Rin fell on her knees as she got off the boat and on to the sands of the desert plains. She gathered her strength and tried to run away towards the sea. Before she could even dip her toes into the water, Neil caught her and pulled her back.
“I swear to Deigsir, you are one difficult hostage. It was cute the first few attempts but now it's just getting annoying.”
“I'm glad I could annoy you then, maybe you could just let me go and save yourself the hassle?”
“Hahahahahahahaha! I see a little bit of sir Kaiser's sass rubbed off on you. Unfortunately for you, there's nowhere to go even if I let you go. You can't get across the channel behind us without renting a boat and the desert in front of you is full of monsters. Your only choice is to stay with me.” He gave a wide wicked grin towards Rin.
Rin understands that she has no power to fight back against him but she also knows he can't harm her soul. Everytime she asked about the church's intention, Neil seemed to have ignored her and kept his mouth shut. However, his patience wore thin. He decided to tie her up and save time. He needed to meet the other church leaders at the rendezvous soon.
[Chains of Despair]
The barbed chains wraps around her body, causing immense pain and psychological torture. Whatever insecurities and fear she has was dialed up to eleven. She starts hearing the voice of her mother's criticism
“You have to be presentable! You're the Heiress of our legacy now! You won't find a suitable partner if you slouch like that! Sit up straight and smile more!”
Then silhouettes of random strangers start talking louder.
“So she's the new heir? She looks plain.”
“I heard the eldest lost his position as Heir because he's a brute? Maybe she's the same.”
“I pity the girl, i heard she was conceived to cover up her father's scandal.”
Rin began to hyperventilate and screamed in agony as her vision became blurry falling on the ground unconscious.
“Sheesh. That's Hollow's Edge trauma for you. Cuts in real deep. If you weren't a mission target, I'd offer a bit of mercy. But alas, this is how things are.”
He pulled her up and over his shoulder as if she was light as a feather.
Neil took out 10 crystals, each one infused with a month's worth of Ember and gave it to the ferryman as payment for their travels and to keep quiet about his arrival on the Jhi’Gu Desert.
“5 Thakral as promised, and 5 more to keep your mouth shut.”
“Thank you for your generosity, Sir priest.”
“Glad we're on the same page. Otherwise you would be my next target.” He said a wide wicked grin towards the ferryman.
[Vengeance Plumage]
Ember extends from within him, forming his pure white wings and taking flight towards the sky. The Jhi'Gu desert is a dangerous mind field full of dangerous monsters and constant sandstorms that hinder one's sight, making it increasingly difficult to pass with each hour that passes by. The only logical means was to fly above it.
As the ferryman was getting ready to set sail once more, he saw a tiny speck in the distance that grew larger and larger by the second. Without realizing, the speck had run past him and arrived at the dessert's shore.
His samurai armor and his worned out but elegantly designed katana was well known throughout Orizen as statues were made in his image, alongside his fellow High Guard members. The man that arrived was none other than Hayashi Retsu.
He had ran from the western edge to the eastern shore of Acrilon island , across the White sea to reach the Jhi'Gu dessert. He looked behind towards the ferryman and asked,
“Did you happen to travel with a priest and a girl?”
The ferryman was silent as his expression turned pale. There was no right answer. It was clear that the High Guard Samurai were chasing down the priest. Regardless of the answer, he had illegally sailed across the White sea, which was the jurisdiction of the Ruht Kingdom. In the end, he will be imprisoned and judged for his crimes.
“Will I be jailed?.”
“I can advocate for a light sentence if you are willing to cooperate.”
The ferryman contemplated for a few seconds and decided his next course of action.
“Yes, the person you are looking for flew above the desert. It seems like he's headed for the Eastern Kingdoms.”
“Very good.”
Sir Retsu rests his left hand on the ferryman's shoulder, taking a sliver of his Ember and infusing it into a small tube and installing it into a device. The screen of said device presents the information of the ferryman himself.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
=========
Name : Juu-Ran
Soul age : 113
Gender : Male
Status : Married
Offspring : 3
Occupation : Fisherman
Prior crime : None
==========
“Since this is your first offense, that will also be considered in your plea. An officer will be dispatched for you in a week's time, I suggest you spend it with your family.”
“Thank you, Sir Retsu.”
“Go on now.”
The Samurai walked steadily into the desert sandstorm. With a few steps forward Juu-Ran saw his silhouette engulfed by the thick and heavy sands.
Within the sandstorm, the samurai had walked alone for an hour with his eyes closed and suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere.
“I envy those without fear.”
The ground shakes rhythmically, vibrating the sand beneath his feet. Then came silence. Yet, not long enough to give a resting beat. Several Ghessalodon jumped from beneath the sands and pounced on the Samurai. Sir Retsu gracefully dodges half a step as two of them clashed against each other and unsheathed his sword to parry the third. He twisted his blade mid-way and cleanly sliced its head off.
Green blood splattered everywhere. Only then, did they feel fear. This tiny being had decapitated one of their own. The bloody smell of their kind had alerted their survival sense. It was either run or die, and they choose to run away, burrowing down with their head sharp like claws, and wriggle forwards with their tentacles.
Sir Retsu's attention was fixed elsewhere as he pondered what to do with the remains. Ghessalodons aren't an endangered species, but their subjugation count was low enough for it to be rare and sought-after materials. He had no other choice. His Ember glowed golden yellow and wrapped around his inner robe. A string engulfed in his Ember extends outwards and slowly ties the body and severed head of the Ghessalodon together and drags it with him across the desert.
At the same time, the wicked priest landed near the other edge of the desert with Rin still unconscious.
“It never gets better every time.”
The Jhi'Gu desert was once vast and never ending. That was until a boy granted life to the midnight maze, cutting the eastern continent in half. One side stayed the same, while the other half became a lush forest, with mountains and meadows. In the middle was a maze that has caught many souls that dare pass through it. Those that do, end up scarred for their undying lives.
The priest landed in front of the entrance. Flying up was not an option. The maze would drag down any flying creature trying to cheat its way through.
There were only three ways to go past it. The first two options were to go through either side of the sea. Unfortunately, the White sea to the south is under the jurisdiction of the Ruht Kingdom, while Orizen's central sea is dark and murky due to shadowkin beasts that inhabit it.
Before he could even walk into the maze, a robed figure came out from behind a nearby boulder. It was another priest of Deigsir. He pulled down his hood, revealing a grey haired young man with a blindfold. No one knew of his real name, all the other priests called him “Watcher”. Neil never liked what he couldn't understand, so he never liked Watcher.
“Don't you have anything else better to do than to babysit?”
“I'm humbled that you would think I'd stoop low enough to stalk you, Reaver.”
“Are we finally using our code names now? I was kinda sick of using my dead name. Anyways, I still have to finish my mission.”
“That's the issue, plans have changed. ‘Hecatoncheires’ wants a meeting to discuss it further.”
“I left for one minute and everything went to shit, jeez.”
“I think it's EXACTLY because you left, buddy.”
“Fuck. Fine, at least help me out with this bitch, won't you?”
“No can do, I'm just a projection. I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.”
The projection of Watcher dissipates into the wind as Reaver is left with bringing Rin along with him towards their secret rendezvous. Unbeknownst to them, Rin had woken up mid conversation and was eavesdropping.
[Vengeance Plumage]
Reaver took flight and flew once more towards their secret rendezvous.
Mid-flight, he noticed something moving within the sandstorm. He thought it was just the desert heat playing tricks on him until he saw a shine flash through. He was barely fast enough to react and dodge the flying katana that nicked his face.
“What he actual fuuuu-”
Before he could finish his sentence, Sir Retsu fell down from where the blade was thrown and kicked Reaver's down to the desert ground and grabbed Rin from his clutches and quickly ran away, disregarding his previous cargo.
“Fucking fuck fuck fuuuuuck! It's one fucking bitch after another. Goddamn ‘Visage’ better pay up for making me fucking work overtime!”
Reaver spreads his wings once more and dived forward towards the Samurai. His pink Ember coated the wings. Hardening it as solid and as sharp as a steel blade. He then proceeded to twirl in a spiral movement.
[Wicked Wings of Babylon]
Sir Retsu threw Rin upwards and dodged to the side, but the bladed wings shredded through the outer part of his armor. He fell down on his knees but quickly parried Reaver's next attack. The wicked priest thought he had the upper hand, but Sir Retsu was gathering his Ember for a killing blow.
[Raining Sword Dance]
The golden Ember engulfed his katana as he pushed back Reaver and slashed the air, sending out the golden Ember like a wave. Reaver immediately shielded himself with his wings and the Ember dissipated. Thinking that he successfully blocked his attack, Reaver spreads his wings once more, readying himself to retaliate. As the dust clears, the golden Ember emerges around Reaver into several dozen katanas floating in the air. Sir Retsu lifted two of his fingers upwards and pointed them down, signaling the swords to fall down and strike at Reaver. There was no time for him to react.
“Ah, fucking he-”
As more swords rain down on him, the sand blows everywhere and causes Reaver to drown in sand and swords. By the time the dust settles, both Sir Retsu and Rin have gone away.
