Disclaimer. All characters and general content belong to Togashi Yoshihiro, although I do claim ownership for my OC, Rin, and all other noncanon locations(which there will be a lot of), fights and characters I may end up creating. This fanfiction will be rated M for violence, gore and many other explicit scenes I will more than likely produce from my deranged mind.
You have been warned.
A shout out to my friend for drawing me a book cover :3 !
I had quite some trouble writing this chapter. My work has been hectic yet again and I often come home, stare at the open word file for two hours and then go to bed. And stare at the ceiling for another two before I succumb to sleep. I've been so exhausted and even though I desperately want to write (as this is my outlet for stress) I am unable to do so. Sigh.
Anyway, thank you everyone for the reviews, they have been most helpful and continue to motivate me to update faster! Please do keep me posted on any errors I make: grammatical, punctuational or otherwise. (:
I hope you are enjoying this story so far!
Note: I'm from Europe so I use the metric system. 152cm = 5ft. Just in case I thought I'd clarify.
Warning. I'm giving an explicit warning for this chapter. It isn't for the faint of heart and I suggest you take it seriously. I will not edit it out, as I have included a warning in my disclaimer from the start. This fanfiction is rated M for obvious reasons.
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Chapter four
Crimson
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Rin was sure, that if guardian angels existed, hers would be the one that all of heaven laughed at: the black sheep, the dunce, the class dropout. If he really existed, he would be the most incompetent, useless, shit-for-brains angel. If he weren't, she would certainly not be in this position, of that she was sure. Or maybe she was just a hopeless case to begin with and he gave up long ago and went golfing on the fields of clouds with God? She giggled at her musings. She could feel their gazes on her back - she imagined their expressions would be rather unimpressed, disappointed. She stopped her giggling, feeling mortified. They probably thought she was mental, although coming from them it would be just a little hypocritical, seeing as they weren't exactly sane, them being most renowned criminals and all that.
It hadn't even been an hour in their company and she had already managed to show herself as the oafish person that she was. Why couldn't she, for once, look as competent as the rumors hailed her to be?
I wish the ground just swallowed me whole, she thought miserably. But lo and behold, the heavens had yet to hear her prayers and instead she felt more mud seep into her already soiled clothes. She sighed and stood up from the crater she had created from face-planting the ground with whatever dignity she had left and desperately tried to ignore Phinks' snickering. She growled and sent a baleful glare at the man, while trying to beat down the embarrassed blush on her cheeks, but one glance at the golden trio and she knew she had failed. Miserably. She let out another sigh dejectedly and continued walking on the slippery, muddy path, hoping for no repeat performance.
She was glad there was a settlement only a few hours away, because the way her filthy clothes kept rubbing against her skin made her feel rather violated. She was also glad she had insisted on leaving the navigation to her. She wouldn't go as far as to say they were completely clueless, but their sense of direction was still severely lacking. How they had found her to begin with was beyond her.
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After accepting her terms, a very heavy silence filled the air around them. She had expected them to fight her on the demands she had stated, at least threaten her some, yet it hadn't come. She couldn't help but feel slightly nervous from such a response. She could guess what the man, Shalnark, was thinking and it irked her to admit, that he was at least somewhat intelligent. She hadn't exactly said that they had to show their abilities to her and sit around the campfire, telling stories of their pasts. She had said she would unveil them, by herself, so technically they didn't need to do anything at all. And he realized that. Either way, they probably thought that if she found out too much, they'd just kill her off after the deal was kissed, sealed, done. Oh, and probably torture her for information until she outlived her usefulness before giving her the blissful death sentence.
She pressed her lips into a thin line. That was the worst case scenario, which she was well aware of. Yet even though the situation wasn't exactly favorable for her, she didn't fret all too much. These people were not the first, nor would be the last to put her into a difficult position. She had a considerable amount of time to study them while they traveled together, and she would make the most of it. And even then, if she did end up kicking the bucket, at least it was in the pursuit of knowledge. She would die at least somewhat content (even if she'd rather do it at the tender age of eighty-five while dusting her personal library).
"I currently know of eight nen exorcists." She suddenly spoke up, and instantly three pairs of eyes were trained on her, the heavy silence replaced by anticipation.
"Out of them, at least half would rather die than help you lot." She smirked when she saw Sphinks' face contort into a sneer.
"As for the other four.. One is currently MIA, so I'd rather not waste my time there, he's most likely dead." She continued, thinking.
The spiders exchanged a look, suspecting they knew who she had meant.
"The remaining three are worth a shot though. I don't know their current whereabouts, but I'm sure if I get in contact with some of my, for the lack of a better word, informers, it'll be a piece of cake from there on out." She paused, biting her lip. "We should head for a bigger city, that'll be our best shot."
Shalnark raised an eyebrow. "Swaldani City is less than half a day's distance."
She sent him an incredulous look. "Are you daft? I'm not setting foot in there so soon after the mess I left behind. I'd like to retain my anonymity, thank you. Besides, my contacts have most likely emptied out of there after the stunt I pulled." She let out frustrated sigh, remembering the troublesome heist. "We will head east towards Zaban, it's about two weeks away on foot. The good news is that we will stay inconspicuous – everyone in these areas live with their head in the sand – the bad news is that we'll have to cross the Snare's Wastelands." She grimaced. "We'll stop at a nearby village and stock up on some supplies beforehand. If I remember correctly, the place is called Karuko and it's only a few hours walk from here. We can stay the night there since the wastelands are only a short distance from the settlement's border."
Shalnark had to physically restrain Phinks from not mauling the woman, but it was oh-so-tempting to just let go. The way she was almost giving out orders and taking lead was grating even on his nerves.
"She said we can't maim or kill her. I'm sure she wouldn't notice a few nails and fingers missing?" Feitan suggested quietly.
She clamped her mouth shut for she had heard him. She looked away and glared at a rock.
"Thank god, I thought she'd never shut up." Phinks ground out. "Women." He said as if it were the obvious and only explanation needed.
"Well I'm sorry, you can lead then." She blurted out, fuming. They glared at each other for a few moments, until they both looked away, huffing like petulant children.
A couple of seconds ticked by until Phinks dropped the bomb.
"So which way is east?"
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Karuko was a small, poor town in the middle of the Yorbian Continent, built on the western border of the Snare's Wastelands. Most of the inhabitants were farmers, hunters or craftsmen, although they weren't particularly renowned for their skill. Resources were scarce and life in general was harsh, so if one could help it, they didn't settle down in here.
The town itself was built around two hundred years ago for the sole purpose of making expeditions into the wastelands. Back in the day, it was believed that the barren land reaching from here almost all the way to the sea and Zaban, was filled with unimaginable riches known to man. Where and why that rumor started remains unknown, because the vast, dead plains were filled with anything but. The only thing, that the people found in the wastelands, was unpredictable weather, lack of shelter, food and water, and death. Soon enough, the town's purpose ceased to exist and now there was barely half a thousand inhabitants left in Karuko.
The settlement was how she remembered it from her two previous visits. It was bleak and depressing. The houses were wooden, built around the center where the town's main well resided. The buildings at the edge of the town were more sizeable and higher than the ones near the center: they were built that way to keep out the deadly winds coming from the wastelands. There used to be a wall surrounding the whole length of the settlement as well, but the passage of time hadn't been exactly kind to it and the people were just too poor to rebuild it.
As shabby as the place was, Rin was grateful. She was dying for a fresh change of clothes, a shower and warm food. Not to mention she wanted to rid herself of her engaging travel companions. She could say with no hesitation at all that she loathed them. What she would give to be able to bury one of her daggers hilt-deep into Phinks' chest cavity. The man was absolutely infuriating. Shalnark was also grating on her nerves; not in the inane way Phinks did, but he managed to edge her on with his innocent sounding comments nonetheless. It annoyed her greatly how the man spoke in layers upon layers - you could never tell what he actually meant. And then there was Feitan. He was downright creepy with his sadistic tendencies. Not to mention when he popped out his Trevor Brown book that was worn out from use. Being the kind of person she was, she could appreciate all kinds and forms of art, but even she had difficulty seeing the value of the gory porn Feitan seemed to favor. The way he kept flipping through the pages with that perverse smile plastered on his face – if that wasn't disturbing, she didn't know what was.
They walked through the entrance of the town and as suspected, no one gave them more than a cursory glance. It didn't take more than ten minutes to locate the lone inn of the settlement. It was right at the center, across the well. The center was where some semblance of life happened in here, so all the businesses were aimed to please. Besides the inn there were bars, a restaurant, the market and a shady looking building that suspiciously resembled a brothel.
As they eased the creaking, wooden door open, a soft jingle of a bell resounded in the inn. The reception room was a dimly-lit, small, but comfortable area lined with plush sofas and armchairs. The whole breadth of the floor was covered with a soft, red carpet and numerous oil paintings decorated the mahogany walls. At the end of the room, there was a large wooden table, which was used to receive the guests of the house. Left of it was an ornate staircase, reaching to the second floor. They barely had to wait a minute, before the matron of the establishment came bustling through the door behind the counter. She was an elderly woman donning a simple, brown dress garb.
"How can I help you?" She asked, smiling kindly.
"May I have a single-bed room please?" Rin inquired, popping a handful of coins on the counter. The hostess counted the money on the table and then proceeded to hand her a copper key.
"Here you go darling. The room is up the stairs, fourth door on the right." The woman gestured towards the stairs with her hand.
"You know, you could've taken a room with more beds. No need to be that bitchy." Phinks commented, smirking.
Rin turned and stared at the man with a look of complete disbelief. "Oh no. This is my room. I am sure you are more than capable of acquiring your own." She said icily, before stomping up the stairs and locking herself in her quarters.
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Shalnark gave the confused matron an apologetic smile. "We'd like a room for three."
"Yes, of course." The lady said quickly. She counted the jennies Shalnark had thrown on the counter before handing him a key similar to Rin's.
"Second room on the left." She said automatically before turning her attention to Phinks and lowering her voice. "And you! You ain't getting any younger, you know! Make up with your girl!" She admonished him reproachfully. She then turned on her heel, muttering something about youngsters these days. The woman promptly exited the reception room via the door behind the counter, leaving the bewildered men behind in an uncomfortable silence.
"So.. Phinks-" Shalnark begun, voice innocent.
"Not one word." Phinks warned, growling. He yanked the key out of Shalnark's grasp and made his way to the staircase. He sent his companions another 'I-fucking-dare-you' glare before heading up. Their expressions stayed impassive - not counting the hint of mirth in their eyes - until Phinks was out of sight and they were relatively safe from flying objects. Then Shalnark broke into a fit of giggles and even Feitan's mouth had quirked into a half-smirk, eyes twinkling with amusement. It took a few moments for Shalnark to cease his snickering and to school his features, before following Phinks upstairs with Feitan in tow. They entered the room assigned to them and gave it a quick once-over. Feitan's nose scrunched in disdain. The room paled in comparison to the lavish reception hall. It was a small, cramped area, and not in a cozy way. It housed two – yes, two – beds, a single and a double, a narrow wooden closet and a desk. The window at the far end was small and rimmed by curtains that had seen one too many washes. The word shabby described the room perfectly.
Since, obviously, Phinks had taken the only single bed of the room, Shalnark grudgingly plopped on the remaining bed and stretched his legs.
"One of us should keep an eye on the girl. She cannot be trusted not to escape when the opportunity arises." Shalnark said as he unzipped his vest and threw it at the foot of the bed.
"You're kidding, right?" Phinks complained. "I ain't spending more time with that horrid brat."
Shalnark sighed. "No choice then, we will decide it with a coin toss-"
Clack.
They both looked up just in time to see Feitan's cloak flicker right before he slammed the door shut after himself.
"I guess that's taken care of then." Shalnark quipped cheerfully.
"You sure it's wise to leave her to Feitan?" Phinks asked skeptically.
"What? Are you worried for the girl?" Shalnark teased, making Phinks growl at him.
"Obviously not. All I mean is that we actually need her alive and kicking, not dissected beyond recognition." He snapped.
Shalnark chuckled. "Give him some credit. We need her to help Chrollo. He wouldn't hurt her." His smile turned just a little malicious. "Much."
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Rin hummed as she toweled her damp hair. She exited the small bathroom and entered her not much bigger quarters. Throwing the now wet towel on the bed, she started rummaging through her bag, searching for a spare change of clothes. She scowled in dismay when she realized she only had a single garment. She must've left the rest back in Swaldani in her hurry to escape.
Her only clean article of clothing was a very short, white silk dress. It resembled a nightdress with those thin straps instead of sleeves and the way it hugged her chest a little too tightly. The dress fell freely from right under her bosom, reaching barely mid-thigh. The dress was much too short and way too revealing for her tastes. She grimaced as she pulled it on, smoothing out the wrinkles. She vaguely wondered where she had gotten this particularly vile piece of clothing, before remembering that it had been a gift from one of the men who had tried to court her. Her scowl deepened. Rin shook her head to diverge herself from that line of thought to avoid ripping the dress into shreds before her own clothes dried. She plopped on the bed and pulled on her leather boots. Not wanting to see her reflection, lest she confirmed she looked like a hooker, she made her way out of her room, down the staircase and out of the inn.
The square was bustling with townsfolk now that it was past afternoon and nearing evening. One could hear people talking and shouting animatedly, children laughing with delight and dogs and other various animals making their own respective sounds. Rin walked around aimlessly, ignoring the stares as she was used to them. She went off the main street, entering a more empty and rural part of the town. Suddenly she came to a halt, thinking. Not a moment later she turned on her heel and walked off with more determination in her step. After zigzagging for a couple of minutes she stopped at the entrance of a rundown shop. She opened the paneled door and let herself in.
The scent of metal and gunpowder assaulted her senses the moment she entered the vicinity. The walls of the shop were lined with weapons of different kind, ranging from swords to guns. Different kinds of armor and protective gear hung in the racks and there was even a shelf for the maintenance supplies. For a small workshop the variety of products was quite extensive. She let her eyes wonder through the room, looking for the weapon she came for.
"What is a young girl like you doing in a store such as this?" A snappy voice resounded from the other end of shop. Rin slowly turned towards the sound, noting it belonged to an old, disgruntled man. He didn't have the kindest eyes.
"Even girls like me need a means to protect themselves if the men are incompetent." She countered.
The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and snorted indignantly. "What do you want?"
Damn sexist pig. Rin swallowed the need to grind her teeth. "I'm looking for a sturdy bo-staff that can be separated into three segments. My previous one broke."
"Do you even know how to use one?" He scoffed. Getting no outward response from the girl, he reluctantly motioned towards left with his hand. "Pick whichever you want."
Rin stepped towards the motioned weapons and began going through them. Ten minutes, a dozen weapons and a handful of inopportune comments from the shopkeeper later, the girl left the store with her new staff in hand. The shopkeeper had not been happy to let her have the weapon as this bo-staff seemed to be one of the few gems of the store, but money was money.
The staff was much longer then she – well then again, most things were, considering she was a measly meter and a half tall.
152cm! She corrected herself vehemently.
The weapon was mainly carved out of dark chestnut, the ends being white oak. It had no decorative patterns – it was simple, clean, elegant. She was rather pleased with her purchase.
She took to wondering the small town again, not wanting to go back to the claustrophobic room. She bought a steamed bun from a street vendor, savoring the taste as she ate it slowly. While she wondered and purchased things for her impending trip, the sun slowly began to set as the night rolled in. Seeing as it was darkening by the minute, Rin gave an internal sigh and slowly begun to make her way back to the inn. She didn't know where exactly she was – she had let her feet carry her aimlessly – but the buildings around her seemed rather high, meaning she was near the border. Suddenly a loud noise jolted her out of her thoughts and immediately switched her fight mode on. She strained to hear any other sounds and let her eyes skim the surroundings. Not finding anything out of place, she almost lowered her guard, but another loud bang came from the nearby alleyway. A metal can rolled out of it, making a few thuds as it fell on the street, before finally stopping. Rin let out a breath.
Probably just some strays.
She was just about to leave when a muffled cry echoed from the same alley, making her stop dead in her tracks. The cry had been distinctly female. She didn't think twice as she spun around and in a flash she was there. What she saw there made her eyes widen and body turn rigid. Her expression was a mixture of shock, horror and disgust. The female she had heard lay on the ground covered in small cuts, bruises and blemishes. Her eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with more fresh tears as they mixed with the blood that trickled from her nose and mouth. What made Rin's anger boil the most, however, was that her clothes had been ripped to shreds and the injuries on her lower body left no room for argument as to what was happening. The broken female tried to scramble away from the three men in the alley just as one of them reached out and grabbed her hand, yanking her towards him and slamming her back to the wall.
"My turn then." He smiled cruelly and begun unzipping his pants, his intentions more than clear.
The movement broke Rin out of her shock and she growled. Everyone in the passage snapped their eyes towards the sound. The temperature in the air had dropped significantly as Rin stepped into the alley, eyes no longer a warm blue, but a freezing white. The men clearly didn't sense the imminent danger.
"Well you don't look half-bad either there, girl. Once we're done with this filth, you could –"
He couldn't finish the rest of the sentence however, as he let out a blood-curling scream. He was holding onto what had once been his hand, but now all that was left was a bloody stump from where blood kept oozing out more and more by the second. His accomplices backed away, horror in their eyes at the bloody scene.
Oh? So now you are scared? Rin thought with morbid satisfaction. She glanced at the men, a malicious smile playing on her lips. They had nowhere to run; the alley was a dead end and she was blocking the only exit. Her eyes fell on the terrified female.
"If your feet can carry you, I suggest you get out of here." Rin told the woman. It took her a couple of moments to register what the whitehaired girl had said, but then wasted no time to scramble on her feet and bolt out of the alley while clutching her nearly naked body.
Rin's eyes once again fell on the vile men. Since the shock had worn off, they were now looking at her with undiluted anger.
"We will fucking kill you, you fucking whore!" One of them shouted.
Rin cocked her head on the side. "It appears we agree on something." She flickered out of their sight and appeared in front of the man who had spoken. "But it won't be me dying." She gripped her newly acquired bo-staff in her hand. The men stared at it, horrified expressions on their faces, as ice started to crawl over the weapon in vines, creating a frozen blade at the tip. She raised the staff and before the man in front of her could even blink, she ran it through his throat, effectively severing his windpipe. He coughed blood once, before his eyes became unseeing and he fell back, lifeless.
As their comrade fell, one of the remaining two panicked and tried to run past Rin while screaming, but the attempt fell flat as she spun around and slashed the man across his back, leaving a deep, fatal cut. She turned towards the remaining male, eyes glowing white. He had fallen on his ass and was trying to scramble backwards, face pale with dread.
"H-h-have mercy!" He pleaded, tears flowing down his face.
Rin stared at him, face cold and emotionless. "I'm sure the woman begged as well." The man's eyes widened in horror as she raised her weapon and with no hesitation swung it down, killing him.
She stood there for a couple of moments, staring blankly at the scene she had created. She then turned on her heel to exit the blood-covered alley. She was almost out of the passage when she stopped again, eyes narrowed and nose scrunched in disdain. Feitan stood there, a couple of paces from her, leaning against the wall at the mouth of the alley. His eyes were twinkling with something akin joy. Determined to ignore the man, she began walking once more only to be disturbed again.
"Crimson becomes you.. Rin."
Her eyes widened by a fraction, before a scowl marred her features. The tone that had laced his voice as he had said her name was absolutely vile, disgusting. He had enjoyed seeing her kill. He was absolutely delighted at the scene she had created and was immensely relishing in the fact that she was covered in blood. The smile that graced his features was dangerous on many levels. She felt like a deer caught in headlights. She knew if she stayed near him any longer, there would be no guarantee he wouldn't kill her. Not wanting to confirm her fears, she walked past him and hoped he wouldn't come after her. He didn't. She didn't dare look back. All she could think about, was getting back to the inn, to the relative safety of her small room.
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To be continued.