Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 39

Log Entry: Subject Ryu has exited the Sahara desert and has now ventured north toward Europe. Currently settled in Cagliari, Italy

With that, Dan closed his log-book and slipped it away in his pocket. It has been three days since he arrived in town and so far, things have been quiet. It wasn't that he was expecting trouble or anything; it was just that things were uneventful as of late. No matter. So long as he was out of that desert, he was happy.

'I wonder if the Watcher before me had those problems with him?'

That was a thought, Dan soon realized. To think that other Watchers had to follow a wanderer around to random locations, sometimes years on end was somwhat amusing to think about. Even knowing his most likely locations didn't help too much as he often went in random directions. It made Ryu an interesting character to think about as well as work on. Other immortals were often living in wealth or at least comfortably in this age, provided they didn't have any other pursuits in mind.

But Ryu was different. At best, he had sufficient funds to get by in populated areas. Not to say he couldn't be wealthy, but it isn't a priority for him. He was a warrior, plain and simply. In a way, that made him more...pure.

Foregoing such thoughts, Dan switched over to the side and logged on a nearby computer. Placing a save disk into the side, he got to work on rewriting his journal to the Guild. The notebook he kept was a personal journal which served as a backup in case the data on the chip was lost. By regulations, he shouldn't have a personal record as it could easily be found and read.

But then again, he shouldn't befriend an immortal either...

Not for the first time had this come to his mind. In the beginning, he managed to convince himself that he didn't have a choice, as Ryu had him at point's end. But he knew Ryu wouldn't strike him down. He wasn't the type to. Now that Dan thought about it, he could have made up some kind of lie, slip away, and beeen reassigned elsewhere. But this was a assignment that he wanted to stay on. It was just a feeling, but Dan thought there was something special about this one. Special enough for him to bend the rules, just a bit.

Or so he kept telling himself...

As he typed in his report, he glanced out the window at the motel next door, where Ryu was staying. He was glad for once that the wanderer decided to stay in a civilized area for a change. It gave him time to relax and work properly. Of course, he'd had to get up early in case his charge decided to head out early, but at least that was something he could deal with.

Completing his report, Dan saved to the file and then removed his disk from the computer. It was safer on the computer as there was a locking mechanism in it. Should anyone gain hold of it and try to get through the lock without the password, it would delete itself. Such was the way of the Watchers.

Observe and record and never interfere...

For most anyway...

San Franscisco, California (USA)

For Eliza, shopping is always a pleasuarable event, with the shopping district being her personal domain. She hadn't been able to do it for sometime, given her resposibilities to her son and husband, so when she was able to, she made sure to enjoy it to the fullest. So sharing it with another woman who enjoyed shopping as much as she did was even better.

Double the pleasure, triple the fun...

Such was the case as she was joined with Sakura in her little adventure. The woman certainly knew her fashions and she and Eliza had similiar styles (although they had an arguement over the latest Ann Taylor designs). They finally stopped off in a nearby diner to take a break, where they continued to chat about the items they saw, clothing styles and fashions, etc. It was as though she was shopping with a little (but older) sister. It was this thought that caused Eliza to ask the following (quietly just to be certain).

"So tell me? What is it like? Being...well, you know?"

Swallowing down her food, Sakura gave her a questioning glance. "What? You mean immortal?"

"Yes."

"Well..." Her eyes lifted in thought for a mintue and then she spoke again. "I'm... I'm not sure how to answer that really."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know." She then blinked in afterthought. "I didn't offend you, did I?"

Sakura waved her hand. "Oh, no. I'm just surprised you asked me. That's all. I would have thought that that jerk would have told you."

Eliza chuckled at the remark. "Oh, well. I did ask once. He pretty much said the same thing you did." Her gaze then both darkened and lowered. "But I had a feeling he was holding something back."

"Well, the truth is that it's not something I think about much." She then retracted. "Okay, at all. I don't think it feels any different than how mortals live their lives. Sometimes, I don't even notice." Then it was time for her eyes to lower. "Sometimes...there are moments where I even forget."

"Get your hands up now!"

Both women jumped when they heard the loud bellow of a man with a shotgun in his arms. He held the cashier at gunpoint, whose face was etched with fear and hands in the air.

"Please...don't..."

The mugger tapped the regester with the barrel. "Shut up and open it NOW!"

The man then whirled around and fired a round at the wall, causing everyone to duck in terror. Eliza forced herself to remain calm, recalling that she had been in moments like this before. Sakura was beside her too, but with a irritated expression instead of fear. Being immortal and warrior-trained, the mugger didn't scare her at all; simply annoyed her. So much so that she soon rose from her place and quietly came up behind the mugger.

"You should put that away before someone gets hurt."

The mugger wheeled around at the sound of her voice, which was more than enough for Sakura to grab the gun and push it upward. The weapon went off, blasting harmlessly into the ceiling. In that moment, Sakura brought her arm up and smashed it down into the mugger's forearm, causing him to yell in pain and drop the gun. The mugger shoved her back with his other arm, but the woman merely skipped back still on her feet. The mugger lifted his fists, but paused upon seeing her in her own fighting stance.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Normally, the sight of a young woman claiming to fight a larger man would seem ridiculous. But both the glare in her eyes and her voice...there was something there. Something...silent...dangerous...deadly... Whatever it was, it was enough for the mugger to rethink his actions and quickly flee the scene. Eliza and the other customers rose up and a few of them clapped at the young woman's bravery. Sakura turned to Eliza and for a moment, the blond woman saw the dark glare in the eyes of the immortal. It was then that she truly began to realize what it was like to be an immortal. Despite Sakura's open and friendly demeanor, deep within her, there was a warrior.

A serious, death-dealing warrior...

"Eliza? You okay?"

Snapping out of her revere, Eliza was met with Sakura's previous face, the cheery (but at the moment, worried) young woman she spent the day with. This made Eliza wonder if this was her true personality or the one that scared the mugger away with just a glare.

"Yes. I'm fine." she replied. "Just a little shaken up."

It was strange for her to realize this now just how dangerous an immortal could be. Or maybe, be reminded of it. She had seen the same glare in Ken's eyes when he fought, but at the time, she hadn't understood it. But upon seeing it in Sakura, she now knew that this was their way.

Immortals... They lived two different lives. The outward life of whatever they posed to be, and the secret life of a warrior, fighting for their lives each time they take up their blades through the battlefield of time which can only end with one of them standing.

"So, hey. After things calm here, perhaps we can finish our little shopping tour?"

Eliza smiled. Warrior may she be, she was also the same woman she had a great day with. Ken once told her that he lived for the moment and it seemed that Sakura did the same. It was what they had. Both immortals and mortals. No sense in being worried about something like that. The moment is what mattered. And right now, Sakura...was a hero.

"Sure thing, Miss-save-the-day Sakura."

"Oh come on." she waved off lightly. "It was nothing."

"I never thought you were the modest type, Sakura." Eliza retorted, her grin broadening.

"Hey. I can be modest when I need to be."

"That's not what your wardrobe says."

"Hey!"

In the moment...

"Well, well. Didn't expect to find you here, Hibiki."

Dan had settled in a nearby bar to enjoy a drink. It was a quiet day throughout, with Dan simply reading over his past notes in order to guess where Ryu may be heading next (Though that hardly works). Speaking of which, the Japanese immortal had gone out to the outskirts of town to train, but Dan didn't have to check on him. He knew the wanderer wouldn't leave for some time. Besides, he figured that he could use the break. Ryu traveled almost constantly, so he would need the rest. So the plan was this. Finish the drink, let it settle in his system for a bit, head to his room, sleep, wake up to a new morning. It was a dull plan, but a plan nonetheless.

So to see a lovely brunette woman come up beside him and call him by name was enough to change it...

"Rachelle?"

The said woman nodded at him with a smile and sat in the stool next to him, ordering as she did. She soon reach toward her drink and took hold of the glass, briefly revealing the deep blue mark on her tattoo on her wrist; the mark of a member of the Watchers.

"What brings you to town?" he spoke softly, after getting over his initial shock.

"What else? Assignment."

"Ah." The Watcher smiled broadly for a moment. "So he's here too, eh?"

Rachelle nodded. "Yeah. And I'm betting by your being here means that Ryu's in town as well."

Nodding, Dan downed the last of his drink. 'Guess this will be more interesting after all.'