment in today?" Kari asked.

"Aeron made a deal with a gun-runner in Kalish." Koren explained. "It has the potential of being a very profitable partnership."

* * * *

Suddenly Kari reappeared, followed closely by a tall, thin man with rugged features, and sharp, green eyes. Mello and Linda both looked at each other, and then back at the two approaching them. Kari was all smiles, as usual, but something about the man seemed…wrong to the children. He had a feeling about him that made them uneasy. The man smiled, revealing a well kept mouth full of even, white teeth. Mello had to suppress a shudder at the sight of it.

"Well, they do look promising." The man said brightly. "Little Kari tells me tells me that you two need some money."

Kari gritted her teeth covertly behind a still ginning pair of ruby lips. She hated being condescended by the likes of Koren.

"If you're willing," Koren offered, "I have some things coming in later by wagon, you could help unload. Then I need a few items shipped out that you can load on. I'll pay for the services, and even give you discount on anything you find here that you like."

Linda glanced over at Mello. His face was set in stone, and he gave nod. Linda nodded back.

"Sure, we'll help." Mello told the man.

* * * *

It didn't take long for the wagon to arrive. Both Mello and Linda couldn't help but wonder why the man, Koren, was receiving shipments in the late ours of the evening, but they didn't pursue it. If things panned out right, then they would have money and possibly some supplies by morning. If things didn't…well at least they were prepared. Neither of them noticed when Koren leaned in toward a tall man, with long black hair.

"I know they're just kids, but I don't want to take any chances." Koren told Veyne. "Go get the rest of the guys."

Veyne nodded and rode off out of sight. Mello noticed the man's sudden departure, and the bad feeling that was slowly welling inside him quickened. He hopped into the back of the wagon, and began handing off boxes to Linda. There was a man in front of him inspecting the boxes, and Mello made it a point to not let the man go beyond his periphery. Linda noted the man she was passing the items off to, while he loaded them into a small cart. Then there was the driver, which both of them could not see, but occasionally heard shuffle a little in the brisk night air. Finally there was Koren, who watched them work, his piercing, green eyes boring into them.

CLICK!

Mello was familiar with the sound of switch blade flicking open, and his muscles instinctively went into action. As the man in front of him whirled around with the blade in hand, Mello quickly grabbed the knife wielding wrist, pulled the adjoining arm over his shoulder, and flipped the man out of the wagon.

WHOOSH!

At the same moment the commotion in the wagon was beginning, Linda heard the sound of something blunt cutting through the air. She felt the displacement of air against the back of her neck, telling her just how little time she had. Immediately, she dropped on all fours. The weapon, a small leather pouch that was weighted at one end, more commonly known as a sap, passed mere inches from the top of her head. At the same moment she came into a crouch, Linda kicked out her leg, and swept the man's feet out from underneath him, causing him to spill onto the ground.

The fight had begun, the moment of surprise was lost, but the children were outnumbered. The first two attackers were back on their feet in an instant. Mello's sword cut through the air, and nearly cleaved his attackers head in two. Linda rolled off to the side, getting a little more distance between her and her foe. The man rushed her, but suddenly the handle of a kunai was protruding from his torso. He looked at the little throwing dagger with disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it had been was muffled beneath a long line of crimson that sudden ran from his mouth. The man crumbled and died in the dirt.

Mello reversed his blade, and punched it through the wagon and into the driver on the other side. The sound of splintering wood, and the man crying out in mingled alarm and pain, filled the blonde boy's ears. He removed his weapon, a small line of blood trailing from its tip to where it had pierced through. He heard the man on the other side stumble from his perch, and into the road. Koren's eyes flashed with surprise. No ordinary children wandered around on their own, carrying weapons. But these children were extraordinary! They were like trained killers. Koren cursed under his breath and began to retreat. Mello hopped out of the back of the wagon, landing lightly beside Linda.

Suddenly, seemingly from out of nowhere, a whole new group of assailants arrived. There were at least a dozen of them, and they were headed by the dark haired man from earlier. They charged forward, weapons drawn, ready for a fight. Mello and Linda jumped apart and took up defensive stances. But then something else caught Linda's attention. Just before it shattered against the road, Linda saw that it was a bottle, with a flaming rag stuffed down its neck. When the bottle struck, a blazing fire cut between the children and their attackers. Mello and Linda both seized the opportunity, and dashed down the road, leaving the warehouse and the men behind them.

* * * *

Mello and Linda were completely exhausted by the time they arrived back at the bar. Matt and Near where both waiting outside. Curiously enough, Near seemed remarkably calm at the moment. He was leaned up against the wall, with one foot propped up against it, and his arms crossed over his chest. He was also wearing a cap, which made Mello frown in confusion. Matt was sitting in an old, dusty chair, with his legs stretched out before him and crossed. He was grinning broadly as he exhaled a large plume of smoke, his cigarette resting gingerly between two fingers.

"I thought they took your tobacco." Linda said as they came before the two boys.

"They did." Matt replied. "But I managed to get smoke from someone inside."

He looked them over and noted how terrible they looked.

"Any luck?" Matt asked.

"Yeah," Mello snapped, "All bad!"

Matt whistled between his teeth and sat up.

"Well that's too bad." Matt said, but he was still grinning. "I guess we'll just have to give you loan."

He lifted a large pouch that jingled with the sound of various coins nestled inside of it. Mello and Linda both gawked with astonishment.

"How–" Linda began, but was quickly interrupted by the beaming redhead.

"Near challenged some of the customers to a game of darts." Matt said proudly. "Apparently, he's pretty good at it. We made some decent money with that little hustle."

Near tipped his cap to the red haired boy.

"What's with the smoke?" Matt said rise from his chair and pointing over the Mello's shoulder.

Mello turned, and saw the column of black smoke that was rising into the air a few blocks down.

"I think we're going to have to spend the money someplace else." Mello said grimly.

"We'll head for another border town." Linda said. "In the meantime, let's get out of here."

They all left, eager to put as much distance between them and Hitomura as possible before sunrise.

* * * *

Kari was knelt quietly in an alleyway not far from the warehouse. She had watched the whole thing unfold from the safety of the warehouse. Koren was never going to forgive her for this. She was as good as dead. But that was not what ran through her mind at this moment. Rather, it was the fire that had allowed the two to escape. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out who had thrown it. She hadn't seen or heard anyone, and could think of no one who would stand up to Koren in such a way. Then Kari heard the sound of someone approaching behind her.

Kari whirled around. What she saw would have forced a horrified scream from her, if she hadn't so suddenly been gripped around the throat and lifted effortlessly from the ground and into the air. The thing, whatever it was, had been badly burned, its flesh scorched black and covered in blisters. Kari frantically clawed at arm the held her, the blackened skin flaking off, and ash burying itself beneath her fingernails. But the things grip did not loosen. It stared up at her, its eyes like twin spheres of darkness. And then it spoke.

"I have plans for those two, and I can't afford to have someone as pathetic as you compromise them." The thing said in an oddly seductive voice, despite its terrifying appearance. "You almost cost me quite a bit of fun."

Then it pulled Kari in close, so that there faces where almost touching. Kari was beginning to blackout for lack of air, but still the thing's hold did not let up. It ran a charred hand over her cheek, admiring the softness and smoothness of her skin. Its eyes, if it were even possible, darkened even further.

"You look like a lot of fun too." The thing remarked.

And then Kari was gone…

To Be Continued…

Author's Comments

Phew, this one was a real pain!

I after I finished this chapter, a surfed around, and discovered that one of my other readers (and fellow writer) already had a character named Kari, that looked Mello-ish...CRAP! Oh well, I'm not changing it now. Great minds think alike, I guess.

By the way: Hito - Bandit, Mura - Village/Town (Think this should have given them a clue?)

Naomi's in the next chapter, so stay tuned...