Chapter 6: Kill The Scavenger
A Few Days Ago
The day was rather clouded as tens of armor clad revolutionary soldiers roamed with crates of numerous goods. They traversed the rocky lands as they finally caught an opportunity to smuggle goods back into their home base. As they walked an unkempt, scruffy looking, short scavenger man walked on a small underpass over a creek. He then caught wind of the men's conversation from below.
Soldier: With these new weapons we should be nearly unstoppable for the foreseeable seasons.
Captain: Not with General Esdeath out on our tail. She's wiped out legions of some of our best people. We have to continue to hold back for little until we find more imperial arms.
Soldier: But our excavators are running out of room. The empire is pushing us further and further away from the capitol's walls. The farther we are the less likely to find more of them.
Captain: With the one we have now, maybe we'll have a new member for the Nightraid. So maybe we shouldn't be as pessimistic. We have to faith to some degree.
Soldier: Captain, can you brief again for this imperial arms ability? It's called the Dragon's Tune right?
Captain: It's rather simple actually, this one is a small flute that allows the user create a symphony that absorbs both the imperial arms abilities and the any person's energy within a mile's radius. Once an ample amount has been absorbed, the flute's wielder will then be able to use/replicate the abilities 2x the power for the amount of time they played the song.
Soldier: That sounds neat but how will the user know if any arms users are nearby?
Captain: That I don't know. I neglected to ask Najenda when she briefed us.
Soldier: Say, do you feel that?
He interrupted the tone of the conversation, the soldiers had the carriages stop as they all composed themselves in the cold. The temperature dropped down to a freezing level. This effect chilled the air and nearly causing snow to fall.
Soldier: What the hell is this?
Captain: If this is what I think . . .
The man's worst fears were just realized as he screamed an order.
Captain: MEN! GET IN FORMATIO-!
Before he even finished his order several of his men were viciously impaled by stalagmites of ice. Several more's heads had icicles splitting through the helmeted men and killing them instantly.
Captain: GET IN FORMATION!
He screamed again but the men were running around screaming for their lives as several imperial soldier sprang from the bushes and cutting the revolutionaries down.
Captain: It's no use, no one's listening.
He murmured to himself as a blue haired woman walked from the path in front of them. The same direction they were headed toward.
Soldier: I . .it.. it's General Esdeath!
He stated while being both incredibly shivering from both fear and the cold.
Captain: Compose yourself boy, we trained for this.
He then shouted from afar.
Captain: HOW DID YOU KNOW OF THIS ROUTE?!
Esdeath: We monitored this section more heavily because we got a tip off from your accomplice within our own ranks. Upon finding him I tortured him to death and before he did he revealed everything I needed. And I must say his torment was pleasurable.
The lower ranked soldier stood silent as the air whizzed past everyone's ears. This moment was death and the soldiers were looking it right in the face.
He then let out a battle cry he charged her. His captain urged him not but to no avail. Esdeath easily bisected the man with a massive ice blade that she forged from nowhere with the flick of her hand.
Captain: You're a devil.
He said with venom in his voice. He then whipped out a side arms and fired off several rounds. Each of which Esdeath formed an ice wall that absorbed each round. The wall dissipated right after.
Esdeath: So I've been told.
After she retorted she sent several ice blades the captain's way and beheaded the last man standing. The captain's body fell and as it fell it knocked over one of the crated and into the nearby creek and the Dragon's Tune fell into the scavenger's possession as he ran back to the capitol.
Imperial Soldier: General Esdeath, Shall we retrieve the fallen crate?
Esdeath: Negative, we have a sizable portion of the stolen goods. That crate is negligible.
She then spoke to herself mentally.
Esdeath: I wonder what my Tatsumi is doing now. . .Or what that [Name] is doing at the palace. I wonder if the Nightraid attacked and killed him yet. If he did perish, he certainly deserved it for being too weak.
But Esdeath fixed her cap as she fixed her face from a blood lusted smile to an enthralled demeanor. She also thought to herself, why is she even thinking of [Name]?
She doesn't even think of her fellow Jaegers to this extent, he even managed to occupy the same thought space as Tatsumi. Esdeath tried to shrugged this thought aside as [Name] should be another faceless imperial. But there's something more to him, and she will find out.
Present Day – Imperial Palace
The evening had begun to stretch long as [Name]'s guard duty continued. He was stationed in the luxurious corridors yet again to protect some administrators who resided in the rooms. The rugs were a vibrant red. A rather lively color, that kept him awake throughout the day. It was an incredibly uneventful one.
Out of nowhere Kurome appeared right next to him as he dazed off which surprised him. Wave had walked up to him also.
Kurome: Hey [Name].
[Name]: Oh hey Kurome. What's up?
All of [Name]'s hatred and disgust toward Kurome had left him already. He'd seen nothing else that's make him continue to harbor those feelings.
Kurome: Come with me and wave to the bar.
[Name]: But we're still on duty.
Kurome: So. Nothing's going on and there's nothing to do. So are you coming?
[Name]: Well, General Esdeath might comeback soon and I don't want to be caught not at my post.
He said this with a smile knowing that Kurome would no doubt retort and bring him anyway. He was one hundred percent right.
Kurome: she'll be back in a few days if she comes back sooner. I'll be held accountable for it now come on.
She grabbed his wrist and dragged him along.
Night – Capitol Cantina
They finally entered the cantina as [Name] finished asking the whereabouts of the other jaegers.
Kurome: Seryu's home doing whatever, Run's reading, Bols's home probably cooking dinner, and Esdeath's been out on assignment for a few days. So just relax will you?
Wave: Wait. Kurome, you aren't old enough to drink?
Both Wave and [Name] were shocked to nearly no end, as Kurome was already drinking from a small cup at the bar counter.
Wave: Well, I guess a little won't hurt. Come on [Name] before Kurome drinks everything.
So [Name] and Wave at the bar along with numerous scum and villainy. However, the place was warm, cozy, and had nice soothing music. He could to an extent see why most people stay here and almost have second lives here. It was lively yet soothing. There was dim lighting, lots of people, and everyone was enjoying themselves.
[Name] had looked over and seen a smaller band of people and a smaller disheveled man playing a glowing blue flute. This interested [Name] so he wanted to speak to the man, of course he'd have to wait until the song was over.
Wave then spoke to [Name] from across the bar and passed Kurome who drank cup after cup.
Wave: So [Name] how was your life coming up?
[Name]: It was what you would call normal. I had both parents, went to school and that's it.
[Name] was lying, things weren't so cut and dry for him. But right now none of that mattered.
Wave: Cheers to that. I'm glad that you aren't some guy who had both parents killed and became a badass vigilante that swears vengeance to crime right?
They both laughed and Wave took a shot. Wave then got up to use the washroom. But something didn't feel right, [Name] felt extremely tired. He felt like dozing off right there. But the stranger thing was that everyone else in the bar seemingly felt the same. But something woke him up, he felt a warm hand on his thigh nearing his crotch area.
When he looked over it was Kurome who had an incredibly lustful look at him. She held onto [Name]'s arm and nuzzled her had on him.
[Name]: Um. . .Kurome?
Kurome: Oh [Name].
She said with a drawn out tone.
Kurome: I've never seen you in such a light. Signing up to join to empire for me.
She began rubbing his face, making his body's adrenaline rise. She's had too much to drink and [Name] had to do something and fast.
Kurome: From the time. .When I saw you I prepared myself for you.
[Name] gulped and tried to look away and ignore her. But he thought to himself. She "prepared" herself. As much as [Name] just wanted to tune her out, that fascinated him. She then redirected his face to her.
Kurome: Don't turn from me, accept me.
He lips closed in and she was going to kiss [Name] full on. [Name] then looked to her side and she had her signature pouch of cookies and he reached into it with urgency and wiggles his fingers to find one. As she closed in she licked to her lips to moisturize them further.
She was closing in for the kiss and [Name] was desperately looking for the cookie and his fingers found her last one. He then quickly got it and inserted the cookie into Kurome's semi opened mouth. She chewed as [Name] removed her arms from him and let her lay face down on the bar table.
Crisis averted [Name] thought. The song finally ended as went to go and ask the man the origin of his flute.
[Name]: Hey there sir. What's your name?
?: The name is Nake boy. And yours?
[Name]: It's [Name], nice to meet you. That flute you have seems pretty cool.
Nake: I know that. That's why I have it.
[Name]: Where did you get it?
Nake: I found it outside of the capitol's walls.
[Name]: And why does it glow blue?
Nake: Say, what's with all these questions?! What are ya? Some kind of interrogator?
[Name]: It's just that I heard of an artifact that can take energy from people and give them their power.
Nake: Well scram, this ain't that imperial arms boy!
[Name]: I didn't say anything about an imperial arms.
Nake then took a swig of his alcoholic beverage and stared at [Name]. They stared at each other for a full minute. Then Nake spat his drink in [Name]'s eyes, he ran out of the bar as fast as he could. [Name] then ran out after him; unintentionally bulldozing numerous tables and people along the way. Wave then exited the bathroom and found a passed out Kurome as he looked to see a mass of pushed over tables and slumbered people on the floor.
[Name] had tracked the man down, once the man rested in a nearby alley and drank. [Name] returns minutes later, but in his dark garbs. He smashed down in the garbs and grabbed the mans throat and thrusted him against the alley wall.
[Name]: It's over, that doesn't belong to you.
Nake: It's. . .it's you. This is perfect!
[Name] was punched out of the alley and went smashing into a nearby food shop with bullet like speed. Nake came out in a ghostly form of Wave's Grand Chariot. He then charged at [Name] with a staff like weapon which he blocked a series of hits. He then grabbed the staff and flung Nake crashing through a nearby wall into a gambling house. Nake quickly rose and used numerous invisible strings of dark energy to make the gambling men attack [Name] in a puppet like way. Some had cleavers and guns, but [Name] either disarmed them or broke the weapons and ran after Nake.
Nake had took off and is using his augmented powers to scale numerous walls and rooftops as [Name] did the same. [Name] snared Nake and brought him close. He broke free and the two began to brawl, with [Name] battering the sorry man and blocking his attacks. The man had Grand Chariots power but none of Wave's skill.
The figment wore off and the Nake was left now completely defenseless. The bloodied man crawled away from [Name] as fast as he could. [Name] grabbed him up and held him over the building's edge.
[Name]: You're going to jail.
Nake: Send me back to jail, you don't know what they do to the people you help them lock up. I don't even care anymore. I hope they kill me.
The man went cross eyed as he began to cackle.
[Name]: What?
Nake: Yeah! I've been there before and I've been on the run ever since. I got jailed for missing tax payments and I was nearly tortured to death. I lost my wife and daughter to a virus and fell into a deep depression, I stopped working and began to miss payments.
The man made short irritating laughs as he was trying to catch his breath after the fight.
[Name]: You're lying.
Nake: I can care less if you believe me or not, take one look inside of any imperial jail and see what horrors you find. Why do you think these streets are so called "clean"?
[Name] deeply contemplated. What if he was telling the truth? He's sending messed up souls, the undeserving and the mentally ill to be tortured, killed, and neglected by this callus empire. That isn't why [Name] does this. No being should ever be treated horribly due to mental conditions or bad life choices.
Nake: You'd never know what it's like to always run from your old life.
[Name]: Every day I breath, I know more and more what you mean.
He then let the man down on the roof and leapt into the dark night and taking the Dragon's Tune along with him. He then returned to the bar a half an hour later after he returned home and changed. Where outside he spotted Wave who had a passed out Kurome on his shoulder.
Wave: Hey [Name]!? Where did you go?
[Name]: I had to take a leak. I just had to find a bathroom other than this one. It was too crowded; I'll see you guys tomorrow.
[Name] then began to walk off. Wave then looked back at the bar's insides.
Wave: Alright see you tomorrow. Oh wait, how did you know it was crowed you never-
As Wave looked back and [Name] was already long gone. As Wave thought to himself how [Name] was able to do that, but [Name] on the other hand must've thought himself to be pretty cool.
Night – [Name]'s House
[Name] walked in and kicked off his boots and was ready to just flop in bed when Rom stepped right in front of him.
Rom: Hey there, you look more tired than usual.
[Name]: Yes. . .
[Name] then prepared to slouch past him before Rom stopped him again.
Rom: But with this lead right here, you'll be on the track to taking this empire down for the count.
[Name] smacked his teeth and groaned.
[Name]: Who now?
Rom: Syura, He's Honest's son.
[Name] perked up but then his optimism sank. How could he arrest Honest's son? It's impossible, justice from the law is nonexistent to him. But one form can be, that was an road [Name] would never go down.
Rom: You know what you have to do this time.