I came to a conclusion a while ago.
I had made a terrible mistake.
I ducked under another tree branch that almost smacked me in the face. All around me, insects buzzed incessantly and I heard these weird noises that came from a lot of birds. The ground was wet and soft under my feet and there was dirt clinging to my legs and knees. My arms itched and they were a bright shade of red. I wondered if it was because of that bush I had brushed up against earlier? Oh well, it wasn't killing me, so it didn't matter.
At least I thought so. I hoped so. That would really suck to die from a plant.
But none of that really compared to the voices. There were a lot of voices. So many, many voices. It made my head pound painfully every moment. I-
-FEAR, HUNGRY, FEAR, CURIOUS-
"Shut the hell up!" I suddenly snapped, and the jungle came alive as a bunch of things fled. Birds flew up to the sky and small animals dashed off, both filled with a sudden and primal sense of fear. It was annoying, but for once, there was a moment of peace. I enjoyed it for as long as I could and carried on walking.
I had been at this for a couple of minutes now, and I had expected to get bored. But besides the constant noise and weight of the voices bearing down on me, I was enjoying myself.
It was nice, how it all felt. The warmth of the sun on the back of my neck, the fresh, clean air that brushed up against me. Even the way the plants stroked against my skin when I walked past them.
It didn't calm the rapid beating of my heart. It didn't really help me find the little girl either. But it was nice. If nothing else, it made me want to keep on walking, so I did. Even as my head pounded and ached with the barrage of voices assaulting me.
Well, more like feelings? People had voices because they were complicated. Some felt happy and sad at the same time, others felt relieved and frustrated and hungry. It was a weird mix that made it hard to focus on what exactly they were feeling.
Animals, I guessed, were simpler? So they just blared out whatever they felt at a certain moment and it was so annoying. I wanted to enjoy my walk and the sights. I wanted to experience something new and-
I stopped dead in my tracks. A wave of bristiling heat washed over me and a deep, low growl forced their ways into my ears. I heard something sharp crashing against something hard and the sparks that flew caught my eye.
One of the books I read was about animals. I enjoyed Sea Kings the most because they were giant sea monsters that were cool, but I really liked all of them. One of them that stood out was the tiger. It was this giant orange-white furred cat with black stripes and I really, really wanted to see one in person.
So it was kinda disappointing that I just stumbled upon one, swiping at a rock? It felt… I didn't know the word, but the whole experience was disappointing. I wanted to see it leap, bound and hunt, I wanted to see it chase and run. And now, I was here, just watching it scratching a couple of rocks sticking out of the ground.
I huffed and-
And then I stopped. Underneath the hunger of the tiger, underneath its waves of frustration, there was something else. A trickle of something damp, something wet. It didn't belong to the tiger, it belonged to something else. Straining my ears, I heard the small and ugly sobs over the claw strikes.
"Oh. That was easy," I said to myself and focused on the tiger again, "Hey. Stop that."
The tiger didn't stop, so I leant down to pick up a loose rock. I weighed it in my hand for a bit before I drew my arm back and flung it straight at the tiger's rear. The sound that came out of it was unlike anything I've ever heard before and my skin erupted in tiny bumps when it snapped its head to me. Its ears were flat on its head, its lips pulled back to reveal a row of sharp, pointed fangs that were half as long as my arm.
Okay. Okay, this was better. Now it was a cool animal.
"Hey. Go away," I told the snarling animal and it responded by bounding at me. There wasn't any time to appreciate how its powerful muscles closed the distance in seconds, or how-
I turned to the left as it lunged at me. I didn't mean to, my body had just responded to the sudden blood thirst of the tiger. The smell of wet, thick fur and the dried mud caking its body wafted past me in a powerful gust, but that was nothing compared to the forceful waves of heat mounting on my shoulders. It skidded across the jungle floor, leaving deep gashes in the mud and tearing up the grass. Its powerful rear legs landed on a tree's trunk and it bent slightly under the weight.
"Hey. Stop that," I told the big cat with a frown, and it let out a low hiss. It was a warning, but if I turned my back now, it would chase after me. Could I outrun it? I didn't know, and I didn't want to leave anyway. I had no idea how to get back here if I got lost, so there was only one thing left to do.
"Go away," I told the tiger again, but it didn't budge an inch. A heavy feeling rose up in my chest and nestled in my heart at the sight of this powerful animal just refusing to do what I told it to.
"I said," That feeling rose up from my heart and the words came out of my mouth like a hammer's swing, "Go away."
The tiger's hissing stopped. Its fur was suddenly stiff and stood to attention, its pupil-slits going wide and becoming two little black dots. It bounded off without a second to waste, disappearing into the jungle's depths. I stared where it went until I stopped feeling its fearful voice, but I was more concerned with the growing tightness in my chest and strange, constricting feeling around my throat. Was I poisoned? Did the tiger do this? Did I-?
I opened my mouth and suddenly took a big gulp of air, which washed away everything. Oh, I was just holding my breath. I didn't even realise.
Good thing no one was watching. That would be-
"H-Hello? W-Who are you?" Small and wavering words came from behind me, and I had to force myself to turn around. Coming out of the stone croppings was a young girl, her summer dress coated with thick blotches of mud and dried leaves entangled in her frazzled hair. Her knees, I noticed, had dried blood and big, angry scabs.
Her wet, baggy red eyes flinched when she caught my gaze, edging back into the rocks, "Oh. Are you… Riku?"
"N-No? I'm Rika," The little girl sniffed at my question, her wariness replaced with confusion, "Who are you, mister?"
"I am Casair D. Wolfe. Wolfe with an E," I told her and the little girl's frown just deepened.
"Wolfy…?"
"No, Wolfe. With an E. The E is silent."
"That's dumb. Your name is dumb. Wolf doesn't have an E, my daddy taught me that and my daddy is super smart!"
"My Wolfe has an E so that makes it better than any other wolves," I told her the truth and the little girl had the guts to stick her tongue out at me, "Now, get over here and let's go back. People are worried about you."
The little girl, Rika, didn't say anything, but she cast her puffy red eyes down. She sniffed again, wiping her wet nose with her wrist as she shook her head.
"I-I don't wanna," She softly said, "I-I don't wanna go back."
Oh. Hmmm… That was an issue. I didn't really plan for her not wanting to go back. Do I force her to come with me? Wouldn't be very hard, but she might hurt herself and Lorick and Pete might get upset with me.
What would they do? What would they say?
"I don't care," I said aloud and walked towards the now confused looking girl, "You're making other people worried."
"Y-You big fat liar!" The little girl shouted as she scrambled back into the rocks, her big eyes glistening wet, "No one is worried about me! No one cares about me!"
"Stop shouting. You're annoying," Are all girls like this? I've only met with two so far, and Mara shouts at Pete and Jeffords a lot. But she at least sounds nicer rather than some whiny, scratchy voiced brat.
"Meanie! Go away!" She stuck her tongue at me, and hid in between the rocks again. I, however, was not a tiger, so I just reached in and grabbed her before she could get any further away.
"Let me go! Dummy! Bully! Meanie! Let me go! I don't wanna go back!" She struggled against me, but she was just a little girl. I pulled her out, and it was like trying to wrestle… I didn't really have any experience with this, but she felt fragile and all I had to do to break her would just be a small amount of pressure.
A plate. It felt like I was trying to grab a biting, scratching plate that didn't want to sit still!
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me-!"
She finally shut up after I dragged her forward and threw her down on the ground. The moist, sodden mud softened her fall, so her squawk was probably because of surprise. She turned over to face me, her face wet with tears, caked in mud and her eyes puffy red. It wasn't a pretty sight, but I didn't care.
"If you wanted to be left alone, why were you scared of the tiger?" I asked her, and she flinched from me, "It would've killed you eventually. That's what you want, right? To die?"
"I-I," She stuttered out brokenly, but that just pissed me off even more. I scoffed, narrowing my eyes down at the little girl.
"Pete and Jeffords and mister Lorick and every other marine is trying their best to find you, and you say no one cares about you? If no one cared about you, then why are they even doing anything?"
"D-Don't act like you care-!"
"I don't care about you," I told her bluntly, and she made this weird, cut-off choking noise, "I don't even know you. I saved you, and you repaid me by biting and scratching and being an annoying crybaby that would rather get eaten by a tiger than live."
"You're so mean!" Small hiccups were accompanied by sniffles and a pair of teary eyes, "Then why are you even here? Just leave me alone. N-No one wants me anyway…"
I watched as the little girl, Rika, just sat down in the mud and cried. I watched as I tried to say something, anything, but nothing came to me.
Just why was I here? What was I doing? All I thought I had to do was just find her and that'd be it. But it wasn't, and now she's crying. I didn't know what to do.
What would Pete do? He wouldn't do what I did just now. It didn't work. So maybe try the opposite? But what was that?
I'd made a huge mistake coming here. But if I didn't, the tiger would've eaten her. So maybe it was only a normal-sized mistake? If that was the case, then I could still do this. I took a deep breath and I sat down next to Rika and just… Waited.
It took her awhile to either notice I was here, or to stop crying. She peeked at me from under her dirty hands, and glared at me. I stared back, trying to think of what to say.
"Why do you think no one cares?" Is what I finally settled on. Rika sniffed, but that didn't help the dribble of snot running down her lip.
"B-Because m-mommy and d-daddy are getting rid of me," She told me, her lips quivering as she tittered on the verge of crying again, "M-Mommy's belly is really big with my little brother right now. I-I was really excited, but I heard them say they were going to make room by… by-!"
"Stop crying. You're so annoying," Rika let out another weird noise, but it wasn't a wail this time. For once, any sadness or despair was replaced by anger. It was a better look, if only it meant that she was doing something.
Even if it was smashing her foot against my knee, "You're so mean! Bully! Poopoo head!"
"My head is not poopoo," I told her, and she stuck her tongue out at me, "And if being mean is what I have to do for you, I'll do it. You've stopped crying now, haven't you?"
"I guess…" She sniffed, brushing her wet eyes. But there were no more tears, and that was good.
"I don't know about your mommy and daddy. Maybe they really did replace you," I shrugged at Rika, and her breath hitched. A wave of cold, clammy wetness washed over me, and my heart suddenly panged with a deep hurt.
"But have you asked them?" And just like that, it stopped and was replaced by a confusing twirl. Though, Rika's emotions were so visible on her muddy face, there wasn't any real point to taking notice to these strange feelings.
"No…" She admits, her eyes on the mud and her hands gripped the hem of her dirty dress, "But they'll just lie to me."
"Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. You'll never found out if you die here, though," Rika chewed her bottom lip, but I knew I was getting through to her, "You're scared of the truth, right? That they don't want you? But maybe that's something you just think is true. Maybe you're just stupid."
"... 'm not stupid…"
I shrugged, not really caring one way or the other. I waited for her sniffling to finally die down, and Rika's glare softened a bit.
"You're weird," She said with the same certainty as if she called the sky blue.
"Better weird than a crybaby."
"I'm not a crybaby!"
"Then don't cry any more," I told her, and she kicked me again. I huffed, and I stood up. Planting my sword in the mud, I reached out to Rika and, after a moment, she placed her small hand in mine. I pulled her up to her feet and her puffy, red eyes looked up at me. She looked better now, stronger. It was small, but there was a quality to her akin to a rock now, rather than the feelings of sinking, cold gravel from before.
"I'll go back," She said softly, and my lips pulled up in a smile all by themselves, "But I want something first."
"Oh?"
"I found a really weird fruit, and… I want to bring it to mommy," Rika told me, and she was already tugging my clothes incessantly, "That's why I.. Ran away. I thought if I brought it, they wouldn't throw me away…"
"Alright then," I shrugged and Rika blinked up at me, "So we get this fruit, and you come back?"
"Mhm. Pinky promise," And she proceeded to offer me an outstretched pinky as if I knew what to do with it. I stared at it before I offered my own pinky and grabbed it with her own finger, shaking it.
"I don't know what a pinky promise is, but we just made a deal, right? Now come on, let's get going."
"You're weird, Wolfy…"
"It's Wolfe. With an E."
"Hey, Wolfy. Can I ask something?" Rika's soft and weak voice came to my ear. Her heartbeat reverberated across my back, along with her slow breathing. I shuffled the child clinging on my back, her arms around my neck as I stepped over a tree root, and I nodded.
"You said you didn't care about me. So why are you doing all of this?"
"Hmmm.. That's a good question," I told her truthfully, "If I had to say, it's because I felt like it was the right thing to do."
"The right thing?"
"Yeah. Doing this just felt like the right thing to do. If I didn't help you, I don't think I would've ever forgotten what I could've done, but didn't do. I could help, so I did. Plus, I was scared."
"You were scared?! B-But you-!"
"No yelling by my ear!"
"O-Oh, sorry," She quieted down a bit, thankfully. By now, there was only me and Rika in the surrounding area, so I wasn't stressed that she would bring wild animals down on us. Which was strange, really. It felt dead around us, lifeless, but there was this tingly sensation at the base of my spine that wouldn't go away.
"But that tiger was so big and scary! And you told it off, Wolfy! How can you be scared of anything?"
"I don't know," I frowned a little bit as I jumped over a fallen log, "But I'm not so scared any more. I'm glad I found you when I did, Rika."
For some reason, that made Rika cling tighter to me and her face dug into the back of my neck, "You're so weird, Wolfy. You were really scary before, but now you're being all nice and warm… Just be nice from now on, okay?"
"Only if you stop being a crybaby," I told her bluntly, earning me a huff. I forced down the smile, and turned my head to catch her eye, "You know where we're going, right?"
"Mhm. Me and my friends usually come out here and play, but ever since that storm, we've been told to stay away. It's not far now," She mumbled out. I found it strange that kids would play in a jungle, but maybe they're really strong? In any case, it didn't take long to find what Rika was looking for.
It was strange, at first. The jungle was a constant image of growth and fertility, with a humid, almost moist, air to it. But Rika had led me to a clearing where it suddenly felt like every bit of life was stripped away, every morsel and scrap was burnt away.
The clearing itself was scorched black. Rather than a wildfire that petered out, it seemed like a giant hand had sucked all life out of the area: The trees were burnt black with disintegrating branches, the grass crunched and turned to ash underneath my feet and the air had this energy to it. Like every breath I took sent tiny little knives down my throat. But it wasn't a bad feeling.
It felt familiar. It felt good. It was comforting, somehow.
"Over there!" Rika's arm flew past my head and pointed to the centre of this strange place. There was a bent, gnarled looking tree with crumbling black bark. In the entire clearing, it had the sole bit of colour which instantly drew my eye.
It was a fruit, just like Rika said. But it was unlike any fruit I had ever seen before. It was bright white, but had these angry bright blue streaks across it. They reminded me of a thunderbolt, though that wasn't the most stand out feature of the fruit.
It was a pair of fangs, smiling. Or it had the shape of fangs. It had a semicircle type of shape, like a banana, but it was longer and thicker. A pair of white fangs, with jagged blue streaks going across it.
"That is a really, really ugly fruit," Rika smacked the top of my head for that and huffed.
"It's a super cool fruit, Wolfy! Mommy will love it and she'll never want to get rid of me"
"Oh, it is super cool. But it is also really ugly," I almost wanted to keep it for myself, but a deal was a deal. I walked up to the tree and placed Rika down, gauging the tree. It shouldn't be a hard climb, but would the tree survive the extra weight? A few kicks at the base showed it to be sturdy enough, but the branches looked thin. If I tried to climb on them, they'd probably break under my weight.
"I got an idea. Stand back, Rika," I told her, and she listened to me without complaint. When she took a couple of steps back, I widened my stance, lowered myself and placed my hand on my blade's handle.
This will be the first cut my treasure would make. I still didn't know what I wanted, or where I was going. But this had to be perfect.
I would accept nothing less. With that thought, my body moved by itself. My treasure left its scabbard in a thin white blur, and it was done.
"Wooooah… That's a pretty sword. But shouldn't you use an axe to chop down a tree?"
"My sword is better than any axe," I told Rika, and she stuck her tongue out at me. I sheathed my blade, and I raised up my foot.
"Huh? What are you-?"
I kicked the tree and it tilted. At its base, a perfect cut that went from front to back allowed me to push it over. The tree crashed down to the ground, the sound of snapping branches and the crunching of dried grass filling the air.
I brushed my hand against the smooth cut, and smiled at how my hand glided across. No jagged edges, no splinters. A single, perfect cut.
"W-Wolfy! The fruit, you dummy!" Rika's yell wiped away my smile, and just as I turned to her, she dashed past me. I watched as she clambered over the fallen tree to reach its branches, huffing at the sudden burst of energy from the kid.
"The fruit is fine, you idiot. I made sure the tree fell in the right way, so the fruit wouldn't get smashed."
I made my way over to Rika, who was eyeing the strange fruit with a gleam in her eyes. Just as I thought, it was completely untouched, still dangling from the branch. I watched as the little girl took the strange, fang-like fruit and plucked it from the fallen tree.
"Ready?" I asked her, and she looked up at me, her lips set in a thin line. Rika nodded and that was that. I offered my hand to her, and she took it.
"If we go-"
And then it happened. The dead air was suddenly filled with an intense heat. The tingling sensation at the base of my spine suddenly arched upwards to my skull like a lightning bolt. My skin erupted in goosebumps and I had already thrown myself in front of Rika when a giant orange blur leapt out and threw itself on top of me.
It was the tiger from before. Its slitted pupils pulsated with throbbing veins as it glared down at me with fury and hunger. It was almost overwhelming in how much it wanted to sink its fangs into our flesh. Its claws and sharp teeth scraped and scratched against my scabbard, but they didn't even leave a mark. For the first time since I woke up, my muscles were strained with effort.
Telling it to leave wasn't going to work. This time, it was too angry. A deep, bellowing growl escaped from its open maw, and it sent vibrations down my shaking arms. Its massive form loomed over me as it tried pushing me down.
And then it happened again. That lighting bolt arcing up my spine. Once again, I didn't think, and simply reacted. I twisted my sheathed blade and let the tiger push itself forward. Before its claws reached me, I ducked underneath the animal, grabbed a hold of its furry belly, and my muscles throbbed with effort.
And so, I threw the tiger at the second tiger that was dashing towards Rika. It flew through the air, casting a shadow down at us. Its confusion overwhelmed its hunger and anger for a brief moment, followed by pain as the two large beasts became entangled in a clump of yowling fur and claws.
"Rika, go. Now," I didn't feel any other animals nearby, but that didn't mean it was safe. I just didn't know if I could protect her. If kids were allowed to play around here though, then I bet the only dangerous animals were the ones in front of me.
At least, I hoped so.
"B-Bu-" She blubbered and stumbled with paralysing fear. Well, that wouldn't really do right now.
"I said run!"
I didn't know if it was my bellowing command that caused her to suddenly make a dash for it, or the fact that the two tigers had finally untangled themselves, and they were charging towards us. Once again, I knew where they were going to go and where they were going to strike.
The problem was, only one of the tigers was aiming for me. The one to the right had its gaze set on Rika's back.
It was fine though. All I needed to do was-
"GODS AND GODDESSES OF THE HOLY LAND! WE HAVE A SPECIAL, THREE-WAY EVENT FOR ALL OF YOU TODAY! THE WILD CHILD VS TWO, HUNGRY BEASTS! WILL THIS BE THE DAY THE DEVIL SPAWN FINALLY FALLS, OR WILL IT PROVE EVEN MORE FEROCIOUS THAN BEFORE?!"
A crowd of jeering faces, all in white suits. A sea of pure and utter ugly arrogance, gorging themselves on sweetmeats, cake and wine. Every part of me was pain, throbbing and burning, but I dragged myself to the centre of the bone-laden arena.
Before me, a pair of heavy iron gates rattle open and two great beasts prowled out. I saw their bony rib cages and gaunt faces, their thin legs and matted fur.
My blood-caked hands flexed.
"Come on, Jeffords! Put yer back into it! Ye got the strength of youth, and yet ye can barely move a log?"
"It's a fallen tree, you idiot," Jeffords' eyes rolled as he followed his pudgy friend and stepped over said fallen tree, "And will you keep your voice down? We're supposed to be on a search and rescue for a little girl. Hearing you bellow and yell is only going to drive her away."
"What'cha ye talking about, ye idjiot? I'm nothing, but a glowin' pillar of warmth and security. If anythin', yer the one that's gonna scare the little lass away, what with yer thin, gaunt face and yer even thinner legs!"
"Just because you can suffocate her with your folds doesn't mean children like you, Pete," Jeffords shot back, but his eyes were focused on the jungle expanse before him. Beads of sweat rolled down the back of his neck, his uniform darkened with wet patches of dirt and liquid. His knuckles were white as he held onto his firearm with a tight grip.
Comparatively, Pete was taking the lead with ease, his rifle resting easily against his back in a leather sling. Despite chortling and talking, his eyes were firmly ahead and his sure stride walked over roots, tangling foliage and undergrowth with ease.
"Hey. So, Pete," Jeffords suddenly spoke up, his words quivering, "This part of the jungle is safe, right?"
"As safe as we can make it, Jeffords," Pete said back, glancing behind for a second, "Wot's the matter? Gettin' cold feet?"
"N-No!" A flash of indigent anger crawled across Jeffords' face, but he couldn't hide the quake in his voice, "Look, all I'm saying is, we've been searching for a while now, right? What if she's… You know."
"Dead? What if a little six-year-old girl is dead?" Pete's smile dropped, replaced by a stern stare, though he did not stop walking, "Then we find whatever killed her, and kill it. Simple as."
"But her parents-"
"Jeffords," Pete came to a stop, turning around to Jeffords with a furrowed brow, "Have ye given up?"
"W-What?"
"I asked if ye given up," Pete spoke again with a hard tone, "This be a search and rescue, just as ye said. We don't go out thinkin' little Rika is dead, do we? Because we're Marines, and our job is to protect the common folk."
"R-Right. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply-"
"Is fine, ye idjet," Pete waved him off, a smile returning to his jolly face. His eyes flickered to the right, deeper into the jungle, and his smile turned brighter.
"Now, follow me, will ya? We got a job to do, and we ain't goin' back till it's done, ya hear?"
"I hear," Jeffords' sigh was heavy as he followed Pete, who changed the direction of their search without warning. If he noticed such a sudden shift, Jeffords made no comment about it.
It wasn't long until they heard the pitter-patter of feet and the rustling of the undergrowth. Jeffords' rife pointed at the noise with shaky hands, but Pete motioned for him to put down the firearm with a wave and a glare. Just as he did so, a little girl ran right into them. She was visibly crying, with snot running down her nose and tears falling down her cheeks. In her hands was a strange blue-white fruit.
"Woah, woah, there little lass! Yer all good now, yer alright! Ain't need for tears!" Pete flashed a warm smile and dropped to his knees to comfort the young child. She looked up at the marine, her rapid and short breathing calming down slightly before she threw herself at Pete.
"P-Pluse, you have to help Wolfy!" She cried and blubbered, stumbling over her words. She dropped the fruit she had been carrying to grab onto Pete's white uniform, "Tighers, they, they-!"
Pete blinked at the crying child, but his smile stayed as he placed a comforting hand on her hand, ruffling her hair, "Gegegege, alright lass, alright. Calm down now, yer safe."
"Bhut-!"
"Jeffords! Got a job for ye," Pete suddenly stood up and scooped up Rika in his arms. The chief petty officer passed the crying, confused girl to his comrade, who clumsily took her.
"Pete?"
"Call it in that we found Rika, safe and sound. I'm gonna go and save Casair from becomin' cat chow."
"What?! Casair? The hell do you-?"
"Gegege, see ya later!" Pete shouted back as he dove into the jungle head first with a quickness that belied his girth. Jeffords' yelling faded behind him as Pete ran and ran deeper into the jungle. Despite not being told where Casair was, Pete knew exactly where to go and what to look for.
"Geez, knew that kid was trouble, but didn't expect somethin' like this," Pete chuckled to himself as his eyes darted to the left, and without hesitation, turned on his heel to follow a new direction. In his hands, he cradled the fruit Rika had dropped and looked it over while running.
"Ain't no bite marks," He sighed with relief, not even looking as he vaulted over a fallen waist-high tree without looking, "So what in the hell are ye? Zoan? Paramecia? Ye don't seem like no Logia, but ain't seen ya kind in the book before. Tch, gonna have to tell Lorick about this."
Just as Pete stopped talking to himself, his nostrils flared. His smile fell and his running came to a slow, purposeful gait. The green grass underfoot turned black and lifeless, and Pete found himself in a clearing that had all vitality and life sucked out of it.
He also found Casair, covered in blood and looking down at the corpses of two tigers. Pete's eyes glided across the two dead jungle cats, and saw that one of them had its skull caved in by something small, but blunt. Its fangs were cracked apart as if it tried to bite through stone. Its chest was ripped apart, showing the white of its cracked and fractured ribcage.
The other tiger's death was from a simple, clean cut that went through its entire midsection and cleaving it into halves. A small, but growing, puddle of blood pooled at Casair's feet, who stood motionlessly with his long and heavy blade in hand.
Pete let out a slow breath, and took a step forward. In a flash, Casair twisted around and took a stance, placing his hand on the sword and ready to cut down anything. A wave washed over Pete, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Despite that, he smiled at the sword-wielding boy, and the tension in the air evaporated.
"Pete?" Casair said with a slow blink, loosening his stance and taking his hand off the blade.
"Gegegege, who else, lad?" Pete laughed and smiled, making his way to Casair, "And look at ye, up and about so soon! What ya doin' out of bed, Wolfe?"
"Oh. I wanted to help," It was such a simple, honest answer that it brought another chuckle from Pete. With the danger passed, he made his way to the young amnesiac and looked over the scene.
"So, laddie. Are ye hurt?" Asked Pete, but it was more of a curious inquiry than a serious question. Casair shook his head, looking down at the two tigers with a slight frown.
"No, not really. One of them tried to bite my neck, but it didn't work. Don't know why though," Casair admitted, and Pete knew he was telling the truth. He responded by letting out a low hum, and placed a hand on Casair's shoulder.
"Ye know that yer in a boat load of trouble, right?"
"Eh? Why?"
"Because the quack is probably tearin' his hair out right now, wonderin' where ye be," Pete chuckled softly, "Be prepped fer an earful, laddie. He ain't gonna let ya out of his sight for a while now!"
"But I'm fine! I wasn't even hurt!"
"Eh, tell him that, not me. Now come on, laddie. Little Rika was cryin' her eyes out when we found her. Seein' ya fine and dandy will put her mind at ease."
"Oh? You found her? Is she alright?"
"Aye, she be fine, laddie. How'd ye end up findin' her anyhow?"
"Just got lucky, I guess?" Casair shrugged, and explained how he found Rika being attacked by a tiger, saved only by hiding in the crevices of large stones until he found her. About how they found the strange fruit and how he chopped down the tree.
"I told it to go away last time, and it did. But when they ambushed us here, I had a feeling it wasn't going to work," There was a slight frown Casair wore, as he stared back at the tigers. In turn, he didn't see the dip in Pete's smile at his words before he reasserted himself.
"Is that so?" Pete mumbled a reply, looking down at Casair and scratching at his chin, "Well, Wolfe, can ye do me a favour?"
"A favour? What can I do?" Casair turned his attention to Pete who knelt down to eye-level with the young man. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Casair by the shoulders and looked straight into his bright, blue eyes.
"Don't tell anyone what ya just told me, got it?"
Casair tilted his head to one side, his lips turning down in a frown, "Why? Did I do something wrong?"
"Gegegege, lad, ye did great. Ye did the right thing," Pete's enthusiastic reply turned Casair's frown into a small, but proud smile that clashed with the blood on him, "But ain't no one is gonna believe ya told a hungry tiger to piss and then it went and did just that. That sort of thin'... Draws the wrong kind of attention, get me?"
Casair didn't respond back, instead nodding slowly, "Rika is safe though, right? You have the fruit, so she must've found you."
"Aye, I left her with Jeffords. Probably already back at base, if I had to guess."
"Then that's all I care about," Casair's words were met by a relieved smile from Pete, who patted him on the shoulder before standing back up.
"Good lad. Now let's get back, alright?"
"Mhm, alright," Casair nodded, and the two left the clearing. As they did, Pete spared one last glance at the clearing, the two dead tigers and the fruit in his hand.
It wasn't lost on him that the fruit itself was almost smiling at this whole strange series of events.
"Pete! Did you find-What the hell?!"
"Don't ya worry about a thin', Jeffords. The blood ain't his," I could tell that Pete was fighting back a laugh as we walked through the entrance of the base, drawing some attention from the other Marines. Pete patted me on the back, smiling proudly at me.
"Take Wolfe to the showers and get 'im cleaned up, will ya, Jeffords? The quack's casket be itchin' to explode, and seein' the lad like this will give 'im a hernia."
"Uh, sure, but why is he covered in blood, Pete?"
"I killed two tigers. One with my fist, and one with my sword," I decided to speak up for myself, but didn't mention how I scared one off before. I didn't know why Pete wanted me to keep that secret, but it didn't really matter to me.
Jeffords' eyes darted between me and Pete before he blew out some air, shaking his head, "How did you even… Oh, whatever. We can't have you walking around like that. Are you hurt anywhere?"
I shook my head, and Jeffords' shoulders slumped, "Thank god for small mercies then. Come on, I'll show you to the showers."
I nodded, though I looked up at Pete to see him shaking his head and holding up the fruit in his hand.
"I gotta go and make a report to the Cap and Ensign about this little beaut' here. Ye go and get washed up, alright?"
"You're going to bother the Captain and Ensign about a fruit?" Jeffords raised a brow in question, but Pete laughed it off as he made way into the marine base.
"Gegegege, trust me, Jeffords! They're gonna wanna know about this!"
But wasn't that Rika's fruit? She found it and wanted to give it to her mum. Why would Pete care about this? Unless he knew something we didn't. Like if it was dangerous or-
Oh. Oh, what if it was poisonous? Did Pete know about plants though?
Well, it didn't really matter. Rika is safe now, and I've done my part. With a sigh, Jeffords shook his head, and gestured for me to follow him. We walked through the halls of the marine base, and I felt the fluctuating waves of electric surprise and cold fear wash over me from the other Marines as they saw me.
"Honestly, that guy just does whatever he wants," Jeffords grumbled as he led me to the showers, offering me a sympathetic look, "Look, Casair. It's nice to see you up and about, but you shouldn't put yourself in danger. That's what the Marines are for, understand?"
I blinked up at Jeffords, and his warm worry was mixed with damn disgust and chilly fear as he looked over me. It was weird, in a sense, to know I made someone both afraid and worried at the same time.
"Okay," I nodded at Jeffords who sighed with relief, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make people worry about me."
"Well, Rika was bawling her eyes out when she found us. Basically wouldn't stop until her dad came by, and calmed her down. Not to mention that Captain Lorick and Ensign Mara were about to send out another search and rescue when they realised you were missing."
"... Oh," I didn't know what else to say. I didn't meant to cause trouble, but it seemed like I did just that? Why would they send anyone out to look for me though? I'm just someone that drifted to their shores. I wasn't anyone important.
"Is Rika alright now?" I asked, trying to shove these thoughts at the back of my mind. I was glad that no one else seemed to be able to do what I do, as Jeffords only gave me a warm smile in return.
"She's fine, Casair. She's in medical with the doc right now, along with her dad. Probably best that you get washed up quickly so you can go and see them. I'll go and find some new clothes for you, alright?"
"Alright. Thank you, Jeffords," And then I ducked into the showers.
"Wait, Casair! Your sword!"
"You can't just shower with your sword, Casair…"
"Why not? It was dirty."
"There are ways to care for a sword, and none of them involve bathing. It'll rust if you don't take care of it," I frowned at what Jeffords' told me, but I couldn't really argue against it. I didn't really know a lot about my sword, and I knew it was quite different from normal.
But I did need to learn how to take care of it. Otherwise, it'll just fall into disrepair. I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice Jeffords' opening the doors to the medical room.
"Wolfy!" A sudden shout brought me out of my thoughts, and I was suddenly bombarded by a suffocating wave of relief and shock. I blinked, and I found Rika sitting on a bed with an older looking, bespectacled man by side and being tended to by Doctor Marcus. The glare he was giving me, I didn't really need my senses to tell me what he was feeling.
"Oh. Hello," And I couldn't say much else between unable to find the right words, and Rika suddenly launching herself at me and wrapping her arms around my waist.
"I-I thought you were g-g-g-goooooooooone!" Rika's clean face became drenched in tears and snot, which made my new shirt damp and wet with her fluids. She sniffled and cried into my chest, and every attempt I made to push her off just made her cling tighter to me.
"I thought you were going to stop being a crybaby," I told her, but she wasn't listening as she carried on clinging to me like some sort of… Well, baby. I could easily push her off, but I didn't want to hurt her.
"Come now, dear. Let the young man go," The man wearing glasses walked over with a warm smile and gently pried Rika off of me before scooping her up in his arms. Marcus wordlessly handed some tissues to the older man who used them to dry the wet child's sniffing face.
"Sorry about that, young man," Glasses said with an awkward smile when he finished, "You're Casair, I take it?"
"Casair D. Wolfe. Wolfe with an E. Who are you?" Glasses chuckled softly, and offered me his hand. Oh, this was a handshake, right? Pete told me about these.
"I'm Ryan, Rika's father. I really can't express my thanks enough for what you did."
I blinked up at the older man as I took his hand and shook it, "You want to thank me for calling her an annoying crybaby?"
Marcus suddenly coughed and turned his head to the side, wiping at his mouth. When I glanced over to him, the doctor gave me a stern glare, but I couldn't feel any of the normal heat that came with anger, only a bubbly feeling.
"Meanie," Rika sniffed and stuck her tongue at me. Her dad chuckled, and patted her head with a smile.
"He means saving her life, Casair," Jeffords sighed behind me. Oh, right. I also did that, didn't I?
"You don't need to thank me for that," I told Glasses whose smile dropped for a confused stare, "Anyone else would've done the same. I just got lucky and found her first."
I didn't know what was more surprising to me at that moment: The utter sense of slimy shame that suddenly flooded out of Jeffords, or Glasses chuckling at me.
"Still, you saved Rika. I don't have berry to really spare or-"
"I didn't do it for a reward, so don't worry," I told him bluntly, but I remembered something Rika said that stuck with me. There'll be no point to me helping her if she isn't safe.
"I know Rika is an annoying crybaby, but don't throw her away. She really loves you and her mum. She was willing to brave a tiger after all."
That was a bit of a lie, I guess, but even after the tiger came for her, she still held strong. Was that impressive? I didn't know, but she was scared to death, and she still pushed onward. That, itself, was impressive enough to me.
"I think I can do that," Glasses, Ryan, gave me an amused smile as Rika's cheeks suddenly flooded with a tomato red, and she buried her face in her father's neck, "After all, considering that Rika misunderstood quite literally everything what we were trying to do, it's safe to say that she isn't going to be let out of our sight for a long time."
"Oh. So she was stupid."
"You're stupid, Wolfy!" Rika suddenly shouted, but it was muddled by the fact that she was still buried in her father's neck, "Come on, papa, let's go. I hope the fruit tastes like poop, Wolfy!"
"Wait, what? But wasn't the fruit for your mum?"
"Well, after I explained to Rika that we were not, in fact, throwing her away, she said the fruit was yours if you made it back," Ryan said with a small laugh, and my spine tingled with a sudden shock.
"Why?" I couldn't help, but ask.
"Every hero deserves a reward, don't they?" Ryan told me, and I found myself unable to say anything back. I felt like the medical room, which I've spent so much time in, was way too small, and I should just leave. A strange sort of tingly sensation rose up in me, and my face grew hot.
"Casair, learn to take yes for an answer," Marcus spoke up without warning, rolling his eyes. I couldn't get the words out, so I just decided to bow my head instead.
"Thank you again for everything, young man. But I need to get this rascal back to her mother," I nodded and moved out of the way for Ryan as Rika looked over his shoulder at me. She offered a shy wave as the daughter and father left the medical room.
"Look at you. Your face has gone totally red," Marcus' words drew me out of my stuffy head, and I saw the doctor giving me a stern glare.
"Am I ill?" I touched my cheeks, which were warm to the touch. It was weird, as if there were two mini-ovens in the sides of my face.
"No, you idiot, you're just embarrassed," The doctor's eyes rolled behind his glasses, "Jeffords, you mind giving us the room?"
"By all means, doc. Just don't be too hard on him, alright?"
"Hm?" I looked back as Jeffords also left the medical room, leaving me alone with Marcus. A sudden tapping caught my attention, and I snapped my head back to the doctor who was giving me a sharp stare.
The room now felt much, much smaller.
"What the hell were you thinking?" It wasn't his words that made me freeze up, but the tone of the doctor's voice. It was cold, but there was a heat beneath that raged.
"I-"
"Do you have any idea what it was like for me to come back on checking up on a distraught, pregnant mother to find you missing?"
"Bu-"
"I knew you could get out of bed, so I didn't think you would go very far, but even when Captain Lorick and me checked the base with anyone that could help, we couldn't find you anywhere! Hell, I half-thought you were a thief that just stole off with a bunch of stuff, but nothing was missing."
"Mist-"
"And then we get a call on the transponder snail that you were outside, in the jungle which is currently rife with vicious animals because of the recent storm, and that you had found Rika, only to hold off two tigers that were hunting you two! God, Casair, I'd though you were dead until you just stepped through the door!"
"I just wanted to help!" The words came out in a shout, if only to drown out Marcus' turbulent voice. It was painful to listen to the smashing waves that battered me incessantly, making my head pound.
"You're a civilian, Casair! The Marines were already doing what they could! If you had got hurt, or god forbid died, out there, then your survival from that storm would've meant nothing! Pete risking his life to drag you out of the ocean that almost dragged you under would've meant nothing!"
I tried to say something, anything, to Marcus, but the doctor's voice was drowning out anything I thought up. It was almost suffocating for me to hear the pounding worry and icy fear. Despite his yelling, despite the throbbing veins on his forehead and the redness in his face, I didn't feel any broiling anger.
At least, none directed at me.
"Casair," Marcus sighed, taking off his glasses to rub at his eyes, "You just got healed, freakishly fast as it was, and you need to take care of yourself more. Until I discharge you, you're my patient, which means you're under my care. Do you understand?"
"... I didn't do anything wrong," I responded back as his voice receded. Marcus huffed, but there was a flash of amusement under the tidal wave.
"Did I ever say you did, you idiot?" Which made me blink slowly at him. I-
"Purururu. Purururu."
Marcus turned his attention back to his desk, and there was a strange snail with two tall, stalk-like eyes and a contraption on it. He reached over and took something off the side of its shell.
"Marcus," Of all things, I didn't expect mister Lorick's voice to come out of the smiling snail, "Is young Casair available, by any chance?"
"He is, Captain. I've said my piece," Marcus glanced at me as he spoke into the object in his hand.
"I see. I'll send Pete down in that case."
"Heard, Captain," Marcus placed the object back onto the snail, turning his attention back to me.
"Is mister Lorick mad at me as well?" A strange weight was settling in my stomach at the idea of the Marine Captain looking at me like Marcus was.
Instead, the doctor snorted, "Lorick? Mad? I don't think the man even knows the meaning of the word. Anyway, did you enjoy it?"
"What? No, you were really mad at me," I told him bluntly, but the doctor rolled his eyes at me.
"Not that. When Ryan called you a hero. Your face went bright red, and you were struggling not to smile."
"I was?" All at once, that strange tingly feeling came back. A flutter in my stomach that wasn't bad, or uneasy. It was nice, in a weird sorta way.
"I didn't take for you to be weak to praise," Marcus shook his head with a sigh, "You know, I think that's the most emotional I've seen you, outside of your sword or when you're eating. You're usually stoic most of the time."
"Oh," I said softly, not really knowing what else to say. Was that bad of me? I didn't mean to be like that, it's just how I was.
"Casair," Marcus sighed, and he lent forward, leaning on his knees with a sad expression, "I just don't get why you felt the need to get involved. Most people hear about a missing child, and think that the Marines will handle it, or that it's someone else's problem. What they don't do is get involved, and I can't for the life of me figure out why you felt like you had to."
I thought back to when mister Lorick told me to not let my fear stop me. About how envious I was of other swords being deemed special, while my own treasure wasn't. I thought back to the tingly feeling I got when Pete told me that I did the right thing, and when I realised that Rika was safe.
It was the first time I had ever used my treasure for something. And it was used to save someone. That felt good. That felt right. Leaving was scary at first, but it was the right thing to do.
"I don't think you would understand," I told Marcus who accepted my words with a huff, "And I'm sorry for worrying you. But I would do it all over again, if I had to."
"Course you would," Marcus leaned back on his wheely chair, its back bending and creaking, "Do you know what you want to do when you leave then?"
"... Yeah. I think I do," I answered honestly. I think I know what to do now. What I want to do to make the most of my treasure.
"Then I hereby declare you discharged with a clean bill of health," Marcus' words were flippant, contrary to the sudden electrical surge down my spine.
"Don't give me that look. I can't keep you here if you're not unwell, and the biggest worry for you was the malnutrition in the end. If you're off fighting wild animals and trudging through jungles, then my job is done."
"Oh," And what else could I say? It was true, after all. Just then, a knock came from the doors to the infirmary, and I recognized Pete's voice, even if he didn't speak up.
"That's probably Pete. You best get going, hero."
"Shut up," I fought down the urge that rose up within me, bubbly as it was. I made my way to the doors, and I heard Marcus' chair squeak as he turned to his desk. Despite it all, I couldn't help myself from staring at his back, and the next words slipped out by themselves.
"Thank you for everything, mister Marcus," I told him, and his voice froze still with shock. By the time he turned around, I had already opened the door to meet with Pete and left the room.
"Am I in trouble?" I asked mister Lorick and in response, he only chuckled warmly. It was enough to put me at ease as he gestured to me to sit down on a chair in front of his desk, which I did so.
Lorick's office was pretty plain: It had a desk, a full bookcase, a map on the wall and some windows looking out to the jungle. The most interesting thing was the sword perched behind him in a sleek, wooden stand. It was a sword that I recognized as a katana with a blue watery, wavy pattern on its scabbard.
"You spoke with Marcus, Wolfe. I think he said enough. While I have my own views on the matter, what's ultimately important is that both you and Rika are safe. I actually called you here because of something else. Pete, if you would."
"Aye aye, Cap'n," Pete said by my side and I watched him place the strange, fang-like tooth on the desk between mister Lorick and I.
"The fruit? Is it bad or something?" I had wondered before, but Pete simply tilted his hand back and forth, with a twisted expression.
"Depends on what ye be askin', lad. Is it gonna kill ya if ye take a bite? Nah, not at all. But it'll change ye life, fer better or fer worse."
"Wolfe, what we're about to tell you is something that should stay between yourself, me and Master Chief Petty Officer Pete here, but that's ultimately up to you," Lorick's welcoming smile was gone by a stern, tough stare with his hands clasped in front of him. Behind his thin-rimmed glasses, his eyes pinned me to the spot.
"This fruit is known as a Devil Fruit, a very rare and powerful item. Whoever eats it gains the powers of a sea devil, or so the legends say. And, well. It belongs to you now."
I blinked at the two Marines. I searched for any sign of joke, or humour, but I found none in their voices. Well, Lorick's voice. Pete didn't have a voice most of the time. As far as I could tell, they were being fully serious.
"Oh," I said softly, looking back at the fruit which seemed to be grinning at me with its white fangs, "Sea devils sound bad though?"
"Well, that'd be the legends, lad. Truth is, no one really knows where these blighters came from," Pete glanced at the fruit as if it was about to bite him, "But fact is, they exist and they be rare enough that ya can go yer whole life without seein' one."
"Yes, as Pete said," Captain Lorick nodded slowly, still staring at me intently, "In the Marines, there are many people who have eaten a Devil Fruit, the Admirals being the foremost example. But knowing about a thing, and seeing it in person like this is quite different."
Oh, so they were magic fruits.
"Why are you telling me all of this, though? Rika is the one that found it. I just helped her get it."
"Because Rika is a dear little girl of six who should worry about how she's going to be grounded for years, and not eating a fruit that gives her powers that we are not equipped to handle," Lorick's lips turned into a small, wry smirk that was quickly straightened out.
"And last time I heard, she gave it to you, didn't she?"
"That's true, I guess…" I mumbled, remembering her words. I reached out to take it, and the Devil Fruit was heavier than it looked. The white fangs looked sharp enough to cut flesh, and the azure stripes seemed to shine.
"So, what do I do? Eat it?"
"Hold yer horses laddie, not so fast. The reason Cap'n called ye in is to discuss options, see?"
"Options?" I turned my gaze from the fruit to Lorick who gestured to the strange snail to the other side of the room. It was a bit different from the one mister Marcus had, with a tray of paper next to it and opening in its shell.
"Due to their rarity, there is a bounty installed for Devil Fruits by the World Government. Depending on the type, this can go from one hundred million Berry to seven hundred million."
I blinked at Lorick. I looked up at Pete who had a wry grin.
"Lad, that be a lot of money. More than enough to shack up fer the rest of yer life and never worry again."
"Oh. Okay," I looked back down at the fruit, frowning in thought, "Wait, if they're so rare, how do you know what type it is? And there are different types?"
"Later, laddie," Pete waved away my words, and his smile slipped away into a thin line, "I'll tell ye all about them if ye want, but the point is, what do ye want to do? The fruit is yers now, after all."
"Keep in mind, if you do decide to eat it, you'll lose the ability to swim forever. That is the price that Devil Fruits extract from those that devour them," Lorick spoke up in a grave voice, but I didn't really care about that. I was too focused on what Pete said.
What do I want to do? I never expected, or really wanted, a reward for what I did. A magic fruit that gives me powers, but makes me unable to swim? I didn't really want power, at least not right now. What was even my limit? A tiger's jaw shattered when it tried to bite into my neck. A single hit from me, and I killed it.
The Devil Fruit's permanent toothy grin did draw my attention, but it didn't feel like it was mocking me. It felt like it was waiting. For me, or for someone else, I didn't know. And if it had to wait for a while longer, it would.
And then I thought back to what Jeffords said. To what Marcus said:
"You're a civilian, Casair!"
"You shouldn't put yourself in danger. That's what the Marines are for, understand?"
Yeah. That was all I had to do, wasn't it?
"I know what to do," I said, and tore my gaze away from the Devil Fruit's captivating grin, which only seemed to grow in my hands. Lorick met my eyes, and his voice was a calm, ocean breeze.
"I want to be a Marine."
Hello, hello, so far so good with posting here. I know I've been posting every day, but after this, things will slow down as I get caught up on my backlog and I'll post as the chapters are finished. As for this chapter, it delves a bit into Casair, his mindset when he finally begins to branch out a bit, and how he handles problems, expected and unexpected.
I didn't really talk about last chapter in the last author note, and I'll feel like shit if I bloat the word count with this yapping, but I think at least every fanfic author should share their thoughts or feelings about a chapter, even if it's just as simple "this is fucking ass, don't read it"
I, in fact, do not feel like this chapter is fucking ass and I did enjoy it, which might be obvious by how it's 10k words long. I wanted to reveal the Devil Fruit's existence, though what exactly it is will be kept secret for a while. I will say that a Devil Fruit power is planned though, with what type it is already decided.
Another thing I decided on was what sort of language to use. Obviously, I'm an English speaker (And god do I fucking hate English grammar at times), but I see in other fics that some people use the Japanese naming sense or conventions. For me, it's going to be 99% of English.
So, it isn't going to be bloody, Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Bison but Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Bison. It's more for consistency's sake and my own personal prefence. It feels off to be reading a fic in pure English, and then they sucker punch you with "ochinchin daisuki", you know?
Now, I am a hypocrite because I've already broken this rule and used Meito, which means famous blade, in Chapter 3. Twice, even. My only defence is that Meito takes up less word space than Grade Blades, and also sounds cooler.
Let me actually stop myself from going on a yapping tanget and talk about the chapter, though I do not believe there is too much to go over. It might be fairly obvious as to what actually happened to Casair, at least in a general sense, but I'm not going to spoil anything here. I try and make the general backstory of characters obvious in a general sense, if you're familiar with the setting, but the details are actually quite sparse and don't get revealed till later.
Another thing I will talk more about is the obvious Conqueror's Haki that was displayed, if in small part. At first, I debated actually adding that in. It's obvious main character power, along with the D. initial, but I considered the general outline of what I wanted to write and where I want it to go and I decided to include it in.
When I write these sort of fics, I look to the setting and lore to build up a character (I say that as if literally every other author doesn't do the same), and while Conqueror's Haki is just pure anime bullshit, it is considered a sign of a leader. Of someone in a position of authroity over others, and so, I added it in, because in time, that's where Casair is headed.
Honestly, I feel like that fucking spongebob meme with Squidward: "I'll have an original character with the D. initial, and Conqueror's Haki." "How original." "Oh, and a Devil Fruit." "Daring today, are we?"
This isn't me shitting on others, just laughing at my own mental gymanstics. In the end, I have fun writing this, and that's all I'm after when writing.
Oh right. Casair wishes to be a Marine. There's a ton to go over with that, but I'll save that for next chapter where it is actually more relevant.
Thanks for reading, and see ya later.