Chapter
One:
The
Mysterious Orbs
This world
has no name. Itfs a world thatfs dominated by the powers known as pirates and
ninjas. The two sides are constantly at war, no one knows why. There are some
who are allied with the opposite side. And there are thirteen who have become
so strong and well known that they take respect from both sides. Theyfre known
as the Sea Lords, they Rale the ocean. All pirates and ninjas, including them,
are enemies of the law. They donft follow the government of the world; they
make their own paths, something the overlord of the world canft tolerate. The
world is big though, making it hard for the law to operate. Itfs mostly ocean,
with one big country, and millions of other islands dotting the blue canvas.
Among one
of the smallest islands existed a well known stronghold. It contained five
rectangular towers which overlooked a steel wall that encircled them. The
towers were connected by sturdy bridges that allowed passage between them. The
middle tower was the highest, and located at the top was the large office where
the three in charge took command of their faction. These three wore the same
clothes, dark green buttoned shirt and cuffed pants, along with a navy blue
vest that recognized them as the leaders. They also wore dark green caps with a
low visor, necessary to hide their face from their followers.
gItfs come
to my attention that therefs a possibility of an intruder,h one of them said,
this one had locks of blonde hair protruding from under his cap. He sat in a
chair behind his desk, placed by the wall directly opposite the large door.
gSend word to the men to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.h
gWill do,h
the second one said. He pressed a button implanted in his desk that sat to the
right of the door. He had no visible features, his hair was cut short, and like
the other two, he hid his face under the visor of his
cap.
gThey may
be after the Space Orb,h the final one said from behind his desk to the left of
the door, he had some visible brown hair, but he did well to hide most of his
features. gWhere is it now? Someone needs to make sure itfs safe.h
gAt the
moment, itfs being moved from the middle safe of this tower,h the first said
without a change in his tone, gif thatfs what theyfre after, it must be
protected at all costs. So its new location will be the basement safe.h
gAnd
thatfs the best protected of them all. Hefd have a hard time retrieving it from
that safe,h the third one smirked under his visor, gso hefd have to get it
before it arrives at the safe.h
gCorrect.
You sure are interested in the Orb today. I wonder why. . . .h The suspicion in
the first onefs voice was obvious. His green eyes were revealed.
gDonft
worry about it,h the third one reassured, he stood up from his chair and
circled around to the front of his desk, gneither of you will have any worries
in a little bit.h
gWho are
you?h the second one spoke up, his blue eyes were now showing as well, glaring
at the standing one.
gIsnft it
obvious?h the dark green clothes flew off of the person, revealing a black
outfit, that of a ninja. The man gripped the visor of his cap and revealed his
face, green eyes and shaggy brown hair. gIfm the intruder, Seyenfs
the name. I canft believe you were so easily fooled.h The smirk on his face
didnft disappear as he threw the cap away and instantly launched two shuriken
in two different directions. The blades of which pierced into the chests of the
other two men.
gHow . .
.?h The first one breathed.
gI
wouldnft try to move if I were you,h Seyen warned, gI
didnft throw those to kill you. But the poison on the blades affects your
system immediately. If you move too much, youfll definitely die.h He moved
towards the oversized door, gI trust you can figure out how to save yourselves.
As for now, I have a certain Orb to fetch.h
The door
opened in a rush, and a soldier wearing the same dark green clothes without the
blue vest stood in the way, holding a cutlass sword. gHalt, intruder!h
gDamn, I
didnft even see him press the button,h Seyen mused to
himself as he withdrew a small dagger. He addressed the man in front of him,
gWhy do you people use cutlasses? Youfre not even pirates.h In the moment that
the soldier was distracted by Seyenfs words, the
daggerfs blade made a gash in the flesh of his arm, and Seyen
disappeared. The guard looked at the seemingly insignificant wound on his arm,
but he didnft have time to comprehend anything. He had already passed out.
Seyen quickly found the
stairs, leaping down to each landing rather than actually using the stairs. A
guard appeared at one point, but he didnft see Seyen
until he already had poison running through his veins, and the intruder was
already on his way again. In a short time, he arrived in the basement, though
he could go no further. Behind him were the stairs; in front of him was the
reinforced door that required a security code, a certain hand print, and a
retinal scan from a certain eye. Seyen possessed none
of those. And he had no ways to infiltrate the safe. It didnft matter; it was
obvious that the object he was seeking hadnft arrived yet.
This was
his plan, and it was going exactly like he wanted. The gOrbh was still being
transported, and instead of searching for it, it would land right in Seyenfs hands. He positioned himself in one of the dark
corners of the small room, and waited.
gI wonder
how long it takes them to move something from point A to point B.h Seyenfs bright green eyes were wide; they werenft going to
miss a thing. If something moved, hefd see it. He had the stone room all
studied, even though there was little light -- which radiated from a small
light bulb in the ceiling.
Finally, a
little while later, Seyen heard movement from above.
Two soldiers, both of them wearing the same dark green getup, were walking down
the stairs right now, talking in low voices. Although
their voices grew louder as they got closer to Seyenfs
location, the ninja wasnft listening. He was intent on completing his mission.
Waiting for the one moment, his one single chance to strike, that foot to cross
the threshold and come into view. A smoke ball was held in Seyenfs
hand, ready to pounce.
gYeah, and
then she said--h There it was! The guard was cut off by the shroud of purple
smoke, unable to see anything, including Seyen as he
made his move. It was swift, he was inside of the smoke, holding his breath, then he was gone.
The smoke
cleared, and the guards were floored and unconscious. The poison had worked
fast. And held in one of their motionless hands was a small, silver case, itfs latch was open, and nothing was inside.
Outside of
the middle tower, Seyen was swiftly making his way
toward the gate. The guards of which were already poisoned and unconscious. He
had no trouble pulling the lever to open the massive iron doors and slipping
out. Now he was on a stretch of land surrounded by water, if he followed the
path, hefd end up on a platform for ships to dock. But that wasnft his
intention.
gThat was
easy,h Seyen smiled as he held up the glowing green
orb, before he pocketed it and withdrew a flare stick.
gWhat do
you think youfre doing with that?h a voice came from behind. Seyen whipped around to see an old man, gray hair, sickly
colored skin, and numerous scars. And he wore a conventional black ninja outfit
along with dark blue robes. His hands hung down by his sides, continuously
twitching.
gFong
Shu?h Seyen realized instantly.
gAh, you
recognize me, excellent,h Fong smiled, gyoufre quite an interesting man,
infiltrating a stronghold and stealing the valuable Space Orb.h
gWhy are
you here?h Seyen ignored the praise; he was shaken by
the fact that he didnft sense a presence behind him. Although, Fong Shu was a
ninja with plenty of experience, so it should be expected.
gYou know,
Ifm always searching for young men to experiment on, I think you would get
splendid resul--h
gAnswer my
question!h
Fong
distorted his face, like he tasted something sour. gFine, I joined this place
because they told me theyfd help me with my experiments. And they promised that
theyfd catch one of the Sea Lords for me.h
Seyen chuckled, gI can say
with certainty that they wonft be able to catch one for you.h
gWhy do
say that?h
Before Seyen replied, he set the flare stick on the ground. The
top exploded, and the flare flew into the sky. gDemial,
one of the Sea Lords, Ifm his first mate,h Seyen
smirked at the last glimpse of Fongfs expression as he leapt to the side
towards the ocean. A rip in space opened up and Seyen
went through, leaving Fong Shu alone in amazement.
The other
side of the portal led to a large pirate ship. Seyen
landed smoothly on the deck, in front of his captain.
gDid you
get it?h Demial asked as he peered through locks of
his brown hair.
gYeah,h Seyen stood up straight and withdrew the orb, offering it
to his captain.
Demial beamed, gperfect.
Like always, Seyen, you did an excellent job.h
gI guess
having a ninja on our crew has its advantages,h a pirate of Demialfs
crew stated.
gJust be
lucky that I decided to be your ally,h Seyen
retorted, gotherwise you might not be alive.h
The pirate
was about to reach for his cutlass, enraged by Seyenfs
words, but Demial cut in. gEnough.h He stuck the orb
in a pocket on his large blue and white coat. gWefve got the Space Orb, letfs
start moving now. Lift the anchor, Ordin,h he added
to the angry pirate.
gYes,
sir,h Ordin obeyed and scampered off.
Demial and Seyen moved up to the bow of the ship, Seyen
started, gcaptain, can you tell me now: what is the Space Orb?h
gSorry, Seyen,h Demial sighed, gIfll have
to keep that information from you a little longer.h
gWhyfs
that?h the disappointment in Seyenfs voice was
covered up well, but it was still detectable.
gItfs
something us Sea Lords have to deal with, but Ifm not even sure about the
details of these orbs either.h Demial sighed again
and took the green glowing orb out of his pocket and examined it, gbut I canft
wait to see Halofs expression when I tell him that I already got mine.h
Miles
away, on another pirate ship. gAH-CHOO!h Halo was lying down on his favorite
place, the prow of his ship, which was custom shaped and shorter than normal to
allow comfort while resting atop it. gSomeone must be talking about me.h
gOr maybe
itfs just because youfre staring into the sky,h Mars Mantra, the second captain
of Halofs crew, showing up out of nowhere like always to address his captain.
His long red hair rippled in the oncoming wind.
Halo sat
up, and shook his head to get his messy black hair back in place, then turned
and lazily fixed his dark blue eyes on Marsf scarlet ones. gThat could be true,
but I didnft feel it until I had already sneezed.h
Mars
hopped up and sat down on the railing next to the prow. gWell now that youfre
up, our trusty navigator wanted me to tell you that he doesnft know where the
hell wefre going.h
gWefre
going to look for the Shadow Orb . . . I guess.h Halo looked around, trying to
see if there was an island in sight, which there wasnft. gThere,h Halo pointed
in the direction that they were already heading.
gWhat?h
Mars gazed out at the horizon.
gHefs
going in the right direction, wefll find it eventually.h He lay back down,
still sleepy.
gDad,
youfre such a procrastinator,h Mars sighed.
gStop
calling me dad, captain is fine, or even just plain olf
Halo.h He closed his eyes and started drifting off already.
gWhatever,
dad,h Mars chuckled and leapt down from the railing, then down to the deck and
started off toward the navigator at the helm of the ship.
gDammit,
Mantra,h Halo breathed, he was asleep again within the next minute.
Farther
away on a forest island, among the trees, two women were in conversation. One
of them was a pirate captain with a cybernetic left eye, who was genetically
spliced with animal genes to give her fur all over her body, and a tail. The
other one was another of the Sea Lords, her appearance was normal. Short sandy
blonde hair, blue eyes, pale white skin, but she was more built than an average
woman, and she had a red triangle tattooed under her right eye.
Sarima Johnson, one of four
women that held the rank of a Raler of the Sea. Tracy
Mombaro, the furry woman, had always been jealous
that she couldnft make the rank, and constantly caused trouble for this
specific member of the Sea Lords.
gHand it
over,
gDonft
call me by that name! Itfs eCoonaf,h
gThatfs a
stupid name though,h said Sarima, gjust give me the
damn Orb.h
gYeah right,
if youfre going through so much trouble to get it back, then it must be really
valuable,h Tracy smirked, glike I would actually give it back.h
gYou donft
even know what it is,h Sarima pointed out, gI really
need it, and if I have to use force, you know I will.h
gThen
bring it on, Sarry.h
gFine,h Sarima drew a shuriken from her black pants, gif thatfs how
you want it, donft blame me for any injuries you recieve.h
The silver shuriken held between her fingers ignited in a burst of flames, and Sarima flung it fast at her opponent, starting the fight
for the Orb.
Chapter
Two:
Fire
and Ice
The flame
engulfed shuriken missed
gThis
isnft your ideal place to fight, is it?h
gDonft
worry about that, Coona, youfll lose this
fight even if I canft use my Element to its full effect.h With another fast
movement, Sarima had two more shuriken held between
her fingers, and without igniting them this time, she flung them furiously at
her furry opponent.
gGreat,
you singed my fur,h
gGet over
it,h Sarima crossed her arms and sneered, gIt
actually makes that ugly fur look a little better.h
Acting
fast, Sarima grabbed
Before
anything else happened, a male voice came from the thick of the forest.
gHmm, am I
interrupting something?h
Tracy and Sarima both whipped their eyes to the source of the
opposing voice, and instantly recognized
gDan, I
told you to stay on the ship,h
gI know,
but I couldnft help observing this fight, it was rather entertaining,h he
grinned in a suggestive manner.
gWell go
back,h
gSorry to
say, captain, but I think this fight is already over,h he pointed a finger at
the wilted grass under Sarima.
gHefs got
a point,h Sarima smirked; steam was rising from her
body, originating from her skin. She was heating herself up, and the grass
under her had withered from the intensity.
Dan was
beside her within the next second, holding a baseball-sized glowing blue orb in
his hand, offering it to the Sea Lord. gI believe this is what you wanted, Miss
Sarima?h
gDan!h
gSorry,
captain, but the fight is over, and we have no use for whatever it is,h Dan
explained calmly, knowing full well that his captain wouldnft hold it against
him.
gYeah,
thanks,h Sarima breathed as she kindly seized the orb
from Danfs presenting hand, but as she gazed at the glowing orb, she was met
with a disappointed feeling.
gBe
thankful,
gWhatever,
Sarry,h
gIfm sure
we will.h Sarima smiled as if this whole event had
just been a friendly encounter. She retrieved her black bandana from the ground
and returned it to her head.
As Tracy
and Dan disappeared into the forest, Sarima turned
and headed in the opposite direction toward where she knew her ship would be.
While walking, she held the glowing blue orb in her hand, gazing at it with a
sour expression.
gSo the
meeting went well, I presume.h Sarima looked up from the
orb and noticed one of her crew standing in front of her; her first mate to be
exact. He was a large man that wore basic clothing, as well as a black leathery
mask that went over his head, covering all but his sullen brown eyes.
gNot as
well as I hoped, Brutus,h Sarima replied holding up
the orb, gitfs not the Fire Orb.h
gHmm,
yeah,h Brutus studied the object in his captainfs hand, git should be red,
right?h
gRight.
This one is of a different element.h
gDo you
know which one?h he questioned, though his tone indicated that he had an idea.
gYou think
itfs the Water Orb?h Sarima raised an eyebrow.
Brutus
straightened up, gWell, water would certainly be blue, correct?h
Sarima sighed with
dissatisfaction. gThatfs true, but the color of this Orb is a lighter blue.
Which means itfs probably the Ice Orb. Water would be a darker blue.h
gReally?
Are you sure?h It was hard to tell if Brutus was being sarcastic or not, since
his expression wasnft visible under his mask.
gBelieve
me,h Sarima replied, gIfd be much happier if this was
the Water Orb. Ifd much rather deal with Sei Kimori.h
gAnd shefs
the Sea Lord that possesses the Water Element?h Brutus thought aloud, gI think
I remember her.h
gYeah,
youfve never met the one who uses Ice though,h she solemnly stuck the Ice Orb
snugly under the red sash around her waist.
gWho?h
Brutus wondered.
gHis name
is Adrian Sevitor, and even though hefs one of the
thirteen Sea Lords, he hates every last one of us.h
gSo why is
he one of you then?h From his captainfs description, Brutus was under the
impression that the Sea Lord of Ice was somewhat of a hypocrite.
Sarima sighed again.
gBecause he fits the requirements to be one of us. Even though he holds
contempt for the rest of us, I donft actually think hefd ever betray us in any
way. Hefs still loyal to his position.h
Brutus
stayed silent, waiting for Sarima to continue.
gBut Ifd
still rather stay away from him as much as possible.h
gSo just
get someone else to give him the Orb,h Brutus suggested.
gNo, itfs
fine. I found it and I should be the one to deliver it. Now letfs get back to
the ship.h Sarima wasted no time and strutted ahead
of her first mate, who waited a couple seconds before deciding to follow.
The giant
ship was awaiting their arrival at the edge of the forest, where the ground
seemed to just form a cliff into the water, making it easy for any ship to dock
right at the edge of it. Sarima and Brutus climbed up
the ramp onto the ship, where the a couple of the
small crew greeted her.
gHowfd it
go?h Adan, the navigator, asked.
gDonft
ask,h Sarima replied with obvious distaste, gjust
find Rose and tell her to meet me up on the deck.h
The tall
man replied simply, gwill do,h and walked off toward the cabin of the ship. Sarima and Brutus headed over to the railing opposite them,
letting the cool ocean breeze wash over them as a way to relax. They didnft say
anything as they waited for the arrival of Rose, a short woman with wild frizzy
blonde hair. Her appearance was slightly stressful, as it was obvious that she
wasnft a girl who cared much for what was on the outside. Although she wasnft
much of a people person either, as she normally kept to herself and normally
only socialized with animals unless forced to do otherwise. But Sarima was fond of her for some reason, so the latter wasnft
shocked to see the twitchy Rose show up right next to her.
gAh, there
you are,h Sarima smiled, gcan you call Airazor for me? I have a job for him.h
gC-certainly,h
Rose said, seemingly shaken by the company of two superiors, which Brutus
caught on to and immediately left. Neither Sarima nor
Rose paid any attention to the sudden departing; Rose had a short metal shaft
in her hand, which she proceeded to blow into, making a sharp whistling noise.
There was a caw, and then a small brown Sparrow landed on the wooden railing
between the two women.
Sarima quickly produced a
rolled up piece of paper, that of which she handed to Rose to put in a small
tube. After the paper was firmly placed inside, Rose capped it with a matching
lid, then gently strapped it to the back of the patiently waiting bird.
gThat goes
to the Sea Lord named
gThere you
go, miss Sarima,h Rose
practically whispered, then turned away and headed back into the cabin. Sarima watched her go, and didnft flinch at all when she
heard a voice from behind.
gShefs a
little weird, isnft she?h Brutus hid a smile under his mask.
gI thought
you left,h Sarima replied dryly. gActually I donft
care, just go tell Adan to head for
gFine fine, Ifm going. Try not to get too nervous.h
gEasy for
you to say,h Sarima stared off into the ocean as her
first mate headed off toward the stern of the ship. She could tell itfd be a
long day.
-----
Not too
far away,
Back
behind the main deck in the captainfs cabin, Adrian Sevitor
of the Sea Lords was sitting intently at his wooden desk, studying a map of the
world with the help of a small gas powered lamp, making his untidy brown hair
seem lighter than it was. Several of the islands were crossed off with thick
black marks, g23 islands, and still no sign of that damn Ice Orb,h he sighed
heavily. gHalofs an idiot, telling us about the thirteen Orbs and demanding
that we find our own. The only information he gave us was that each one has a
specific color, and mine would be light blue. Why did he fail to give us
directions on where to look?h
With a
swift movement, another island was marked off on the map, gI guess I have no
choice but to search more islands. . . .h
Just then,
the door of
gSir, a
brown bird has arrived carrying a message,h Jem replied without a faltering voice.
gFrom
who?h
g
gIfll be
out in a minute.h Jem understood the order to leave and did so.
He hurried
back into his cabin and retrieved a pen and paper, quickly writing up a return
letter. He made it short, telling Sarima how close he
was the island she had set up for, and then signed his name in fine print. No
mention of gratitude at all. Then
Without
any sound at all, or any words from
gYes,
sir.h Without another word, Jem headed off up the stairs toward the helm to
give the navigator Adrianfs orders. It was just a matter of time before the Ice
Orb was in his hands.
Chapter
Three:
Struggle
on a Deserted
A deserted
island sat in the middle of the ocean, made up of a large grassy plain, a small
beach, several different kinds of trees, and large hills on a far side of the
coast. Itfd take less than an hour to walk straight across from one end to
another.
Among the
long grass flowing in the wind, the gray eyes of Cale
Lasen were watching, scaling the landscape for any
strange movement. His scraggily brown hair was in the form of a ponytail, and
his average pirate clothing, along with a long sword resting in its sheathe on
his back, were the image of an enemy to a ninja.
gYou see
anything?h Cale asked the muggy black haired man
trailing behind him. He was a member of the same crew as Cale,
ordered to lend two eyes and a hand to the young pirate.
gNot yet,h
he spoke in a low voice. His rusted sword was waiting for action on his hip.
His left hand was missing, replaced with a small blade which was also rather
rusted, yet still sharp.
gKeep your
eyes open, Ral.h
Something
stirred. Cale heard it, and his blade was drawn in a
flash. The hilt was long, allowing him to hold it with two hands, and the blade
was straight and double-edged. He held it in front of him, ready to strike if
an enemy dared to show his or her face. And Ral stood
silent with his bladed hand replacement positioned to attack as well.
gIt was
just an animal,h Ral stated, as if to reassure
himself.
gDonft kid
yourself.h Calefs gray eyes shot this way and that.
He knew there was at least one. One that hid among the long grass, one with a
knife prepared to kill.
Thatfs
what ninjas were like, after all.
gDammit,h Cale cursed, gitfs too hard to fight in this environment.
We have to move before anything happens.h He moved his leg, trying not to
falter, remaining ever aware.
One step
was all it took. Cale shifted his blade, and a
shuriken clashed with a pang, then fell dully to the ground.
gRun,h Cale ordered, and the two pirates bolted. They managed to
barely avoid getting pelted with sharp metal stars. At one point, a short man
wearing a black ninja outfit jumped from his hiding place and struck with a
katana, but Cale acted fast and ducked under it, then
quickly swung his blade at the enemy.
The ninja
shifted in midair, receiving only a small cut on his arm from the opposing
blade, and then he disappeared among the grass. Cale
and Ral didnft stop running, and it was only a little
more time before they reached the end of the tall grass. Here, the grass was
shorter, with few trees. The ninjas wouldnft be able to hide so easily here,
and the pirates could see everything clearly.
gYou
pirate scum are good at running,h a female voice called from the brush.
gThatfs
for sure,h a male voice agreed.
gHow about
you show yourselves?h Cale demanded.
gAll
right, letfs go,h the female added to her companion. The two of them appeared
in front of Cale and Ral.
Both wore the conventional black of a ninja, only one of them, the male, wore a
yellow scarf around his neck. And the female ninja was a catgirl.
Blue pointy ears and a long blue tail were visibly protruding from her outfit.
gHappy
now?h the male asked. gIf youfre interested, Ifm Hide, thatfs Sporky.h
gNot that
it matters,h Sporky smiled under her mask, gyoufll be
dead soon anyway.h
gThatfs
what you think,h Ral spoke up in his low voice.
Cale ignored him and
addressed the ninjas. gDonft you think thatfs a little unfair?h
gWhat?h
Hide wondered.
gItfs
three against two. Donft think Ifm so stupid as to see that one of you is still
hiding. The one that attacked me earlier was much shorter and didnft look like
either of you.h
gDamn it,
Luster!h Sporky shouted at the long grass.
gSorry, I
thought I could have taken him dow—h
gNow
because of you, this whole plan is ruined.h Sporky
turned away from her hidden companion and faced Cale
with cold eyes.
gItfs not
like it matters,h Hide stated as Luster showed himself, gwe still have the
edge. Wefll just have to put forth a bit more effort.h
gGet
ready, Ral.h Cale prepared
himself as Ral pulled out the sword hanging from his
waist, ready to fight with his two blades.
The fight
was put off again though, for another face had shown up. This one had a thick
goatee and messy dark hair. He wore regular clothes, had a bag over his
shoulder, and a sword that looked like a cutlass at his side.
gWhatfs
going on here?h the man asked from next to a nearby tree, not too far away.
gWho are
you?h Sporky asked, eyeing the sheathed cutlass.
gIfm just
a wanderer. The namefs Jaymes. I just felt like
exploring this island.h He smiled, as if nothing important was going on.
gJaymes?h Cale whispered to
himself.
gYou
better get lost,h Hide suggested in an ordering way. gIfm sure you donft want
to get killed.h
gNo, not
really.h Jay was getting closer without them noticing. The conversation between
the six of them was preoccupying them. gBut I would like to see where this
goes,h he smiled with amusement.
gStop
playing around,h Cale said seriously. gJaymes Beech, right?h
Jaymes narrowed his eyes.
The smile faded; a spark of awareness hit the ninjas. Now they realized who
this man was.
gGood job,
Cale, you blew my cover.h Jaymes
threw the bag down to the ground and opened it, pulling out a pirate hat and
placing it on his head.
gThey
would have figured it out either way. I donft feel like being here all day,
letfs just kill them and leave.h Cale still kept his
stance, not removing his eyes from the ninjas as he talked.
Jaymes withdrew his cutlass
and held it downward. gFine, my captain just wanted me to scout the area, but
now I have to help you two fight off a few ninjas. Should be fun.h
gI wonder
what your interpretation of efunf is?h Sporky taunted. gIf it involves us cutting you up, then
yeah, it should be fun.h She withdrew a dagger in one swift motion and held it
in her right hand as three shuriken appeared in her left.
gIfm tired
of these ninjas,h Cale said, looking around at his
fellow pirates. gLetfs take care of them fast, I want to leave. This island
bores me.h
gSame here,h
Jaymes agreed. gIfll take the one on the left,h he
pointed to Hide.
gIfll take
the cat girl,h Cale smirked confidently. That meant
Luster would be Ralfs opponent. Luster jumped back
into the tall grass, hiding himself from Ralfs eyes.
Hide withdrew the small sword from his back, the blade much shorter than a
katana; he rushed forward toward Jaymes and swung
fiercely, but to no avail. Jaymes easily dodged out
of the way, and countered with a slash of his cutlass. The two blades clashed
with a ringing sound, over and over again as the two opponents went back and
forth, exchanging blades.
Cale had charged after Sporky after she had unleashed a barrage of projectiles at
him, each one he dodged or blocked with his long blade. He reared his sword
back behind him with two hands, then when in range of the catgirl
ninja, he brung it down fast. But he only sliced the
air. Sporky had jumped high, then while airborne over
Calefs head, she threw a knife at the latterfs back.
At this
moment, while the knifefs blade was inches away from Calefs
flesh, Luster was about to pierce through Ral with a
small dagger blade, without Ral knowing. And Hide
gained the advantage on Jaymes, about to rip through
the piratefs skin. But all of this stopped in one instant, it all froze, time
had halted. The three pirates and the three ninjas, none of them had any sense,
they were locked in mid attack. Even Sporky was
frozen in the air, not even falling.
gI donft
think therefs any reason to fight right now,h a tall handsome man was in mid-walk
toward the fighters. Black hair held up by a blue headband, a red shirt with
puffy sleeves and a black vest, baggy shorts the same shade as the vest, and
belts from shoulders to hips that carried all varying sizes of blades. Etched
on the manfs pretty face was a cocky smirk, as he gazed at the frozen figures
with engaging blue eyes. gThe two sides should be getting along while in the
presence of a Sea Lord.h
Shawn
Edgar Perry, known as the most cocky of the Sea Lords,
he often likes to refer to himself as the Astounding Captain SEP, although no
one else does. gSilly me, I forgot that you guys were frozen in time,h Shawn
chuckled to himself. gYou canft even hear me, and I still continue to talk to
you, or maybe Ifm talking to myself. Either way, I have some cleaning up to do
first.h
He trotted
over to Jaymes and looked at his situation. The small
blade held by Hide was an inch away from Jaymesf left
shoulder. gThis wonft do, I canft have a first mate that only has one arm, or a
head for that matter.h Shawn repositioned his erratic companion so that Hidefs
small blade would miss its target. Jaymes was now a
few feet away from the ninja.
gNow for
the other two.h Shawn took his time and strolled over to Cale,
noticing the knife hovering in the air, Shawn stretched out a hand and grabbed
the handle of the projectile and placed it to the side of Cale.
The same was done to Ral as was done to Jaymes, just moved a few feet away to avoid getting
skewered.
Shawn
looked at what he did and took it all in, making sure he didnft leave any
mistakes. He didnft move the ninjas at all, he didnft have to. gI guess I
should let time effect them again,h Shawn raised a hand and snapped his
fingers. Time was restored again for the frozen ones. Hide and Luster sliced
through nothing but air, while Sporky landed on the
ground as her knife pelted the ground near Cale. All
of them wondered what just happened. Why did it appear that both Ral and Jaymes moved back two
feet without making any sort of motion, and the knife had shifted through the
air abruptly and collided into the ground? It didnft make sense.
gIt makes
perfect sense,h Shawn boasted, grabbing everyonefs eyes. gI knew what you were
thinking, so I answered before you could ask. I froze time for the six of you
and repositioned certain people and a projectile so that therefd be no harm.h
gCaptain!h
Jaymes said with surprise, gI was handling the
situation, you didnft have to show up.h
gDonft get
confused, loyal companion of mine. You were about to lose an arm and a head,
and your other pirate friends here would have suffered equal damage -- as in
fatal -- had I not shown up. It seems the ninjas were actually on top of this
conflict.h
Cale, Ral,
and Jaymes all switched expressions to
disappointment. gWe were just getting started,h Cale
spoke up.
gYeah, Ifm
sure you would have dodged my knife at the last second, right?h Sporky smirked under her mask. Cale
made a disgusted noise, but ended it at that.
gIt
matters not,h Shawn continued, gIfm here now, and like I already said, pirates
and ninjas shall not fight in the presence of a Sea Lord.h
gWhen did
you say that?h Hide asked with a raised eyebrow.
gWhile you
six were frozen in time. Of course, none of you could hear me, so itfs obvious
you wouldnft have known what I said during the time.h
gWhatever,
Ifve had enough,h Sporky said, gif I canft kill some
pirates now, then wefre leaving, letfs go, guys.h And with that, the three
ninja disappeared.
gThat was
abrupt,h Cale stated, gthey didnft even have anything
to ask.h
gTherefs
nothing to ask about,h Jaymes replied, gmy incredibly
awesome Captain showed up and stopped the fight, so therefs no reason for them
to be around anymore.h
gNo reason
for me, either,h Cale said. gThis whole skirmish we
just had seems kinda pointless now. I think Ifll go
back to my ship, because Ifm tired of this island. Letfs go, Ral.h
gYou will
do no such thing!h Another appearance from another man. This time it was Calefs captain, Jonathan Ordonez. Shoulder length light
brown hair, mismatching dark brown eyes, normal pirate clothes, and several
tattoos on his arms. gThis is one of the Sea Lords, you should be honored to
meet with one.h
gI am, but
Ifm tired, I wanna go.h
gYoufll
have time to sleep later. Is there anything we can help you with?h he asked
with a friendly smile.
gNot
really, no,h Shawn replied. gIfm visiting this island for my own purposes, no
one can know about it.h
gI know
about it,h Jaymes pointed out.
gShh, Jaymes, go back to the
ship.h
gFine.h
Jaymes turned and walked off
with a sour look on his face as he slid the blade of his cutlass back into its sheathe. He didnft get very far until he saw someone
else, another person, a woman this time. gWhen will the intrusions end!?h
gWhat is
it now?h Cale wondered loudly.
gItfs Sarima!h Shawn howled cheerfully.
gUh, hi .
. .h Sarima Johnson joined the group, looking
confused. gWhatfs going on?h
gAnother
of the Sea Lords?h Jonathan asked disbelievingly, as well as happily. gWhat a
pleasure!h He took the hand of Sarima and kissed the
back of it lightly, ganything I can do for you?h
gBack off,
Ordonez,h Shawn bumped Jonathan out of the way and took the same position with Sarimafs hand in his. He also kissed the back of it, ghow
are you today, Sarima?h
gIfm fine
. . .h she said uneasily, gbut Ifm gonna go over
there now.h
gWait, are
you looking for your orb here too?h Shawn wondered.
gNo, Ifm
meeting someone else.h
gANOTHER
person?h Cale asked aloud.
gWho?h
Shawn asked Sarima directly.
g
gANOTHER
Sea Lord?h Jonathan asked aloud.
gYeah, and
I donft think you guys should be around when he gets here,h Sarima
stated.
gI can
handle
gNot you,
them,h she pointed to Jonathan and his companions, Cale
and the quiet Ral. gYou three shouldnft be here once
gYes, Ifve
heard,h Jonathan responded. gIfd rather not meet with him, actually.h
gRight, so
leave,h Sarima demanded.
gAll
right, all right, wefre out of here.h
gFinally,h
Cale said to himself.
gGoodbye
Shawn Edgar Perry and Sarima Johnson, it was nice
seeing you,h Jonathan gave a fleeting wave as he, Cale,
and Ral turned tail and headed through the tall grass
back toward their ship.
gAbout
time,h Jaymes said from behind Sarima,
gI was getting tired of them.h
gArenft
you supposed to be on the ship?h Shawn hid his demand within a question.
gOh right,
sorry.h Jaymes turned and left, leaving Sarima and Shawn alone.
gAh, wefre
alone now,h Shawn pointed out. gPerfect weather for a picnic, wouldnft you
say?h
gYou can
leave too,h Sarima ignored the odd offer for a
picnic. gI should handle
gWhy are
you meeting with him, anyway?h it had just occurred to Shawn that he didnft
know why Sarima would want to meet with a stiff like
gBecause
of this,h the light blue orb was held in Sarimafs
palm, held up so Shawn could see.
gThatfs
the Ice Orb, I presume?h
gYeah, I had
the displeasure of stumbling upon it instead of my own Orb.h Sarima pocketed the Ice Orb, gso now I just have to give it
to
gI think I
should stay to give you some support, no telling whatfll happen with
gNo, I
already told you, just leave. I can handle it myself, itfs not like wefll get
into a fight.h That at least, was certain, but Sarima
was still unsure.
gI think
Ifll stay, besides, hefs already here,h Shawn nodded his head toward the
direction where another figure was approaching.
gWhat?h Sarima was surprised as she turned around and saw
gJaymes and Cale were right, there
have been a lot of appearances today,h Shawn stated.
gJust stay
put, Shawn, Ifll talk to
gUh . . .
No problem.h Sarima imagined the meeting taking a
longer time than that, but Shawn hadnft said anything, which was probably for
the best, and
Chapter Four:
Always a Competition
Not too far away from
Mantra rushed up to
the deck where his captain was with an urgent message. gHey dad! DAD, wake up!h
gWha
. . .h he drowsily opened his eyes, the bright blue of his irises barely
visible as he sat up and sneezed. gSomeone must be talking about me again.h
gNo, it was the sun
again. Itfs right in front of you.h Mantra rolled his eyes; he lost any sense
of urgency, though he didnft have much to begin with since he remained pretty
calm all the time.
Halo yawned. gYeah I
guess . . . Stupid sun. What did you want?h
gOh yeah, therefs two
naval ships heading toward us now, I thought you should know.h
gReally?h he turned
his gaze from Mantra and focused his eyes on the two large ships that lay on
the horizon. They werenft as big as his ship, but there was no doubt the crews
on each were bigger. Not that it would matter. gOh, what do you want me to do
about it?h
gWell Jacen is wondering what to do, evade them . . . charge them
. . . what?h
gJust tell him to
keep sailing straight.h Halo was fully awake now, and his tone was serious.
Mantra didnft hesitate to leap away from the prow and dash up to the helm where
the navigator, Jacen, would be.
gHe said to sail
straight through,h Mantra passed the order on.
gStraight through?
Doesnft he know that they have cannons?h Jacen
wondered, but he still complied. Even though he seemed skeptical, he believed
that his captain always made the right decisions.
gIfm sure he has a
plan,h Mantra replied. gYeah, see, hefs getting ready to fight,h he pointed
down from the helm at Halo, who had hopped down from the prow and stood on the
deck below it.
gSuch a troublesome
sun,h Halo complained to himself. gI hate
While Halofs arm
hovered in front of him, it cast a small shadow directly below on the wooden
deck, dark enough for Halo to accomplish what he wanted. He made a quick motion
solely with his hand, and two katana appeared on top of the dark spot, each of
them resting in their separate scabbards. He picked both of them up and attached
them to his large golden belt, which held the swords in place. The hilts of the
katana had intricate designs: one had a smooth black handle with a dragon
imbedded on the bottom, and the other had the same, only with the design of a
fox.
Now with his dual katana
secured on his waist, he was ready for an assault. He called for Mantra and it
was only a second before the first mate had appeared by his captainfs side.
gYes?h
gGet ready to fight,h
Halo said as if it was obvious.
gSorry, I thought you
would have wanted to take both on by yourself,h he replied. gItfs not like one
would be much of a challenge.h
gRight, I know youfd
join in the action whether I said to or not, just get ready,h Halo demanded
while glaring at the two opposing ships. gWefre coming within range of them.h
The navy crews were
geared up and ready to fight. Cannons on either side of their ships were loaded
up of course, but there was always a chance of close combat. Especially while
facing a Sea Lord, they always relied on their skills to win battles rather
than their ships.
gCaptain!h one of the
naval crewmen called up from the main deck, gwefre coming within range of the
enemy!h
The commander of the
first ship peered over the railing of the upper deck, where the helm was. He
was rather fit, and wore a big white trench coat, which most navy captains
wore. gOur opponent is number 1 of the Sea Lords, and Ifm positive hefll wanna take the fight to our decks. Be ready with pistols
and blades, because he wonft go easy on you.h
gYes, sir!h
gThese guys better be
strong to face me head on,h Halo observed as he stood calmly on the tip of his
prow, arms crossed. gDid I just rhyme?h
gI think so,h Mantra
lazily confirmed from his place on the railing, next to the prow. gWith ships
those size, you wouldnft think theyfd be strong. But I guess looks can be
deceiving.h
gI doubt it, Ifm sure
theyfre just idiots among the navy who think they can earn some easy cash.h
Halo scowled. gSeriously, Ifll take it as an insult if they canft even give me
a scratch.h
gWell, if they do end
up being another weak navy crew, then at least we get a little warm up.h
gMeh, how ebout this,
Mantra.h Halo glanced to the side at his first mate. gWe can make this a game.
First one to take care of their ship and return is the winner.h
gSounds good to me,h
Mantra smirked.
gDonft get cocky,
now, Mantra,h he cautioned, although Halo couldnft hold back a smirk either. He
turned his head back toward the helm. gOi! Jacen!h
gYeah?h the navigator
called back.
gDonft answer me with
a eyeah!f That should be eyes captain!fh
gAll right, what did
you want?h Jacen replied knowing well that his
captain wouldnft back up his threat.
gHey! How ebout I
come up there and—h
gIs this really the
time to be arguing?h Mantra cut in, gWefve got about two minutes left before
theyfre in range.h
gOh, right . . .h
Halo turned back toward Jacen. gJust make sure that
the crew has all the cannons below deck loaded up and ready to fire, just in
case!h
Jacen
gave a fleeting nod. gGot it!h
gGood!h the Sea Lord
turned back toward the enemy ships, his eyes shifting to a dark shade of blue.
gYoufre actually
serious about this, arenft you, dad?h Mantra noticed by the change of his
captainfs eyes.
gI guess so . . .
Probably because Ifm determined to beat you.h
gI should be the
determined one here! When have I ever beat you before?h
gWell there was that
one time when we played chess . . .h
gOh yeah, you still
refuse to play that with me.h
gYou cheated!h
gI did not!h
gWell chess is a
stupid game anyway.h
gI think itfs great,
it just takes a bit of strategy.h
gI can use strategy,
I just donft like to.h
gYeah, yeah, I know.h
Both of them looked
away from each other and realized that their two minutes were up.
gCatch you on the
flip side,h Halo said as he was ready to jump.
gDonft ever say that
again,h Mantra replied.
gIt sounded cool in
my head, sorry.h Halo smiled. gOn the count of three.h
gOne,h Mantra said.
gTwo,h Halo
continued.
gThree,h both said at
the same time as they leapt off of the ship and soared over the ocean toward
their selected target. Halo landed gracefully on his chosen ship two seconds
before Mantra landed on his in the same fashion. Both had their weapons drawn
at the exact same time.
With his dual katana,
Halo slaughtered two navy officers that happened to be on the prowfs deck where
Halo landed, even before they knew what was going on. He bounded down to the
lower deck, where the rest of the crew awaited. The single Sea Lord stood
there, blades drawn, facing at least 20 enemies.
gHefs here!h one of
them shouted, gPrepare yourselves!h
Pistols were aimed
and swords were drawn, and Halo couldnft help but smile.
Mantra was going
through the same thing on his ship; both of his sabres
were drawn, resting in his hands as he stared down the enemy crew. Even though
they werenft paying attention to each other, both Halo and Mantra acted in
perfect synchronization. They launched themselves at their enemies. Bullets
fired from the barrels of several pistols, but each one to no effect, since the
targets moved too fast.
Blood splattered
every which way from the corpses that littered the decks. gItfs the Crimson
Blaze, hefs too fast!h a navy crewman shouted before he was taken down by
Mantra.
gThatfs what you get
for challenging us,h Halo said, more to himself than his foes, as he cut down
two more enemies. No matter what they did, Halo and Mantra didnft receive even
a scratch. One blade came close to Mantrafs arm, but he was still too quick to
even get a minor cut, and the holder of that opposing blade swiftly met his
demise.
Three enemies
attacked Halo in unison, two with single blades, the last with dual blades,
hoping that the outnumbering in swords would help them. It didnft, as Halo
fluidly stepped out of the way, and the enemy blades pierced nothing but air
while the blades of Halofs katana slit two of their necks at once. That left
the dual wielding underling, who took what he thought to be his chance to
attack and slashed both of his swords at once. Yet, once again, his blades
failed to make contact.
gI thought maybe a
dual wielder would have been a bit more challenging at least,h Halo spoke from
behind the man, who was too frightened to move. gTurns out youfre just like the
rest, only with an extra weapon.h The blade of Halofs fox katana pierced
through the back of the navy man and found his heart. He dropped to the deck
the moment the blade retreated from his lifeless body, and Halo was on his way.
That was all of the
crewmen on the main deck of the ship, for both Halo and Mantra. The only thing
left was to meet the captains, which would be up at the helm.
gLetfs get this over
with,h Halo said as he faced the enemy captain. gThis whole crew was a
disappointment, Ifd like to just kill you and get back to my ship now so I can
go to sleep.h
gDonft mock me!h the
captain shouted, obviously insulted by being underestimated.
gI wasnft mocking you. . . at least, I donft think I was. Ifm just saying that
I donft feel like wasting any more time here. Jeez, I didnft even have to use
my element at all.h
gMy crew may not have
been a challenge, but I sure will be!h The enemy captain withdrew a cutlass and
a pistol. gLetfs see you face this combination!h
gOh yeah, great, as
if Ifve never seen that before.h Halo yawned, his eyes had returned to their
regular brightness, as an indication that he was no longer serious. gTell you
what, Ifll use one katana against you,h Halo proposed, sliding his dragon
katana back into its scabbard.
gYou shouldnft
underestimate me,h the captain declared arrogantly.
gI know I shouldnft,
but Ifm just so sure that Ifll win, therefs no reason for me to be serious. So
stop talking, because Ifm attacking now.h Halo launched himself at the captain,
katana reared back behind his head; the pistol fired its bullet right at the
moment when Halo slashed. The bullet fell dully to the ground, split into
separate pieces. The barrel of the pistol and the blade of the cutlass both
clattered to the deck afterwards. Halo stood up straight, while the captain
backed up; all of his efforts literally fell to pieces with only one slash of
Halofs blade.
gWha-wha-what the hell?h the captain stammered.
gI told you I was too
strong for you, I donft know what you were thinking when you decided to pursue
one of the Sea Lords.h Halo sheathed his sword and detached both scabbards from
his waist, dropping them into the shadow that the looming mast overhead had
cast, and both of his weapons disappeared.
The captain dropped
to the deck, trying to back up from his opponent, his executioner. gD-donft
kill me, please, I know I was wrong to come after you, but I thought—h
gYou thought you
would get some easy money for catching me? You thought that two ships smaller
than mine with a horribly inferior crew led by an even more inferior captain
would suffice? You obviously thought wrong, and now you can suffer for the
insult.h Halofs shadow stretched out toward the captain, and started to consume
him, feet first.
gWh-what are you doing?h the
captain struggled frantically, but the consuming shadow was holding him in
place.
gDarkness will devour
your soul, and the only thing that awaits you after that is death.h The shadow
continued to inch up the captainfs body. It was close now to completely
covering him in its cloak, but something else caught Halofs attention, in the
direction of the opposite ship.
The captain that Mantra
faced also tried to use the same tactics of wielding both a cutlass and a
pistol. But it didnft affect Mantra either, and even though it took Mantra more
than a single slice to disarm his opponent, he was already finished with his
ship. The captain was beheaded, his motionless corpse lay in a pool of blood on
the deck, and Mantra was now returning his sabres to
his back.
gOh crap, I wasted
too much time talking.h The shadow released the captain and Halo disappeared
without any indication of remembering that he was supposed to kill the captain.
gI . . . Ifm safe,h
the captain sighed gratefully.
Halo kicked the mast
of the ship hard, forcing it to crack and fall. He used the collapsed mast as a
path back to his ship, which was only now several feet from the enemy ships.
Halo rushed up his newly made path and soared back to his ship, and landed
nicely on the main deck and looked around for Mantra. The first mate arrived
five seconds after his captain.
gHa, I win,h Halo
beamed.
gYeah, but I actually
killed the captain I was against.h
gOh yeah . . . I
forgot, Ifll take care of it though. All hands below deck! – not
you Mantra – prepare to fire when we close in on the enemy ships!h Halofs smile
didnft fade as he glanced at Mantra, who in turn had a sour look on his face.
The large ship passed
between both of the naval ships, and cannons erupted from both sides
simultaneously, reducing both of the small ships to nothing but debris.
gThere,h Halo pointed
at the debris, where the body of the captain that he was supposed to kill
bobbed in the water. gSee, hefs dead. So I win.h
gBut, you were
supposed to kill the captain before getting back to our ship!h Mantra declared.
gI never said that
was a rule!h
gWell it was
implied!h
gI never implied it
either!h
gYeah, but—h
gHey, you two,h Jacen shouted from the helm.
gWhat?!h They
replied.
gJeez, you donft have
to yell at me,h Jacen stated, gI just wanted to tell
you that therefs an island up ahead.h
And sure enough,
there was. It seemed small, made up of grassland and few trees. What was
interesting about it though, was that there were already three large ships,
similar to Halofs, docked near the beach.
gI recognize those
ships . . .h Halo said. gIt appears that we get to visit some fellow Sea
Lords.h Halo smiled happily now, gSarima, Shawn,
Chapter Five:
Story of a Love Lost
Now that he had what
he came for,
It was certain that Sarima and Shawn also noticed the new arrivals, but for
some reason they didnft act and stayed put. Perhaps it was because they didnft
want any more interaction with
gHold up,h Halo
commanded as he came to an abrupt halt, and Mantra obliged. g
Ignoring the attempt
at a friendly greeting,
gJust came to check
out what was going on.h The cold remark didnft affect Halo at all; he was used
to it coming from
gI suppose not.h The
bitter Sea Lord crossed his arms, aware that he probably wasnft going to be
leaving right away anymore.
Halo dismissed the
former for a moment to address his first mate. gWhy donft you go over to Sarima and Shawn?h
gWhac
Yeah, all right,h Mantra added after noticing his captainfs expression,
realizing that he needed to be gone. After he headed over to the other two Sea
Lords, probably not knowing what he was going to say to two superiors, Halo
turned back to
gSo did you find your
orb?h Halo asked immediately.
gI just figured you
mightfve found it, wasnft sure though. Sfwhy I
asked.h He reached out with his right hand in an asking fashion. gCan I see
it?h
Without a word,
gLooks cool,h Halo
said simply, unable to resist appreciating the mystifying glow.
gSo are you going to
tell me why I had to cross the sea to search for this?h There was a certain
tone in
gI told you before,
along with the rest of us, I donft know why wefre searching for these.h Halo
noticed the look on his allyfs face and quickly added, gBut I know theyfre
important.h
gHow so?h
gCfmon,h Halo urged,
gyou know I wouldnft put us through something like this if I didnft think it
was worth it.h
Again,
gWhy does it concern
you so much? Since you already have your orb, you shouldnft be worried.h He
lowered his orb-bearing hand half way then added, gItfs only been a week since
we started this quest, so youfre probably the first to have found one.h
gI didnft actually
find it, Sarima did.h Even as he said it,
gThat explains why
youfre here,h Halo said excitedly, as if it were a mystery that needed solving.
gShouldnft it make you happy that you barely had to do anything?h
gIt might. But now I
have to wait for everyone else to find their orbs, while I guard mine without
knowing why.h Halo didnft reply right away, so
gProbably a few
months at the most,h Halo answered to the best of his ability, gBut Ifve never
been one to look to the future. I focus on the present; I suggest you do the
same.h He tossed the light blue orb back to its true owner, and
There wasnft an
immediate response. Halo didnft look back at
He wasnft sure if it
was sarcasm or not, but
gWell, hefs obviously
not random,h Halo turned his head in order to rest his light blue eyes once
again on
gI wholeheartedly
disagree.h The contempt in
gIfm sure you do.h
Halo closed his eyes as he felt the calm breeze barely whipping his hair and
clothes. gThat day when we came to recruit you, after busting you out of jail,
I remember we found you in a cemetery. Ifm not sure how many of the others
noticed it, but that grave you were kneeling byca girl, right?h
gI know what itfs
like, in a sense. Itfs like youfd never be able to love again, or to even open
your heart to anyone else, right?h Once again, Halo looked back at
gDoesnft seem like
you ever went through the same thing I did,h
gMaybe,h Halo turned
away, gbut Ifm incapable of feeling love now. That kind of emotion has long
been lost to me.h There was a moment where neither of them said anything,
gHowever, realize
that I know how you feel, even if Ifve chosen to deal with it differently.h The
somber look on Halofs face disappeared and was replaced with an unconvincing
smile; this conversation made him experience unpleasant memories, ones hefd
wish could be forgotten. gAnyway, like I said before, your job is done for now.
Youfll be summoned when the rest of the orbs are found, so donft worry until
then.h
No more was spoken
between the two as Halo walked off toward his first mate and the remaining two
Sea Lords, hands still in his pockets.
gWhat were you two
talking about?h was Sarimafs welcome to Halo as he
joined them.
Halofs eyebrows
furrowed somewhat, gDoes it really matter?h
gWell you looked sad
for a minute there,h Sarima defended herself with a
sympathetic sounding tone. gItfs not like you have to tell me if you donft want
to.h
gNo, it wasnft a big
deal. Just about the orbs and how I still donft know anything more than the
rest of us.h He glanced at Shawn to acknowledge his presence and added, gWhatfs
up, Shawn?h
gNothing new, but
nothing old either, so I canft complain.h His regular cocky smile was set upon
his face, Halo wasnft sure if hefd ever seen the man with any other kind of
expression. It was also hard not to notice the engaging blue eyes resting under
the matching colored headband. They were a different shade than Halofs, but
still intriguing all the same.
gOf course,h Halo
accidentally looked at Mantra next, and knew right away that the first mate had
noticed exactly what Sarima had pointed out; Halofs
sad expression earlier had not gone unnoticed. He quickly thought of something
new to say in order to get Mantrafs weary gaze off him. gDid you have fun
talking to these two, Mantra?h
gI didnft have much
to say,h Mantra replied, slightly letting up with his accusing look. gThe only
thing they want to talk about is something that Ifm not allowed to hear.h
gYou mean the orbs?h
Halo asked.
gYeah,h Sarima answered, gBut after he came over, we figured you
sent him over here to keep us from joining you and Adrian.h
gNot really, I just
didnft want him in on the conversation,h Halo said, leaving out the fact that
it was true he hadnft wanted Sarima or Shawn to hear
what he had to say to Adrian. gBut anyway, I know why you two are here, you
mind staying a bit longer?h
gFor what?h Sarima was first to ask.
gI doubt you guys
explored this island much, and Ifve heard about this place before,h Halo paused
for a second to form his next sentence. gThe
gSo you want to find
it and explore it?h Sarima inquired.
gYeah,h Halo
answered. gDonft you think itfd be a good place to search for one of the orbs?h
gIfll join you on
that search,h Shawn spoke up. gMaybe Ifll find something else of interest as
well.h
gIfll come along as
well,h Sarima said. gI donft have much hope after
that first disappointment though.h
gRight then, it
should be somewhere in the field,h Halo stated. gThe entrance is supposedly in
the ground, hidden by that long grass. It might be a little difficult to find,
but Ifm sure we can do it. Of course, this is now Sea Lord business,h he spoke
to Mantra, gwhich means youfll have to go back to the ship now.h
gYeah, yeah, Ifm
going.h He made no attempt to argue; Mantra had already accepted that he wasnft
going to know anything about these gorbsh any time soon. Without saying
anything else, he took off at a full sprint, moving just as fast as before; it
only took him about a minute or so to get back to the ship. During that time,
he was thinking about what Halo could have said to
Hopefully, Mantra thought,
the exploration of this island would take Halofs mind off of the past. Although
Mantra wished he could be a part of it, he was given an order to return to the
ship, and he wouldnft disobey. He climbed the wooden ramp and ended up on the
deck of the ship, where he was met with a surprise. The rest of Halofs crew,
which wasnft very big at all, was standing around, along with a man who Mantra
never expected to see set foot on this specific ship: Adrian Sevitor.
Mantra didnft even
have to ask, Jacen explained immediately after seeing
the first mate. gHe showed up not too long ago. Said he had a question.h
gA question for
Halo?h Mantra asked.
gNo, a question for
you,h
gYou want to know
about his past, right?h Mantrafs scarlet gaze didnft let go of the Sea Lord.
gCorrect. How did you
know?h
gI saw Halofs face
when he was talking to you. He looked sad,h Mantra explained. gHe only looks
sad like that when he remembers his past, so I figured he told you something.
And he probably didnft tell you everything, otherwise you wouldnft be here, Ifm
sure.h
gYou have good
insight.h
gI can understand, he
has a way of saying just enough to make you want to know more,h Mantra grinned
at this statement. The rest of the crew was still standing around, waiting to
hear more of this conversation, hungry for the same information that
gSo will you tell
me?h
gI donft mind telling
you, because Ifm sure Halo doesnft care if you know. He probably would have
told you himself about it if it didnft hurt him so much to remember it.
However, Ifm more concerned about the rest of you,h he added, looking at the
crew, gbecause Halo doesnft want people feeling sorry for him. So you have to
promise not to act any different toward him after I tell you his story.h
gWe promise,h Jacen replied, and several of the others grunted and spoke
their agreement.
gI donft want to make
this a long drawn out story,h Mantra started, gso Ifll try to summarize it as
much as possible.h He took a seat on the nearest railing, and some of the crew
did the same, but most of them, as well as Adrian, remained standing. gHalo
spent the first 18 years of his life doing pretty much nothing but training to
be a great warrior. His father was the one that trained him, as well as me.
Ifve been Halofs friend ever since we were young, and we trained together. Yet
he always was stronger than me, no matter how much I tried to be better. Kinda made me madc
gAnyway,h Mantra
said, noticing the impatient looks, gyou know that piercing on his nose? It was
given to him after he became an adult, at the age of 18. Just as it was given
to every member of his family when they came of age. It was just one of their
traditions. And after that, Halo was free to do what he wanted. He left his
home island to travel the world, but it was hard for him at first, considering
the only thing he really knew how to do was fight. His father never taught him
much else, other than basic education. The rest of his knowledge comes from
experience from travelling.
gEventually, in his
travels, he met a girl. Saved her from danger, though I donft know the exact
details of their meeting. But they were together for a few years, and Halo was
in love with her, just as she loved him, or so he thought she loved him.h The
faces around Mantra didnft change too drastically, just a little shock on some
of them, but they urged for the story to go on. gShe betrayed him eventually.
It turned out she was just acting, I guess. Of course, I wasnft actually there,
so I donft really know what happened; I never even met the girl. I just know
she never loved him and pretty much broke his heart so bad that he was never
able to feel love again. Even to this day, hefs convinced that the emotion
doesnft even exist, that itfs just an illusion.h
gHow do you know all
this?h
gHe returned to his
home island after she left him, and I found him in a bar, drinking himself
practically to death. While he was drunk, he didnft refrain from sharing with
me what had happened. Ifm sure he doesnft remember the night that he told me
about it, but hefs aware that I know. If I hadnft been there for him, I think
he really would have given up on life.h At this point, Mantra couldnft help but
express a sorrowful look, but he quickly shook it off and continued, gJacen, you were there too at this point. I donft think he
told you anything thoughch
gNo,h Jacen confirmed, gI didnft know what happened to him, I
just knew he was depressed about something and I didnft ask about it.h
gRight. He was
extremely depressed, and a few days after returning home, he found his
affiliation for darkness. I wasnft around when he realized his power, and I
also donft know how he found out, but he instantly left once again, this time
to search for the rest of you guys. Ones like him that had special elemental
powers. And he formed the Sea Lords.h
gEven to this day
though, five years after it happened, hefs still depressed, even if he doesnft
show it too much. Hefs just gotten used to it I guess, he can hide it well. But
if you really watched him, he does show signs that he still feels that
anguish.h Mantra looked thoughtful for a moment. gLike how he sleeps all the
time.h
gI thought he slept
all the time because he was bored?h one of the crew asked.
gThatfs probably a
reason for it, but no, the main reason is because he can escape reality through
his dreams. He doesnft like to be in reality for too long.h
gBut he canft sleep
at night,h Jacen pointed out, as if this justified
something.
gYeah, he can only
sleep during the day. But he doesnft actually have to sleep to get energy; he
instantly gets rejuvenated once night falls.h
gWas he always like
that?h
gHmm,h Mantra mused.
gNow that you mention it, no. Only since he formed the Sea Lords.h
gIndeedch
gIs that all you want
to know?h Mantra asked. gThatfs all I know about his past.h
gThat should be
sufficient,h
gHold on,h Mantra
suggested. gI told you about his past, so you should understand him now, and I
expect that youfll show him respect from now on.h
gIfve always
respected him, just as Ifve respected all of the Sea Lords. That doesnft mean
that I like any of them.h
gThat may be, but you
have no reason not to like Halo at least.h Mantra glared, and
gItfs their fault
that my life fell apart. After I failed to kill the Sea Lords, I crawled back
to my country. They showed me no mercy, and they were going to end my life
because of my failure. Then I realized that the woman I loved died, because of
the time I was away. Had I been with her, she would still be alive today.h
gThatfs not Halofs
fault, he obviously wouldnft have wanted to do that to you intentionally. And
you could have done something other than try to kill the Sea Lords at the time.
You could have run away with that girl that you left behind, you could have
moved to an island and lived happily ever after—h
There was a sudden
piercing cold.
gYou think I never
thought of that?h
gI would assume,
yes,h Mantra answered, gI dread the day that she may show up again.h
Everyone fell silent;
it seemed Mantrafs words implanted an image in their heads that was highly unpleasant.
gThanks for telling
me what I wanted to know,h and he turned again and headed off without a glance
back, leaving Mantra with a curt smile on the latterfs face.