The following day, Ryo’s outside leaning up against the side of the house. The wounds continue to heal at inhuman speed, the cuts have closed, and burns looks like small bruises. His eyes travel the same empty field tracing its outline from the forest to the cliffside, it feels like he could almost count every flower to the last pedal. A short distance away in the field grunting noises travel through the air. Axel tries to hone his concentration with his bronze sword in hand. His opponent, a straw scarecrow stands in place attached to one pole. Axel’s movements remain stiff and clumsy at best. Each swing seems overly dramatic between the forward thrusts and downward strikes. Despite his best efforts his mind still wanders to a conversation from the previous night.

Doc sits at the kitchen table with papers in front of Axel. A troubled look spreads across his face. On the other hand, Axel tilts his head to the side. The words in front of him are like a foreign language several levels above normal vocabulary. Silence fills the room, as Doc continues to scan over the documents for what seemed like the hundredth time. His trouble look deepens. Finally, Axel decides to break the ice.

“Care to share what you are reading?” Axel asks.

“Based on what you have told me even his most severe wounds have already mostly healed. There is also that mysterious fever. I’ve never seen anything like it. He was also able to hold up a large wall with one arm? Unheard of.” Doc explains without glancing up.

“Maybe he just has a quick constitution for recovery?” Axel adds.

“Constitution?” Hung up on that word, Doc takes out a small notebook and flips through the pages. He stops mid page turn. “………” His face turns a bit pale.

“Fine anything?”

He clears his throat. “Your right he might just be one of those special individuals with a good constitution.” Doc completely avoids Axel’s question.

“What…wait?” Axel stands up. “Hold on Doc.”

 Doc shoves the documents into his bag. “Keep a close eye on him and let me know if that fever comes back. Finn should be back in a few days to greet him.” Without another word, Doc leaves the kitchen. Left alone, Axel falls back into his seat.

“What the hell just happened?” He falls back into his chair.

Axel snaps himself out of it in time to see the scarecrow’s branch sword come within inches of hitting just above his eye. Startled, his momentum sends him sideways arms flailing, and he topples into a nearby flower patch.

“You look like a flailing fish.” Ryo’s voice comes from behind him.

A few flower pedals float down onto Axel’s face. Sweat run down his brows, and his labor breath steadies. “No one asked your opinion.” Axel retorts back at him.

Ryo’s poker face remains unchanged.  Not ready to give up, Axel jumps to his feet to continue his attacks. Looking past Axel, Ryo eyes focus on the outer edge of the woods. His deep stare pierces through the air around him creating an invisible pressure. From the trees, a gust of wind rushes over the field carrying a storm of leaves. In a humorous twist, the gust blows the leaves right into Axel’s face all at once. “What the-!” Axel flails to get the leaves off him.

“Like I said a flailing fish, you have always to go.” Ryo shakes his head. “You can barely stand on two feet.”

Getting the last leaf off, he spins around. “Hey I’m self-taught! Probably could teach you a thing or two. You’ll become a good fighter in no time.” His stare carries its weight in determination if nothing else, and he throws out a thumbs up in Ryo’s face.

“If you say so.”

The sun reaches just above the ocean’s horizon, signaling the afternoon hours. “It’s almost time for supper. Remember you are doing the dishes tonight.”  Axel strides past Ryo towards his home.

“You teach me?” A small smile crept on Ryo’s face at the thought. Alone, a slight wind picks up again around Ryo’s feet and up to his hands. 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.

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Back inside the house, Axel preps supper as Ryo enters from outside. He strides pass the kitchen without glancing inside. The sound of the bathroom door opens then shuts moments later. Running water from the shower replaces the silence in the house.

“He could have come into the kitchen to help out.” 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 and the scent of fresh bread fills the kitchen. Carefully Axel distributes the curry out onto the bowls, placing the fresh bread in the center. The past few days passes his mind like a blur, planting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Behind him, the hallway floor creaks from the weight of a person snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Supper is just about-“ Axel glances back but stops.

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.

“It’s been a while, J. I thought I told you not to come back” Axel snaps at him.

He strides over to the man, trying to intimidate him. His effort ends in vain with the man throwing his full body weight towards him, slamming him like a cannonball. Unable to catch his balance, Axel gets knocked onto the kitchen table. A few of the plates fall to the ground, shattering, food spills everywhere.

“Is that how you treat the nice people who protect the village and your home?” J grins back. His unpleasant voice grating Axel’s ears.

Feeling the heat rise in his face, Axel slides off the table and attacks with his fist in the air. He aims for 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.”  Waves of pain pulse through his body.

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.

“Gha!”  His breath catches in his throat.

“Don’t insult the leader, you just never learn do you boy.” His grip tightens on Axel’s wrist, threatening to break it.  

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. Satisfaction fills J’s face as he watches the pointless struggle. He laughs and leans down close to Axel’s ear.

“It is almost time for the next collection. Maybe this time it might be a bit rougher. Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough trying to play the hero. They have no problem groveling to us anyways. Your just an eye sore. ” He taunts Axel.

Determined to make Axel suffer more, he tries to push Axel’s arm upwards. Inside his arm Axel’s muscles screamed in pain, reaching their breaking point. “D-dammit,” Axel whispers under his breath, a few tears leak from his eyes.

From the backside, a hand shoots out just next to J’s head, gripping his wrist. The hand squeezes J’s wrist and by reflex, it releases Axel’s arm. J’s arm twists upwards, and a crack sends him in pain. “Ahhhh!” He quickly turns, coming face to face with Ryo. “Wha?”

Catching him off guard, J 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. Water 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 glances up at him.

“Where did he get those?” Axel thinks to himself but flushes red that the very thought crossed his mind.

“I know I haven’t gone deaf. I don’t recall hearing him inviting you into this house.” Ryo exerts slight intimidation.

“Who are you? The boy is supposed to be living alone.” Genuine surprise reflects in his words.

Wasting no time, Ryo moves his other hand around J’s collar. With his full strength, he throws the man off his feet and into the opposite wall. From the impact J falls out of Ryo’s grasp onto the floor, the wind knocked out of him.

“Not sure why you came here but you won’t get what you came for. I suggest you leave.” Ryo towers over J.

J stumbles to his feet almost falling out of the open front door. He tumbles onto his knees down the front porch steps. Trying to steady his legs, he manages to get up then turns to face them both.

“You will regret this. We pirates take what we want, when we want.” J retreats down the pathway back into the woods. Hold his arm like a wounded animal.

Recovering from his ordeal, Axel rises to his feet.

The sun sets and a cool night breeze travels through an open window into Axel’s bedroom. Ryo slowly stirs and awakens. Inside a deep swimming motion overtakes his mind, causing slight dizziness. Images of the confrontation flash through his mind but things went dark after he heard the word ‘pirates’. A knock comes from the door.

“What the hell happened?”  Axel asks when he enters. “I thought you were over the fainting and fevers.”

“My ears are ringing a bit.” He throws the blankets off, swinging his feet over the side.

“Well, thanks. It was a local troublemaker I had to deal with a few times.” Axel whispers, clearly hiding something.

“It didn’t sound like it.” Ryo says.

“Well, it’s no place for an outside to interfere.” A silence builds up between them, ending the conversation. “Anyways some downstairs…its time to meet someone.”

Together they make their way downstairs to the kitchen. Since Ryo’s fainting spell, Axel cleaned up the mess and reset the table with fresh plate. Sitting in Axel’s seat is an elderly man, with his cane resting against the side of the table. He wears long brown robes and sandals and has messy unkept grey hair. Gentle eyes turn their attention from a teacup to Axel and Ryo when they enter the room.  

“I hope I did interrupt anything.” His husky and strained voice speaks slowly.

“It’s not necessary, besides we had time to-“ Axel begins.

“Well now that he is up, I have something to tell you. Axel, they are coming back and soon. This time do NOT enter the town.” The elderly man says.

Axel turns back to put on his coat, panic and fear comes over him. “Already? But that brute just left not even a few hours ago.”

“Ah, where are my manners.” The man stands up, bowing to Ryo. “My name is Finn Yasgnir, I’m the leader of Remure, sorry for not meeting you sooner.” He smiles at Ryo.

“We don’t have time for this.” Axel heads to the front door. Finn and Ryo follow him.

“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 trampling all over this town. If they won’t fight them, I will.” Displaying a strong confidence, he takes off sprinting down the path, his bronze sword strapped to his side.

Ryo moves past Finn out to the porch. Around him the steady wind picks up again. Finn’s eyes notice small green dust travel from the ground up into the air twisting in circles. He places both hands on his cane, nodding. In the distance, a familiar windchime noise echoes in Ryo’s ears to match the pulsing wind gusts. 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!