After this chapter, we'll move to posting every Monday. There may or may not be bonus chapters that appear in the middle, so keep your eyes peeled! And, by all means, if it gets to be Monday night and I haven't posted, feel free to send me a message to remind me. I'm very forgettable and seem to have lost almost all track of what day of the week it is during summer break.
Beta'd by the lovely Valentine'sNinja! Thanks again!
Many thanks to AnimeKiwi369, FiringShootingStar, Cecil Kain Cerberus, Rose-Aki, RunoandAkizafan, RobotFish, and theforgottenpeople96 for their lovely reviews!
And to my anon reviewer, kk, you'll have to wait and see!
Sunset Horizon
Chapter 03 – Desolate Eyes
Jack wasn't sure what to think as he moved down the earthen passages, a vibrant torch in one hand and Archfiend in the other, keeping his eyes peeled for the strange intruder. No one crossed the Enforcers and tried to one-up them. It was their responsibility to track this thief down and exploit him.
On top of that, the discovery of a secret passage in Goodwin's manor only served to point more fingers than ever. Granted, several of the higher-class homes along the border of Yliaster had passages built into them to serve as a secret escape in case the neighboring states decided to attack, but he doubted that was all this was for.
The dirt floors were packed too well, and torches had been left on a table with a water bucket to extinguish them by the entrance. No doubt Goodwin was using this to aid in his support of the Underground. It made sense, too. He had a secret passage no one else knew about. Why not make use of it?
They wandered along, Crow holding another torch in front of him while taking the lead, checking the floors for any sign of a trap. It would be just like Goodwin to plant netting to catch intruders. The trip was long and dull, taking them through the caverns to an unknown destination.
Suffice to say, they'd have quite the report to make to Yusei and Kalin.
The cavern wound along, twisting at times, but didn't hold any forks in the road as of yet. That man was a quick sprinter. Finally, the wide passage gave way to a small clearing, holding a table with crates of paperwork around it. More torches lay around, along with another bucket to extinguish them and struts built into the walls to hold the ones that were lit. Crow bounded over to the table, placing his torch into one such socket before dashing to the table and flipping through the pages. There had to be a goldmine of information hidden in those pages.
Jack let Crow look while he continued to explore, glancing through the small entrance to see what lied beyond. He figured this place wasn't too close to the exit, or else it probably would have been discovered by now. Holding his light in front of him, he kept Archfiend poised and ready to fire if necessary as he walked into the darkness, pausing at the sight before his eyes.
Just through the passage, the small clearing opened into a much larger one, which was clearly used for storage. What it was storing made Jack freeze where he was before tipping his chin to call over his shoulder, "Crow...?"
There, in that space, were several cages, at least a hundred, all holding slaves. The people inside looked to be tired and worn, weak and hungry. They seemed as though they had given up on life and were longing for death to come for them. Not one even reacted when Jack's light filled the room, but instead they sat in silence as if knowing it was wrong to speak out.
"What'd you find, Ja-" Crow started, freezing as he took in the sight before him. "What the...?"
"I think we found our proof," he replied, keeping his eyes on the unlucky wretches. How sad to be forced into hard labor. If there was one thing Jack Atlas lived for, it was freedom. He wasn't much of a sympathizer—Quite the opposite, in fact—but even he felt a twinge as he looked upon the people trapped in this unforgiving hell.
"I'll say." Crow's eyes scanned over the room, his form rigid as if he didn't know what to do next.
"You, there."
Their attention snapped over, glancing over to the sound of the heavy voice whispering in the dark. A thickly-built man sat on the floor of a cage, two children settled on his lap. The kids, a boy and a girl, looked frightened and their dark skin looked pale. Their tattered clothes fell loosely around them, giving the impression that they weren't fed nearly enough.
Jack approached warily, holstering Archfiend and keeping away from the bars as Crow wandered over and replied, "Yeah?"
The man looked up to meet their eyes, his muscular frame visibly showing every sign of malnutrition. His dark eyes reflected the firelight as he spoke, voice cracking from a lack of water, "You're not a Master, are you?"
Jack crossed his arms and spat, "If you're referring to the rank in the Underground, then no, we're not."
The Underground was a mass of criminals, working in a sort of hierarchy based on what they could offer. Depending on the items up for trade and the ability to manage, one's rank increased. The footmen didn't have an actual rank, but were simply there to get all the work done. Above them were the 'Masters,' who were in charge of deliveries. The top of the tree were known as the 'Lords,' and they were the masterminds behind the Underground. No doubt Goodwin was considered a Lord to the members.
To him, it was an insult to be addressed as such. The Enforcers were far beyond the Underground. "We're the Enforcers, not disgusting Underground filth."
The man lowered his gaze, his posture showing he was just too tired to care, and said, "I don't know what these 'Enforcers' are, but I didn't think you were Underground. You don't look as though you should be here."
Jack snarled, ready to spit out a vicious retort when Crow held up his hand to stop him. "Settle down, man. Hey," he said, addressing the slave. "What do you want from us?"
He shook his head slowly. "I care not what happens to me, but I beg of you. Please, take my brother and sister to safety."
Jack's eyes trailed down to look at the children curled on his lap, the girl looking to be about nine and the boy only about six. They were thin and sickly, but wide-eyed and looking as if they couldn't sleep. As if they would be tortured by nightmares if they merely closed their eyes. He wasn't fond of children, and he often found them to be nuisances.
A part of him was mildly put off by the fact that someone would force children into labor and take away their freedom, but it wasn't worth risking getting caught. "Sorry, we're not in the rescuing business."
The man's eyes turned back to the children, one large hand on either of their small heads. "Please, take Annie and Max to safety. They're only children. They didn't do anything to deserve this life."
Crow seemed thoughtful, but Jack just raised his lip and snarled, "And what's in it for us?"
The man offered a weak smile towards his siblings as if trying to comfort them. "Your safety. After all, I've seen your faces. Perhaps I'll just tell the next Master to come through that I saw two suspicious men snooping around."
Jack's eyes only narrowed further. "And who would believe a malnourished sod trapped in confinement?"
His gaze moved to lock onto Jack's, a smug look that told them he knew he would win. "An Underground who would do anything to keep their operation a secret."
Crow frowned. "He has a point, Jack. Besides, we can't just leave these kids here!"
The blond turned on his friend, eyes showing his shock. "Are you serious? Imagine how many other children are here? We can't take them all!"
"No, but if we take these two like this guy wants, then we can make a promise that we'll free all of these people someday."
He didn't like this. He didn't want to be responsible for these kids. Taking them with them would make it so easy to get caught. "Crow... Do you hear what you're saying?"
"Look, Jack. I don't think we have a choice right now. This guy is going to expose us and tell Goodwin that we know about the slave trade."
"How do we know he won't, anyway?"
"I don't think he'd sell out his own siblings like that. Why would he bother having this conversation if he was just going to have them hunt us down?" He bent down to a squatting position, going down to eye level with the girl. She immediately lowered her eyes and averted her gaze, unwilling to make any kind of contact.
Damn Crow made sense, but he didn't really want this... This was trouble just waiting to happen. Growling, he muttered, "What do you plan to do with them when we get out of here? We don't have resources to take care of children!"
"What choice do we have? I'm sure Akiza knows someone who can take care of them and give them a home."
Jack scowled. He was not enjoying this. But Crow was right. They really didn't have much of a choice and Yusei's object of affection probably did know someone who would take them in. "Fine," he muttered. "They say one word, we're leaving them behind."
The man nodded. "Don't worry. They won't make a sound. Isn't that right, you two?"
The children looked up at him, managing a nod. Jack bit back every nasty comment that came to his mind, and instead watched the children climb off the man's lap slowly. Crow ran back the table, looking for the key to their cell, and came back with a metal ring full of rusted silver ones. "I guess one of these is the right one."
Jack stood by, gripping Red Dragon Archfiend until his knuckles turned white, watching the door intently while Crow tried key after key. Finally, a grinding sound like a rusty lock opening resounded behind him and he turned slightly to see the two kids gradually stumble out of the cell. The things looked starved and cold, in need of a good meal and a proper bath. He couldn't help but sneer at the sickly little children.
Crow glanced at the man still seated on the floor of the cell and raised an eyebrow, asking, "You sure?"
He nodded, leaning back against the bars. "I don't care what they do to me, as long as Annie and Max can be safe."
"All right, then," he muttered, pushing the cage door shut again and turning the key. "We'll make sure they find a safe place to live."
"And in return, I shall not mention you were here."
Jack took this moment to step into the conversation, saying, "And what will you say when they notice there are two kids missing from your cell?"
He shook his head with a laugh. "Do you think they pay attention to how many people are in each cell? All they care about is the total number, how many are children, how many are women, and how much each of us can lift. They'll see two children missing on the total count, but they won't know what cell they were in."
A small voice sounded as the little girl spoke her first words, saying, "Will you be all right, big brother?"
He reached out, setting his large hand against the bars and placed a smile on his face as he said, "I will be just fine, little one. Take care, you two."
A sniffle sounded as she set her small hand against his. "We will, Greiger. Be careful."
Jack fought the urge to walk away without the kids, and instead looked down to find the boy latched onto his leg and buried his dirty face into the leather of his chaps. He wanted to shake the kid off, but resisted while still in the man's presence. He needed to keep his cool and be nice to these kids to make sure their brother didn't reveal them to Goodwin's men.
Sighing, he didn't move and just glanced down at the kid before saying, "Can we leave now, Crow? I think we have enough proof now."
Crow gave a nod and reached out to the little girl. "You ready to go? Let's get you and your brother to a nice, warm house and get you some food, okay?"
...
Yusei laid in bed, waking at the feel of something hard prodding into his back. A voice whispered loudly behind him, hissing, "Yusei...! Hey, wake up!"
He grunted a sound of affirmation, telling whoever was waking him that he was awake and they should stop nudging him now. He rolled over, glaring at the sight of wild hair spiking up in the darkness and brushed his arm across his eyes, mumbling, "What the hell, Crow?"
The teen scratched the back of his head, his frown visible in the moonlight. "Uh, we got company."
Yusei's eyes narrowed, his hand automatically reaching under his pillow for Stardust Dragon, as he said, "I'm assuming it's not bad company, since you kindly shoved me awake instead of running in here screaming."
Crow scratched the back of his head abashedly, muttering, "Well, yeah. I mean, no one's going to crash in here to kill us."
His gaze didn't soften in the slightest as he stared darkly. "And? What's the emergency, then?"
"Well..." He stepped to the side and gestured to the room behind him where Jack sat in one of the desk chairs with his arms crossed. A little boy sat on the floor by his feet, desperately clinging to his pant leg while a girl sat on the floor nearby, keeping her eyes on the floor and not saying a word.
Yusei didn't know what to say as he silently climbed out of his bed and tugged his jacket on. "What... What's going on?"
Jack only looked away, refusing to speak, as Kalin came out with one hand wiping the sleep out of his eyes. Crow gave a slight shrug and managed, "We got some serious proof of what Goodwin's up to."
The leader's eyes widened, all sleep gone from his mind in an instant as he asked, "Then these kids are...?"
"Yeah. We found 'em in a passage beneath the estate."
He scratched a hand through his hair and muttered, "I sent you in there to bring paperwork back, and you bring me two slave kids. You guys really take the phrase 'above and beyond' to a whole new level."
Jack finally muttered, "Not funny, Yusei."
He gave a short laugh before turning to the youngest Enforcer when he spoke, "Their brother made us take them with us. We figured Akiza would know someone who could take them in."
"Miss Izinski?" He always addressed her by her surname. Something about it just seemed so much more polite. Not to mention, most of her patrons who clearly respected her called her by such. He just felt that calling her by her first name was too inappropriate for their current relationship.
It didn't stop the other Enforcers from addressing her by her first name. Yusei figured it was a part of his 'don't be too sweet with her' rule. Crow nodded. "Yeah."
He ran a hand through his messy, gold-streaked hair before muttering, "I'm not going to dare wake her at this hour. She's beautifully cranky during daylight already. I hate to be the one to disturb her sleep. We'll ask her in the morning. 'Til then," he started, walking over and bending down in front of the little girl. "We need to get you two some food and some good night's sleep."
Kalin gave a light laugh before walking over with a large bread roll, breaking it in half before holding each part out towards either child. "Who would've thought he was so good with kids?"
Yusei took one part from him and held it closer to the girl, saying, "Here. Eat it. It's all yours. My name's Yusei. What's yours?"
Slowly, she reached out to take the bread, then bit into it hard without answering. She continued to scarf the bread down, gobbling it as if it was her first food in weeks. Yusei sadly realized that it probably was her first food in weeks, and glanced over his shoulder to see Kalin still trying to feed the boy. He wouldn't let go of Jack's leg, no matter what the silver-haired man tried. He finally managed to get the boy to eat by holding the bread right in front of his mouth so he could bite it without letting go.
Yusei turned back to the girl and said, "Hey, how are you feeling? Do you want some more food?"
She gave a slow nod, her voice whispering something too low for his ears. He leaned a little closer and asked, "What was that? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."
She swallowed and lifted her chin ever-so-slightly, still refusing to make eye contact, and brokenly mumbled, "I'm Annie… My little brother is Max."
"It's nice to meet you, Annie." He touched a hand to his chest as he reintroduced himself. "I'm Yusei, and these are my brothers, Jack, Crow, and Kalin. I bet you're thirsty." He glanced over his shoulder towards Crow, asking, "Hey, Crow. Can you go get some water for these two?"
He threw his hands up in a shrug, muttering, "I know that's not really a question."
"I'm glad you know by now." He turned back to the little girl. "Are you tired?"
She shook her head violently, still refusing to look at him. He wasn't sure if it was good idea or not, with her being a slave, but he reached out and lightly set his hand on her shoulder. He drew back when she flinched and kept his hands to himself, saying, "I know we're not the best company, but we'll take you to someone better tomorrow, okay?"
Finally, she curled on herself, bringing her knees up to her chin and her eyes on the floor. "You're going to sell us?"
He blinked in surprise. "No! We're not Underground. We're the good guys. You and your brother are free now."
She didn't say anything, but curled tighter. This was going to be a long night.
…
Yusei woke the next morning, glancing around the small place quickly for a head count. The little girl was still asleep on the floor where she'd finally collapsed, but the boy was nowhere in sight. He shifted to climb out of his bunk and pulled his jacket on, pulling the pendant he'd made out of a bird feather to fall properly after sleeping. He glanced through the place quickly, checking the bottom shelves of the bookcases to see if he'd crawled onto one.
Finding nothing, he crept over to peer under the desks, trying his best to avoid waking Annie. Still there was no trace of the boy, so he moved over to peer into Kalin's bunk, wondering if maybe he had climbed into his bed for warmth.
No trace. Just Kalin sleeping soundly on his side, his back to the room. He doubted it, but he decided to check Crow's bunk and wandered over, stepping onto the bottom rung of the ladder to glance inside. He was on the short side, but he didn't let it bother him and made do with what he had. He was almost glad to be short, because it meant he was less like that man, and more of his own person.
Shaking his head, he snapped back to reality and realized there was nothing in his friend's bed but a shag of orange hair spilling out from under the covers. He dropped back off the ladder and moved over to Jack's bed, going full-circle around the room. Stepping onto the ladder there, he glanced inside and bit back a laugh.
Jack lay awake in his bed, glaring at Yusei when he looked inside, with his arms folded and a disgruntled expression on his face. Farther down, curled around his leg and hugging his knee, was the little boy. He was filthy, getting Jack's bedding covered in dirt. It really was a rather adorable sight, except for the dark glare Jack was throwing his way. "Not one word, Yusei."
He couldn't help but snort a laugh as he stepped back to the floor, turning his face away to try to hide his laughter. It wasn't that he was afraid of Jack's wrath, he was just trying to quiet himself so he didn't wake the kids. He might be a little bit of a jerk, but he wasn't a complete ass. Turning, he moved back over towards Crow's bed and shoved his shoulder to wake him before hopping onto Kalin's ladder to shake him, too. "Wake up, you guys! Jack's got a friend!"
"Yusei, I will kill you," muttered a sharp accent from around the corner.
He did his best to stay quiet, moving back over to watch Max curl closer to Jack. Kalin tiredly stumbled over next to Yusei, muttering, "What is it, Yusei?"
"Look," he said, pointing towards the heart-warming moment.
The white-haired man paused, taking a moment to absorb the scene in front of him without saying anything. Crow walked up beside him, one hand in his especially messy hair before he glanced towards Jack's bunk. Instantly, he coughed out a laugh and curled on himself as he hunched over, trying to remain standing.
Yusei sprung at him, clapping one hand over his mouth and tackling him to the floor. "Hey! Kids are sleeping!"
"Not anymore."
They looked up at the sound of Jack's voice to find Max gradually climbing to a sitting position, then turned over to the entryway of the backroom area to find Annie standing there, wiping her eyes free of sleep. Shrugging, Yusei playfully rammed his palm into the back of Crow's head before standing. He plucked a brown cowboy hat from one of the shelves and fit it on his head, the spikes of gold-streaked hair springing around the rim still. "I'm off to see Miss Izinski. Get the kids some breakfast, will you?"
Crow sighed as he righted himself, sarcastically calling after him, "Yes, Dear."
He just smirked a humored response before grabbing Stardust's belt, fastening it, and dashing out the door. He slowed to a walk as he started down the street, tipping his hat back slightly to squint at the rising sun in the distance. Farmers and milkmaids made their way down the streets, going about their daily business, averting their gazes when they spied him walking along.
The Enforcers were famous. New Domino wasn't a small town, but it wasn't huge, either. Even so, the four young men ranging from ages of nineteen to twenty-one were household names, and everyone knew them. If not by their face, then by the customized pistols they carried. Yusei had forged the first one when he was only fourteen, learning the art of gunsmithing from a neighbor in his hometown. His mentor had often told him he'd had a special knack for the craft, and he knew it was true. No one could deny the pure power and accuracy of Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend, Black-Winged Dragon, and Hundred Eyes Dragon.
To say he was greatly inspired by dragons was an understatement.
That love stemmed from his mother, who died when he was only eight. She had been a high priestess of the Crimson Dragon, and told him several tales of the five dragon servants of the Exalted Crimson One. He had been a child, enamored by tales of legendary entities beyond human understanding.
He found a love for the tales, even if he had lost his faith in them being real. He wasn't a religious man by any means, but he wasn't one to mock those of faith, either. His mother had raised him to believe in the dragon, but he had lost his faith twice; once when he was eight, and again when he was twelve. He hadn't looked back, but he remembered how firmly his mother believed and made an effort to be respectful to those of the cloth.
He didn't personally know any clergymen, but New Domino was small enough and close enough to the Yliaster-Granel border that the Archbishop didn't want to fund a church out there. He had met a few monks and priests, if only briefly, during his year-long trip that brought him to that town and all had been pleasant and kind towards him. Even though he told them he didn't believe, they had still offered him a shelter from the storms and a warm bowl of soup during the night.
He was appreciative and he knew he still owed them a great deal for all the help they'd given him, but he didn't have any way to repay them. Throughout that year, he had stayed in a total of eighteen churches. During his time at a few of them, he had stayed and helped clean or cook for others who came in hungry, if only to offer a small token of thanks. His mother had taught him to repay kindness given to him, and he carried that lesson very closely with him.
Though he was only twelve when he ran away from home, he had known his destination was New Domino. His best friend—Kalin—had moved there with his grandfather when he was nine, and he had travelled to find him.
He didn't like to think about the reason he'd left home, but anyone could guess. It wasn't that difficult to figure out when he mentioned his mother had passed away and he was an only child. There was only one other conclusion that made sense.
He shook his head, refusing to go there, and made quick work of the four steps outside Akiza's saloon before pushing his way inside. There were already three men inside, seated at a table in the corner and nursing early beers. The object of his search and affections stood behind her bar, leaning on the counter while speaking with a gawky-looking farmgirl.
A young boy with long sea-green hair tied back in a ponytail ran up alongside her, tugging on her dress before saying, "Miss Akiza, I'm all done bringing the milk back!"
She smiled, making something in Yusei's chest freeze, and pat the boy on his head. "Thank you, Leo. What would I do without you?"
The kid—about eleven or twelve—grinned and placed his hands on the back of his head. "I dunno! I bet this place would fall apart without me!"
Akiza nodded with that same motherly smile on her lips, saying, "I'm sure you're right, Leo." She glanced up slightly and caught sight of Yusei standing on the side with his thumbs casually looped in his wide belt. "Speaking of, would you mind running down to check on the post?"
"Sure thing, Miss Akiza!" he chirped, flashing a grin and dashing off towards the door. He stopped when he saw Yusei and looked up at him. "The Shooting Star! Are you here to see Miss Akiza?"
He nodded, offering a smile towards the naiveté of childhood, and said, "Yeah. I need to have a word with Miss Izinski. Are you running another errand for her?"
Leo scratched the back of his head, sending his ponytail into disarray. "Yeah. It's kind of my job."
"You're a good kid. Miss Izinski's lucky to have you."
Akiza looked up from where she was counting out money for the milkmaid and glared at Yusei, calling out, "Leo, I need the post. Can you go now?"
He knew she was just trying to keep the kid away from him. He expected nothing less of Akiza, and he really couldn't blame her. Most kids stayed far away from the Enforcers, but Leo didn't seem to be afraid of him. He wondered if it was possibly because he was under Akiza's care and she was so brazen towards him. Over time, it seemed as though the kid had started to look up to him, making him want to be a gunsmith to make guns 'just like Stardust Dragon!'
Miss Izinski was not happy about that.
He pat Leo on the head one more time and gave him a gentle push towards the door, nudging him along towards his destination. He wouldn't have minded spending more time around kids. He actually loved the innocence they had, but his goal of taking New Domino took precedence. He wanted to be free, and he wanted all the kids in this town to be free.
It wasn't fair that they should be stuck under Yliaster. They were only kids. They hadn't made the choice to be born to this country. Why should they have to be subjected to this fate? He'd had this conversation with Akiza once, though full of spite and replacing 'kids' with 'me.' She had snarled and told him he didn't have to stay here, and that he didn't have to tear apart other peoples' peace because he wasn't happy.
He had shrugged and said that this town was his home, and he wanted Yliaster out. Her glare had sent ice through his veins—in a good way, he insisted to himself—as she retorted with a question, asking him why he hated Yliaster so much, anyway.
He hadn't wanted to get into that. The Shooting Star of New Domino didn't have a weak, sad story in his past. He was just the rising phoenix, appearing out of nowhere and taking down whoever tried to stop him. So he answered with a casual shrug and said he didn't like their involvement in the Underground. She had acted as though she didn't believe him, but her words said otherwise. He figured she didn't want to see any good in him, no matter what. She wanted to see him as a cold bastard with no care for the world around him.
He had left it that way, and though he loved that woman more than his own life, he let her hate him. It would only be dangerous for her if she became involved with the Enforcers before they had control. It would be so easy for them to take her from behind and hurt her in order to hurt him.
Once the battle was over, he could tell her the truth. It wouldn't be easy, but he intended to give her everything he had.
"What do you want, Yusei? Little early for a drink, isn't it?"
He shot a smile in her direction as he walked over and pulled up a stool, leaning his elbows on the counter. The farmgirl had left when her business was done, so he was left alone at the bar with her. Thrusting a thumb back towards the three men already drinking, he asked, "It's not too early for them?"
"Of course it is, but they've been coming here every day for the last three years. I'm not going to tell them to stop."
"Fair enough," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I'm here strictly for business."
Her eyebrow rose, disbelief clear on her face. "And what business do you have at my bar?"
"I'm looking for someone."
She turned away, plucking a glass from a drying rack and wiping a towel over it. "And you think I'll help you?"
"Of course not."
She turned slightly to glance at him with her eyebrow still arched, silently waiting for him to continue. He leaned a little closer and brushed his hat off his head to hang over his back by the cord on his neck. "But you'll help children, won't you?"
Her eyes narrowed as she snarled, "What did you do to kids?"
"Saved them," he muttered with a sigh. She didn't move, only narrowed her eyes as a cue for him to keep talking, so he said, "We found some kids who need a home and Crow seemed to think you would know someone who could help."
"And, of course, you had to be the one to come here. You couldn't send Kalin, could you? He's actually something of a decent human being."
Yusei shrugged. "These kids need a home, and I don't think you want for the Enforcers to take care of them and raise them, do you?"
She set the glass she was drying under the counter and leaned on one elbow. "Where did these kids come from? How many are there? What do you mean by 'saved them'?"
His voice dropped to a whisper as he hissed, "I mean that we found where Goodwin was holding his slaves. We pulled two kids out last night and they're spending the night at our place."
Her eyes widened considerably. "Slaves…? Goodwin?"
Giving a short scoff, he muttered, "You mean you didn't see it coming? The man is more guilty of crime than the infamous Magician. Don't tell me you didn't know."
She turned away slightly. "I'm aware of a few things, but I admit I didn't know about the slaves."
He stayed silent, letting her absorb that information. She might not be the most active in Yliaster's functions, but she still believed in her country and he imagined it had to hurt to hear about something like this. He could be a jerk sometimes, but he wanted to be sensitive to her feelings.
She stayed quiet for a long moment, then finally asked, "Where are these kids?"
He nodded towards the door. "Back at our place. They're still not entirely sure what to think. They've been in captivity for as long as they can remember. They have a lot to adapt to and a lot of fears to conquer. It's a tricky matter of earning their trust."
"All right. Bring them here and I'll do what I can for them."
"You?" he asked, surprised. He imagined she would bring them to one of her seemingly endless contacts. He didn't imagine she would take them in personally. She did raise Leo on her own, but that was because she had been friends with his parents before they died. They had been dead before Yusei had come to this town, but he gathered that the kid's mother was Akiza's best friend and something of a mentor to her.
"Yes, me. It might be good for them to have Leo around. Maybe they can help in the bar to keep their minds busy. How old are they?"
He leaned back slightly, relaxing his posture. "We're not sure. The boy hasn't said a word, but he looks about six or seven. The girl has barely managed to say their names, but she's got to be about eight or nine. Their names are Annie and Max."
She nodded slowly. "I'll come to your place to get them once Bruno gets here. It should be about an hour or so."
His chin dipped in response. "All right. We'll see you then, Miss Izinski," he said, pulling his hat back on and tipping it respectfully.
Okay, I feel a serious note is necessary here. I realize Greiger and his siblings probably weren't the best choice for slaves, but I wanted to have kids involved to play the roles filled by Annie and Max, and the three siblings worked well for the roles. Please note that I chose them solely for their familial bonds to play into this story, and it has nothing to do with their color. In this fic, skin color has nothing to do with whether people are slaves or not. It all depends on who sold their children. I have several friends of differing nationalities and decent thereof, and I value each and every one of them. Thank you.
/seriousness
Ah, yeah, I just wanted to clear that up ^^; I hope no one is too bothered by that.
In other news, Valentine'sNinja has asked me to find another beta since she's not a full-blown (or even at all) shipper of Yusei/Akiza, so starting next chapter, RobotFish has kindly agreed to assist me with proofreading. Starting next chapter, he'll be taking over the beta work. Thanks again, RobotFish!
And, as always…
Please review!
-Valk