Live, because life will not wait for it. Live, because life can chase away your sadness and sorrow. Live because it can be the salvation of a poor soul. Because that… Is life itself. So, do not wait for the storm that life is to pass, instead, learn to dance in the rain with glee. (Quote of the day!)Btw, you're gonna be pissed at me!
Chapter 18
The cost of life
Simila rushed into the tent and found Carter crossed swords with his father. Simila growled and readied his sword to jump in when Carter snarled at him nad jerked his head towards the center of the room.
June was strung up on a pole, groaning in her sleep. Her arms and legs had an assortment of bruises and one or two cuts. There was also a pulsing red mark on her cheek. Simila nodded and skirted around them to June.
Carter turned his glaze back to Diablo and pushed forward with all of his strength with one hand. Seeing that was not enough he shoved his shoulder into the back of the longsword, cutting his self on the double edge before pushing Diablo back.
"I see you're going all out today." Diablo said, stumbling back.
"Might as dam well! Cuz sure as hell ain't leaving here until your dead and burned!" Carter snarled anger in his eyes.
"I see." Diablo muttered, blocking Carter's slash.
Simila took out his dagger and began sawing away at June's bindings as Carter and Diablo felt out each other's defenses. Carter countered a jab by kicking the blade up and slamming the hilt of his sword on Diablo's causing it to ring violently.
Diablo dropped it and kicked the falling blade at Carter's leg, who danced around the spinning and flipping blade and snatching the hilt out of the air. Diablo nodded as he looked around the bloodied ground for a weapon. Spotting one he hopped backwards, Carter how every was more than ready for it.
"Die!" He shouted, flipping a sword around, grabbing it by the point and throwing it at Diablo.
Carter's right arm gave out after the feat thou and he sighed before letting the limp arm drop to his side. Then he carefully maneuvered his arm into his pocket. Seeing that it wouldn't flail around too much he settled into the tennis stance.
"Ah, I see you picked up a sport as well! Although I think tennis is rather dull nad stupid. Also it's to finesse and over all pointless." Diablo paused, musing.
"Shut the hell up! You haven't even played!" Carter snapped, still pissed off.
Diablo shrugged and started his careful approach towards his son. He eyed his stance and thought about attack plans. He smiled before charging forward and sliding.
Carter braced for it as Diablo suddenly turned the slide into a jump and raised his new found sword in a one handed grip. He smiled before saying, "I believe this is called a smash?" slamming the blade down onto Carter's raised sword.
Diablo let out a yelp as he suddenly was dragged left and was sent sprawling on the ground. Carter smiled before driving his sward into Diablo's head. Diablo however had already rolled to the left and jumped to his feet. Then as carter started to pull his sword out Diablo gave a slash at his head.
Carter ducked and swung around using the hilt of and kicked Diablo upside the head. Diablo stumbled back and shook his head as Carter gave up on the sword and picked up two knives. The second his tucked into his other pocket.
"Savvy?" He asked, raising his knife.
"Cocky as always I see." Diablo muttered before rushing forward.
Simila had finished with the bonds by this time and was slinging June over his shoulder and jogging out when she woke. She yawned a bit and looked around and noticing the moving ground. She nodded and closed her eyes on Simila's back.
"Wait…What the hell are you doing here!" June cried, slapping Simila on the back of the head.
"Ouch! And saving you! What else! Me and your master went and came all the freaking way here just to say your ass! And I get a slap and not a kiss! How screwed up is that!" Simila said, glaring at her as he continued running.
"Wait, my master?" June asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Aye, now let's hurry up while he deals with that demon." Simila said, slowing down on a bloody patch.
"Stop! Go back! I have to help him!" June said suddenly, startling Simila.
"Ahhh, now you're starting to fit the description of a worried damsel in distress." Simila nodded, smiling.
"NO! Seriously Simila I'm not joking turn back! Knowing him he'll do something stupid and retarded! GO BACK!" June snapped, punching Simila's shoulder.
"Oi! Don't you have any confidence in him! He's your master for Christ's sake! Believe in the guy a little! If he can overhaul a wolfship to got three knots faster, I think he can handle a midget." Simila snapped.
"…"June said, growling. (5,2 and barely growing).
"Oh, well….um…you look nice short! I think girls look cute when their shorter than their boyfriend!" Simila stuttered.
"Smiley, I'mma gut you!" June yelled, kicking and punching poor Simila.
"I wanna keep my spleen!" Simila complained jokingly.
"Where are we even going!" June cried, kicking more.
Simila grumbled something before dropping her closer to the ground to carry her by her feet. (5,10!). June yelped as she started hanging upside down and seeing the ground only half a foot from her face.
"Simila pull me put right now OR I WILL NEUTER YOU!" June yelled, flailing around.
"I think I should just hand you over to Carter." Simila sighed, putting his head down and walking towards the boats.
Carter growled as he blocked yet another slash at his right side. Then he ducked a slice at his chest and jumped over a cut at his crouched form. He sighed, jumping in the air and stomping the outstretched blade into the ground. Then he gave a slash at Diablo's head, only succeeding in giving his a cut on his forehead.
"I won't miss next time." Carter growled and Diablo looked for another weapon, having dropped his sword to doge Carter.
"Who says there will be a next time?" Diablo chuckled, picking up an axe.
"…Axes….big…deadly, throw-able, but slow as hell and heavy as all get out. That being said, what the hell man! I have freaking knives and you get an axe! God do you have like a personal grudge against me! Come on! I pray every twelve Sundays and go to church when Will drags me! Come on!" Carter yelled at the sky before hopping back a step to avoid a deadly slash.
"You really need to go to church more." Diablo said, sighing.
"So now you're yelling at me when you're the mass murderer? Do you know the definition of the word, irony?" Carter snapped, ducking.
Carter blocked the giant axe with his dagger. Diablo nodded and hopped back. Carter groaned and dropped his dagger, picking up a sword in his left hand before twirling it rapidly.
"Did you know that I had actually nine, teachers?" Carte asked, his eyes dark.
"You had eight, I've killed seven of them." Diablo answered, charging.
"No, my last teacher was nature herself. And she taught me everything." Carter smiled, spinning on his heels, avoiding the blade and ending up inside Diablo's guard. Then he drove the sword up, Diablo jumped back to avoid most of the blade, but he was still cut across the cheek and arm. Both were shallow, but long.
"Did you know that a salamander can lose its tail and regrow it later just to escape from a predator? Or that and eagle can zoom in with its vision and was taught how to hear prey from over one hundred meters in the air? Or that a blue jay is camouflaged? Did you know, that every year they experience something, they adapt to it and change?" Carter asked, twirling his sword again.
"Yes. What is your point?" Diablo snapped, inpatient.
"It's that I have adapted to your style already. And that I have changed to fight you. I have spent the last five years training to just simply rip your head off. And I've made this technique to do it." Carter said, twirling the blade faster.
Diablo rolled his eyes and started forward again as Carter smiling. The longsword in his hands snapped around, nad went up his arms, twirling around it giving light cuts and gashes up and down his arm before twirling back down to his hand. Diablo laughed.
"The hell was that! You just killed yourself! You'll bleed to death in a matter of minutes!" Diablo laughed.
Carter's smile changed to a smirk as he walked forward, blood soaking his left arm. The blade in his hands was clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword as he walked forward. Diablo smiled and gripped the axe all the tighter as Carter approached. Then he noticed something different about his son, it was the aura around him. It wasn't furious or killing, it was calm and focused.
That was when he noticed it. The blood on Carter's arm wasn't dripping. IN fact, It had already dried! Carter smiled before lashing out, hitting the stunned Diablo along the thigh. Diablo stumbled back and fell as Carter raised up, staring his father in the face.
"You see, in a small quantity, blood dries rather slowly, mostly because it has little surface area. However, if it's in a puddle, such as my arm, it can dry quickly because the sun heats large amounts of the blood, which can heat and harden the other spots. The good thing about this in combat, is that it increases your grip!" Carter said as Diablo got up.
Carter then wove through several spins and twist before landing a momentous hit on Diablo's chest. He stumbled back as Carter dropped the blade nad pulled out the knife before. The he took his right hand out nad clenched the knife in his hand.
"You stole away everything from me. Now, it's time to pay back your debt." Carter growled, stabbing the blade into his father's neck.
Carter sighed and sat down and let out a gasp that he had been holding in. then he picked up a bloodied object, wrapped it in Diablo's shirt and went back to the tent. There, he grabbed June's quiver and her bow, slinging them over his shoulder with his left arm and found a box of matches. He quietly walked back to his father, matchbox clutched in his mouth as he lit one.
"Now burn your way to hell, for everything." Carter said, walking away as the match slowly lit on Diablo's bloodied shirt.
Then he walked slowly down to the port, finding a small fishing boat ready and prepared by a sweaty and smelly Simila. June rested on the deck, eating an apple as Carter walked on. She jumped down from her seat nad raced to him, glomp-tackling him to the ground with a tear in her eye.
"Carter! You idiot! You could have died! What if you broke an arm! Or a leg!" June cried, slapping the Ranger.
"June, get off and besides, I didn't break an arm or a leg!" Carter said, placing a bloodied package on a barrel. As the began opening it carter continued, I just lost it."
Inside the bloody cloth was carter's right arm. It was still broken and had actually swollen. Carter rolled his arm and sighed. Then he grunted and collapsed on the floor.
~Three days later~
"Holy shit what did you do to me! My head hurts like a bitch!" Carter moaned, cradling his aching head.
"You're just getting a hangover." Simila said, handing him an apple.
"What! Dude! Did you not have regular painkillers! When a guy passes out from blood lose and shock trauma from losing an arm you DON'T GET HIM JACKED UP ON BEER! WHAT IS FREAKING WRONG WITH YOU!" Carter shouted before moaning again and holding his head.
June walked in holding a giant roll of bandages. Carter grimaced as he started to take off down the ship's deck, just before being tackled by the knight, who was still eating an apple. Carter squirmed as he tried to strangle Simila with his one arm.
June ignored them as she carefully unwrapped Carter's bandaged arm. She had heard that they could reattach some limbs, but Carter had said he might try going without an arm for a while, or until he can't stand not being able to use two hands to shovel food into his mouth.
As June rewrapped the arm stump for the second time today she gave a tentative poke at the stump. Carter stiffened and growled as her before getting back to strangling Simila with his legs. June rolled her eyes and finished but instead of letting him up, pinned him to the floor with a knife he couldn't reach.
"June! YOU DAUGHTER OF A MONTH!" Carter called, having found yet another way to annoy her.
"Oi! I'll get my brother July to light you up!" She growled, secretly chuckling at her joke.
"Nice one June!" Simila smiled, retying a knot.
"Oh my GOD! I'm getting my arm reattached as soon as possible so that way I can strangle BOTH of you AT THE SAME TIME!" Carter growled.
"Carter, shut up!" June said, walking below decks.
"June you stupid little flat-chested idiotic apprentice of a bullshitin' monkey crackhead! I'm gonna kill you! You just to that idiotic, no-brained, burnt brained knight my name!" Carter shouted, kicking back in forth as he reached for the knife.
"Sooo…..that's your name…..Carter…C-A-R-T-E-R!" Simila sang, smiling.
As the day past and Simila retired, going to sleep on the table outside and not actually in his bunk. June sighed, looking up at the appearing stars. Carter yawned and finally rolled onto his stomach, stood up on his knees and pulled the knife out with his teeth.
"Hey, masssssstttteerrrr," June smiled as he walked to the front.
"What?" Carter asked, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance of the name.
"Since I already know your name…can you tell me your age? I won't tell anyone! Not even Simila or Will! Please master!" June asked, puppy-dog eyed.
"…What type of eyes are those?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Puppy dog eyes! Now shut up and tell me or I will cut off your other arm!" June snapped.
"Geez!" Carter jumped back and hid behind a barrel.
"Tell me!" June growled.
"Guess! I you get it right in three I'll give you something special!" Carter called from behind the barrel.
"Fine! Um…21!" June said.
"NO! I'm younger than that!" Carter snapped, poking his head out from behind the barrel.
"Gimme a hint!" June pleaded.
"I'm still in my teens!" Carter said.
"Big help! Um…nineteen?"
"No, but getting closer."
"Fine, sixteen." She said.
"Wrong." Carter whispered in her ear, smiling like mad.
"Fine, how old are you?" June asked, crossing her over her chest.
"Eighteen." He whispered again.
"What! No! You're way too immature to be 18! And you're bloody allowed to drink too! Hell no!" June snapped, glaring at Carter.
"Hey, being immature means I can do this!" Carter smiled and put his lips to hers, grinning.
She blushed before pulling out a bow. She growled as Carter laughed and took off down the stairs to the sleeping quarters. She chased after him, waking Simila who followed out of sheer curiosity.
"Oi! What did Carter do June?" Simila yawned, trotting behind her.
"That perverted, shallow, blood thirsty sexist pig just kissed me!" June growled, looking around the rooms.
"Oi! I ain't perverted, shallow or sexist! And a pig describes me at dinner." Carter stated, popping out from behind the door nad running out as arrow holes lined his cloak. He instantly threw it off and ran up to the main deck, followed by June and Simila.
They looked all over the deck for him, finding nothing. June thought for a moment before looking over the side of the moving boat. Sure enough, handing from the anchor was a Carter-fish. She smiled as she told Simila to lower both anchors into the water. Simila shrugged and obeyed as the ropes began descending into the saltwater below.
"Hey! Come on! It was a joke! Come on June! It's the middle f the ocean! There are sharks and octopuses and man-eater fishes and plankton and sharks and things take want to eat something a sexy and awesomely tasting as me! I can't swim! Please!" Carter pleaded, climbing the ropes as they descended.
"Fine, I'll forgive you if you do this." June smiled, and Carter sweatdropped. "Kiss Simila."
"…Goodbye cruel world!" Carter called, letting go of the rope and falling into the water, saluting.
Simila came back up and looked over the side before looking at June. She smiled and looked at him.
"Prepare the stove nad get ready with a net." She stated, but instead got the net herself.
A large splash of water alerted her of a shark and she sat back and waited up it the water started getting a bit red. Then she watched as Carter came up with a sharks tail in his mouth and his other leg wrapped around its tail.
"I think it's gonna pull off my leg and teeth as well." Carter groaned as June dipped the net down and around the struggling shark. AS she faltered, Simila rushed forward nad grabbed the net from her, pulling the shark in and helping the twitching Carter up.
"Holy crap, that thing almost bite my head off. And then it just turned around nad started swimming as fast as it could away!" Carter said.
"I can see why." June commented as she looked at the captured meal.
It was only a young shark, maybe not even four years old, but a decent size. Simila believed it was called a Bluefin, but couldn't quiet remember the exact name if that wasn't it. On its nose, a chuck was missing in the shape of a set of teeth.
June turned to Carter who shrugged, he never guessed that the shark be bit almost two weeks ago was the one he hauled in with his teeth and a leg. With some help from the knight.
"Let's started sorting the meat." Simila said, smiled as he got a butchers knife and a fillet knife and began the food making process. June went inside.
After one more day of sailing they stopped in the same little fishing town before pulling into a larger port town closer to Redmont. Carter then helped unload Smoke and Storm before they set off in a slow steady pace. In the end however, June sat in Carter's lap as Simila traded off with him while they galloped back.
When they arrived Carter got off and gave Simila and June free time because he had to get a lecture or two from Will and the Baron. Simila smiled as he helped June get readjusted and clean the now dusty cabin again before Carter got back and started to complain.
She smiled as Simila left and pulled out a simple black notebook from under her bed. It was still open to the page she had left it. She smiled and read it.
Carter is a very interesting character. I think he don't like crowds because he fears his father is always lurking in the midst. I do believe that he would do anything for one of his friends. I also think that he may like me. Although, if he's like twenty-one or something that would be creepy! He's probably only like sixteen or seventeen since he's so immature sometimes! He's alwa-
And that's when she left off. She smiled before finishing the line.
He's always there to protect me, no matter where I am.
This is sort-of the end of the Carter based story line, BUT it will not end! Because June still has he crap! Now there is one other ending I will make, and was actually thinking about putting in! That being said, it'll be short, all side endings or stuff with be short! If you can think of a side story, then PM me! Read, review or be stabbed by the one handed Carter!