Regular text - Story
Italicized text - thoughts
Chapter 12 - Sanji
7:20 pm
It took nearly an hour to get to the castle. The terrain was even rougher the closer we got, and I hadn't realized how far up the mountain the castle actually was. I cursed multiple times under my breath as I nearly tripped over numerous felled trees and boulders, and the people around me were struggling, breathing hard and forcing every step. They were obviously not trained soldiers, but their determination was inspiring. When we finally reached our destination, our heavy footsteps kicked up a massive amount of dust and ash as we entered a burnt-up patch in the forest, suddenly causing everyone to have to try and stifle harsh coughing. To my left, Robin let out a delicate cough and put her hand over her mouth. Wordlessly I pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket and passed it to her. She gave me a grateful smile, tying it around her mouth and nose, I returned the smile warmly, basking in the way the blue handkerchief set off the blues in her eyes, and then we turned to the devastation in front of us.
The sooty destruction seemed to spread out from the castle itself. Al was at the head of our group, with Arete and Sora to his left and us Strawhats to his right, with the rest of the rebels fanned out behind us when we came to the edge of the forest and saw the full scope of the disaster. We stopped briefly so the townspeople could catch their breath, and my anxiety went up another notch as I watched them wheeze and cough from what looked like more than just breathing ash. I know they want to help, but if they are this winded from a steep hike, really, how much help could they possibly be in a fight? I didn't voice it, but I was terrified most of these people might lose their lives before the night was over. The thrown-together weapons of pitchforks, shovels, and pipes did little to ease my mind.
When Al saw the devastation, he stopped dead in his tracks. He took several deep breaths and even looked like he was forcing down tears. Arete put a comforting hand on Al's shoulder, and they shared a solemn look. "I haven't seen it since before the fire." His voice was choked, and he suddenly wrenched back his leg and kicked at a large rock at his feet, sending it flying several yards to crash into the forest. "He's destroyed everything!" He held very still after his outburst, hands holding his arms like one might if they were cold. His arms dropped after a moment, and he seemed almost embarrassed by the show of emotion.
Robin was closest to him and, possessing that beautifully inquisitive nature asked, "Who lit the fire? When was this?"
Al let out a harsh, watery laugh, "Who else? It was that bastard Urasea. It happened about six months ago. No one knows why, but suddenly the forest erupted in flames in the middle of the night. It had to of been three in the morning. It woke most of us, the smoke driving us out of our homes, afraid that the village was burning. The thick and black smoke spread across the village, blacking out most of the valley. We had to climb onto our roofs to escape it and waited for alarms to ring from the castle, for guards to storm in, demanding we volunteer to help. But that never happened. I had hoped that meant the nightmare was finally over, that Marcus Urasea would burn in his sleep. At the same time, however, I had this gnawing chasm of fear for my sisters and the dozens of other men and women trapped there. Many of us fell asleep on our roofs that night, worrying about what this meant for us, for those we loved who were trapped there, and when we woke, the fire was just embers, and the caste was still standing, all the more menacing with the burnt, blackened trees surrounding it."
"Did King Pin ever say what had happened?"
He gave a smile that was mostly a snarl, "No. But, I've always assumed it was punishment for one of my sisters."
Confusion passed over all our faces, and when he didn't immediately explain that extremely vague answer, I said, "Why would burning a whole forest be punishment for someone?"
He gave me a flat look at my tone, but if we were going to waste even more time not finding Nami, I would be as snippy as I wanted and at least get all the information from him. "Our family planted this forest. Our ancestor Iliana Floria planted the first tree when the kingdom was founded, and it was the tree that all the others came from." He paused and looked around for a second, he must have found what he was looking for because a brief bright smile lit across his face. He walked a few feet back into the forest and brought back a blue/red flower. It was slightly smooshed, no doubt someone accidentally stepped on it in the dark, but the colors were bright and vibrant. He held it out to us almost reverently, "This is a soothsy flower. Iliana and her consort created it. The Floria family considers them sacred. They used to grow in large bunches all across here." He paused to motion at the ash surrounding us. "Marcus has always been pissed that he couldn't use the flowers. He would send large groups of soldiers into the village, trying to dig for information about them from the villagers. And I can only guess that he finally snapped."
When she saw the flower, Robin's eyes brightened, and for the first time in hours, her eyes held something other than worry. She pressed closer to Al to inspect the bloom. "I've read about that in my book. Is it true it can show you the future?" See the future? Maybe we can use it to find out when the fuck we are going to get this rescue on the way. This little respite to catch our breath and learn a little of the island's past was great and all, but we needed to get going. My foot was tapping so hard on the stones beneath my feet I felt a few of them shatter with the pressure. Beside me, Luffy was taking the castle's measure. I could tell he was about five seconds away from catapulting himself across the clearing into one of the windows, plans be damned.
Unaware of our inner frustrations, Al continued. "Yes, if you're not immune to its pollen. Otherwise, in your dreams, you may see glimpses of your future, places you'll go, treasures you may find, love you may have." He looked at my crew and me thoughtfully, "You guys are probably immune; it's very rare for outsiders to get the dreams." Robin seemed a little disappointed by the news; she was probably hoping it might help her find the truth about the lost histories. Robin stared longingly at the flower before looking up at Al with an almost pleading look. He looked back at her for a few seconds and must have come to some determination about her character. Slowly he nodded, and Robin very gently reached out and took the flower from Al, and tucked it safely into her satchel. Al seemed pleased with the care Robin used on the flower and let out a brief smile before turning to the group behind us, determination flooding over his face like water.
"Alright, ladies and gents, this is what we have been waiting, hoping, and praying for. For eleven long years! After tonight, those bastards are going to regret ever making the decision to sail to our shores!" The crowd was getting riled, and whispered-yelled agreements began rising over the oppressive silence of the woods. "Arete," the older man stood taller once addressed, "I need you to head up a group that will infiltrate from the back with Sora, Louisa, and Chagrin. I'll be heading in the front with Captain Luffy and the Strawhats. I need the rest of you to fan out around the perimeter and keep watch. Divide up and be ready to head out in ten minutes." There was finality in Al's voice, and excitement, and a little mania.
Arete appeared surprised to hear that he wouldn't be infiltrating with Al. His eyes went wide, his face flushed red, and a deep frown pulled down the sides of his narrow mouth. He walked toward Al and pulled him to the side; I could see them having an intense back and forth, Arete's face becoming more and more apoplectic even as Al's became more distant and cold; I could tell Arete wasn't getting the outcome he wanted.
Beside me, I could see Luffy's fuse finally run down. He'd become more twitchy and agitated by the second. Almost faster than I could track, he had pulled his arm back and begun to wind. It took everything I had to speed over and grab his fist mid-swing. It slapped hard against my palm grinding the bones in my hand. I fought a wince and stared hard at the side of my captain's head. Luffy's face turns toward me slowly, his eyes blazing, "Let go, Sanji. I need to go." He tugged on his arm, but I held fast, my feet sliding slightly on the soft, sooty soil.
"What are you going to do? Blast through the windows?"
"If I have to!" He sounded petulant and tried again to pull his fist from my grip. I held tighter, my feet digging my heels in deeper.
"We don't even know where she is, Luffy! She could be in the basement for all we know, and if you blast through one of those upstairs windows and we don't make it to her before something happens..." I left the statement open-ended, and we just stared at each other, trying to keep our fear for our friend from exploding out of us.
The tension left Luffy's arm suddenly, like a rubberband snapping, and I stumbled a step when the tension suddenly disappeared, and I relaxed my grip and let go. Luffy sighed heavily and ran his hand over his ragged face, "I just... I need to find her. I need her to be ok. And I keep thinking, what if she's not, what if I never get to tell her...?" Tell her you love her. His words cut short as if he couldn't bring himself to put what Nami was going through into words. He hung his head so that hat hid his eyes from view, and we both pretended not to notice the tear that slid down his cheek. I did, however, put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Heartache for my friends threatened to choke me, but I channeled it into my bottomless pit of rage that had been overflowing since I discovered Nami was missing.
Several feet away, Al and Arete's discussion had become heated, both men wildly gesturing as their whisper-yelled words rose above the murmuring of the gathered crowd. They had begun to get so loud I had started to worry someone in the castle might hear them. Over a sudden lull in the surrounding conversation, we could hear Arete say, "You're not your father Alphonse; you've never seen a real battle. You're going to get yourself killed!" Al's eyes grew wide with surprise and hurt, and instead of responding, he turned from Arete and hastily walked back toward us. I could tell from Arete's face that he hadn't meant to hurt Al, only to impart a harsh truth. Zeff had given me enough of the same hard lessons to recognize that. Al would come to recognize that in time, but for now, the words cut deep.
Arete called for Al, imploring him to see reason. But seeing that he was being ignored, he sighed harshly, drew his sword, and blew past us to begin pushing his group into formation and set out around the castle, his face red, anger evident in his heavy stride.
I watched him go worriedly before looking at Al, "He alright?"
Al gave one sharp nod, "Yeah," he said harshly, "Just a disagreement. He still thinks he needs to protect me. Which is great for a father figure, but I need a general right now." Shuffling and twigs snapping to my left drew my attention back toward the castle. Arete's group was disappearing around the building, dust floating in the air in their wake. Some of the people we had been introduced to earlier were at the front of the group. I tried not to let the fact that Otto was leaning heavily on the one-handed Prue's shoulder affect me too much. He'd drank a whole bottle of rum on the journey up the mountain and had refused to listen to any objection to this action.
Al watched them go with worry and apprehension etched deep into his face. He's just as worried about Arete, whether he admits it or not. And if I had sent my father on a mission with a drunk, some elderly folks, a few shopkeepers, and a fair few people missing limbs, I'd be concerned too. Al watched their path for several more seconds, then with a hard shake of his head, he turned toward the castle and motioned for us to follow.
We moved silently toward the castle wall, our footsteps muffled by the ash underfoot. Pressing single file against the cold stone wall, we moved in the near darkness toward the gate. I kept an eye out for any guards lurking nearby, but the path seemed clear so far. I voiced this concern to Al.
"Don't you think it's strange that there aren't any guards patrolling the perimeter?"
Al cocked his head, but avoided meeting my eyes. He held my gaze for a second, seeming like he was choosing his next words carefully. Finally, he shook his head and said, "No. I got word to my contact in the castle. He was able to get most of the castle guards to follow up on a tip in the village. Most of them are indentured servants, children of the villagers; I didn't want them caught in the crossfire with their own families." When the fuck did he have time to do that?
"When did you have time to do that?" Ah, my beautiful Robin, giving a beautiful voice to my more crude thoughts.
Al stood silently for a few moments. "There are a few villagers who are small enough to sneak inside the castle through the drainage pipes near the drawbridge near the west wing. The tunnel leads to a drain in the storage pantry near the kitchen. Their parents work there, so even if they get caught, there is a plausible reason for them to be in the castle."
We let his words settle heavy in the cool air around us. No one spoke until my anger finally exploded out of me. "Parents? Did you send children into that hellhole!?" My rage was a fire in my veins. Adding to the already simmering fury that had been percolating for the last several hours, I'm surprised it didn't reignite the forest around us.
Al waved this off. "They volunteered." His nonchalance was the final straw, and I moved to try and land a solid kick to his head. Suddenly my foot caught, and I fell flat on my face sputtering as ash poured into my mouth as I exclaimed in pain. Pushing to my elbow, I used my other hand to wipe my eyes and looked down to see a dainty hand rising from the ground to grip my ankle. Looking toward Robin, I just caught her slapping Al across the face, still fairly hard but nowhere near as hard as I'd have liked or delivered.
She was as flustered as I'd ever seen her. Her chest rose and fell fast as she tried and failed to control her breathing. "Do not ever speak of a child's safety like it's nothing. That child could be dead for all you know, and you dare to be nonchalant? You cannot save your people while simultaneously putting them at risk like they are nothing. If you want to lead these people, be their King, you must be better than the person you are replacing."
The prince had the decency to look ashamed. His face flushed so redly that the print from Robin's palm damn near blended in. He reached up and tenderly rubbed his cheek, which shifted into him, running his hand down his face in a tired manner. "I know! Look, I know that this was horrible. Of course, I know that. But this is the last chance, the last night, and if we fail, everybody dies. So I took the calculated risk that given that it was night and the kitchen would have been in full swing, they would have been able to get where they needed to go under the guise of delivering meals. Hopefully, after tonight, no other children in Floria will ever have to be anything other than be a child. Hopefully, after tonight the only mischief any child gets up to will be simply for the joy of it."
I sighed and stood, trying vainly to brush ash from my formerly very nice suit. He seemed genuine. His previous indifference proving to be armor he used to keep him separate from the horrors of what he has to do to win this war and save his family. Begrudgingly I could understand, and when he elaborated, I had to admit it was a clever idea.
Sigh. "So, the tip?"
Al looked up at me and seemed confused, caught off guard by the randomness of the question. "What?"
"What was the tip? The one you had your contact give the guard."
"Oh, um, ya, so they may have received word that a rebel army was currently plotting in an old abandoned warehouse. Can you imagine what would happen if they left something like that to fester?" That surprised a small chuckle from me. The tension broke, and we all let out small sighs of relief. Al pulled himself together, once again putting forth the image of a leader with their shit together.
"Now," Al said, "we got to move. One line, stay low till we get to the wall." After looking to Luffy for confirmation, we all nodded and fell in line.
The soot muffled every step. The air had cooled considerably when the sun set, causing the sweat at the nap of my neck to grow clammy. The short trek to the castle wall was incredibly nerve-racking. Any second I expected to be spotted or shot. Reaching the wall, we pressed our backs to the brick and sighed in relief. Moving to the right, we made our way toward the gate. Out of my peripherals, a smear against the wall caught my attention. About shoulder height, two long smudges dragged through the soot that coated the wall. I was immediately alert. The streaks were too deliberate to be random brushes. Someone had to of dragged their hand across the brick, and recently.
I swung my head around until I noticed large bootprints leading from off to the side leading to the gate. They came from a dense foliage path that looked like it had been harshly hacked into the forest. I stared at it for a moment before realizing it led to the beach. Hmm. As we neared the gate, I noticed a flutter from a burnt-out tree.
When we squeezed past the tree, I reached out and snatched the bit of fabric and noticed the feel of the fabric was familiar. The black fabric was worn and soft for use and time, and I'd gripped it enough during enough fights that I'd recognize it anywhere. This is Zoro's bandana. I chuckled harshly and squeezed it harder in my fist. Dumb moss for brains gets lost and somehow still manages to get here before us. Normally I'd fight tooth and nail to keep from giving Zoro any credit, but honestly, knowing he is already here, and given how long it took us to get to the castle, it gave me an incredible sense of peace.
Carefully I folded the bandana and tucked it into my suit jacket where my handkerchief usually sat. I looked up to find Luffy's gaze lingering on the bit of cloth. Our eyes met, and the relief I felt was mirrored in his eyes. Even if Zoro didn't find her first, he'd cause enough distraction to make our job easier.
We followed a broken cobblestone path to the gate, which was propped ajar and held open by rusted hinges. After so much destruction surrounding the castle, the overgrown garden beds and ivy were a shock, and the moist smell of molding leaves and mulch was heavy and cloying. Al signaled for us to move forward, and we crept past dried-out fountains and broken sculptures to the cracked marble steps leading to the castle entrance. Again the door was unguarded, just as Al said it would be. The inside of the castle was cold, and the silence was bone-chilling.
Al froze in the doorway and looked around in dismay. The place was an enormous mess. The floor was bare concrete—various spots sporting nails and glue from where carpets had been torn up. The walls were covered in tattered draperies and peeling wallpaper. All paintings were slashed, busts broken, and stained glass in various windows shattered. The destruction looked old, adding to the sense of desecration. "There used to be such warmth in this castle." Al's sorrow was palpable; his arms crossed over his chest as if it was the only thing holding him together. He took a few steps toward the left and dropped his arms with a heavy shake. He moved and stood before a cold fireplace, placing his hand on the mantel and taking a deep, shuddering breath. "My mother always kept this lit and kept staff rotating meals and clothing for any villager that might need them." A tear trailed down his cheek, "all were welcome, all were safe and protected behind these walls, and he has perverted that. Stained my parent's memory!" Even knowing that the castle was most likely empty of guards, I still worried at his rising tone.
Roughly raking his hands through his hair, Al seemed to be falling apart bit by bit. Some leader. Barely ten feet in the door, and he fucking losing it. After that display outside, I'd have e-fucking-nough. Finally caving, I dug a cigarette and matches out of my pocket. The smell of sulfur flared as the match struck, and the first drag of acrid smoke filled my lungs, taking some stress with it on the way out and grounding me. Securing the butt firmly between my lips, I shoved my hands deep into my pockets and walked calmly over to where Al was having his little fit. He didn't even notice me stopping next to him. Fucker should have listened to Arete. Before Luffy could stop me or before I could think twice about Robin seeing such a brutal display, I pulled my foot back and swung it straight into Al's stomach, similar to how I'd wanted to earlier, but with significantly less force.
"Knock it off!" Al clasped his stomach and collapsed to his knees with an anguished grunt. "We have to keep moving, and melodramatic outbursts are helping exactly no one!"
"Fuck, man. Did you have to kick me so hard?" Al rubbed his stomach tenderly and looked up at me with a glare.
Unimpressed, I released another puff of smoke. "That was just a tap, but I'll show you what a hard kick is if you don't get the fuck up and help us find our friend. We have had to put up with obstacles, discussions, and personal tiffs for the last several hours, and I am done! Nami is in danger! Your people, your sisters, are counting on you to save them, and you have the nerve to lose it on the damn doorstep? No. Get up and prove yourself the leader you promised Arete you were. Or was he right? Are you not ready? Cause we can take it from here if need be. Just say the fucking word." The cracking of knuckles and the sudden heavy scent of flowers told me my crewmates were with me.
His eyes flared brightly at my implications, his glare burning bright on my face as he tried to come up with the words to argue with what I said. Maybe it was my steel resolve in the face of his rage or that I had slowly been raising my foot off the ground in his continued silence, but he finally dropped his gaze and nodded. Pushing his fist off the broken slate flooring, Al wobbly got to his feet. After a few deep breaths, he said, "No, you're... you're right. That was pathetic; I have to stop doing this. Man, I wish Wellesley was here; she was always the strongest of us." he released a weary sigh, "Come on. We'd better move." He tried to pull it together, walking with purposeful strides toward the main staircase, but we'd seen behind the mask. We knew he was just a scared kid blindly trying to keep his head above water. I shared a look over my shoulder with Luffy and Robin. We may all like Al, but after that display, we would go our own way in a second if it meant saving Nami.
Al stopped walking at the base of the stairs. He placed his hand on the banister, a wistful smile crossing his lips before quickly hiding it with a flat, determined line. After a beat of silence and a deep breath, he said, "Before we go up, you should be aware that a few guards may be stationed outside the throne room door. Marcus has a small contingent he brought with him from his home island, and they don't report directly to my contact." Al's voice was still wheezy, and he was embarrassed that much was evident from his bright red ears.
We nodded and began to scale the massive staircase. Complete silence surrounded us, only the soft echo of our footsteps following us. About halfway up, we froze as voices began to flutter from up ahead.
"Awe, man Vic, did you see the tits on that redhead?" An obscene groan followed the guards' comment before his cohort replied. I locked eyes with Robin, the same thought in our eyes. They must be talking about Nami.
"Fuck ya. And her ass? God damn Bruno, did ya see it? Out of this fucking world I'm tellin' ya." Luffy's hand gripped the banister, and the wood groaned softly. I quickly put my hand on his, and after he took several deep breaths, he let go with a tight nod. I felt as if I was going to explode, but at this moment, we still needed the element of surprise. Up ahead, the guard's disgusting conversation continued.
"Maybe if we are real lucky, or if she's real bad, we can convince His Majesty to let us give her a few extra lessons in being a lady in this household."A harsh cackle followed, bouncing between both men.
"Then again, Lavender still lookin' like a fuckin' peach. Haven't had a crack at her in for-fucking-ever."
The sound of someone sucking on their teeth assaulted my ears, "Ya, but she's King Pin's favorite. The likelihood of him letting you get at that is almost less than zero."
"Well, we could always 'lose' her on the way back to her cell. Say she tried to escape and have a real good round or ten with her before we 'find' her and bring her back. Take that fancy earring off, hose her down, and he'd be none the wiser."
"Well, shit! That's one hell of an idea. I think we just might need to..."
They didn't get to finish their sentence. The four of us had had enough. The eagerness and excitement in their voices was the final straw. We blasted up those last few stairs, ready to knock heads first and ask questions later. The guards were both tall and bland looking, same build, the same coloring, the same bullshit helmets, and primarily for show spears. Robin quickly sprouted arms on both their shoulders, covering their mouths so they couldn't call out for help. Luffy was on the one on the left faster than I could track, pummeling his face with several quick successive punches that left his nose and mouth little more than hamburger. The second guard had turned to run and possibly alert the people on the other side of the door they were guarding, but he never got the chance. Two more arms sprouted from his feet, tripping him so that he landed hard on his face.
He rolled and bit into the hand, still covering his mouth. Robin yelled in pain, shaking her hand to ward off the phantom pain. My vision went red, and before the piece of shit guard could shout out a warning, I was on him, kicking the side of his head and launching him into the cement block wall, which quickly crumpled with a loud crash.
I froze, sure that the noise would alert whoever was behind the throne room door. But at that moment, a piercing scream echoed from behind the door, and there was no more time to think about being quiet. Again we moved as one, and Al was the first through the door.
A/N Still needs a little work, but I hope y'all enjoy just the same. Happy Holidays - CL