~A week later~
Days of boredom passed slowly. Finally able to get movement back in his arm, Ryo’s bandages replace the sling on his arm. He leans back against the outside wall of Axel’s home. Each day his eyes travel the same empty field tracing its outline from the forest to the cliffside, then turns it up towards the sky. A short distance away in the middle of the field small noises echo in the air. Holding his concentration Axel with both hands on a branch, practices his swordsmanship against the open air. Axel’s movements remain stiff and clumsy, each swing throws his body off balance. Dust kicks up around him when his pace increases.
“You look like a flailing fish.” Ryo comments on his posture, coming up from his side. His left arm recovered and finally out of the sling. Small dirt marks stain parts of Ryo's arms and his legs.
Ignoring his comments, Axel straightens himself up. A few beads of sweat run down his brows, and his shallow breaths grow steady. His grip on the stick tightens.
“How do you know? You a swordfighter or something?” Axel retorts back.
Ryo's poker face doesn't change. His deep stare pierces through the air around him creating an invisible pressure. He takes a step forward. On cue with the movements, a gust of wind rushes over the field carrying many leaves. In a humorous twist, the gust blows the leaves right into Axel’s face all at once. Ryo’s eyebrows raise with momentary confusion.
“I think even the wind mocks you.” He stares off in the direction the wind came from.
Flustered, Axel quickly moves his hands all over his face and hair trying to get all of the leaves off him.
"Your form looks terrible. At this point you probably give amateurs a good name.”
Axel wipe just below his mouth, giving a small glare at Ryo. “Is your attitude always this terrible?”
“Only to you.” His responds back.
"Well, someone needs to protect this place. whether my sword skills are good or not. Its better than sitting around doing nothing to better myself!" He says back to him.
Axel growls under his breath, storms past Ryo, and heads back his house. Alone, a slight wind picks up again around Ryo’s feet. It travels off towards the wooded area, disappearing into the thick brush. Through his ears, a small windchime sound resonates like a distant echo. The sound grows louder, passing through the core of Ryo’s body. A few moments later the wind grows still and the chimes stop.
Back at the house, Axel prepares supper when Ryo reenters from outside. He strides pass the kitchen opening without glancing inside. Trying to relax from his hot temper, Axel catches Ryo’s figure in the corner of his eye, hesitant to call out to him. The sound of a distance door opens then shuts moments later. Running water from the shower replaces the silence in the house.
“I cannot believe him. I saved his life and there is no gratitude at all.” Axel mumbles to himself mixing ingredients together on the stove top.
He clangs dishes together trying to get the table set without dropping anything. The oven buzzes signaling the breads finished cooking. Carefully Axel distributes the curry out onto the bowls, placing the fresh bread in the center. After calming down from his interaction, a softness returns to his eyes. A mind buzzing with racing thoughts overcomes his thoughts. Axel places both hands on the table, dropping his hand in between them. The pot behind him crackles to get his attention. In the doorway, a door opens with a screech.
“Look, about what I said befor-“ Axel glances up but his sentence is cut off midway.
A rugged, badly scarred man stands in the kitchen doorway. His short messy hair covers most of the dirt on his forehead. Dirty grey eyes stare straight at Axel. Most of his clothes are ripped all over including his pants and vest. A smile creeps onto his face, chipped teeth and pale gums add to the man’s creepiness.
“I thought I told you to leave the town alone, J.” Axel snaps at him.
He strides over to the man, pushing him back towards the front door. All effort ends in vain with the man throwing his full body weight forward causing Ryo to stumble backwards. Unable to catch his balance fully, Axel knocks into the hallway table. A few of the pictures fall onto the floor.
“Is that how you treat the nice people who protect the village and your home?” J grins back.
Feeling the heat rise in his face, Axel spins around with his fist in the air. He pulls himself forward throwing it at the man’s face. In mid-air Axel’s fist hits the man’s open palm. The big hand wraps itself around Axel’s knuckle in a vice grip. J’s nails dig into the back of his hand, drawing blood. Pain shoots down Axel’s arm into his shoulder. He grits his teeth in pain.
“No one asked you and holding the village hostage is a downright scumbag thing to do.” He manages to say in between the waves of pain that washes over him.
J yanks Axel forward, taking him off his feet. Twisting his arm around his back, he uses his free hand to push Axel square in the back, slamming him stomach first into the opposite wall.
“Grh!”
“Don’t insult the leader, you just never learn do you boy.” His grip tightens on Axel’s wrist.
J moves his free hand, forcing the back of Axel’s head into the wall. Axel squirms trying to free himself from the force pressure. Feeling satisfied by the struggling form in front of him the man laughs out a bit. He leans down close to Axel’s ear.
“It is almost time to collect taxes. Maybe this time you should try to stay out of it. Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough trying to play the hero.” His whispers into Axel’s ear with a taunting tone.
Determined to make Axel suffer more, he tries to push Axel’s arm upwards. Added stress of the twist causes Axel to use his free hand to try to get him to let go of his head. Inside of his arm Axel’s muscle scream in pain, reaching their breaking point.
“D-dammit,” Axel whispers under his breath.
From the backside, a hand shoots out just next to J’s head, gripping his wrist. The new hand squeezes J’s wrist and by reflex, he releases Axel’s arm. J quickly turns, coming face to face with Ryo. “Wha?”
Catching him off guard, J also withdraws his other hand fully releasing Axel from his grasp. Ryo stands in the middle of the hallway with a towel draped over his shoulders. Watch drips down from his wet hair, running down his arms and waist. With no shirt on and only in sweatpants, the firmness of Ryo’s muscles defines his strength and build. From the ground Axel slowly glances back to see him.
“Where did he get those?” Axel thinks to himself, his face blushing red from the embarassing thought.
“I know I haven’t gone deaf. I don’t recall hearing him inviting you into this house.” Ryo’s serious tone exerts slight intimidation.
“Who are you? The boy is supposed to be living alone.” Genuine surprising comes from his words.
Wasting no time, Ryo moves his other hand around J’s collar. With his full strength, he throws the man against the opposite wall off his feet. From the impact J falls out of Ryo’s grasp onto the floor, the wind knocked out of him.
“Well, as you can see you won’t get what you came here for today. I suggest you leave.” Ryo towers over J.
J stumbles to his feet almost falling out of the open front door. He falls to his knees out on the porch area. Trying to steady his legs, he manages to get up then turns back to face them both.
“You will regret this. We pirates take what we want, when we want.” J proceeds down the stairs, disappearing into wilderness in the distance.
Recovering from his ordeal, Axel raises to his feet and proceeds to close the door.
“Hey Ryo-“ Out of the corner of his eyes, he catches the moment Ryo collapses backwards onto the floor. “Hey!”
Evening approaches with the cool night air finding its way into Axel’s bedroom. An open window lets some fresh air enter the room. Ryo slowly stirs and awakens back on Axel’s bed. Inside a deep swimming motion over take his mind, causing slight dizziness. He notices Axel by his bedside with a book open in his hands. Trying to sit up, he is noticed by Axel, who places the book back down.
“What the hell happened?” Axel jumps out of his seat.
“Not so loud my ears are ringing.” He throws the blankets off, swinging his feet over the side.
Axel grips Ryo by his collar. “Are you stupid?! Why did you do that?!“ Axel stops in the middle of his rant. Realization crosses his face from the words coming out of his mouth and he releases Ryo. Ryo’s expression remains unchanged. To avoid any eye contact Axel glances off to the side.
Unsure of what direction to steer the conversation. “You don't even know when you are going to faint. Don't tell me you are this fragile.”
A distant knock interrupts their conversation.
Down at the front door both Ryo and Axel greet an elderly man. One hand behind his back and the other resting on top of a cane. He wears long brown robes and sandals. Gentle eyes look at them up and down.
“Mr. Reyes…they have returned.” His husky and strain voice speaks slowly. The older man focuses on Ryo, his eyes widen a bit. “Ah, you must be our mysterious visitor. I apologize if I interrupted at a bad time. My name is Finn Yasgnir, I’m the leader of Remure Village. Sorry for not meeting you soon.” He smiles at Ryo.
Axel shoots up from his chair.
“My boy, where are you going? You already know that the next time you interfere they will kill you.” Finn calls out to Axel.
“I need to do something. I’m tired of them taking advantage of people. I will fight them." He runs out of the room.
"Oh dear," Finn adds.
A steady wind picks up from outside. Ryo turns, glancing out into the dark distance. A faint familiar windchime noise echoes with each heavy wind gust. Deep inside a fiery pain swells up in Ryo’s chest. In his mind the word, ‘pirate’ echoes through his mind. The world around him grows quiet and then…
Bang!
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