Save Kohaku Village!
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece, Wolfen-Ways owns both Kairi Lumina and Toby Dicey.
"Jim, you damned idiot,"
The camouflage wearing mercenary turned to his female partner, "What? Flint, what's wrong?"
Flint sighed and rubbed her eyes, "Can't you control yourself for one job? It's bad enough you keep shooting at any wild animal that crosses our paths," she lowered her hand and looked out at the group of burning buildings of Kohaku village, "Can't you control this little habit, you pyromaniac?"
"Hehehehe...fire...fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire!" Jim bounced in place a giddy look spreading on his face, "Burn it, burn everything to the ground!"
A short ways away, Indora watched the burning carnage, a vein throbbing on his forehead as he listened to the terrified screaming of the innocent villagers that ran all around the village, either trying to pull their belongings from the burning buildings or trying to douse the flames with buckets of water.
"Dammit, it wasn't supposed to be like this!" he muttered, the vein throbbing in his head, "Oh well, can't be helped," he looked over his shoulder to see the village chief, staring in absolute horror at what was happening around them, "See what happens when you don't pay up?"
"You...monsters...!"
"Call us what you will," Indora shrugged, "Still gonna pay up one way or another,"
I just wish Jim waited until we had our payment before he let that habit of his out of the hidey hole that is his mind...
"Oh dear God in Heaven...,"
Axe and Kairi had just entered the village's limits when they saw the burning buildings that lay in front of them. Axe tried to keep a calm face while Kairi couldn't help but gasp, her hands flying to her mouth in shock as they watched people run around, screaming in panic and terror.
"Looks like these mercs are playing hardball," Axe cracked his neck, "Alright, if they want that, then we can play, too, huh?"
Kairi didn't answer him.
He turned, saw that she was too shocked to speak, and grimaced, She's been living on that island for so long, she doesn't know a lot about how the real world works, about what anyone is capable of...dammit! he grabbed her shoulders, looking right into her wide eyes.
"Kairi, listen to me. Kairi!"
The First Mate broke out of her trance and stared at him, "A-Axe...they're...e-everyone's...!"
"I know, Kairi, I know, but this is why we're here, okay?" he said soothingly, "This is rough, I understand, you're not used to reality of what people can and will for their own desires, but you have to keep yourself together, alright?" he tightened his grip, "People need our help right now, and if you cannot focus, you won't be able to help out at all!"
Kairi swallowed hard, "Al-alright...I'll focus,"
"You sure you can?"
"Y-Yeah..yeah, I'm sure,"
"Good," Axe let go of her and backed away, his hand going for his weapon, "Kairi, get everyone you find to safety! I'm gonna go after that big guy!"
Kairi nodded, still not believing what she was witnessing, "Wait, where am I supposed to take them?!"
"I don't know, but you'll think of something!" Axe turned and bolted down the road, his mind set on finding Indora.
She had been given her orders, but Kairi was still shaken up. However, she knew what she had to do and did her best to put her feelings aside and began her own mission.
Just beyond the treeline of the...his forest, Toby watched the village burn. He watched as the timber that created homes, small shops and storage buildings were licked by the orange-red flames. The fire danced around the whole village as a plume of black smoke wafted high into the air above him. There was a day where he would go in there and help the others, but since one particular night, he was no longer part of the village, and because of that, the village was no longer part of his life or his concern.
Toby found himself tracing the scar on his neck again. That one part of his flesh was a permanent reminder that both pain and loss can come at anytime, anywhere and in any form.
I suffered seven years ago, and now it seems it's the village's time to suffer...I guess there's some higher force that just doesn't like this island...
"Hurry! Before the roof caves in!"
Coughing and feeling the intense heat of the flames, Kairi bolted from one of the burning buildings, carrying a couple of children under her arms as she fled. She barely made it in time, as the roof collapsed inward, destroying the interior of the building just seconds after she passed the threshold. Kairi looked back at the flaming wreckage and thanked her God that she and the children she had just saved were safe.
She handed the two kids over to their hysteric parents, "They've inhaled a lot of smoke, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem," she panted, "You must get out of here, head to the forest, you should be safer there!"
"Safe?!" the mother repeated, looking horrified, "Don't you know what's out there?!"
Kairi glared at her, "If you ask me, risking an encounter with an animal is a lot safer than dealing with not only a group of villains like the ones who torched this place, or the inferno that they caused! Now, for the children's sake, get out of here!"
Not having time to argue with the young woman, the two parents began running to the edge of the forest.
Four innocents down, a lot more to go... Kairi closed her eyes, Okay, I can't lose focus here...I gotta get everyone I can to safety!
"Enjoying the scenery?"
Kairi opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Jim Bo standing a short distance behind her, a crazed smile on his face. She scowled when she saw that look and turned around all the way to face him, drawing Heaven's Savior out as she did so.
"Why did you do this?" she demanded, referring to the fiery carnage around her, "These people did nothing except ask for your services, but you torch their homes to the ground! Among other things...," she added the last part with a growl.
"Other things?"
She nodded, "We saw the animals and papers on your ship. Piece of advice, never keep incriminating evidence laying around where anyone can find them!"
"Ahh...I see," Jim nodded slowly, understanding what she was talking about, "You know what we did, hm?"
"Yes, and I think it's despicable! You may do some honest work here and there, but from the notes I've seen, you scam people out of their money whenever you get the chance! These people needed help with a wolf in the woods, and you just use dead animal carcasses in your store-room to jack up your rates!"
Jim shrugged, "Hey, what can I say, times are hard? We're not exactly bounty hunters, no one really pays us for big-time work, pirates are going around taking all the good stuff, and the Marines are all too stiff to work with. The only thing we want is a relatively way to make some money,"
Kairi shook her head, "All of this...," she looked at the buildings and listened to people screaming as their cries for help echoed around, "All of this for money...it just sickens me!"
"Oh, does it now? Well, allow me to help you get over it!" Jim reached for his guns.
I don't think so! Kairi disappeared in a blur and a few moments later, she appeared a short distance behind Jim, holding her rapier tightly in her hands.
Jim spun around, "What the hell was that?!"
"Sphere of Heaven - Moon, Will of Sacred Vows," (1) Kairi said quietly, rising to full height.
Just as he was about to ask her what she had just muttered, Jim stopped abruptly, blood spurting out of a new wound. Surprised, he looked down to see a decent sized hole in his gut, blood already oozing from the wound.
"W-What?!"
"I didn't think I'd use a Sphere technique so soon on my journey," Kairi turned to face him again, her rapier dripping a little blood, "Don't worry, you won't die from that. It's a personal code of mine that while I may fight with a sword...," she raised her blade a little, "I would never kill my enemy...never ever, not even in self-defense,"
Jim looked at her for a moment, holding his side, then broke out into a smile.
"Never kill, eh, kid?" his hand moved for one of his many fire-arms, "That's too bad, because in this world, it's kill or be killed!" he pulled out a large pistol and aimed it right at her, pulling the hammer back, "See ya in the next life!"
BAM
Axe came to a halt after hearing the gunshot. He looked back the way her came, "Kairi...!"
"N-No...way...!" Jim stood there stunned, his eyes wide as saucers. He had just shot at the young girl with the rapier as both payback for the wound she gave him, and to keep her mouth shut so they wouldn't be found out after this job was over, and while he expected her to drop dead with a bullet in her chest...she didn't.
Instead, she stood behind him again, staring ahead as Jim not only received another wound from her sword, but all the straps connecting his holsters of guns were cut and each one of his holsters fell to the ground around his feet.
"You want to try again?" Kairi said so quietly that Jim barely heard her, "I'll guarantee that I won't kill you, but I can't guarantee I'll give you a greater injury this time around,"
Jim's hand shook, as did the only gun he actually had on him.
"I am merciful, you've witnessed this already, so I will I offer you this proposal: Leave the village and never return, or wait until my captain comes back and let him deal with you,"
The mercenary was quiet for a moment, then he lowered his gun and looked back at her. To her surprise, he had that stupid grin on his face again.
"If you got it, take it!"
"Wha-?" Kairi was cut off when a sharp pain suddenly came to her shoulder. Startled and in pain, Kairi stumbled a bit and dropped her sword before looking at her shoulder to see a fresh bullet hole. Smoke rose from the hole in her shoulder and blood dribbled down her arm because of it. This attack hed taken her by surprise so much, she was disarmed and disoriented at the same time.
"Where...where did...that come from?!" she grasped her shoulder, gritting her teeth as blood oozed between her fingers.
Jim laughed and rammed an elbow into her back, sending the young treasure hunter to the ground with a yelp.
"Thank you, Flint!" the mercenary called out loudly, "Owe you one! This little witch almost had me, if you can believe it!" he planted a booted foot on Kairi's neck and began to press down, "You know, normally, I'd kill anyone who injured either my pride or my body, but you're a pretty little thing...maybe we'll patch you up and sell you in the slave market, hm? I bet we could get a good price for a fiesty chick like you?"
Kairi just glared up at him.
"You're hurt and disarmed, which isn't bad, but it can always be better...," he pressed down harder, "C'mon, girl, go to sleep, huh? Go to sleep...,"
The swords woman continued to glare at him, but the boot on her throat began to cut off her air supply and because of that, she was beginning to black out. Jim just stood there, bleeding from his non-lethal wounds until the young girl passed out and lay unconscious on the street. Satisfied, he removed his boot and nodded, proud of his work.
With that done, Jim looked around at the burning buildings on either side of the street.
"I got to shoot stuff, burn stuff and now we got someone to sell for a little extra cash," he laughed, despite his injuries, "It's a good day!"
As he stood there, Jim heard loud footsteps coming from behind him.
"Hey, Boss," he greeted, not even turning around, "Don't worry, I got something for us, so even if we can't get the payment here, we should be able to get a little with her, and-," he stopped when he heard a loud growl, "Boss?" he tilted his head back, and when he saw what was behind him, he almost shit himself.
"You're...not...Indora...,"
At a distance, Flint watched in horror as some...thing...picked Jim clean off the street and tear into him.
Though she had the thing in the sights of her rifle, she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger of her weapon. She just watched as Jim was thrown around like a rag doll, his blood spraying everywhere before the thing snapped her partner's neck and threw him into nearest blaze.
Once done, the thing picked up the injured and unconscious interloper and with surprising speed, darted from the village and into the forest.
Flint lowered her rifle, her hands shaking violently.
"The legends...were true!" she gulped, "Shit...! The legends were actually true!"
Kairi was safe from a fiery demise in the village, but she still had a nasty wound to take care of. After gathering some of the medicinal herbs around the area, Toby knelt down and began to patch her up as best as he could. He was no doctor, but he had learned that some of the plants around his forest had medicinal properties and thanks to his years in the woods and the lessons he learned in the past seven years, he had been able to survive for as long as he had so far.
I don't understand...why did I do that? he wondered as he chewed on a plant, They aren't friends of mine, they're complete strangers, so why did I save her? he plucked the moist, chewed up plant from his mouth and gently placed it into the bullet hole.
Kairi winced, but didn't wake up.
That'll stop any infection as well as the blood loss, but now I just have to dress and clean the wound... Toby looked around for a cloth, but when he didn't find any, he just tore two large strips from his already torn shirt and used the first one to clean the blood away as best he could, and then he used the second one to cover the bullet hole.
It's not perfect, but it'll have to do for now... Toby backed away and stared at the unconscious warrior, curiosity growing with every passing second, This isn't even their village, so why are they fighting for it? Hell, I'm not even a part of this village anymore, but I did that for her... he tugged at his hair, Why'd I do that?!
"...Axe...,"
Toby looked up at Kairi, who was muttering something as she lay against the tree she was propped up on. The boy with shaggy hair and torn clothes stared at her for a bit and listened to things that she muttered here and there. Her friend, the guy with the big axe, was still out there, but so were two more of those intruders that tried to do who knows what to her.
After awhile of thought and listening to her random words, Toby cursed under his breath and rose to his feet.
"You'll be safe here," he whispered before turning back to the village, "I must be outta my frickiin' mind!"
With that, Toby left Kairi alone to rest and to find her friend.
Kilnorc: Okay, that chapter's done! This one was easier to do than the last one, so yay -claps- hehe...random! Hope you guys liked it!
(1) Sphere of Heaven - Moon, Will of Sacred Vows: One of Kairi's Nine Sphere's of Heaven techniques, named for the Spheres of Heaven in Dante's Inferno. A stealth attack that Kairi initiates by moving at a fast speed. She disappears from sight, leaving the enemy lost. As they search for any sign of her, she can appear from anywhere and lunge at them with her rapier, usually striking them without any sound whatsoever.
On the next chapter of Origin...
Flint: Jim's dead! He was torn to pieces, Boss, we gotta get the hell out of here!
Axe: Oi, Stinky! You and I got business to take care of!
Kairi: How'd I get here?
Indora: What the hell are you?!
Bad Wolf, Big Axes
Flint: I'm not gonna die without a fight, you bastards!