The intrigue that Geoffrey felt over the mention of such a legendary beast was immeasurable. As an adventurer, he was a fanatic over many types of beasts and creatures. Geoffrey did not really know exactly how true what he had read was, he did not know how correct the diagrams were.
"I know about the Firecracker. I thought that beast died off over a thousand years ago?" Geoffrey spoke in his excitement.
"It did, they have been long decimated from our world." The general continued.
"How come you want me then?" Geoffrey continued to produce more questions.
"We have received several reports of the beast in one of our rural farming villages, Matsumoto, my lord requires your services to help slay such a beast."
"Is the Imperial army not enough to take down such a powerful opponent?"
"That would bring panic. We need that village, it is important."
"Because it produces all of your farming goods that you export to other countries?"
"Indeed." This did not surprise Geoffrey at all, the Ebisu emperor was not the greatest of men, "We are set to leave tomorrow. I know you are a smart man; you cannot leave this place even if you tried."
The men then departed from the shop and left to the building next door. Geoffrey did not know how to feel anymore. The sight of an extinct beast would be incredible, but to face off against it, that was a whole other feeling. The huge goliath was notorious for the constant desolation it would cause the Japanese army. The Firecracker had been around for thousands of years; it would attack simple villages like Matsumoto that had practically no protection from the Japanese military. Once it had been defeated, it was harvested for its scales, which were used to decorate the emperor, and its flesh became a rich person's delicacy. Its bones were then discarded, lost to the burial grounds of time.
Geoffrey had no more aspirations to keep his shop open for any more visitors, so he closed the shop early. He needed to rest quite a bit for his soon-to-be adventure and also because he wanted to do some research. By the sounds of it, he was being employed to take down the beast for financial gain, so all he needed to do was figure out how to take it down. He knew there were texts that gave out similar answer to what he seeks to accomplish. He browsed through his library of books, taking "Foreign Myths and Legends," "Ebisuan Legends" and "The Encyclopaedia of Fauxwood's Dragons." He walked to where he kept his counter. Behind there was a ladder which led up to his personal areas. Upstairs was where he slept, where he ate and spent most of his free time. It was smaller than most living spaces in Basdon, but it did him what he needed. His bedroom only contained a small sleeping cloth and a ruined pillow, but he did not care. His kitchen was a bit nicer; it had a fire pit in the centre and plenty of cupboards to keep his food and refreshments inside. He had a table for two people but had no one to drink or to dine with. He often looked at the chair and wished the Ebisu Princess, Kei Hayashi, had left with him, he regretted just leaving her, but he could not be captured by such a tyrannous leader. Geoffrey opened one of his cupboards and produced a vile of liquid which he placed over where his fire usually was. Grabbing coal from a sac and placing them beneath his drink, he set the coals alight making it bubble.
With his newly made drink, he placed himself into his sleeping bag and started flicking through the pages. He read bits aloud to himself and would flick through 5 - 10 pages at a time, eventually reaching page 202 of "Foreign Myths and Legends" and began to read what the pages stated.
"The Firecracker was a beast feared by rural families. It never created an attack pattern and always came when it was the worst possible time. In the year 504, the dragon's final attack took place. The attack was on the Imperial City; it destroyed buildings, stomped on people, and flattened the landscape the Ebisuans had created. The intentions of the dragon's attack on the city were placed under the Firecracker's attribute of not attacking with any reason, but some suspect that it had a motive.
The army had swiftly come together to create a barrage of flaming arrows to affect the creature severely. The creature slowly worked its way through them and up to the top of the Imperial Palace. It is proclaimed that the creature's attack ended before the Emperor or the Imperial Guard and instead communed with them. It is unknown what was said between the Firecracker and Emperor Katsu Hayashi, although there were more witnesses, all seemed to vanish after the attack. Once their talk ended, the dragon burst into sparks and disappeared. This led to the beginning of the technological advancements that the Ebisu Empire would begin to make."
This created some initial indications on how to slay the beast, Fire arrows, but it also seemed like the beast could be negotiated with. It was also strongly insisted that the regularity of the army was no use against the thick scales of the Firecracker. Geoffrey continued to the second book.
"The Ebisu Empire has stood tall for many hundreds of years, but the strength that it holds is incomparable to that of other regions. The power of the Ebisu Empire was demonstrated during the Battle of Kamakura in 502. The town had been under attack by the Firecracker when the Ebisu Empire came to visit. The battle was bloody and costly to those who resided and visited that day. However, the battle ended a little while after when one man stepped up to defeat the beast.
During the battle, Emperor Katsu Hayashi was killed, and his son Tomomi Hayashi stood up to take his place. Survivors of that day only recalled a certain moment when the son started to glow yellow with power and began to rise into the sky. He drew his sword and swung at the beast, slicing it into two halves."
The story did not link with the information in the previous book. There was no reference to the power of Fire arrows and certainly no reasoning with the creature. It did make sense since no one knows for sure when Emperor Katsu died, and yellow power seemed somewhat unrealistic. Geoffrey was learning practically nothing about the beast; he was losing hope in his chances of coming away from his encounter.
He put down the book and moved on to the final one. He flicked through all the pages, reading the headings and the sub-headings about each dragon. When he got to the contents, there was nothing to do with the Firecracker. He went through the index page and found the name; there were only two instances in which it was referenced, that being, 714 - 715 and 2020. Turning to page 714, nothing. There were the remains of two pages and no information to go with them. The only logical solution was to go to page 2020 and see what was said about the beast. The page was about the Icesplitter, a cousin of the Firecracker, but not as deadly.
"The Icesplitter is no longer around after the now Ngai Kingdom was formed when their land melted away and became a warmer climate. This led to a lack of food for the creature to eat and caused it to starve. However, starvation did not kill it. The early Ngai kingdom found a way to enhance their arrows with frost, which, when it pierced the skin, would freeze them.
These arrows were used against the beast and caused it to be killed. Once the beast was dead, its corpse was stripped, and people found that its insides were boiling compared to its outsides. This is believed to be a cousin to the Firecracker (An Ebisuan legend, see pages 714 - 715) in which it is said that its inside is cold, unlike the immense heat it radiates on the outside."
This was it. Geoffrey had now gained conclusive evidence that flaming arrows could successfully kill off the beast. He may have enough evidence on how to kill the Firecracker, but nothing in case he was wrong. This was enough to satisfy him, and he felt a small amount of accomplishment with his discovery. Geoffrey placed down the books and within minutes, fell asleep.
* * *
For the Ebisu Warriors, the day came just as fast as a bull charging at a muleta. The general of the army was still asleep, unlike his other followers, he was exhausted from the journey to Basdon. It became very apparent that he had not slept for some time, especially in this alien country full of potential threats. When the sun had reached just above the nearby peaks of the highlands, one of the soldiers went to wake the General.
"General Yukimura, we must leave now. We are unsure of Geoffrey's whereabouts." One of the soldiers spoke in Japanese.
"He will still be there; he would never turn his back on this place. I oversaw his location last night, he is still there, Haruki." The General responded.
"Understood, I shall ensure that everyone else is ready to leave." Samurai Haruki continued before walking out from where the General was and back to his accomplices.
After General Yukimura had forced himself awake, he took his men back to where their fugitive lay. He tried the rusted handle of the wooden door with no success. They continued to try, combined with knocking, to get Geoffrey and leave for the journey ahead. The General stepped back from the wooden planks, his men beginning to ram the door off of its rusted iron hinges. Within minutes, the men relieved the door of its vertical position and pushed inside to the adventurer's homestead. The samurai warriors climbed to the upper level, searching continually for Geoffrey. He was missing.
"I thought you knew he was here?" Samurai Haruki questioned.
"He never left during the night. I watched. He must be close by, start searching, search homes if you have to. We need this man." General Yukimura pleaded, sounding desperate for the assistance of Geoffrey.
Geoffrey was not far at all. He had awoken much earlier than the Ebisu Warriors, knowing he had no choice but to comply with them, and went to visit Wilf. He crossed the flint path, making little sound to avoid detection, pressed on through the withering door, quietly, greeted by the cold chill of the early morning. Geoffrey could not leave Wilf in the dark about his whereabouts or his ongoing affairs, so he had to inform him. Wilf was still asleep when Geoffrey had approached him in his room, which did not half startle the old man.
"Geoffrey? What in Fauxwood are you doing, sneaking up on an old man like that?" Wilf exclaimed, breathing heavily.
"I do apologise, my friend, I needed to update you on where I am going." Geoffrey explained, "I am being taken to Ebisu, some dangerous threat or something. I do not know how long I will be gone, but I will be back as soon as I can be."
"Do not worry about me; you make sure you are safe from what you are facing."
Geoffrey smiled as he left the old man to his home. He was rightfully worried but knew that Wilf had looked after his whole family before he lost them, but he knew that he could look after himself. He left back through the way he had come, this time not worried to make noise, retreating back to his home.
He walked up the wooden steps he had constructed himself, strolled across the emotionless porch, then realised his door was flat on the ground. He had prepared a small number of belongings to take (consisting of 150 Sol, a compass, some rations, and a small dagger), but this unprecedented break in forced him to produce his dagger. He snuck around the fallen barrier, sticking to the shadows, out of site. The lower levels were empty, it was where he kept his stock, not his fortune. Moving further into his home, he moved towards his transport up, expecting to find thieves fiddling with his stash. This was not what he was met with, to his surprise. The General turned around, after examining one of Geoffrey's pictures, noticing Geoffrey with his dagger clenched. "We need to leave now, have you got all your belongings?" He questioned. Geoffrey nodded, then wandering into his room to get his steel sword. They both left his home together, Geoffrey fixed his door back as best he could, meeting back with the warriors who had been searching for him. They took Geoffrey down the long flint road he lived on to the edge of Basdon where the stables were. The outskirts of Basdon were surrounded by an old stone wall that had been built hundreds of years ago. The end of the road also situated a large door, guarded on both sides, the large gate was only opened after an inspection was conducted on the passer-by. Through the wooden doors on the northern side, they began their journey into the unknown.
Before Geoffrey knew it, he was miles away from his hometown. Following a singular path that sent them north-east, they soon found themselves passing through Sunrest (the next town over) which was a little more empty and dirtier than the standards of Basdon. Eventually, they moved past the highlands, reaching the huge orange leaf forest. The trees were tall, but skinny, covered in black spots along their branches and trunk. Their heads were covered in bright orange leaves that populated them. The atmosphere of this orange landscape was unlike anything else, it was quiet, full of wildlife, and an escape from the business of Basdon. The journey continued past the forest and into open fields, passing through more towns and villages as they went. After a long journey, the carriage approached their temporary destination.
This town was incomparable to Basdon. Although Basdon had its faults, this place was very run down, homes were abandoned or collapsing, the streets were mostly empty, and the place stunk of crime. Instead of the crunchy flint, it was made entirely of mud and dirt which was either wet or covered by large puddles. Geoffrey questioned if there were a reason people still lived here, perhaps it was because it was the only place or maybe there was a sinister plot behind it all. From the people he briefly saw, they were not as well cared for either. There clothes were covered in patches or had tears going through them. Geoffrey was unfamiliar with this place; he did not want to stay here at all. This place would have to do though. The cart soon stopped outside of a slightly larger building, the other warriors stepped off, stretched their limbs, whilst the General paid for the journey.
"This is where we will be staying for the night." He exclaimed to everyone, before turning to Geoffrey, "I know that you would not jeopardise everything by running from us, but I have to watch over you for both our sakes."
"I understand, General?" Geoffrey questioned.
"General Takahir Yukimura."
"I understand, Takahir."
"That is General Takahir to you." He responded, letting a slight smile form. Geoffrey and Takahir had nothing to deposit in the inn, so Geoffrey prompted for a search around his temporary surroundings. There was not much. It was mostly homes and apartments which were surprisingly occupied, even in there decaying status. However, Geoffrey's interest was soon grasped by the discovery of a saloon which was in substantially better condition than everywhere else.
Upon their entrance, music was being blurted out of the piano and people were sitting on stools drinking interesting-looking drinks. The two walked over to the bar, not saying a word. Geoffrey enjoyed having a drink or two every now and then, but on the other hand, Takahir was not much of a fan and often disliked the beverages he was served. They ordered their drinks and sat at an empty table. Takahir was drinking a non-alcoholic concoction, whilst he drank, he was constantly looking around for any possible threats. He also had a bad feeling about this town.
"Do not worry yourself Takahir, no trouble can come of having a couple of drinks." Geoffrey reassured.
"We shall see, this place seems very fresh for such an abysmal town." Takahir replied.
"Where even are we?" Geoffrey questioned; he had been dying to know.
"Easan, it is the midpoint between your town and Mosspanca."
"What made you come all the way from Ebisu for me?"
"A break from that large palace. I have been patrolling the battlements for days and I have never experienced an incursion or a raid. Just meetings, patrolling, and teaching."
"Sounds bleak," Geoffrey injected, Takahir agreed. "What is the emperor like, with the threat of the Firecracker?"
"He is angry, but rightfully so. This threat is unkillable by the likes of foot soldiers. Matsumoto's desolation has affected food supplies, but he has not spoken out about that."
"So, he is hiding his problems from the people he is supposed to protect?"
"Yes, we all have our opinions of him, but any sane member of his world should realise that he is incapable of protecting his people and is fuelled by wealth and power."
"My encounter with him was not the greatest either, he seemed very angry, to say the least." Geoffrey placed down his now empty glass, Takahir had already finished his. He then offered him another drink which Takahir agreed to.
Five intensely strange concoctions later, Geoffrey was beyond sober. During the previous few drinks, Geoffrey had managed to get Takahir to try some strong alcoholic drinks, hitting the warrior like a metal club. He, however, was still thirsty for more. Going over to the bar, he once again purchased the same beverage. However, the bar had an upfront pay policy which was going to get in the way of Geoffrey's drinking.
"I would like to purchase another two Pelscine Quaffs!" Geoffrey exclaimed, slurring his words as he spoke.
"That will be a total of 22 Sol," The bartender stated. Geoffrey pulled out his pouch of coins and tried to count what was left. He failed to count and placed the coins on the counter. The bartender's eyes moved around as he slowly counted the individual one piece, "That is not enough."
"What? Looks enough to me!" Geoffrey blurted out, giggling slightly.
"No money, no drink. You thirsty for these, you need the money."
"How exactly am I supposed to get money?"
"Him, over there," The bartender pointed over to the far-right corner of the establishment, "play game and if you win, he will pay you."
Geoffrey left the bar and walked over to the man. He was slightly suspicious, but too drunk to see sense. The figure was stood, in the corner of the room, shuffling cards in his hands. The man wore an oversized black coat covering his body, his cloak also had a hood which shaded his face, only producing his long grey beard. The man seemed critically shady, but Geoffrey could not tell. The man saw Geoffrey stumbling over to him and got ready to entice him.
"Hello there, fellow traveller," The hooded man began, "Do you require my assistance?"
"I just need like a couple of Sol for 2 drinks" Geoffrey retorted.
"I see, well you can have that if you beat me at Municus 21. Are you familiar with the game?"
Takahir had grown a bit impatient in his mild drunken state. He had stood up and walked over to where Geoffrey and the hooded figure were.
"What is going on, Geoffrey?" Takahir asked.
"I just need like three Sols to be able to get two more drinks" Geoffrey asked.
"Who is this guy?"
"I am the great Karlia; I provide an opportunity for all drunks to gain a couple of Sol for their last drink. However, to earn their couple of pieces, they must beat me at Municus 21!" Karlia explained, Geoffrey and Takahir, without any sense in them, was ready to gamble for one final drink. They walked to the nearest table, Karlia placed himself on the opposite side of the table, Takahir sat on the other. Takahir was the most sober person to play the game, Geoffrey placed his remaining Sol on the table, Karlia placing the same amount, they began.
The game Municus 21 was a widely played game throughout the criminal gangs across Fauxwood, but often played by people in less fortunate villages, and had a yearly tournament held in the Dubrovka Republic. The deck consisted of fifty-two cards with numbers going from one to thirteen. The aim was to have the highest number or twenty-one to win all the money, if anyone were to draw, they would play against each other until one of them won.
Some time had passed since they had begun, and they were winning. Although it was hard to tell, Geoffrey saw that their continuous winning streak was surprising their opponent to the point that he was starting to become depressed. After losing another time, he picked up his cards and left full of anger. With a steep profit, the two men ordered their final drinks and retired back to the inn.
"I thought we were going to lose substantially, he seemed suspicious to me." Geoffrey stated, becoming more sober in the fresh air.
"I made sure we won; I cheated the cards in our favour so that that con artist did not get away with robbing us."
"Did you learn that in the Imperial Academy?" Geoffrey spoke, jokingly.
"No, my father taught me it when I was young. The Imperial Academy would never allow me to do that."
Geoffrey left Takahir by his room at the inn, they both felt a strong friendship between them. The aftereffects of drinking so much was now seriously affecting Geoffrey. Within seconds of laying in his rented bed, Geoffrey was out.
His eyes opened, it seemed as if he had already arrived in The Imperial City and was awaiting his calling to the castle. When he tried to think about it, he could not recall any of the journeys from Easan to the city. It was as if his memories had been removed from his mind. He was sitting in a brightly lit street at an outdoor noodle stand. The signs above him flickered slightly, bringing his attention back towards the stand. His little bowl of noodles was empty, the only thing left was a small puddle of water. The streets, however, were empty. No one at the stand, no public in the streets. Geoffrey kept looking left, then right, then left, then right. Until he turned once more, and two guards dressed in black and gold armour were next to him. They were the Palace Guards, one of the most recognisable Ebisuan soldiers. They did not speak, they instead just grabbed Geoffrey from his seat and up towards the nearby palace.
Geoffrey wanted to speak, but his words were not spoken. They dragged him up the palace stairs, through the courtyard and up to the main hall. He was dragged through giant green doors and into the centre of the room. The room was a bright red, held up by pillars marked with gold and several pots and sleepers full of interesting fauna. It was a remarkable sight, standing out from other royal places Geoffrey had been inside. He was dropped just in front of the emperor's throne. It was a giant chair, with golden wood protruding outwards. In the seat was the emperor himself.
"Geoffrey, it is most displeasing to see you in my palace once again. I despise your presence, but I require your skills." Geoffrey could not speak. "You are to deliver me news of the Firecracker being slain. Once I have seen significant proof you will have my thanks. Then you will be escorted by my men back to Woden and never to return to my Empire again. If I smell your retched sent on my land, I will make sure that you never break my laws again, you will not receive a trial, you will be sentenced how I see fit."
This seemed straightforward to Geoffrey. Suddenly, from the left side of the room, a servant-looking man darted across towards the emperor. The man had a cloth in his hands which was seemingly important. They whispered amongst each other before the cloth was left on the throne. Geoffrey still could not respond.
"This is unfortunate news, for you…" He began, sitting down at his golden throne, "This linen that I have just received brings me immense joy. They contain the horns of Firecracker. The beast has been slain. Come forth, my victor."
Then from the dark shadows, came a powerful black figure.
"This is the illusive Akenesia. An Ebisuan legend. She was seemingly more efficient than I had suspected. I suppose this means that your no longer required."
The emperor arose from his throne and walked over to Geoffrey. From his left sleeve, he revealed a dagger. He struck the dagger across Geoffrey. Darkness.
* * *
Geoffrey awoke, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. It seemed to be a dream that had been brought forward into Geoffrey's mind. He was a bit more nervous about his voyage into the Imperial City but felt as though it may have been a bit unrealistic for those events to unfold. He lay there, for a few minutes, letting the moment sink in. He then got up out of the thin covers and began to put his armour pieces back on. He left the room, greeted by the face of one of the soldiers. The soldier grabbed Geoffrey by the arm and dragged him down the hallway to where Takahir stood outside. Everyone seemed off to Geoffrey, there was also such a peculiar smell, and that guard who had dragged him down seemed very uneasy. When Geoffrey approached Takahir, something seemed wrong, his expression was not as happy as it had been yesterday.
"Takahir, is everything all right? What is up with everyone?" Geoffrey questioned, Takahir did not speak, he just pushed open the door behind him.
Geoffrey continued through the weathered wooden door, which had a distinct creak that filled the empty corridors. The room was a lot more derelict than his own, the painted walls were flaking away, and the small cupboard had a door hanging off. He turned the corner to the bed; the covers had been ruffled and the pillows disturbed. There in the covers was also one of the four guardsmen. His throat had been slit and his head snapped back, the reason being that on the wall was deep red writing.
"WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID…"
Geoffrey was astonished by the brutality these people had used, but he questioned as well. What did they know? Geoffrey tried to remember last night's entertainment, but there was nothing he could remember (other than the journey). He left the room still questioning what he had to do with this.
"I cannot believe this. One of my men has died because of our actions, he should have died honourably in battle, not while he slept." Takahir exclaimed in anger.
"Why did he die?" Geoffrey questioned.
"Is it not obvious? Our mistake from last night, I cheated that man for more money. Now look where it has got us."
"My apologies. I could not remember, my condolences." Geoffrey patted Takahir on his shoulder. From the stairs, Haruki came running down, bow in hand. The warrior began talking to Takahir in Japanese, so Geoffrey just stood there awkwardly. The smell was not as prominent now, it was still there, just less noticeable. Takahir dashed over to the window of the front entrance, and Geoffrey came over to look as well.
Two noticeable men were standing just outside the front of the building. One had a blue hood covering his face, only making his chin visible. He wore a white tunic with noticeable grey patches from the grey dusty floor, the cuffs were also trimmed in a more royal blue. The man also had black trousers which were mainly stained towards his boots, probably from walking. He seemed to have a sword attached to his side, the scabbard was only visible. The other man was a lot different. He was slightly taller, and his skin was more orc green, perhaps a tamed troll or orc. His face was obscured by a large round helmet with a grid over his face. He barely wore anything on his chest, just some leather straps holding up his lower half. The creature also had gauntlets on his fists which seemed to have been welded together unprofessionally.
"Samurai Haruki informs me that they are not the only men around here. They are not our card-playing friends or bartender. They have another man with a crossbow in the opposite building on the left." Takahir informed Geoffrey before turning to Haruki. Takahir said something to him in Japanese, whatever it was a complete mystery.
"So, what is the plan?" Geoffrey asked, very uncertain of their survival rate.
"I suggested to Haruki to find high ground and do what he can with his limited number of arrows. The other two samurai are in the shadows waiting for us to make our first move. If I consider our survival rate, we have about a fifty-fifty chance of surviving."
"I understand, but what is our first move?"
"We will take these two Chikushos ourselves and see what surprises they may have in store for us." That seemed simple enough. However, it did not feel well calculated or seem as though it was thought through. There was no time to think it through, it was happening now whether Geoffrey liked it or not. Takahir was the first to leave the building and Geoffrey shortly followed. The wooden door creaked on opening and when it was being closed and all that was left now was a potential meeting with Death.
They walked down the steps and in front of the two opposing men.
"Can we help you?" Takahir opened with.
"We were beginning to think you were not going to come out." The man began, "I am Logran Dav, owner of The Dust Cloud institution, and you two are all that stands between us and our rightful cash. So please, before we spill any more foreign blood on our soil, hand over our money."
"More blood?" Takahir questioned.
"Your other associates did not put up a fight when it came to removing them. I thought your men were supposed to be trained in the shadows, yet they were so easily surprised." Logran remarked with a subtle grin on his face.
"How dare you disrespect my brothers," Takahir began, drawing his sword, "You will pay for them. In your blood."
The grin did not fade from Logran's face. From the sides of the inn, three more people emerged. Geoffrey's hope for survival had gone from high to incredibly low, he did not see any possible strategies or advantages. The five men stood around Geoffrey and Takahir, they were very certain of their chances against the other two. However, it did not take Geoffrey long to notice a weakness within the group. The man with the grey beard seemed remarkably familiar and walked slower than anyone else, so Geoffrey presumed he had slower reaction speeds.
Geoffrey performed a front flip and landed behind the old man, gliding through the air like a kite in the wind. The man did not seem to turn, but the big green creature certainly did. Geoffrey took his steel blade and pierced the stomach of the man; he wailed in pain. The man slid off the sabre and landed in the dirt with a distinctive thump. Takahir began to strike at Logran and a man in a green tunic, however, Geoffrey was left with the troll-like creature. The creature ran at him, arms outstretched as if to scoop up Geoffrey and snap his spine. Geoffrey took initiative and rolled out of the way. The monster kept up on the offensive, throwing fist after fist like a reckless child having a tantrum, Geoffrey occasionally dodging and blocking with his sword. The green creature soon got tired, and Geoffrey took advantage of this, he drove his blade through one of the grills in its helmet and, to Geoffrey, his right eye. He removed his steel with an unusual jelly on the end. The creature let out a painful roar and tried to swing at the missing Geoffrey. The monster looked around and then felt a particular sting in his left arm, it was not really in his arm, more in the shoulder. Geoffrey had hacked off the troll's arm and finished it off with a stab in the upper back. Takahir was not doing too badly himself, he had just disarmed the man in green and finished him off by sliding his katana across the man's throat. Geoffrey was duelling with the other man, essentially returning each other's attacks on one another. Then from over his shoulder, an arrow flew past him, piercing the skin of his opponent. This was a vital mistake; Geoffrey dropped his guard and the other man swung at Geoffrey's arm. His arm was slit, and he dropped his sword, the man pulled out the arrow in his shoulder, pulling a face of disgust. This, however, gave Geoffrey the ideal time to get up, still in pain. His sword was too far away from him to get, and the man was back to attacking him. This was followed by the occasional arrow fired at the two of them. Geoffrey was picking up the occasional arrow since the other man could not be disarmed. Geoffrey found ample opportunity to strike and drove an arrow through the lower torso of the man, he leaned back in pain and his sword slipped from his grip. Geoffrey rolled towards the sword and stabbed the man through the heart. Geoffrey turned to Takahir, who seemed very preoccupied with Logran, so he decided to take out the bowman in the distance. Takahir was doing simply fine, he had not been killed yet and he certainly was not going to get killed. He returned each one of Logran's blows with an even more powerful attack. He saw Geoffrey run off, presuming to kill this suspected bowman, or perhaps to escape the might of the emperor. He was not to dwell on the question but to instead make sure that he was still alive. This seemed to be the case until an arrow lodged itself into his shin forcing him onto the floor. Logran stood oppressing the Ebisu warrior, his blade pointing towards Takahir's neck.
"How the mighty do fall… such a shame that you had to die in a dump like Easan. I imagine you and your brothers would have much rather died in a more challenging fight."
"You know nothing of my people, you will die at the hands of my brothers when they track you down."
"Such certainty in your voice, such a shame you have to die. Goodbye, Samurai. May Anubis guide you to a better place."
Logran raised his sword, ready to strike. Then a squelch was heard, and he froze as if he had just seen his worst nightmare. Takahir looked behind Logran and there was Geoffrey, with a bow in his hand, leaving an arrow in his skull. Logran's now empty corpse flopped to the ground, they had survived… for now.
The two survivors did not speak much after that, Geoffrey suspected it was from the loss of his brothers. The men had been carrying a hefty amount of cash, so Geoffrey gave it to the innkeeper to pay for the bloodstained room and the occasional arrow on the outside walls. They also buried Takahir's brothers just outside the village to respect them and to secure them on their journey into the afterlife. They walked back through the village and into the rundown stable. The last stretch to Ebisu was unfolding in front of the two scarred warriors. Geoffrey was the one to break the silence between the two.
"I suppose we are off to Mosspanca from here." Geoffrey stated.
"Yes, to the fishing village. From there, we shall take the Yamato back to my homeland and my duty of care will be at ease." Takahir stated, his voice shattered.
The morning had gone by just as quickly as it had come. The ride was a break for the two men, passing through the other side of the town and an exit gate. They continued up a gravel path slowly entering a forest, the tall green cedar trees held lots of wildlife. The chirping of the Blackbirds and Mamgurs, the howling of Hyrgurs and the trotting of the horse, all provided a peaceful place for the two men. The woodland path soon turned from thick mud back into a gravel path, just below the midday sun was their next stop.
Mosspanca was a lot nicer than the desolate Easan. Welcoming people, a nice bustling town, and the strong emanation of fish. They strolled around the main street of the village, passing vendors all competing to have the lowest price and still be able to survive the crippling debt of tax. Takahir gestured to Geoffrey and asked if he would join him for some food at one of the outdoor vendors. The two survivors sat, reading the menu, choosing what they could have to ease their pain. Once they placed their orders, Takahir sighed and spoke to Geoffrey.
"How is your arm?" Takahir asked.
"It stings, but it will heal. How are you doing?" Geoffrey questioned, concerned for the warrior's thoughts.
"I am fine, nothing to worry about." Takahir tried to reassure, Geoffrey returned a glance, "No, I am not. I feel the heavy guilt of the life of my brothers over me. They died because I decided that cheating to get more money was a worthwhile risk to take. I condemned my brothers to death, they died without honour, without valour. I will never forgive myself for what I have caused."
"I am sorry, I cannot understand how you feel, but we must forgive our actions. Your men will have been proud to serve you and would only hope that you would continue on not just for yourself, but for them." Takahir smiled, he admired Geoffrey's words. Takahir felt like he and Geoffrey were at least friends now, they had experienced so much together in such little time.
After the men had eaten, Takahir bought a 26-inch salmon, presumably for the crew on the boat home and started towards the port. They eventually reached the edge of the town and turned down, passing all kinds of boats. It did not take long before they reached their destined ship, when they eventually found it, Geoffrey was in awe. The boat was exceptionally large and colourful, tinted with green and red, the wood was also stained to a deep brown with a figure head of a traditional Japanese dragon. The two survivors boarded the ship and were approached by three naval samurai.
"Takahir! Where is my brother Haruki?" The young crew member asked.
"I am sorry Riku. I am so sorry." Takahir spoke in despair, before leaving them and going below deck. The crew became silent, no one spoke for a long time. The boat slowly creeped out of the port and chased after the distant horizon. The sun followed, chasing after the horizon, Geoffrey's newest and perhaps deadliest journey was now in full succession.