The First Mission of the Shichinin-tai
Part I
“Bankotsu!” was a scream coming from the lower floor. O-aniki and you wake up from the sound of footsteps running for your way. “Show yourself coward!”
You took your time covering with the blanket and Bankotsu was already in his pants, when he opens the door to see who dares to summon him so early. When the man sees him, showing up from one of the rooms, he drew his sword and took guard. Bankotsu scratched his head, as a sign of thinking, obviously trying to remember who or at least what he did to this guy.
“Do I know you?” he asks at the end.
“What do you mean ‘do I know you?’!” the man angrily says. “You don’t remember me?!”
He scratches his head again…
“Sorry, no…”
The man got even angrier. He jumped at Bankotsu but he dogged it easily. The guy fell though the door in the room. After raising his head he saw you. His eyes trebled. Now you saw his face more clearly. He had an eye patch on his left eye and short brown hair. You knew this face.
(Guess who~ Hmm… maybe it’s him… I hate leaving characters… alive that is ^^; Well sometimes I take and the dead, but mostly alive XD… anyway back to the story for the one who didn’t guessed it… Note: Re-read chapter 5 and you will know D=)
You recognized him. It was the man, back at the blacksmith’s house, he was helping that lord who was demanding weapons. He was the one that tried to hurt the old lady. You, yourself, took out his left eye. He seemed to recognize you as well, and who wouldn’t.
“You… You wench!” he screams in anger and jumps at you. You calmly jump back as Bankotsu dodged it. “Stay on one place wench, for I must take your eye!”
An eye for an eye…
“Hey! Leave my girl!” Bankotsu says with a high voice. “Though you are here for me…”
“I will kill you all! It’s my revenge,” he screams and jumps for you. His anger for you was stronger. You grab his hand and turn it behind his back. He struggled a little and managed to escape your grip, but not Bankotsu’s, who had grabbed him at the moment he distanced you.
“Now, that was no fun,” he says calmly. “Now tell me what was this all about?”
“You murders! You killed my friends, and took out my eye!”
“Only for that? What a pain! I told you we had to kill them.”
You didn’t waste your time and with a single needle in the temple, which caused instant death.
“Dress up and lets go!” Bankotsu says to you and goes out of the room, leaving the dead body on the floor… bleeding…
Later you find out that this was the last of a strong group of murders that no one was able to stop them. Until your ways crossed and now the rumors about your power and merciless was all known. It took less then a day to get to the next inn where you were welcomed by the Lord’s guards. They were waiting for you. They had a mission for you.
With no delay you were explained what they want from you. You wanted a high price for your service, but they didn’t argue. You had to kill a demon, who was responsible for many murders of young man, tried to slay the monster. For 5 years, no one was able to kill it. You noticed in the general’s eyes, that he was sure you won’t live to get your pay.
On the way for the demon layer you felt that you have been followed. It took you no more then a minute to identify your stalkers. They were five men with spears and army cloths.
“We are been flowed,” you inform your leader.
“As I though,” he says. “They are planning to finish the tired monster, after our long fight.”
“I can take care of them now!” Suikotsu says and raises his claw with blades.
“No need for that, my dear friend,” Bankotsu says and Suikotsu lowers his hand, with disappointed face.
“You mean they don’t believe we will kill it?” Jakotsu asks.
“Seems they don’t,” o-aniki says and keeps leading the way.
You gave no sign of knowing they are following, and your stalkers didn’t noticed.
You got a field, that was dry and dead. You looked around to find nothing in sight.
“You sure this is the place, o-aniki?” Renkotsu asks.
“This is where they said we must go,” he looks around and notes: “but I see no monster for killing.”
“What we must wait for it?!” Jakotsu sights. “What a pain!”
“Maybe we must ask out stalkers?” Renkotsu suggests.
Bankotsu scratches his head in sign of thinking things over.
“Maybe…” he just starts to speak when the earth starts to tremble.
You get ready for fight and look all around. You get close and form a circle so that your backs will be guarded. The only one who didn’t went in the formation was Bankotsu, who was staying calmly and looking around. “For a kid, he had some guts,” you though. Suddenly from beneath the field came out a big worm-like creature. It was 20 times bigger then Suikotsu, the tallest, and 10 times wider then the oldest nearby tree. It was brown, with 3 closed eyes. You all stud quiet and waited for it to attack. But it didn’t. It was just staying there, moving its ‘head’ from one side, to another, like it was looking around. You all noticed it. It was blind. You all hold your positions, and each one was thinking a plan on there own, hoping that when it comes to action, the others will notice one’s intentions and follow.
You had no idea what the others were thinking, so you decide to make the first move. From your position you jump 4 meters aside, taking the monster follow and attack you. That was what Bankotsu was thinking, he waited for you to get the monster near enough so he could hit it with only one jump. Jakotsu was trying to hit it, but it was too fast for his snake-like sword. Renkotsu managed to limit the ‘arena’ with fire walls, which also kept your stalkers outside the battle field. The small fire was enough for you to jump it over, which you did, but the creature didn’t even neared it. It went for the next one who was moving – Jakotsu. He noticed, he was the next to run, so he jumped back near the fire, which saved him from the attack of the demon. Suikotsu jumped at the back of the monster, and stick his claws into the hard skin. The demon tried to get ‘the pest’ off his behind, but that only made the wounds deeper and more painful. Bankotsu didn’t waste his time and tried to slice the creature, but the skin was hard as steal and he was pushed 20 meters back. You needles were neither long, nor sharp enough, to make the monster even notice them on its back. Renkotsu makes fire circle around him.
“Move away from it!” he screams and makes the monster head his way.
Suikotsu jumps away from the demon’s back after seeing how the ex-monk takes a sip of his cucurbit. Jakotsu and Bankotsu do the same. Unfortunately, the big fire wasn’t enough to burn the thick skin of the creature. When the flames disappear, you take out your katana and look at Bankotsu. You make a sign with your head for the monster, looking at your katana and then at his sword. Bankotsu got it and gave you the equal sign. You jump on Bankotsu’s Banryuu and with all his strength he thoughts you as high as possible. This athletic movement made you jump 3 times the you could possible do. You end up on the face of the monster and as you saw from Suikotsu, you stick your katana into the monster so you won’t fall. With your free hand, after making sure you won’t fall, you take out your main dagger and stab the demon in his left eye. It gives a scream of pain and shakes its head faster. Your katana slips right when you try to stab the other eye, which makes you lose balance and start falling. Bankotsu’s quick movement saves you from the painful hitting to the ground. He manage to grab you before reaching the bottom.
The monster went after you. It wanted revenge. This time, when you looked at its face, it had his other 2 eyes open. They were yellow, like jewels clear. It wasn’t blind, it was seeing, and now it was looking at you, or actually – your eyes. You felt like you were loosing yourself in them, that yellow sea. It was like your soul was slowly going in them…
Suddenly there was an explosion, and you gain your consciousness. You all look at the way from where the bomb came. Somewhere behind the fire wall, was a short large figure, with someone on his shoulders. Was it possible? Could those be…
My site was moved to: http://msama.uuuq.com
or http://mistress-sama.uuuq.com
(which ever is more comfortable to spell)
Thanks to all who waited and everyone that msg-ed me. Everytime I read a msgasking for the next chapter fills me with jo, that you liked it, and guilt that I delay it. Keep msg-ing!
