[Crimson Sky Arc 1: A Red Dawn] Chapter One: Fates Collide

Captain's Journal: Entry 1.

I have arrived at Notice: an island of supposed stability, of which I confess I know little. I have come to the city of Streamside, which holds the only official docks of the island, and from what I understand may be the basis of the island's marine force. Yet it seems to be a place of peace, for the people here are merry, and the marines I have seen upon my arrival walk about unarmed.

Unarmed marines, and ordinary folk, all living a happy and peaceful life together.

For somebody like me, it appears I have either come to the wrong place, or the perfect one.

---

"Get over here, boy!"

Eldorne bristled, slipping his journal back into his pocket as he slowly turned around. There were a fair number of people nearby ... he could probably turn and run, if it came down to it, and disappear into the crowd. But this was the first time he'd set foot on this land, and he didn't want to brand himself a criminal so soon. Even if it was, essentially, the truth.

"Are you talking to me?" He asked calmly, opening his hands as a sign of good faith, and to dispel any notion of hostility. There was nothing he could do to hide the sword strapped to his back, however.

The harbormaster stomped his way over, the wooden leg banging against the pier with every labored grunt. "Darn skippy I'm talkin' to you," the man snarled. He drew up close to Eldorne, enough to tower above him. And then, leaning close enough that his massive gut nearly scraped against the wooden planks beneath, growled: "Just where do you think yer off to without payin', eh?"

Eldorne winced as the stench of squid on the man's breath wafted into his face, turning his nose instead towards where the large man had jabbed a finger: the little vessel bobbing about on his left. It was but a small little dinghy, easy enough to operate with only one man aboard, and precisely the reason Eldorne had chosen it as his mode of departure. Wonder if Dad's figured out I didn't pay for it. It was a safe bet - his father worked at the docks in Lyneel. A ship going missing ... he was bound to hear about it sooner or later.

Doing his best to suppress his irritation, Eldorne took a step back and mustered up an innocent smile. "Just a misunderstanding," he assured the harbormaster. "Where I come from, docking for a night is free. It simply didn't occur to me that might not be the case here." The harbormaster opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could muster up another squid attack, Eldorne cut in.

"Please," he raised a hand. "What do I owe you?"

The man leaned back, and Eldorne took another step to avoid the massive stomach as it swung up to meet him. "It'll be ten thousand beli a night," the man growled after a moment. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't let someone who disrespected me off so easily ... but you're a kid, and I can see you're a bit lost here. So I'll do you a favor, and so long as you pay up, we'll consider the matter squared."

"I really appreciate it," Eldorne replied, giving a small smile as he dug into his pockets for the cash. I see what this is, he thought to himself as he counted it all before the harbormaster's greedy little brown eyes. Extorting me because I'm young, huh? Eldorne's own eyes flashed to the harbormaster's ledger, where the pages slick from the man's greasy palms. Be a shame if you recorded it down wrong.

"Ten thousand," he declared, dumping the amount into the waiting palm. "That's per night, yes?"

"That's right," the harbormaster answered offhandedly as he counted the money out for himself. "'Course, it'd be more convenient for both of us if you paid more now for a couple extra nights, assuming you're staying a while."

"I think I'll see how one night goes first, thanks," Eldorne replied. He affixed the man with a steady gaze, but masked it with an innocent smile. "I'm young, and a bit impulsive, after all. I might not stick around very long. Who knows, we may not even see each other again."

He shrugged, then turned around and walked away. In fact, he mused, the smile dropping from his face and his hand moving towards his blade instinctively, I'm rather counting on it.

Another time in his life done. Orga, the leader of his mercenary band confirmed the company's end today. Everyone got their final pay and were all planning to go on their way. Orga claimed that it was because nobody really needed a small band like theirs in the blues, but Hector knew otherwise. It was just not worth competing with marines and possibly get mistaken for being a part of the revolutionary army, especially after their job on this island helping the faction that were against the marine expansion here.

Hector assumed perhaps the government of the island pressured his leader into disbanding or be branded as criminals, but maybe not. Either way, he was now free to do what he pleased. Mercenary work had been good pay, but he felt like it was a good time now to go out and explore the world.

"Ya know, the offer's still open Hector if you wanna join up with me and Lasti in Paradise. We hear there's a new company forming there, and they offer good pay."

He turned his head to face one of his former compatriots, Roy. The man was a bit older than Hector himself and Hector knew he was good with a spear. Next to him was his sister Lasti, who favored guns herself and he recalled the times she could shoot someone's hat off their head from a distance. They were quite the duo, and Hector recalled watching their backs together while in battle. The offer was tempting... but he wanted to explore the Blues first and gain experience before going back to Paradise.

"Nah, I'll pass Roy. I want to explore the Blues a bit, find an adventure. Maybe I'll find someone to get an adventure with, and grow a bit stronger. Once I feel I'm ready, I'll head to Paradise and maybe meet y'all up there." He replied.

"All right, your loss but I know the feeling. Sayonara, Hector." The older man waved before he left, his sibling following silently after him.

Hector made his way out of the little room in the inn that had been rented for their meeting, only briefly stopping to give a farewell to Orga. Once he exited the inn, Hector looked around and saw how merry the people were. It sickened him a little on the inside knowing that there was a bit of an underground on the island that many didn't know about. He never had much interest of figuring out what exactly that was and left it to Orga to know, but he didn't like places that were cheerful on the outside and rotting on the inside.

Reminded him too much of Sabaody. His thoughts darkened momentarily before he shook his head and decided to find a place to eat. Preferably something with seafood, perhaps. He felt like eating some fish. Briefly he paused to gently tap the hidden pocket inside his shoulderguard where his caestus were placed, and sighed in relief. Good thing he still had his complementary weapon to match his fighting style. Hopefully he would have no need to use it while here on this island.

Now... where was that food place he saw earlier in the day?

Move, Eldorne urged the people in front of him silently. Growing fed up, he forced his way into the inn with brute force, shoving the man before him to the side, and not stopping to see the reaction. "I need a room," he announced as soon as he reached the bar, planting himself down on a stool. "Whatever you've got for one person."

The innkeeper, in the middle of a conversation with some woman, gave him just enough attention to point towards a sign behind the bar listing the prices. Eldorne took his pick and slid the money across the counter, catching the other man's attention just long enough for him to do a quick count and then hand Eldorne a key.

"Cheers," Eldorne muttered, hopping up from the stool once more. Before he headed up the stairs, he surveyed the common room briefly. A few tables and stools, a low-burning fireplace in one corner, and a door that led back into the kitchens near another. Most seats were filled at this time of day, as the evening began to wind down, but nobody really caught his eye. Still, there were bound to be strong folk around here somewhere.

His room was the third door on the left. A flimsy lock was all that would keep him from a group of marines, if it came down to it, or that peg-legged harbormaster. "It's probably not a good idea," Eldorne told himself aloud. Sure, it would save him a lot of cash, but ... to risk being locked up when he'd only just arrived seemed ... reckless. Foolhardy, even.

"But the money," Eldorne mused as he sat himself down onto the bed. He needed a better ship, for sure, if he wanted to enter the Grand Line. Strong people flocked there, or so it was said. I suppose I could just try stealing a ship instead, he considered, before dismissing the thought. It was too risky. On his own, there was no way he could out-speed a fleet of marines if they caught sight of him. He'd have far better luck tampering with the ledger.

But how to do it? A break-in at night seemed the most logical. He didn't know where the harbormaster kept the thing, but presumably it wouldn't be too difficult to locate his offices. Just about anybody in the docks should be able to tell him.

"Why not?" He decided. He had a place to sleep now, he could afford to be out late. Standing back up, Eldorne hurried out the tavern, back the way he came. As he scanned the buildings on the wharf, a plan was already beginning to form in his mind...

He caught himself at the entrance to the pier, one step away from placing a foot on the wooden planks. It's a bad idea, he reminded himself. He'd gotten too swept up in the excitement. It's too risky. I need to lay low. Just keep myself out of trouble.

His eyes returned to the ships, and their furled up flags. All of them white, none of them black.

Still ... it couldn't hurt to ask around ...

He tore into his sandwich with vigor, pleased to finally have found his target and obtained something. There was just something about a fried oyster sandwich that tasted good. Something about the succulent juices inside that made it have a strong taste, perhaps? In the end, he devoured his meal quickly and felt content with a no longer empty belly.

Now that his immediate desire to eat was out of the way, Hector thought about what he wanted to do now. There was the possibility of adventure on the island, but there was also the option to leave. Both were very tempting, but he didn't linger long on his thoughts. Hector was never a man for high intellect, but one that relied on his gut instinct.

So he went towards the docks, hoping to perhaps find something that would satisfy either urge. Maybe there was a ship that would offer him passage to another island, or something interesting that might happen there. The tall blonde man whistled a jaunty tune as he made his way down to the docks, ignoring any passerby nearby. With the exception of accidentally bumping into one or two along the way. Each time he gave an absent apology to whoever he bumped, before moving on his way.

Unfortunately, once he got to the docks he saw only Marine ships. Not even a simple merchant ship was out from what he could tell, one that he could perhaps barter for passage with. He let out a displeased groan before he realized that it was starting to get late. Perhaps it was time to go and get a room for the night, and try again in the morning.

At least, that was his plan until he noticed some odd activity nearby. Ah... perhaps that merited checking out, at least to just see how interesting it might become. Worst case scenario, he had his fists and gloves ready.

The last rays of sunlight were disappearing on the horizon. The docks were growing sparser by the minute, as what few workers still remained finished up the last of their business as quickly as possible. The harbormaster had already packed it in for the day, having locked up his office and shuffled on home.

Eldorne sat upon one of the posts on the harbor, where one crew had secured their ship with a strong black rope. He'd taken a walk around the harbormaster's office already, trying to seem innocently curious as he searched for the best point of entry. Entirely theoretical, of course. It was still a bad idea.

The back door would've been the best option, if he could pick the lock - but he didn't have the tools for that at the moment. The window, then, would have to do. If he could manage to pry it open, that would be best. If not, then the noise of glass breaking would alert people to what was happening.

He perked up. Kind of like that.

It had been quiet, and there was no activity at the office. The few people still around seemed to be heading in another direction. Another break-in? What were the odds of that? He hesitated for a moment, reaching for his blade. Was this it? Should he go, now? Half of the streetlamps he could see had yet to be lit, so there would be plenty of darkness if he needed to flee. People were distracted ...

Do it, the ambitious side of him urged. Don't, the cautious one advised.

Eldorne took a deep breath, then sprang up and ran.

Almost immediately, he bumped into somebody, and they fell to the ground. "Shit, sorry," Eldorne muttered as he scrambled back up to his feet.

"Don't worry about it," the stranger replied, getting back up slowly and checking himself over for injuries. "We're all in a hurry to get home."

"Right." Eldorne watched the man, a short bald figure, dust himself off and start running again. Glancing around and hoping he hadn't just drawn too much attention to himself, Eldorne began moving towards the office. He waited for a bit, pretending to be searching for something on the ground, before slipping around to the other side of the building.

Only to find the back door wide open.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered. The bald man? Was the other break-in, if there even was one, just a distraction? He took a small step inside, peering around. Drawers had been flung open, papers scattered about. The man had left quickly enough - he obviously knew what he was looking for, and where to find it.

A couple of notes had been forgotten on the ground near the desk. Casting a quick glance about, Eldorne approached cautiously and picked them up. He reached into his pocket for his coinpurse.

Empty.

"Oh, fuck."

"Well now... what is this?" Hector mused as he sat on top of a large crate in the harbor. He was unable to see who caused it, but someone had thrown a rock into the window of one of the warehouses. As if clockwork, the people who were around headed towards the warehouse that had its window broken. He even saw a couple of marines moving in that direction, and followed them with his eyes.

"Well, that looks like some of the stunts I'd do back with the bounty hunters as a kid. Make a distraction... so what would be the place to hit while they're distracted?"

His eyes raked over the docks, looking for what would likely be a prime target. One of the ships was possible... but too risky. Once his eyes landed on the harbormaster's office, he gave a small smirk.

"That'd do it."

However, he made no inclination to move in that direction. Someone could easily move to check the office once they realized it was a distraction, and it was better to not be nearby just in case the marines wrongly assumed it was his fault. Though... it was tempting to go and check the harbormaster offices just in case. After taking a few moments to mull it over, he decided to head towards the office.

Unfortunately while he was musing, some short figure bumped into him and fell over. The short bald figure apologized to Hector, but the former mercenary waved it off and gave a chuckle.

Odd that the person came from the side where the office was, but he assumed perhaps they were in a hurry. The figure soon ran off after he dusted himself off and gave Hector another apology. After that strange encounter, Hector shrugged and moved towards the office.

He got there in a few moments, and to his surprise the back door was open. Hector quietly made his way inside and slowly moved his right hand to reach for his gloves just in case he encountered whoever was in there. This stunk of being a bit of an amateur job, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Once he got inside, he saw a man who was smaller than him and with a more lean build. He didn't look like much at first glance, but Hector eyed the weapon on the man's back. The size and the handle that he could see seemed to imply some kind of sword, and that made him grimace a bit.

Sword users were more annoying to deal with than other types in his opinion... ah well. He brought out his caestus, ready to equip them if necessary and decided to speak up.

"Interesting place to be... find what you were looking for?" He chuckled, though his posture shifted to become ready for battle. Inside this smaller space, he knew he could fight well with his Nova style or even his Bang style.

"So, anything worth of note? You know that they'll be coming back sometime soon. The rock thrown at the window was a nifty distraction, but I think your buddy fled the scene. The question is... do I wanna turn you over for being here so that they don't suspect me?" Hector gave a toothy grin as he equipped his Caestus, the sharp iron spikes reflecting from the lamp light.

"Eh, I'll give you a chance to tell me what's up before I do anything. It's the polite and honorable thing to do. Anything to say in your defense?"

Someone's coming.

Eldorne heard the footsteps and spun around, his hand moving for his blade, but he was too late. They were there, in the doorway, blocking his way out. His eyes darted to the window for a moment, then back - could he get there in time? The man seemed strong - larger in frame and build, although Eldorne had run into plenty of men like that growing up in Lyneel. This situation, while new, was not entirely unfamiliar.

When the man shifted his posture, Eldorne smiled. Maybe I won't run after all. If he dropped the guy, he could turn the situation around. Blame him for breaking in, and turn him over to the marines. Then it'd probably be time to leave the city in case this guy's friends caught wind of what had happened.

Of course, that meant he'd be leaving the city broke, and that thought put a swift end to that plan. I'll try this diplomatically, he decided. The man was giving him the opportunity to talk, even as he put on a nasty looking pair of spiked gloves. Eldorne slowly began to unsheathe his sword as he watched this happen. Got the reach advantage, he noted. Didn't mean as much trapped in this room though.

"I think you're mistaken as to what's going on here," he replied, offering a friendly smile but drawing out his sword all the same. "I was just investigating why that door was open. The man you want is bald - he ran into me a few moments ago on his way out, and appears to have picked my pocket at the time." Even as he spoke, Eldorne could hear how flimsy the excuse was, despite it being - mostly - the truth. Who in their right mind would believe this?

"Not sure what proof I can offer you, aside from my pockets being empty," Eldorne continued as he took a wary step back, trying to position himself in a good location to lunge for the window. "I've also got no guarantee that you aren't working with the guy. Oh, and - not another step closer," he added, pointing the blade towards the man. "I'm still trying to decide whether I want to take my time searching this place for clues, or running after that guy to try and get my money back. And it'd be a hell of a lot easier to make my decision with one less body in the room." he grinned, but his eyes were cold as his left hand moved towards the roped cloth at his side. Maybe I won't run. Maybe I can take him. It would all depend on these next few seconds...

His eyes lingered on the sword that was drawn, though Hector soon stared the man down in the eyes. Hector saw the man's position and knew that if they fought, it might not go in his favor. The man ahead of him seemed like he might run around him, and that wasn't exactly favorable even if the close quarters was slightly better for his fighting style.

At the mention of the bald man, Hector's eyebrow rose as he mulled over what the man said. Well, it sounded kind of flimsy... but it was believable. He doubted the man was here merely to investigate, but the last part made some sense.

Wait. A Pickpocket? Hector patted his chest and reached inside the slot where he usually kept his money, right beneath the shoulder-guard. He briefly brought his eyes down to his chest and frowned as he felt nothing. Just how... ah.

Well, it seemed like this person was telling the truth about the man being a pickpocket. He gave a small growl before he reared his fist back and punched a wooden crate nearby with his fist. The wood splintered from the force he made, and now one could see the contents within. Thankfully, Hector was used to punching through wood from his training and did not feel any damage. A benefit of having trained his arms and legs by hitting wood over the years.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down, and glared at the man who seemed to be ready to fight him.

"No need for proof, the man also picked my pocket. I'm going to hunt after him, as I remember which way he was running towards. Do as you like here, I could care less."

Hector moved his body towards the door and prepared to leave the office before he noticed the crate he damaged and slightly groaned.

"Ah... unfortunate. Guess I have another reason not to stick around."

The tall man darted out of the door, uncaring about leaving the other man behind. The money taken was his final cut of the payment from the last job, and he refused to lose it until he used it for something he desired! Hector quickly moved in the direction he saw the man head towards, though he darted off to the side behind a large stack of crates as he saw some marines head down the path.

Considering the accidental property damage he caused, he had no desire to get tangled with them if possible and be labeled a criminal. It wasn't like he had money to pay for breaking the crate either... at least, not until he caught the thief. Hector did not like being made of as a fool by another thief and regretted dropping his guard. He was definitely going to break some bones if he did not get his money back...

Eldorne's legs tensed as the man punched through a nearby crate, and he nearly sprang into action. Fortunately, he had enough self-restraint to wait and see what happened next, and when the man began to speak, managed to relax a bit. Of course, he relaxed a lot more when the man turned and fled.

That went better than I expected, Eldorne mused as he sheathed his blade again. He took a quick glance around the room, but another thought was nagging at him now and stopping him from concentrating properly. If that guy catches up to that thief, he'll not only have all of his money, but mine as well. And Eldorne suspected that whoever the stranger was, he probably wouldn't care enough to track him down and hand him back his share.

There wasn't any time to waste. He took off, fleeing from the scene in pursuit of the large stranger. It wasn't long before he caught up, either, spotting the man hiding behind some crates. Eldorne hung back, pausing to lean against a tree, and waited. If this man tracked down the thief, and then he got the jump on both parties, that would be ideal...

His eyes turned to the rooftops. It would've been better to run along those, in theory, where he could get a better look for the thief and still tail this stranger. But that was unrealistic - it was dark, and marines were about, and there was no easy way up at the moment.

Alright. You seem to know where you're headed, big guy. Take me to them.

---

Further off in the docks, halfway between the harbormaster's house and the warehouse with the broken window, two men and two women reconvened underneath a streetlamp. They clung to the edge of the light, where they were barely visible but could still get a look at what their members had pooled together.

"Lifted these from two people I ran into along the way," the first man said, producing two bags of coins. "Grabbed the harbormaster's ledger as well, and the strongbox he kept underneath the desk. Still locked, mind you."

"I'll take the strongbox," the shortest amongst them volunteered. "Ledger might get damaged in the sewers, and the bags run a similar risk if I drop them." She slipped the box into the satchel on her side.

"I'll take a bag," the other man, apparently a marine, volunteered. "Can't explain the lockbox to anybody who might see it, and I need to pay off some of the informants anyway."

"Then I'll have the other bag," the other woman decided. "Easier to hide on my person."

"Which leaves me with the ledger," the bald man concluded. "As you wish." He distributed the bags to the other two, then slid the ledger back into his robes. "Alright. See you all in a bit."

The group gave a curt nod, and a brief but unusual salute, before dispersing in four different directions...

Color Codes Used:

A few moments later, Hector saw the opportunity to move once again as the marines were out of sight. He recalled where the man was headed, and hoped that he wasn't too late to lose the trail. Hector was no tracker, but he had picked up during his years as a mercenary to keep an eye on the paths people seemed to head towards.

After moving in the direction he last saw the short bald man, Hector saw something that seemed odd. At first he thought it was a trick of the light, but it turned out to be four figures splitting up in different directions. Hector growled as he eyed them all, trying to figure out which one was the one who took his money.

The only thing he could tell was that one of them was dressed like a marine, and he decided not to go after that one. Even if he might have something, it was better not to potentially get in trouble with any marines. He couldn't really see what the shortest person had but figured that they were the least likely for him to have his money based on his gut instinct.

So that left... the person heading east, and a figure heading north. However, a trick of the light along a streetlamp made the bald man's head shine and he got his target.

There you are!

The tall man started running as fast as he could after the man, and once he got close enough the bald man turned around to see the noise and grew alarmed. Hector growled at the man, the spikes on his caestus gleaming wickedly in the street light.

"You dare to steal from me? Give me back my money or I'll beat you up and take what you've got on you!"

With a surprised squeak, the bald man started running away from Hector, unwilling to get caught by a man who would undoubtedly do some damage. Plus he had to head to the meeting point somehow after getting rid of this man if possible...

Where are we going? Eldorne wondered as he tailed Hector. The distance he was keeping to avoid being caught meant he had yet to spot the bald man or his friends. But Hector sped up, and that allowed Eldorne to increase his own pace, and soon he realized just who they were chasing.

Well now, you didn't let me down after all, Eldorne mused. This was his chance - with the bald man distacted by Hector, Eldorne took off at full-speed, moving in a narrow arc around the pair by cutting through a few other streets and alleys. He was faster than either of them by a decent amount, and it wasn't too long before he had pulled ahead of not only Hector, but the bald man as well.

Eldorne didn't wait to be discovered. With the man distracted by Hector and desperately trying to get rid of him by strafing side to side and making sharp turns, he didn't notice the practiced thief lunge out from the alleyway. Neither was he adequately prepared to defend himself against a sudden attack from the front, as Eldorne's blade lashed out in a swift arc. He did manage to get one arm with its iron bracer up in defense, but the wide swing nonetheless slid by and struck his chest, sending him hurtling backwards - directly towards Hector.

With a triumphant grin, Eldorne took a deep breath, a touch tired from all the running. Then he pointed his sword towards both Hector and the bald man.

"Well now!" He cried, sweeping his left arm in a grand arc. "The tables have turned! I have both the range and the speed, it would seem, and now the terrain advantage! What do you make of that, I wonder?"

With his right hand, he gestured with his sword, this time pointing more towards the bald man. "You'll find one of those bags he stole to be mine. Kindly hand toss that over to me, if you would. I'd be willing to split the rest, I suppose - unless you'd rather fight me for the lot?"

That was a bluff, although he kept a straight face. If any marines were nearby they would no doubt hear the commotion of an actual fight, and Eldorne wasn't quite ready to be imprisoned just yet.

Focus 2/2 - Techniques Used:

This bald man was starting to annoy Hector greatly, and the man knew it would be hard to restrain from beating him bloody once he caught the man. A pity he focused more on his own strength and endurance rather than actual speed. The shorter man was only slightly faster, and stayed just out of reach of his grip. Hector did not really want to risk a jab despite the fact he could reach and hit the man. That would slow him down more and he wasn't warmed up just yet.

Ahead of the bald man, Hector noticed something come out of the alleyway and slam into the bald man. When the attack knocked the man back towards Hector, he quickly skidded to a stop and caught the man. Almost immediately, Hector slammed the man into the ground, uncaring for if he injured the man in anyway.

After the slam, he pushed down on the man's back and aimed the spikes on his right hand right at the man's head. When the bald man regained his bearings, he would see that he was staring at some sharp-looking iron spikes on a gloved hand. Hector's attention briefly shifted to the man from earlier, and he stared blankly at the man. Well, he supposed it was true, his advantage was lost, but he did not care about fighting the swordsman now.

Not when he had his prize in his hands.

"What do I make of it? Just a thank you for knocking him back into me, now he won't get out of my grip easily."

Hector frowned as he stared at the bald man before he shifted the hand that was aiming spikes at the bald man's face to his body in order to check them. He held one of the man's arms behind his back as he patted the man down to see where he stored his bags.

"Try and move and I'll break your arm. You won't break out of a practiced close combat fighter's grip like mine while I have you like this." He threatened the man as he ignored the swordsman's challenge.

After a few moments, he did not find any bags - even in the sleeves and pockets that a practiced thief might store goods in - but found a ledger for the harbormaster's office.

"A ledger? This isn't what I wanted... where are our bags, thief? I checked even your hidden sleeves... shit, those others must have them! I have no use for a ledger!" Hector cursed as he growled out at the man.

The tall man accidentally threw the ledger away towards the swordsman as the bald man writhed under his grip and shoved him back down. After a few moments, the bald man coughed and cleared his throat.

"We need that ledger... give it back to me, and I'll make sure you get your bags back. Though, please do not be so rough on me. Ouch! I get your point, and you've already caught me. I lifted from the wrong targets... at least let me make amends, hmm?"

Eldorne's eye twitched slightly as the tall stranger barely paid him any mind, but aside from that small detail he did his best not to let his frustration show. Perhaps the man had called him on his bluff, or perhaps he wasn't interested in fighting any longer. Then again, perhaps that was a bluff in and of itself - an attempt to lure him into lowering his guard, before he struck. Did he know he was being followed? Had he kept his pace slow so as to lure Eldorne into thinking he was the faster one, and then would strike him when he least suspected it? Or am I just overthinking things again? There was no point taking any chances. Eldorne kept himself braced for a fight, his blade at the ready.

Then the man produced the ledger, and Eldorne's stance faltered a bit. He caught the book as it was thrown at him, then took brief pause from preparing to fight so as to better consider his options. The ledger was too large to properly stash in his pockets, and he didn't want to be seen carrying it around. The cloth, he realized quickly.

He took a few steps back as the tall stranger yelled at the bald man about him not having their coinpurses, and as he watched their exchange, Eldorne carefully bundled the book up within his roped cloth and thus secured it to his side. I'll stash this somewhere later, he reasoned, now moving a bit closer to the pair. The money comes first.

He crouched down a bit to better hear the bald man's pleas, and smiled. "A deal, hm? Well, as the one with the ledger, I don't have a problem with that. Although your terms are a bit ... unreasonable." He glanced over at the tall man before continuing.

"If the big guy here is willing to co-operate, I think we can come to some sort of arrangement. You'll get your ledger back, and we'll get our cash. But there'll need to be some manner of ... reparations for all the trouble you've caused us."

The bald man swallowed. "I'm ... not really in a position to negotiate."

"I think this is the perfect position for negotiations, actually," Eldorne countered.

The bald man shook his head. "Not what I mean. I don't have the authority. I'm a runner - I fetch the goods. But I'm not in charge of handling it. I can't pay you off myself."

Eldorne raised his eyebrows, then glanced over at the tall stranger. "In that case ... what do you say he takes us to someone who can?"

He clicked his tongue in distaste at now becoming the third wheel in this. Why did he throw away the ledger? Ah well, Hector was never one to care about stuff like that, he preferred to use his brawn to solve things.

In the end, Hector gave a small shrug of his shoulders at the swordsman at the mention of co-operation. He wasn't a negotiator, and something about the swordsman made Hector feel like he was listening to Orga or Orsino all over again. Those two had a gift of tongue, so maybe that was it.

Hector eyed the bald man as he spoke about not being the main one they should talk to, and he scowled.

"I don't want to be paid off... in there was also a treasure dear to me. If I don't get that specific treasure back... I'll fight anyone in my way. Got it?" Hector growled.

His bright and rather expressive eyes stared at the swordsman when the man asked his question, and he frowned. After a few moments of staring at the man, Hector sighed and made his decision.

"That works for me, for now, but I better get my money and my treasure back. I'll let you up if you lead us to whoever will do this. Run on us, and I will definitely break something. You broke the code when you lifted from me, so I'm very pissed about that lack of honor."

Hector would release the man if he complied and let the man lead them, though he would keep a wary eye on them and the swordsman. Well, less so on the swordsman since he was also a party that had been affected by the so-called runner's theft.

"Alright, yeah." The bald man muttered, struggling against Hector's grip. As he was finally released, he glanced between his two captors and used some of the cloth on his shirt to dab at the wound Eldorne's slash had inflicted on his chest. There was a moment where he glanced between them, and Eldorne was sure he was trying to figure out if he could still escape - but he had proven himself faster than this stranger already, and between both himself and this large stranger, it was clear the bald thief wasn't getting away from them any time soon.

"This way," the man relented, beginning to walk down the street. He led them for a while down the main road, until turning in towards a quiet neighborhood. Some of the buildings in this area were a bit more ramshackle than the rest, indicating it may not be the wealthiest part of town. After guiding them through an alleyway - with Eldorne keeping a good distance ahead, just in case he tried anything fancy - the man finally stopped at an old building with a rather unkept garden.

Brambles and thickets had grown quite heavily around the house, in particular concealing the left side quite well. Eldorne thought at first they might head inside, but instead they moved around that left side towards the back. At last, the man paused to pick up rusted rake from nearby, and carefully parted some of the brambles to reveal an old cellar in the floor.

"This way," he muttered bitterly, gesturing towards the cellar door, "leads to the cellar. There's an old grate in there which takes you into the sewers. From there, a pretty straightforward passage will get you out of the city to our meeting spot."

"Keep going," Eldorne replied, pointing towards the cellar. "You're not done yet."

The man glanced towards Hector for a moment, perhaps hoping to elicit some sympathy, before sighing and opening the cellar. He led them down old wooden steps, each one creaking as they went, and into an old cobblestone room. True to his word, there was indeed a small sewer grate in the floor. It would be an easy enough fit for himself and Eldorne, although the large man might find it a bit of a squeeze.

Through that grate they went, down into the sewers. As they walked, the bald man picked up a small stone and began tapping it against the sewer walls, causing his knocks to echo throughout the tunnel.

"Just in case there's any rats about," he explained quickly as Eldorne shot him a look.

Hector stared at the bald man with a suspicious gaze and gave a little bit of space for the man to get his bearings. He was still close enough to grab the man or let out a vicious punch if necessary, though Hector did not want to have to escalate further. After his head started to clear up a bit, he realized that his actions might have caused a commotion - but thankfully, no one appeared to investigate from what he could tell.

Unlike the swordsman, Hector opted to stay relatively close to the bald man. Much easier to grab the man if he was close enough to do so, just in case. He eyed the buildings around them and noted that they were getting to a seedier district of the town. The former mercenary eyed all the alleyways and potential ambush locations as they walked by. Even though the man relented, there was still the potential for an ambush and he did not want to be out in the open.

Eventually they arrived at an old building and Hector eyed the overgrown area. Once they arrived to the cellar door, Hector frowned at what was spoken. When the bald man glanced at him after the swordsman told him what to do, Hector just gave a blank stare in return. Until he had his bag back, he could care less for being sympathetic. Plus there was that the bald man did not even say anything about the code, which made Hector annoyed.

Were the thieves in the Blues different compared to Paradise? Something to consider for later, once he obtained his possessions back. Once they arrived at the small grate in the floor, Hector sighed as he eyed how small it was. For a brief second he looked forlornly at his large muscles and frame, before he gave a shrug. Though this time, he let the two go ahead of him as it would take him longer to squeeze through.

Just to make it a little less painful, he unequipped his caestus and started to squeeze himself through the opening. Thankfully he did not get stuck, though he did have to shimmy himself a little to get through and land on his feet below in the sewers. Once he regained his bearings, Hector followed after them.

He equipped his caestus once more, the leather securing them to his hands so he would be ready to fight if need be. Hector quickly moved into his Nova style when he heard the tapping sound, though he looked around and saw nothing. When the bald man explained why he did it, Hector frowned but said nothing. He had no words for anything else until they arrived at their destination, whether it was a trap or not.

"Okay," the bald man announced as they reached the exit. "We're out of the city now."

"So we are," Eldorne muttered as hey pushed open the large grate and stepped out into the open. It was a relief to get some fresh air and a break from the sewer stench. I'll take a bath as soon as this is over.

"Where to now?" He asked the bald man.

"Toybox," the man replied bitterly. "It's a long walk."

"We'll make the time," Eldorne replied.

---

"There."

In the mid-afternoon sun, from the top of the hill, the bald man pointed down at the tents and ramshackle buildings that made up Toybox Slums. As Eldorne looked on, he noticed it was filled with children running about - some laughing and playing, others crying and wailing. All of them were dirty, however, and all of them undoubtedly poor.

"What is this?" Eldorne asked, glancing at their captive and guide. "An attempt to elicit sympathy? You think we'll look at this and change our minds?"

"I'm showing you what that money goes towards," the bald man replied calmly.

Eldorne sighed, and cast a glance towards the tall stranger. "Well, I for one, don't give a damn." He unsheathed his blade. "If I decide to donate to your little save-the-orphans fund, then that's my choice. But you've no right to make the choice for me, and until I get my money back, I'm not letting the matter slide."

"Kids will die," the bald man protested. "Innocent lives, lost. Taken early, without even being given a fighting chance!"

"Not my problem," Eldorne replied coldly.

"Heartless bastard," the bald man muttered, before turning towards Hector. "Then what of you? You with your code. Surely you can sympathize with the struggle here? Surely I can't have had the misfortune of meeting two men as cold-hearted as this one in one night!"

Hector took a deep breath as he finally could smell something other than the sewer. While he could tolerate some stenches more than others, being in a sewer for a while really wore on your sense of smell. He doubted he would be able to detect anything like gunpowder for a while.

When the man spoke about having to travel to Toybox, Hector sighed. He heard about it from Orga a couple of days ago, something about how it was the slums of the island. Good thing that even though he had no money, he still had some leftovers from his meal earlier. Though he definitely wasn't going to share since it was only just enough to keep his hunger away.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thank goodness he had the foresight to eat the rest of his meal earlier, as the walk did take quite a while. Hell, the sun rose up and was now up in the sky. Hector wanted something to drink now as he stared down at the slums from the hill.

Guess it was true, this was the place where all the poor congregated. Whether willingly or unwillingly... it reminded him of the lawless zone a bit, except without the bounty hunters and slavers. That he could tell, of course...

He patiently listened to the conversation between the two men, and Hector frowned. Bitter memories surfaced as they spoke, and he said nothing while he stared down at the children. When they finally shifted their focus to him, Hector turned his eyes briefly to the two before looking back at the town and the children.

"When one lives in conditions that are less than ideal, one does things that most would be appalled by. People really don't give a shit about you or what you are, they only care about your use to them. My first two decades taught me that."

His eyes shifted and stared at the swordsman with a cold gaze before he looked at the bald man with the same gaze.

"Choice... the freedom of choice is what sets them apart from those like us. I agree with him that you have no right to make the choice for us, for that is something I fought to have the right to do so."

Before the bald man could protest, Hector interrupted him.

"I follow two codes in life. Honor in fights unless it's your life on the line... and honor among thieves." Hector glared at the bald man as he emphasized the latter part.

"My bag and treasure back... then I will consider. I sympathize yes, but I must have my items back. Had you asked, I would have been far more amenable to your plight and gladly have helped. Help us first... and I promise you, I will consider it. As someone who saw the worst of humanity and lived through it." He ended with a firm stare with a nod and waited for them to continue on.

The bald man sighed. He closed his eyes for a long minute, and when he opened them again, his gaze was cold.

"Then I suppose we'd better move on."

Eldorne frowned slightly. He cast another look at the orphans, and then back to the bald man. I don't like this. Something doesn't feel right. Nonetheless, as the bald man led on, Eldorne still followed.

They wound down the hill along a make-shift stone road, then quickly turned into an overgrown dirt path, until at last coming to the entrance of Toybox. A group of teenagers hung about, armed with wooden clubs and sticks. Some of them were leaning against wooden posts, while others sat on stumps or the ground.

"What're you doing here?" One of them demanded.

"Adult business," the bald man replied curtly.

"Feh," the kid muttered. Another one spat on the floor. "Hurry up then." He motioned them inside. The bald man mimicked his motion towards Eldorne and Hector before continuing forward. Eldorne merely rolled his eyes and followed.

They moved past a variety of make-shift shacks, most cobbled together out of wood, rubble, or whatever bits of junk somebody had found that could provide some shelter. One shack was even using a broken cannon as an entrance, through which some small child might crawl. Just as numerous as the shacks were the various tents that populated the "town", most built using ratty, hole-ridden fabrics. And as the group walked, many of the kids would pause what they were doing for a moment to watch them. They could scarcely take a step without at least one pair of tiny little eyes peering around a corner or from some dark den.

"Here," the man declared at last. They had come upon another tent. Inside, a few teenagers lounged about, guarding a few broken toys and boxes. As they saw the trio enter however, they stopped whatever they had been talking about and watched them curiously. Aside from this tiny collection of people and items, however, there was nothing else there.

But the man's boss, predictably, was not one of those kids. He moved to the far side of the tent, parting the cloth there, and then parting the large sheet that hung behind it. This revealed a vast tunnel that led beneath the hills. It was at this point that the man suddenly broke into a sprint and began dashing down the tunnel.

"Son of a bitch," Eldorne growled, taking off after him. The tunnel was dark, but around the first bend, small torches had been lit up along the walls. This provided a very faint lit by which to run by. Off they went, with Eldorne chasing after the man down the length of the passage. For though he was faster, the bald man had gotten the head start. And that was all he needed to reach the end of the tunnel first.

Through a wooden door in a wooden wall he was welcomed. The door was promptly slammed shut, followed by another slamming sound from the other side. Eldorne wasn't quite quick enough to slip in after him, coming to a stop just in time to avoid hurting himself as he hit the door. Irked, but a tad amused all the same, the swordsman took a step back.

"That's enough!" Somebody cried from the other side. The sound of gun's clicking could be heard. It was then Eldorne noticed the tiny slots in the wooden wall. "Whatever weapons you have, drop 'em to the floor!"

Of course they ignored his words. Hector had grown used to such things over the years. The bald man didn't even seen to consider his words carefully. Had he truly listened to what Hector said, he might have pieced out that Hector was more than willing to help. All it took was just the return of his bag, and he would help. The swordsman did not strike him as the sympathetic type so Hector knew that his words were likely lost on the man.

When the bald man now had a cold gaze, Hector sighed and said one word softly.

"Pity."

He now disliked the bald man even more for being deaf or unwilling to read his words. Hector liked being blunt and honest, and there was nothing dishonest about what he said. He held back from following for a few moments and stared at the town.

"See Ors... when it comes down to it, humans still choose to be deaf and blind to what they hear and see. Sigh... if I had any money, I'd bet the man is going to trick us into an ambush..." Hector muttered as he followed after the two.

This time he made a point to not stick as close to the bald man as before, preferring to give some distance. There was a bad feeling in his gut from the man's cold gaze. As they entered Toybox itself, Hector eyed the teenagers with their improvised weaponry. Wood... he was unafraid of fighting them as he could break wood himself and his arms and legs were as tough as iron. Still... he did not want to fight them if necessary.

Thankfully they did not make a fuss, and Hector followed the others inside. As they moved through the area, Hector eyed all the children who paused to stare at them. He couldn't help but give a small smile in return and a small wave when a couple of them gave him some awed looks at his size. Now he wasn't a large human by any means, but he was definitely above average.

Hector felt sympathy for all of them, he knew just how it was to live a life in poverty with no parent to guide you. He had come to terms that his so-called birth mother was not even a mother to him, just someone who pitied him yet secretly wished he hadn't been born. In the end... Hector only wished that these children never had to endure a far worse side of humanity like he did.

Once they arrived to a tent, Hector noticed something before he entered. The children and the teenagers that were outside started to stare in their direction, as if expecting something to happen. This rang alarm bells inside Hector's head, and he was about to warn the swordsman out of courtesy. Alas it was too late as two men moved past the back of the tent into a tunnel, where the bald man sprinted right away. Unlike the swordsman, Hector made the wiser decision to hold off running.

He turned around to face the teenagers inside the tent, only to notice that more had entered the tent while the bald man ran away in the tunnels. There were at least ten teenagers, now armed with their wooden weapons and they glared at Hector. Hector could detect a faint hint of surprise on a few of their faces, as if they didn't expect him to turn out of the tunnel.

Hector eyed them all but he did not put on his caestus that he had taken off while they walked to Toybox. They tried to spread around in a threatening manner, but Hector was not fussed. They did not have him surrounded fully, and he knew that it would be easy to drop them with his ease in close quarters.

"Yer smarter than yer friend there that went in. But yer still surrounded, so I'mma kindly ask you to go in too." A rather burly-looking teenage girl spoke at Hector. From what Hector could tell, she was the leader of the group and out of them, had the best posture in her stance as she wielded a wooden club with some nails at the end.

The tall pugilist stared at the group before he chuckled. "Firstly, he isn't my friend. I'm just here because the bald man made the mistake of stealing from another thief, thus he lost his honor as a thief. We don't steal from each other... do you not agree? Also... out of everyone here, you're the only one who actually can wield your weapon properly."

He stared at the other teenagers as a couple of them grew nervous at his words and the fact he didn't seem intimidated despite being surrounded.

"Half of you are also wielding weapons in an enclosed space where you're more likely to hit each other and have restricted movement. It's a bad idea overall... especially when you're fighting someone like me who's experienced in situations like these. Frankly, the odds are in my favor here." Hector grinned as he got into his Nova style stance.

Now most of the teenagers started to sweat visibly and back off slightly as they knew he was right. They tensed as they thought a fight was about to happen, until Hector did something they did not expect.

"Eh you know what? I'll surrender to y'all, on the condition you just let me talk to the boss and get my treasure back. In my bag is something precious to me, and I won't leave the island without it. So, what do you say?"

He asked politely as he raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. The teenagers were flabbergasted but the leader quickly composed herself.

"Uh... yer a lil' daft, but... I guess that's reasonable. Fine, just put yer hands up where we can see 'em and we'll take you." She announced before she tentatively moved past Hector into the tunnel while the man followed, his arms up in surrender. The teens surrounded him just in case, though each one gave him a wary and respectable distance because they were slightly intimidated by his words earlier.

As they led him down the tunnel, he saw the swordsman eventually outside a wooden door. Before the young teenager could say anything or hopefully before the swordsman did something he might regret, Hector decided to call out to him.

"Hey sword-guy, I know you gotta be pissed, but how about we just go along with this for now? This young lady's been far more reasonable than the guy who led us here. I know it might be a little tough to swallow your pride a bit, but I think we can come to a more reasonable compromise here and go along." Hector suggested, though it was up to Eldorne to decide if he wanted to do it.

"What he said, though no weapons." The burly teenager said as she stared at Eldorne. Hector now noticed that on the wooden wall were tiny slots that were large enough for guns to shoot through. Definitely quite the pickle... he hoped the swordsman was willing to go along with the surrender for now. Hector's gut feeling was that it would help more, and then they could actually talk to someone sensible and reasonable unlike the coward who led them here.