Tally Mai-chan: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, I'm on vacation in the mountains and internet access isn't a click away. Also I'm sorry for any mistakes. I didn't get much time to revise this. Sorry! Anyways, Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Truth among men
Killer ran into the bathroom. He heard a terrible clanging noise from the bathroom where the Captain was. The sound of water blasting from the pipes bloated out all other sounds. He pushed through the bathroom door and saw his captain standing still, the sink in pieces at his feet. "Captain!"
The twisted and broken pipes spewed water onto the floor and on Kid, but the man made no move to get out of the way. He didn't even seem to notice it. Killer could feel the killing intent of his captain. Captain Kid was a fearsome man. No one messed with him and lived to tell the tale. No one.
"Captain." Killer said again from the doorway. He didn't dare get closer. He had never seen his captain so angry before. Suddenly Kid roared in rage. His hand slashing at the air, purple sparks dancing in it's wake.
All the sinks from where he stood to the other side of the bathroom flew out from the wall and smashed into the stalls across from them. Kid swore under his breath ranting like a madman. Killer thought he heard the words 'girls and red head' in his colorful speech.
"Captain." Killer said once again, at a loss of what to do or say. Talking and figuring people out was not his strong suite. He killed people and that was it. Why bother talking to someone if they're about to die anyways?
As his Captain spat out every vile work he knew Killer saw the tattoo of a dragon on his right arm.
"Never." Kid said slowly, his sharp brown eyes locking onto Killer. "Never have I been so... insulted. So screwed by two weak... stupid girls!" As he shouted he punched the long mirror hanging in front of him. Glass shattered and blood sailed through the air. Kid dug his bloodied knuckles deep into the glass, not so much as flinching from the pain.
Killer said nothing, if his captain wanted to tell him something, then he would.
"What the hell is a winter solstice." Kid said suddenly, looking to Killer.
"Some holiday?" Said Killer, not too sure himself.
"See this." Kid held up his right arm. "At the time of that 'winter solstice' if I don't get rid of this stupid as shit curse then I die.
Killer stepped back in shock. Rage, violent and malicious, burned behind his captains every word. "What? A curse? Captain you've been cursed! Who? How?"
Kid strode forward, stopping short of where Killer stood. "This is why I hate magic and shit. Two stupid girls messed with magic and cursed me. They used magic from another dimension. I can't touch them. I can't touch them! If I could I would have killed them. I would have given the most painful and slow death I could give. I would have killed them a thousand times over!"
Killer clenched his teeth, his hands curled into tight fists. What could he say. He wanted to say something, not just stand there like some speechless idiot. But that was it. What could he say. Had his captain gone mad? But that tattoo. He didn't know what to think.
"It's pointless." Kid sneered, pushing Killer aside. "Enough bitching, I"m going to beat this curse, I don't care if I die trying. I'll beat it.
"What is the curse?" Killer couldn't help but ask. They way Kid glared at him, he knew Kid would never say. It would be a secret he'd keep to is grave.
Rebecka and Kathline stood before the full length mirror they had extracted from the small attic. I took them five hours to find it then slowly inch their way down the ladder to the attic, being careful not to break the heavy mirror. On the last rung when Kat stepped down the old wood broke and Kat took an unexpected plunge down. She didn't fall far but she let go of her side of the mirror. The mirror slid forward, it's corner smashing into Kat's stomach.
The girl yelped in pain, falling back on her bottom. Rebecka jumped off the ladder to the side, pulling the mirror off Kat. The girl was okay, in pain yes, but bleeding, no.
"Damnit." Kat hissed, clenching her stomach with both hands. "Why are we doing this again?"
"Because." Rebecka said, inspecting the mirror. "We want to test to see if we can use this as a medium for the portal. We know that Fire works and water works, so maybe a mirror will work too."
They picked the mirror up and carried it to the basement stairs. They had a little trouble at the bottom, the mirror not wanting to go through the basement door but after a few well placed swear words by Kat and a change of position they got it through.
They leaned it against the wall by the TV, both of their reflections staring back at them. Rebecka got the magic book while Kat placed flowers around the mirror in a circle. Rebecka opened the book when the computer rang. Kat looked to Rebecka quietly then walked over to the computer, clicking the mail box icon.
"It's a email from that collage! They want to meet us! Like, as soon as possible. They'll even pay for the plane tickets and everything, give us hotel rooms, our meals! But it says that we have to bring the book with us. They really want to see it... It's like they're really desperate or something, I mean if they're willing to pay so much money just for us to go to their collage."
"We could learn more about the books magic." Rebecka said thoughtfully. Her face serious. "Though let's not take the book. We'll take the pictures but the book will stay here, hidden."
Kat gave her a look. "We have to bring it! The book is the only reason they're paying for everything! Why they want to meet us!"
Rebecka looked troubled. "That's just it. They may want to take the book from us. The magic book is a priceless relic of history. It's probably the only copy of it's kind in existence. If we take the book and go meet them they may blackmail us into giving it to them. What if, when we get there they won't pay for our trip back home unless we give them the book?"
"Ah, well... um... we-"
"We nothing. We can take the pictures we have. They'll just have to live with it, but they can't keep us their with just the pictures. Email them back and say that we'll come and bring the book with us. I'll go hide the book."
Kat didn't like any of this. She didn't like thinking that the researchers of DECL wanted to steal the magic book from them. She wanted to know more about the magic of the book than Rebecka did. She cursed herself after all, and she sure as hell did not want her fate in the hands of Eustass Kid.
Kat wrote the email anyways, saying that they will accept their offer. She realized that they would have to miss school. It was late August, and their third week of school, so she guessed they wont miss anything too important. The Collage of Ridgeway was all the way in California, on the other side of the country. They lived in Ohio, almost right on the Indiana border. In fact they even went to school in Indiana.
They reply was almost instantaneous. The writer of the e-mail, a student by the name of Nathaniel Hawth gave all the details of their trip, asking for parents permission, where they live and such and such. Kat was worried about the parents permission, her parents would never let her, and momma Thornson would agree to it no problem.
Rebecka came back and Kat told her about the new email. The red haired girl nodded slowly, thinking carefully. "We wont give them our address but instead say to buy us tickets from Indianapolis airport to there. We can take the bus to get to the airport."
"Okay." Kat said. "But they say we need our parents permission."
"They don't know we're not blood sisters. Download that attachment file... It's the permission slip, I'll get mom to sign it then we can fax it back to them. Ask for a fax number."
"I feel dirty." Said Kat. "I mean, we're treating them like bad guys."
"We don't know who they are Kat, and we live in a cold world. We have to look out for ourselves."
"..."
Kat printed out the slip and Rebecka took it upstairs. Kat stared at her screen, her hands placed on her stomach. She could feel the scar hidden beneath her shirt. She was no stranger to this cold world, but it's victim.
Eustass Kid walked through the shady back streets of Yeenna, the last Island in South Blue before the Grand Line. It was a large island, famous for its various protective charms and shamans. Kid had searched various bars across town, looking for a shaman who dealt in curses. In the fourth bar he "visited" he was told about a shaman named Tenz.
Kid got the directions to the shaman's house, located far into the depths of Yeenna's darker side. Many shady characters lined the streets, looking at him quietly, deciding if he was trouble or not. Kid glared at anyone that so much made eye contact. He was dangerous and he made it known. No one gave him trouble.
He had no trouble finding Tenz's house, it was the most flamboyant building in a neighborhood of monochrome black and gray. Gaudy curtains hung behind greasy windows and a bright blue and green sign, it's words too faded to read, hung above the door. Kid walked in, dust flying through the air. The old store hadn't been used in ages. Dust and cobwebs covering everything and anything. Cockroaches scurried away from the light of the open door.
"Hey! Tenz if you're here show yourself." Kid shouted into the pitch black room. No answer came. Kid strode into the room, constantly wiping cobwebs off his face or arms. He found the counter, an old cash register taking up most of it. Various slips of paper with strange writing on them littered the floor around the counter. Kid picked one up, examining it.
The dark blue curtains that hung behind the counter fluttered as an old boney hand pushed them aside.
A old man, his face nothing but wrinkles appeared. His eyes were closed, his mouth indistinguishable form the folds of skin around it. He wore an faded blue tunic with long sleeves that went past his hands, and matching pants.
"You could have used the back door like everybody else." He croaked.
"Tell me what you know about curses old man." Kid said.
Tenz shook his head. "Don't you mean your curse? Come to the back. This store front hasn't been used in twenty years."
Kid followed the old man through the curtain into a large and spacious room. Furniture and shelves were pushed back against the walls, at the center of the room was a small table, a jar of incense burning on it. It smelled terrible, a sickly sweet scent that overpowered Kid's nose. The pirate clasped his hand over his crinkled nose.
"It smells bad but it makes one live longer. Takes thirty years to get used to though. I'll put it out." The old man doused the jar with water, and opened a window by a door across the room. A breeze came in and cleaned the room of the smell. The smell lingered but it wasn't as strong as it was.
"How'd you know I was cursed." Kid said, standing away from the incense jar.
The old man sat down in an aged purple chair. "Curses are strange, the people who bear them have an even stranger presence. How did you get your curse?"
"I have a curse old man, get rid of it and I won't kill you."
The old man grunted. "Curses can not just be removed. How they are received and their purpose play a part in breaking them."
Kid gritted his teeth, the feeling of helplessness was slowly driving him insane. "A girl from another dimension. She used some kind of magic to create a portal from her world to this one." He held up his right arm, showing the dragon tattoo to the old man. "This is some kind of... timer, when the winter solstice, what ever that is, happens then something bad will happen."
The old man looked thoughtful when he answered. "Magic... such a curious thing. From another dimension you say? I certainly believe such things exist. The winter solstice... a day during winter in which the sun is closest to the earth. Also known as the shortest day. I can't do anything to break the curse, that you will have to do on your own or if that girl removes it."
"Don't give me that bullshit! Give me something!" Kid shouted at the old man. "Are you telling me that I can't do anything old man? I won't sit and twiddle my thumbs as some girl tries to use magic she knows nothing about!"
"Calm down, calm down." The old man pulled himself onto his feet, checking the various bookshelves scattered throughout the room. From an old dark brown bookcase filled with books covered by moth eaten covers, he took down a green covered book. Opening the covers flap and pulling out an almost new book. It had never been opened and it's cover was dark purple with bright gold rim around it. "Take this and do not open it. It's a magic book and it's powers are strange."
Kid wordlessly took the book and the old man opened the backdoor.
"You have control, don't forget that."
Kid stepped out into the backstreets, void of all people. The noon sun streamed through the tall grey buildings. He looked at the book held in his arms, tempting him to open it. Kid hated magic, it wasn't something used by the strong. It wasn't something he would ever use. Now it felt like he was completely reliant upon it.
There was something more to his curse, call it a gut feeling but that's what he felt.
He'll wait, act like everything is normal, and wait until he knew more about the curse. It wasn't his preferred plan of action but sometimes it was necessary to be neutral. He left the backstreets, heading back to ship and crew. Tomorrow they'll be sailing to the Grand Line, and he couldn't be distracted.
He was going to be the King of Pirates. No curse will stop him.
Rebecka stared out the window of the airplane. It was both her's and Kat's first time ever flying in one. She found it relaxing in the air. It was awful in that packed airport. They nearly missed their plane from navigating through the maze of people and paranoid security. Airport security beat Kat hand's down in paranoia.
Speaking of Kat, the brown haired girl got airsick the moment they took off. The airplane ladies, Rebecka couldn't remember what they were called for the life of her, let her have the employee restroom.
It was a six hour flight, nonstop to northern California. Kat spent the whole trip in the bathroom and ate nothing. Rebecka enjoyed a nice package of peanuts and watched the inflight movie. It was a movie she never heard of before and none of the actors were recognizable but it was a decent movie.
The plane landed at exactly 6 pm. They walked off, Kat holding a brown paper bag to her mouth. She took heavy breaths, occasionally chanting, "We have to fly back, we have to fly back." They entered the terminal and instantly saw the bright red sign with their names on it. It was hard to miss really. No one else held such an obnoxious sign.
They walked up and the man holding the sign introduced himself as Nathaniel Hawth. He was tall and slender with blue eyes and long eyelashes framed by black square glasses. His rich brown hair was short and wavy. His clothes were very dressy and business like. A sleek black suite with a light blue shirt underneath. He didn't wear a tie.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both." He smiled charmingly. Rebecka felt a little out of place. She and Kat wore plain hoodies and old pairs of jeans. Rebecka carried a large side bag, it's long strap wrapping across her chest, over her shoulder and then across her back. She kept a protective hand on it all times. "Is that the book?" he inquired.
Rebecka pressed the bag closer. "Yes, it is. We feel better to keep it close, since it is such... precious cargo." Kat looked uneasy as she said this. Nathaniel saw her, but wrote it off as airsickness.
"We have a limo waiting for us. Are you girls hungry? There is a nice restaurant near by where you can enjoy the best shrimp in all of California."
Kat paled. "Please... no seafood."
Nathaniel nodded, looking to his left. "Um then... how about this Russian restaurant not far from the collage campus."
"I'd rather eat food I can recognize." Rebecka stated. Kat nodding in agreement. "Take us though a McDonald's drive through and get us to the hotel you promised."
Nathaniel nodded enthusiastically, saying that he'll make sure all of their needs are meet. Nathaniel walked close to Rebecka, something that did not escape her attention. Kathline was oblivious, her mouth already drooling at the thought of food. She hadn't eaten anything since they got on the plane at eleven o' clock.
When they got in the limo Nathaniel received a phone call. He left them for a few minutes, saying that it was important and that he would be back right away.
"I knew it." Rebecka hissed under her breath, once Nathaniel was out of sight. "All he cares about is the book. I knew this would happen."
"We don't know that for sure." said Kat. "It's an old book, anyone would be worried about it. He is a student researching the language in the book. I'd care a lot about it too!"
"He wouldn't take his eyes off it!" Rebecka nearly shouted. She was struggling to remain calm. This whole thing screamed "scam" at her. It was good that they didn't bring the real book. Decisive, yes. Necessary? Also yes.
"He doesn't seem like a bad person! He's even kinda cute."
Rebecka gave her a look.
"What? I'm just saying!"
Nathaniel choose that moment to reappear. "Saying what?" He asked casually, meeting Rebecka's and Kat's eyes.
"Nothing." Rebecka said quickly. Nathaniel looked confused but said nothing.
"Hey driver." Kat jumped forward, poking her head through the window connecting the drivers seat to the back. "Take us to the nearest McDonald's please and thank you." The driver tipped his hat and they were off.
"Hello, director? Yes the girls are safe and in their hotel room... No, I don't have the book yet. The one girl, Rebecka, she's persistent in keeping it close... Yes, I asked them the questions... I didn't get any useful information. I'll try again tomorrow when I'm giving the tour of the department. I'll get that book from them... Yes, by any means necessary."
Tally Mai-chan: Dun, dun, dun! Cliff hanger! I'm on vacation and I'm writing, oh well. I hope you liked the latest chapter! I'd really like it if you leave me a review!