Yamiokami Densetsu

[IamTheS]

This is the story of Sigma and the events that would change his life. It will probably be rated PG for slightly-higher-than-mild violence and mild sensuality by the story's end (since profanity is innately blocked on these boards). Also, excuse me for any typographical or morpho-syntax errors; it is very late as I type this.

CHAPTER ONE - THE DEVIL'S DUE
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The sound of wood snapping echoes softly throughout the otherwise quiet forest. If Sigma was not on his guard, noises such as this would surely be the death of him. The nearly six-foot tall half-human, half-wolf hybrid dug his claws into the fresh bark of a young sakura tree, and hoisted himself up, steadily climbing the plant until he was perched in a crouch on the topmost limb. Sigma peered through the pink petals, hopefully completely hidden from view. He heard footsteps crunching on the forest floor, and slowed his breathing almost to a complete halt.

The form of a five foot tall human being came into view. Wearing standard American military fatigues, he appeared to be of mixed European descent. In his hands was an M16A2 assault rifle; strapped across his back was another firearm of unknown style and origin. Sigma could also barely make out some sort of knife poking out from a strap on the soldier's leg.

Sigma could hear the man's hard, laboured breathing - and smell it, as well. This individual had a stench akin to mounds of garbage and feces rotting in the sun. Sigma's muzzle winced in reflex and he had to focus enough to not gag. It was as if bathing and oral hygiene were foreign to the human.

The soldier stopped in his tracks, looking around and blindly pointing his weapon in various directions. Sigma had heard that the American military was supposed to have trained their soldiers to become hardened warriors; this fool was better parading for a king's amusement. The wolfman almost felt like attacking the man was not even worth his time or effort; but quickly reasoned with himself that it had to be.

Refusing to take a deep breath prior to his leap, Sigma propelled himself off of the branch with nary a sound, unsheathing his ninjaken in equal speed and silence. Just as the blade of the sword was about to come in contact with the foe's neck, the simian spun around, most likely alerted by the rush of air caused by Sigma's descent. All that was cut was the first two inches of the rifle.

The look on the Army man's face led Sigma to conclude that he was stunned; an opportune time to strike. With a swift motion of his right arm, Sigma cut across his enemy's belly, leaving a long but shallow cut. The man fell backwards to the ground, clutching his wound and howling loud enough to make it seem that he was in more pain then he actually was. He definitely was no warrior.

A lump formed in Sigma's throat as he stood over his bleeding foe. It was occuring once more; he was having trouble finishing his foe. As the founder and current leader of the Yamiokami ninja dan, Sigma had always advocated peace and understanding between and all beings. The ninjutsu that he had developed over the course of three hundred years had its base in the arts taught to him by the Tengu warlord Karashin; this particular branch of ninjutsu was only used for self-improvement, or, shall the need arise, defending one's self and home.

That is what the world had come to. For thousands of years, the Garoujin - Wolfpeople - had lived in harmony with the nature of Japan. The natives had come to respect them, even revere them as Gods. However, one of their kind had been captured - Sigma's own friend and disciple, Gatobi - by a British soldier on vacation, and he was subsequently executed and used in all sorts of vile and disturbing experimentations. Now, the outsiders - people from the Americas, much of Europe and the Middle East, and even Australia - had commissioned their troops into Asia to exterminate all creatures of similar origin; apparently they were deemed a threat by some warmongering individuals.

The Garouotoko were none of the sort; they had only fought to save their homeland in secret, from the shadows. They were a cultured and refined people; lived in caves but were well learned and were capable of advanced techology, although they chose to use very little of this in order to preserve simplicity. They had never declared war on any other peoples of the world and were simply content to their hidden way of life.

Sigma continued to stare down into the injured man's eyes. No hatred boiled in his ocular orbs, only sadness. The human's eyes showed a mixture of fear and anger. With a deep sigh, Sigma closed his eyes and spoke to the man in perfect English. "Go. Your injury is not life threatening. Turn around and leave this place, never to return," he growled. "Tell your superiors we mean no harm. Convince them to call off the war, and go home to your family."

Sigma approached the man and watched as he began to shake and squirm so much that his helmet came off. A tuft of unruly, sweaty dirty-blonde hair was revealed. Sigma snickered and simply kept walking past the soldier. As Sigma was approximately ten yards away, he could hear the human speak into some sort of communication device.

"You've got to help me... one 'o them split my belly open! My entrails are hangin' out!" A brief pause, then the man continued. "And they speak English too! Hell no he didn't say nothin' important. Just some ramblin's. Yeah come get me! And bring the whole squad. These're some crazy mothaf----".

The man's whining was interrupted by the cold metal of a shuriken lodging itself in his brain. Sigma almost cried out in frustration; he did not want to harm these people, but he felt as if he had no choice. Grumbling about the fact that he had used his last shuriken, he began to retreat to the nearest cave base. He needed to confer with his people. The time had come to seek out their brethren from outside Japan's borders. The numbers of their greats allies, the Youkaijin - spiritual Foxpeople - were dwindling, and the Tengu and Kappa were already heading towards extinction before the war broke out. Sigma had never met any more creatures similar to himself from outside the country, but he had heard stories about great hybrid warriors. If any of them should actually exist, the Garoujin were going to need their assistance.

--END CHAPTER ONE--

[KaptainKelly]

Can't wait for chapter two  :sparkle:

[IamTheS]

Thank ye, love.  :lovestruck2:

CHAPTER TWO - SALVATION
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It had started raining as Sigma made his way to the cave, so when he arrived, he had to remove his black-and-green mask, as it was soaking wet. He placed it on a stone near the roaring fire in the center of the grotto, then sat down beside the flame himself, hoping to dry quickly. Within moment, he was approached by Runa, his cousin and second-in-command. Sigma cocked his head upwards to view Runa as she spoke.

"[Lord Sigma, our forces are dwindling. With their brutal war tactics and murderous weaponry, the humans are slowly but surely destroying our people.]*"
Sigma sneezed. "[That is most unfortunate. We cannot keep losing our friends, our brothers, our sisters... there has to be a way.]" Sigma stood up abruptly, nearly knocking into Runa in the process. He turned to address all of the occupants of the cave. All eyes were focused intently on the Yamiokami grandmaster.

"[As many of you know, there are tales of beings similar to us in other lands,]" Sigma said in a loud, commanding voice. "[If this is indeed true, then we may be able to recruit them to assist us. After all, they may be the next target of these bloodthirsty savages.]"

Ojigaruru, the eldest living member of the Yamiokami and Sigma's personal attendant, took a step forward and coughed. "[I will gather three of our finest warriors and they shall set sail by daybreak.]" The old Wolfman's voice was deep, scratchy, and tough to understand; thankfully all present were used to it.

Sigma stared Ojigaruru in his single remaining eye, and shook his head. "[No. I shall go. Alone.]"

The entire cave was flooded by one monumental gasp, as this shocked the inhabitants in unison. After approximately a minute of silence, Runa stepped forward and grabbed Sigma's arm. "[No, Lord Sigma! It is too dangerous! In this dire time, we need your leadership more than ever!"]

Sigma violently pulled his arm away from Runa's grasp. "[No. I will go, myself. This is something I need to do."] He now turned to face his cousin. "[Runa, you are to take charge while I am away. And if I do not return... you shall remain the grandmaster. I have witnessed your leadership skills both on and off of the battlefield. I am most impressed with your abilities.]"

Tears began to well up in Runa's eyes. "[I will go! This clan needs you! I need you! We are the last of our family! And unless you find a mate, you and I will continue to be the last of the bloodline!]"

Sigma gazed sternly into Runa's eyes. Tears were now streaming down her face. Sigma sighed. "[Runa... you do not understand. I must do this. Our people, and perhaps all of the world will be in grave danger. It is my responsibility to to bring peace.]" He now turned toward Ojigaruru. "[Inform the Youkajin, Kappa, and Tengu leaders of my departure. I am leaving immediately.]"

Runa grabbed her cousin's face and looked him sternly in the eyes, trying to blink back her tears. She dragged her tongue across the side of his muzzle in a slow lick. "[Take care of yourself. I love you.]"

Sigma nodded. "[I love you too. I have faith in you.]" Sigma abruptly turned to exit the cave. As he stepped out of the mouth, he heard Runa call after him. "[Come back safely! ]" Sigma merely raised his hand slightly, and did not even turn around.

Upon exiting, Sigma found not only that night had fallen, but the rain had ceased. He drew a breath of the cool night air and sighed. Runa was right about everything. But this could not be helped. True, he could be incorrigible at times. But this matter was something that was out of his hands. Sigma could feel fate pushing him forward as he made his way to the small dock, which was approximately one mile away from his current position.


*Anything within brackets ([ ]) are translated from Japanese.

[IamTheS]

CHAPTER THREE - RECKONING
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Nearly a full day had passed since Sigma had set sail upon the junky old raft. Had he better time to prepare, he would have had the community's handymen construct a better vessel. But alas, he had to make due with what was currently available.

The raft was not entirely bad; it held together well enough.  However, the wood had mildewed and it smelled terrible. Having an extremely heightened sense of smell - as did all of his kind - this was enough to make him nautious. Or perhaps it was the mildly rough waves that churned his stomach. Most likely, it was a combination of both. It took all of Sigma's focus to not vomit every twenty seconds.

Sigma had brought an excessive amount of food, but with his current condition he had not even given the cache a second glance. He hoped that if he did not have a chance to consume it once he reached land, he would at least be able to barter with it. Other equipment he had brought were a stash of his favorite weapons, and some family mementos.

The day's stress was starting to take its toll on Sigma, and the Wolfman could feel his strength gradually leave his body. After praying to the sun goddess Ameterasu, he lay on the hard, disgusting wood and attempted to fall asleep. It took him some time, but he was about to finally fall asleep when powerful waves began to rock the raft. Queasy, exhausted, and annoyed, Sigma opened a single eye partially. Within his view was the sight of a gigantic, amphibious-looking beast.

"[What in the...?]" Sigma slowly stood and gaped at the lumbering monster. It appeared to be a light hue of punk, with blue spines running down its back. It was serpentine in shape, and had two red fins on either side of its stout head. The beast leered at Sigma with its pure yellow eyes.

After staring up at the monster in disbelief for several minutes, Sigma swallowed hard and attempted to speak to the creature. However, a splash in the distance from the creature's previously hidden tentacle cut him off, and the leviathan itself began to speak in a large, booming voice - in perfect English - with an unidentifiable accent.

"Lupine creature, I have been looking for you."

Sigma swallowed hard again. This beast was overwhelming. He had never been so freightened in all of his life. He then thought of his clan back home, and made an attempt at conversing with the sea monster.

"What are you? Why have you been searching for me?"

The monster grunted and slapped the distant water with two of its tentacles. "I am known as Lusca. I have existed for years, the protector of the Atlantic Ocean. I have come searching for you because I have sensed you needed assistance."

Sigma scratched his muzzle. "Atlantic Ocean? But it has been but a day since I have set sail from Japan. Tell me, Lusca, where am I?"

Lusca nodded slightly. "You are near the Caribbean Sea. I am not familiar with the method of travel which has brought you here, but the seas are full of mysteries. There is an area in my domain that is known as the Bermuda Triangle; the Triangle is so mysterious even I am not certain what takes place there. Now tell me, wolf beast, what is the reason for your journey?"

Sigma sighed and introduced himself, and told of Lusca of his plight. When Sigma finished, Lusca nodded slightly again. "Hmmm... perhaps it is fate which has brought you to this area in such a brief amount of time. I assure you, what you seek is here in this area."

Sigma made no effort to hide his confusion. Lusca apparently noticed this and spoke up again. "It will not be long now... I must go for now, but rest assured, your journey is only beginning. I will find a way to help you further, in due time. But for now, I must prepare. Farewell." Sigma gave a quick bow to Lusca as it disappeared beneath the waves.

The first thing that Sigma realized after his new apparent ally was gone, that his illness had completely subsided. He did not dare to ponder whether Lusca had any effect of this; he had more important things on his mind. Sliding the oar back into the water, he felt invigorated, like a new sense had awakened itself in him. Gritting his fangs, he paddled the raft harder than he ever had been previously in his life.

Nightfall had come sooner than Sigma expected, and the Wolfman finally began to feel fatigued once more. Panting in the cool night as if it were the hottest day of the year, Sigma collapsed to his knees and placed his chin on his chest. Staring at the raft, he felt sleep overtake him. As he dozed silently for some time, he did not sense another enormous object approaching his location. This, however, was no beast, but a watercraft. Sigma awoke when the shout of a woman startled him.

"YOU!"

Sigma rubbed his eyes with his paws and stared at a gigantic ship which loomed dangerously close to his raft. Some sort of person stood leaning over the edge, who he took to be the woman who called to him. He could not tell what species she was. Sigma hollered back to the individual. "ME?"

"YES, YOU!" This time Sigma was certain that this was the woman. Her accent had a hint of Bristol. "PREPARE TO BE BOARDED!"

Sigma had spent hundreds, if not thousands of years training in the art of ninjutsu. His speed was rivaled by none in Japan. However, this lass had surpassed the fastest known being to Sigma, when she leapt from the ship and landed on his raft in the fraction of a second. Her descent jarred the raft, sending an orange from his food supply overboard, and causing Sigma to lose his balance. After Sigma regained himself, he took a look at the woman. With a tricorne, a cleavage-revealing tunic, Elizabethan-era trousers, an eyepatch, and a cutlass in her hand, it was apparent this woman was a pirate. But what shocked Sigma even more was her species. She appeared to be a Garoujin - but she bore large wings. Never in his life had Sigma seen such a being.

"Prepare to die, knave." The pirate scowled at Sigma through gritted fangs. "Nobody sails my seas and lives to tell about it!"

--END CHAPTER THREE--

[KaptainKelly]

*giggles* :snicker: I'm really starting to like this story hehehe specially the pirates ;D

[IamTheS]

Thank ye once more, my dear  :th_Pyong-1:

CHAPTER FOUR - ENSLAVED
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Sigma squinted his eyes slightly and stared deep into the pirate's eyes. Her eyes were full of bloodlust; it was as if her sole purpose were to skin him alive. Sigma was unaware of any serious transgressions which would have warranted his life worthless to this woman. He was but a humble traveller, attempting to find assistance in a vicious war. Now, he felt that if he did not slay this woman - as much as he did not want to - his quest would be in vain, and his people would die.

Sigma unsheathed his ninjaken in the blink of an eye. His other hand went directly to his restocked shuriken pouch, at ready for anything the pirate brought to the battle.  She just continued to glare at him, unmoving besides the slight heaving of her chest from drawing breath.  Sigma tightened his right hand around the handle of his sword, and his left hand tensed near his pouch. A lick of his muzzle and a deep breath, and Sigma just kept wondering when the pirate would strike. He refused to make the first strike in any one-on-one battle, especially against a lady.

Eventually, the pirate sprung into action. Their swords clashed, creating a small spark at the intersection of metal. A second clash sent Sigma propelling backward slightly, giving the pirate an obvious edge. The pirate leapt forward, and delivered a mighty kick to Sigma's chest. The ninja felt the breath leave him, and his back struck the raft hard. As he struggled to get back up, the pirate dashed toward him and swung her cutlass, and if Sigma was just a fraction of a second tardy with his own blade, he would have lost his head.

Struggling against the pirate by pushing all of his weight against her sword with his own, Sigma attempted to catch his breath. When he had finally done so, he leaned forward, sliding his sword across hers. Her sword barely missed his neck, while his clipped her ear. He shook the minute amount of blood off of his weapon and prepared to strike again. He took a step forward and slashed again, slashing some of the pirate's fur off, but did not draw blood this time.

The pirate was beginning to pant; obviously the battle was beginning to have its toll on her. Sigma, in more pain, but with more stamina now that he had gotten his breath back, felt he was gaining the upper hand. Sigma reached for his pouch and withdrew three shuriken, which he threw at the pirate simultaneously. The pirate rolled, dodging two of the projectiles, whereas a third struck her right wing. The pirate whimpered a bit in pain, but gritted her fangs and stood, leaving the shuriken still impaled in her wing.

The two of them stood on opposite ends of the raft than they started on. The small raft had served well as a battlefield, but now water had spilled all across its surface from their weight constantly shifting, and one of the logs was starting to crack. If this struggle continued any longer, the raft would go down before either of the combatants did. The pirate seemed to sense this; she swiftly reached into her belt and pulled out a well-hidden flintlock pistol. She pointed it directly at Sigma's head; from the distance and position the warriors were standing, Sigma was quite sure she would land a clean shot, no matter how fast he dodged.

The pirate spit on the raft floor, a red tinge from blood in it. "You're a pretty good fighter, you are," said she. "I'd hate to have to waste such a worthy warrior such as yourself. But you know... you did cross into my sea, and I can't just let you go with a simple knock on the head." She took a couple of steps closer, the gun still aimed at the ninja's head. "There's got to be something I can do. Ah! I've got it!" With a couple of quick steps, she was behind Sigma, bringing her arm around his neck in a half nelson, while keeping the firearm trained on him. In a flash, she had leapt from the raft, landed on the side of the ship, and began running straight up it, dragging Sigma with her. Sigma struggled to break free but it was of no use; her grip was too tight.

The pirate and Sigma had then made it to the ship's deck, where Sigma caught sight of two more pirates; one seemed to be part bulldog, and the other some sort of simian.

"Woah, Cap'n!" the bulldog called as the female pirate's feet touched the deck. "What've ye there?" His accent was unmistakenably British, but from what part Sigma was unsure. He didn't quite care at the moment to pinpoint, either.

"This, Sal, is our new cabin boy!" The captain let out a hearty laugh. "Now we've got somebody to swab the decks again!"

"But, Cap'n, ye killed the last one... what's so special about this scrawny thing?" Sal stared coldly at Sigma.

"This one put up quite a ruckus, so hopefully he won't die so easily. But it won't be from a lack of trying!" The captain laughed again, and this time Sal joined her. The simian pirate was silent. When she had finished laughing (but not Sal), she called to the simian. "Hey Monk! Go and fetch the chains! We're going to need to tie this one down!" The simian merely nodded and walked off to parts unknown to Sigma.

Sigma was terrified. If he were to remain captive on this ship - or worse, killed - his people would never see the salvation they so sorely deserved. "Miss Captain, if I may..." he began. The captain tightened her forearm against Sigma's throat, causing him to audibly choke. "Not another word out of you, slave."

"But..." Sigma started again. The captain grunted. "I said nothing from you. Otherwise I'll make you walk the plank right now." Monk had at that time returned to the deck, and silently handed the captain the chains. The two pirates shackled Sigma to a sturdy grate in the floor of the deck, and when that task had concluded, Monk returned to his post near the cabin. The captain threw a sponge at Sigma that had apparently been brought by Monk at the same time as the chains, and Sal set a large bucket full of soapwater next to him. "Get to cleaning, cabin boy!" she growled.

"Heartless wench...." Sigma muttered to himself.

Before Sigma could even take another breath, the captain had lashed out with her cutlass. At first Sigma thought she had missed, but soon he felt the searing, bloodying pain and screamed. She had taken out his left eye.

The captain bent down next to Sigma, and gritted her fangs. "You watch your tongue, cabin boy," she growled. "Or else... next time it'll be your entire head."

"Yes, ma'am," Sigma muttered weakly, while clutching his eye socket. The pain was still coursing though his body, but he was miraculously able to keep from showing it any further.

The captain walked away from Sigma, and turned to Monk, who had gathered three bottles of rum. Giving the largest one to the captain, and one of equal size to his own to Sal, he nodded and raised his bottle.

"Here here!" Sal called. "To Captain Kaizoku, the Queen of the Pirates! The most murderous maiden the seas have ever seen!"

Sal and Kaizoku laughed in unison while Monk kept nodding slowly. The three of them drank their alcohol as Sigma began to scrub the deck, still clutching his wound.

[TinnyCat]

awsome S =3 =3 =3
                       
                      :drool: :drool: :drool:
                             

(The audience of the reading)

***Emotes taken down due to quantity abuse.***
***Ephemral***

[IamTheS]

Doomo, Tinny

CHAPTER FIVE - HARDSHIP
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"Get up, you sodding lazy scoundrel!" The first words to reach Sigma's ears were followed by a slow, but powerful kick to the chest. Not only had Sigma been forced to sleep in the bitter cold, chained to the same spot the entire time he had been aboard the ship, but now a hideous bulldog-man had cracked his ribs. Sigma had started to think that perhaps it was his fate to die here. Perhaps Lusca knew that Kaizoku and her crew would be here to capture him? Maybe Lusca was an agent of Kaizoku's? These were the questions that went through Sigma's mind during the long duration of the night that he was unable to sleep.

"Don't make me have to kick you again!" Sal grunted and turned away. Sigma pushed himself up partway, trying to keep his breathing to a level to where the pain wasn't as bad. He saw Monk approach out of the corner of his eye and drop the sponge and refilled bucket near him. Unlike the other members of his crew, the silent simian did not seem very violent at all. Then again, Sigma noted, it was often the quiet ones that were the most brutal. Sigma nodded to Monk, and the ape nodded back before turning away.

Sigma forced himself to his knees, dipped the sponge in the soapy water, and began scrubbing. This was the same spot he had scrubbed before, and most likely would be the only spot he'd ever clean. The rest of the ship was mildly dirty and starkly constrasted the area in which Sigma was forced to work.

Two hours had passed, and Sigma was beginning to get hungry. His hand was also starting to cramp, having put a large amount of strength into his cleaning. He hoped that if he impressed the captain, she would let him free.

Sigma was massaging his right wrist, when Kaizoku herself walked over to him. "What do you think you're doing?" She growled.

"My hand... it is a bit sore," said Sigma.

"Get back to cleaning, NOW!" Kaizoku sneered at the ninja. Sigma felt he had no choice but to do as he was commanded. As he reached for the sponge, the pirate thrust the heel of her boot down onto Sigma's hand, then started grinding it until he felt something snap. Sigma winced silently in pain, and Kaizoku removed her foot to reveal a bloodsoaked paw.

Sigma began panting heavily, trying hard not to make any noise that would upset the captain. As Kaizoku turned away, she grumbled "Keep scrubbing. And use only that hand for the next two hours. If you do a good job... I MAY let you use the other hand for ten minutes."

"Yes ma'am," Sigma said with a sigh. Grasping the sponge and wincing again, Sigma uttered a Japanese curse under his breath. He would have said it louder, but since Kaizoku's moniker was Japanese itself - kaizoku meaning "pirate" - he thought the better of it. He began to ponder how a pirate with a British accent, who lived near the West Indies, had a Japanese name, but he figured he'd probably do better if he continued his focus on his work.

An hour later, Monk brought Sigma a piece of bread and what seemed to be powdered milk. Before Monk even had a chance to leave, Sigma had devoured the bread and swallowed all of the milk. Sigma returned to washing the deck as the apeman took away the plate and glass.

Approximately an hour following that, true to her word, Kaizoku approached and told Sigma that he could use the other hand to clean. Sigma was refreshed and relieved, and put his bad hand behind him as he worked at the wood with slightly renewed zeal. Kaizoku reappeared ten minutes later exactly, and warned him that she would crush the other paw if he did not begin using the other hand to clean.

Sigma was beginning to form a picture of this pirate's personality in his mind. She was ruthless, violent, a nasty drunk, and cruel... but she did have something resembling honour. Never had he known a being so evil to still posess an ounce of good.

By nightfall, his hand was so worn that it looked like the fur was supposed to be blood red. As he had used it so much, the wound never fully closed. Sigma felt that if he lost any more blood, he would be unable to work any further, and the captain would surely slay him.

Curling up into a ball, Sigma prepared for sleep. At least on this night, it was not so cold. If the pain did not overtake him, he might actually have a decent night's rest.

[IamTheS]

CHAPTER SIX - REDEMPTION
-------------------------------------
Sigma was awakened this time by a splash of cold water. At first he thought he was back home, remembering that when Runa was still an immature, mischevious pup, she would splash a bucket full of cold water on his face when he refused to wake up after a rough night.  Then, when he opened his eye, he saw it was still dark out, and he was aboard the ship he had lived on for the past couple of days, still securely chained up. He looked around for the culprit who soaked him, but the deck was empty. It took him some time to realize that the ship was heaving at an abnormal rate. Sitting up, he was splashed once more by the salty, icecold sea water.

Rubbing his muzzle on both sides with the thumb and index and middle fingers of his left paw, Sigma let out a deep, irritated sigh. Not only was fate against him, but it seemed Mother Nature had as well. Normally a being of strong strength and will, Sigma felt himself being tested like he had never been tested before. Even Karashin's strict training procedures were dwarfed in difficulty in comparison to the hardships he was currently facing. Sigma knew there would be no chance of him getting back to sleep, so he resolved to meditation. Sitting upright, he crossed his legs and gently placed his right paw in his left one. Sigma straightened his back and closed his eye, placing his tongue on the roof of his mouth and opening his muzzle slightly. Sigma took a deep breath in through his nose, held the breath for three seconds, then released it out of his mouth. He repeated this several thousand times, completely ignoring the seawater's constant assault, until daybreak came. At this time, Sigma heard some shuffling; he opened his eye and saw Monk approach him with the bucket and sponge. As they had done the previous morning, Monk placed the items near Sigma, the wolf nodded, then the ape would nod and walk away.

Sigma began scrubbing with his right paw, knowing full well if Kaizoku approached and saw him using his left paw, she would vivisect him. The pain was dull now, but he would still much rather use his left paw - or, truth be told, be free of the entire situation altogether! After two hours, Sigma looked around for the captain. This was approximately the same time she showed up the previous day, but he was surprised that he did not see her. He caught sight of Monk steering the ship, and had heard Sal's yelling and drunken singing continuously since Sigma had begun working. Sigma was tempted to use his left hand, as Monk was the only one who could see him at this time, and he did not think the simian as being one to snitch on him. However, given the recent string of bad karma that had befallen on him, just as he began using that paw, Sal would come down from the Crow's Nest, or, worse yet, Kaizoku herself would appear. Sigma dutifully continued scrubbing the deck, a task which was made increasingly more difficult by the seawater, which would splash barnacles and kelp on the deck every so often.

Five hours had passed since Sigma began working and he still had seen no sign of the captain. The only things he could think of was that she might have fallen ill, or perhaps was planning something below decks. Sigma began to think that, barring her planning something awful including him, that this was a blessing in disguise. A sudden crash made Sigma jump slightly, but turned to see that it was Sal, who had long come down from the Crow's Nest. He was dancing across the ship's poop and had dropped his rum bottle. The dogman whimpered and uttered a random string of curses, as if he had destroyed the most valuable thing in the world. Monk looked at Sal and shook his head, as if he knew that Sal knew there was more rum stashed somewhere on the ship, and the drunken canine was just in a stupor due to his condition.

Approximately an hour after this, Sal had passed out in a barrel near the wheel. Monk had already brought Sigma his lunch - bread and powdered milk, just as in the day before - and Sigma had just started to believe he would never catch sight of Kaizoku, when the door to the cabins suddenly creaked open and Kaizoku stepped out. This was in contrast to previous events in which she exited, in which she normally slammed the door open and stomped outside. Kaizoku took a deep sniff of the salty afternoon air and simply stood there, staring up at the empty sky. Sigma shook his head and began scrubbing again, thinking perhaps the captain was out of her mind. He was completely unaware that his persistent work had reopened the wound on his hand, until another splash of seawater hit directly on top of it. Feeling as if a whitehot fire had been ignited on his flesh, Sigma screamed out in pain.

Curiously enough, instead of yelling at him or punishing him, Kaizoku stepped quickly to Sigma's side, wearing an expression of concern on her face. She pulled some gauze out from a pocket, and, without a single word, wrapped it around his paw. The remaining saltwater still stung, but he was grateful that this woman who had up until now been his foe, had come to his aid. Sigma merely nodded in thanks, unware if he could say anything that would not ruin her mood. Then, as if her previous action had not surprised him enough, Kaizoku withdrew a small, golden key from the same pocket, and unlocked the shackle around his left leg. Kaizoku nodded back, then walked away towards Monk, and began discussing something with him that Sigma could not overhear.

Sigma stood up, flexing his muscles and stretching, walking back and forth slightly outside of the invisible barriers of his prison for the first time since he had been brought onto the ship. Sigma did not know what to make of this event, but he was hoping it was a reward for his work. Sigma did not do anything extensive, for fear it would jinx this joyous moment. He then began to feel that the moment had already been jinxed, when he saw the captain draw her pistol and level it straight at Sigma.

A lump of terror made itself known in Sigma's throat, and for the time being, his fight-or-flight mechanism was malfunctioning. Standing in absolute frozen fear, Sigma closed his eye, ready to meet his fate. He listened as the bullet was discharged from the gun and soared... right past him. A short grunt from behind Sigma made him open his eye and turn around. There, on the ground behind him, lay Sal with a bullet in his brain. A knife was in his loosened hand. Sigma turned back to where the captain was standing, and she had resumed casually talking with Monk. Sigma simply stood in utter confusion as he realized he had witnessed his current greatest foe save his life.

[IamTheS]

CHAPTER SEVEN - REVELATIONS
---------------------------
Sigma could not stop staring at the now cold corpse of the drunken pirate who had nearly murdered him. It was not so much that Sal was dead, as it was the fact that Kaizoku was the one that killed him. And all the while that Sigma was battling to grasp this recent turn of events, the captain talked with Monk as if nothing had occured at all. Coming to terms with this, Sigma swallowed hard and furrowed his brow. He was beginning to grow very weary of this bizarre party of pirates. Maybe it was just uncertainty or fear that did not instill this notion in him before; but now he wanted answers.

Sigma cleared his throat, swallowed hard, and prepared for a fight if need be. "CAPTAIN!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Monk and Kaizoku looked up at him with confusion on their faces. "I HUMBLY REQUEST A MOMENT OF YOUR TIME!" Sigma then prepared for the moment of truth; the instance which would either clear up this obscure mystery, or leave him dead.

Sigma swallowed hard again, and watched as Kaizoku excused herself from Monk's company and walked over slowly towards Sigma. When she came face-to-face with him, she brushed her right paw up against his left arm, and silently motioned for him to sit on one of the two crates that were stacked a few feet away. When they were both seated, Kaizoku calmly asked, "So, what's on your mind?"

Sigma's jaw dropped open. He could not believe she was being so nonchalant about this! This is a woman who had tortured and mutilated him for days, and only minutes earlier blown away a member of her own crew. Now she was addressing him as if they were old friends! He was beginning to wonder if Kaizoku possessed a split personality. Her demeanor changed entirely too quickly for this to be normal.

Sigma cocked an eyebrow, licked his muzzle, and spoke. "If you do not mind, I would like some answers. Earlier this week I had set sail on a quest to save my people. I was subsequently given advice by a sea beast known as Lusca, and after that, captured by you and enslaved until this morning, when you set me free and murdered your own shipmate!"

Kaizoku smirked. "Ah, he was a jerk anyway." The captain began swishing her tail back and forth.

Sigma placed the sole of his paw against his forehead. "It... it is just that... why? Why capture me and then have a change of heart? Not that I disapprove of the event in which you liberated me. It is simply that... I would like some closure. I need to understand if this just some random and unfortunate chain of events in which I have been drawn into, or if there is some sort of method behind this madness."

Kaizoku looked up and away from Sigma, twirling a strand of her long, dark hair around a finger - which seemed very uncharacteristically strange to Sigma. "Well, if you must know, I truly am a feared dread pirate. I actually did execute our previous cabin boy... and the one before that... and the one before that... in fact, of the fifteen or so crew members I've had, Monk, who came from the second 'batch', is the only one I haven't killed. Well, and yourself, of course. They all turn out to be idiotic dunces. Sal had been here only about two weeks, and he was starting to grate my nerves right around the time you showed up. I had already planned on killing him sometime soon, but he had to get sauced and try to kill you, so I decided to off him then and there. Freakin' moron could've extended extended his life by a day or so...."

Sigma shook his head. "That brings me to the key point of my question; why the change of heart? Just yesterday you would have been willing to kill me for the slightest transgression. Today... I find you unchaining me and saving my life...."

Kaizoku let out a chuckle. "That... is harder to explain. In all my years of piracy, I have rarely dreamed. When I do, it's of killing, maiming, plundering... or just plain sailing the seven seas. But last night... I dreamt of you. You were kind... gentle... caring... like a true friend. Up until this point, Monk has been the closest thing to a friend I've ever had. Since I never dream of anything of the sort, I took this to be a sign. I began to realize that despite my violent, pirating ways... maybe I should have given you the benefit of the doubt, heard your story, and given you the option to join my crew instead of forcing you to do so. That would have gone against everything I have done in life but... there is something about you... that dream made me realize that you could be one of the few people that I have ever considered getting close to...."

The pirate suddenly hopped off of the crate and got on her knees, pressing her paws together. "Please... if you can find it within your heart... will you forgive me?"

Sigma was stunned. He was sure a look of disbelief had set in on his face. The captain... wanted his forgiveness? He scratched his head and sighed. He obviously had the choice to merely refuse her plea, but where would that lead? He felt it was in his best interest - and perhaps the right thing - to go ahead and forgive her.

"All is forgiven, captain," said Sigma. The pirate stood up and gave a slight bow. "Thank you," she said softly. "You will not regret your decision." She nodded to Sigma, then turned and walked back toward Monk and continued speaking with him, no doubt picking up from where they had left off when Sigma had interrupted them.

Sigma's head started to spin. This entire endeavor was proving too much for even him to handle. Perhaps it was a combination of that and the exhaustion of working on the ship, but Sigma felt himself to be extremely dizzy. Before he knew what was happening, everything had gone black.

[Timpani]

I love it dad  :th_Pyong-1: probally something i won't forget for a change

[IamTheS]

I love it dad  :th_Pyong-1: probally something i won't forget for a change

Aw, thank ye!   Wow, you must have been quite the busy little thing. When I went to bed last night, you had 10 posts. Now you've got 40!

In any case, I probably won't have another chapter up for a while. I have a temporary side project I started on, and something in life has come up that is making it a little hard to focus on writing right now (Kaptain knows to what I reference).

[Timpani]

was talkin to someone really, and i just wokeyz upies and about to go kick my cousin outta my bed beecaause i woke up cuz i wasn't in my bed and my mum got mad  :sniffle: dunno why, guess cuz i wouldn't get up and she was trying to clean and he won't wake up no matter what

[IamTheS]

CHAPTER EIGHT - LAND HO!
-------------------------------------

Sigma began to open his eye, but was only able to see what seemed to be wood, through a dense fog. He blinked several times after realizing that the fog was not external, but was instead an effect of his eye being out of focus. Now he could clearly tell that he was staring at many planks of wood, and it took a moment to register to him that he was flat on his back, on something soft and comfortable. An unusual sensation, considering that he had not felt such a thing in so long.

Straining to move, Sigma felt a wave of nausea overcome him, and he lay still again. By slowly turning his head to the left, he began to glance at objects on that side of the room, and deducted that he had been moved into the cabin - particularly, someone's quarters. Judging from the bloodsplatters on the walls, Sigma did not think it belonged to Monk - unless the ape did indeed have the dark side that he had theorized about earlier.

Just as he was trying to make out an object in a far corner, Captain Kaizoku stepped in his line of vision. "Ah, so you're awake, now. How are you feeling?"

Sigma could only manage to let out an inaudible gurgle as he tried to move again. Kaizoku reached out and gently guided him down flat on his back. "Careful now!" she cajoled. "You hit your head hard on a crate when you passed out two days ago. Monk and I got you down here  as fast as possible, and we gave you the best medical treatment we could with what little supplies we had left. But we thought you'd be out for a week! You're a resilient fellow!"

Sigma groaned and tried to move, but Kaizoku kept her paw pressed against him tightly. "You're not going anywhere, mister! You need to rest!"

Sigma grunted lowly. He had lost a whole two more days! At this rate, his people would be massacred! Sigma struggled against Kaizoku's pressure, but it was no use. At full strength, he would have a tough time moving against her; in his weakened state, she was infinitely stonger. "My..." Sigma finally managed to croak in a voice he did not recognize. "My... PEOPLE!"

"Settle down, you little scamp!" Kaizoku said with a wink. "Don't make me get the chains again!"

Sigma knew that she was at the very least half-kidding, but the thought of being restrained again made him visibly shudder. The captain smirked at this, which only served to make Sigma more nervous. Monk came into the quarters at that moment, with a towel and some gauze in his hands. Kaizoku moved so that Monk could kneel next to the bed and remove the gauze already around Sigma's head. As Monk pulled the bandaging away, Sigma could see the dry blood on the guaze. Sigma lie still while Monk redressed his head, only moving his head slightly when the apeman required it. After he finished, Monk left the quarters.

Sigma felt that his throat had relaxed enough, and his head had stopped spinning enough, that he could speak. "Ugh... where exactly am I?"

The captain looked over at Sigma with a slight look of shock. This expression quickly turned to another smirk. "Well, we tossed ya in the first available quarters... which happened to be Sal's. Sorry it's so icky... but it's not he's like he's using it, right?"

For the first time, Sigma was able to get a perfectly clear look at the walls. There were blood and chunks of flesh all over them. He even saw a seagull's decapitated head leaning against a dresser. Having seen so much death and destruction in his long life, he was more disgusted by the fact that such a being could be so feral, than the evidence of such.

Kaizoku stepped out of the main portion of the quarters and walked into a small alcove. She came back a brief moment later with two bottles, and she offered one to Sigma. "No... thank you. I don't drink...."

"Suit yourself, kid," said Kaizoku as she popped off the lid and guzzled the rum contained within. Seconds later, she had swallowed the contents of both bottles and let out a soft belch. Sigma wasn't entirely sure, but it appeared to him as if Kaizoku had blushed following her minute gas expulsion.

Monk came racing back into the quarters and began gesturing wildly. Sigma cocked an eyebrow and looked at Kaizoku, who then turned to look at Monk. She nodded a couple of times, and then Monk was still. Kaizoku turned back to Sigma. "He says we're approaching land. Come! Let us see where we are!"

Monk nodded to Kaizoku and gently lifted Sigma from the bed, and draped his arm over his shoulders. Kaizoku did the same with Sigma's other arm, and together, the two pirates carried the ninja to the deck. There, in the far distance, was a land mass. Sigma was not able to tell how large the mass was, but he was certain it was not an island.

"It has been a while since I've been here," Kaizoku noted. "This is a good place for supplies. We shall continue the journey following our brief stay here."

"Guys...?" Sigma whispered. "Where are we?"

"We're off the coast of Florida. I have some contacts here that may be able to get you better medical attention."

Sigma coughed. His journey was about to be extend considerably. But, he wondered... was this all part of his destiny?

[IamTheS]

CHAPTER NINE - CIVILIZATION
------------------------------------------
Immediately upon docking, Kaizoku and Monk hurriedly carried Sigma ashore. Sigma grunted and struggled, as he felt he was well enough to stand and walk on his own. However, the captain would have none of that; she threatened (perhaps half-jokingly) to "knock his block off". Then, she made some remark about stubborn men, and Monk shot her a glance, which caused Sigma to snicker.

Before long, the unlikely trio had reached a large grove. It was full of trees that Sigma had never seen before, and if it weren't for the pain he was suffering, he may have stopped to admire the beauty of the plants. But he had a feeling Kaizoku's leading him here had nothing to do with the trees themselves, but instead, there was a more urgent matter.

As the three of them moved deeper into the grove, Sigma could feel some sort of shift in the air around him, as if they were on elevated land; however, the ground beneath them had remained flat ever since they entered this patch of trees. The air eventually changed so much that it felt to Sigma as if he had reached the summit of Mount Fuji. It was then, that Sigma saw the first one. A bear, walking upright, with a tight-fitting white robe on its brown body, and a walking stick in one paw.

"Bears?" Sigma rasped to Kaizoku. "But bears are not indigenous to Florida... are they?"

Kaizoku coughed. "They aren't bears. These are the Homoursae. They are spread all across North America, living in secret forests such as this one. We were able to enter their domain, as we are non-humans. The Homoursae are a people of welcoming, but they've had quarrel with humans stretching as far back as the days of the natives, so they choose to remain in secret."

The Homoursae had obviously heard the captain relay a bit of his species' history, as he had turned toward them. "Ah!" said he in a deep, gruff voice.

"Kaizoku! Monk! Welcome back! I see you have a new traveling companion... What happened to Oxnard?"

"Pssh!" Kaizoku began to chuckle. "I killed him shortly after leaving here last time. That blasted feline tried to cop a feel... stupid jerk. Anyway, this is Sigma."

"Sigma?" The bearman cocked an eyebrow. "Um... anyway, a pleasure to meet you, Sigma. I am known as Bartholomew." Bartholomew took a closer glance at Sigma.

"Oh, wow... you don't look very good." He then turned to Kaizoku. "Is he alright?"

"He took a nasty spill on my deck. He'll be okay, but just to be on the safe side, we should get him to Douglas."

Bartholomew nodded. "I see what you mean. Right away, then! Follow me!"

The four of them continued through the secret forest, the only sounds being the foliage beneath their feet, and some birds in the distance. In a short time, they came to a large clearing surrounded by trees in the distance, and peppered with caves. At the edge of said clearing, a cabin was visible. There were approximately five more Homoursae visible to the group, all doing assorted tasks such as cooking and laundry.

"Welcome to Ursatopia, my friends!" Bartholomew bellowed. "All you see here is open to you!" Since Kaizoku had no doubt been here many times before, Sigma assumed this was more for his and Monk's benefit than hers.

"Thanks, Bartholomew," said Kaizoku. "But remember, before we let loose and have fun with your city, we've got to get Sigma here to the shaman."

"Ah yes, I apologize. It's just that as you know, we don't get many visitors. Right this way, then."

They walked over to the second closest cave, which had two burning torches outside, despite the fact that the sun was shining directly on them. Two Homoursae were standing just inside the entrance of the cave; they both wore long white pants, black headbands, and brandished spears. Bartholomew nodded to them as the four of them passed by. Once inside the main portion of the cave, they saw a large, black-furred Homoursae sitting cross-legged on an elegant chair with his eyes closed, wearing a loincloth and a feather headress. His chair was flanked by two more torches.

The black bearman opened his eyes and began to speak in a gravelly voice. "Bartholomew. I sense you have brought the young Garouotoko to me for healing." He uncrossed his legs and stood up. "Tatiana is with a patient at this moment, but when she is finished she will assist you to your bed. I will go and make my preperations." He then turned and walked back further into the cave, disappearing at once in the darkness.

"That... that guy knows about Garouotoko?" a bewildered Sigma asked.

"That is our shaman, Douglas," explained Bartholomew. "He spends most of his time studying, to enhance his powers and spells. At forty-seven in human years, he's also the oldest of us who has ever lived."

"Forty-seven?" Sigma's voice got a bit shrill.

Kaizoku spoke up. "The Homoursae do not live as long as your or my, or even Monk's species do. They normally only live to be about thirty-five."

Bartholomew chimed in with a smile. "I myself am sixteen - which is considered middle age. We are by far the shortest living known hybrid species. But it does not matter to us. We live our lives as best as we can, and when we pass on to meet the Ursa Major, we are reincarnated with all of our memories and personality. Legend has it Douglas has been reincarnated more than any of us, so his knowledge just keeps building up on itself."

A female voice came in from a grotto offshoot to the right. "All right, Douglas, I sense Bartholomew and three others are here, just as you predicted. I've prepared a bed for our new guest." She came into view at the end of her statement, her appearance surprising Sigma.

The female wore a loincloth and what appeared to be a bikini top, both lined with fur. She had azure eyes and long brown hair. But the most shocking aspect of her was that she was a young human.

If the Homoursae were at odds with humans, what was this one doing here?