金瓶梅第2部

Who was that little girl? Chosen one? Oh. This was a perfect chance for Barza to look cool.

He patted his chest with pride, "I am indeed the Cho--"

Bucket used his spear to vault over the fallen Gann, landing beside Barza and the little girl.

"Hi! We're from Invictus," Bucket grinned.

He adjusted his recovered log on his shoulders with his offhand and offered Barza with a friendly smile, "Hey, Lone! Good job!"

Barza smiled helplessly. He lost his chance to look cool, but it was a team effort, anyroad, "Y-yeah. You too, Bucket."

Bucket examined the little girl with great interest. "Who're you? What guild are you from?"

The little girl clenched her tiny fists, "Oh, hi! My name is Taree-- me and my brother are from the Ivory Judge sect, and we--"

A fourth person landed on the ground, creating a swirl of dancing golden leaves. It was a young blonde boy, kneeling on both knees, both arms upwards as he held onto a longbow. The youth's age was somewhere between Barza's and Bucket's... and though he was as tall as Barza, he looked... kinda weak?

"Hold on there, Mister!" The kneeling boy pointed, "I'll need a moment to discuss some things with my sis! --Nice to meet'cha by the way."

"Hi," Barza waved.

"Are you okay?" Bucket bit his upper lip.

Taree helped her brother get off his knees and the two of them moved off to discuss something in private.

Barza pulled Bucket aside, "Okay, listen up, little brother. This is my chance. I've always wanted to be the Chosen One, okay?"

Bucket looked up, his eyes wide with confusion, "Chosen for what? Every time I get 'chosen' by Boss Tycon, I have to clean something or feed the horses. Jeremy's alright, but Horse keeps asking if I have any cocaine."

"It's not that kind of Chosen. It's the Chosen in stories, where we can save a hidden kingdom and we'll get a whole bunch of treasure and pretty women."

Bucket looked past Barza, to the orange-robed girl and her brother.

"Aren't you a little old for her? ...And I thought that short-haired girl was your girlfriend?"

"Sorina? No." Barza gnashed his teeth, "Argh! No! Boss has ruined my chances with her!"

Bucket pursed his lips, "Then was Miss Seldin your girlfriend?"

Barza's face paled and he felt his knees threatening to collapse. He had thought his first night visit by a beautiful woman would be a dream to remember for the rest of his life. It was a nightmare of pain and suffering. He didn't remember much of it, besides Seldin's terrible strength and her unforgiving fists.

Barza shivered as he dispelled those thoughts, "ANYROAD, don't mess this up for me... And let me do the talking, okay?"

"Um, alright, Lone," Bucket shrugged.

The young boy looked back to Taree and her brother in the distance. Barza sensed Bucket's worry, and he couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt for acting so selfishly. Bucket's been nothing but helpful and he couldn't have defeated the Gann so easily on his own, "Hey, Bucket. I'll make it up to you."

"Nah," Bucket grinned, "I'll do it because we're bro's for life."

As the two bumped fists, Barza's heart surged with pride, "Yeah. Bro's for life."

…

Taree crossed her arms, annoyed. "Okay, Tommy. What's the big idea?"

Tamaki showed his sister his open palms, trying to keep her calm, "Okay, Coach. Hear me out!"

Taree smiled, her eyelid twitching, "Make it quick. We're still being chased by Yoshio and his mooks."

"Okay, just hear me out!"

"You said that already," Taree glared.

"What if… we ask the Chosen One... to help us?"

"I was already gonna do that."

"Okay." Tamaki crossed his arms, "--but what were ya gonna offer?"

Taree opened her mouth to answer, but found that she hadn't thought that far, "But… He's the Chosen One? The Chosen One just… helps, right?"

​ Tamaki gave a wide grin, "Ah, see? Now you're ready to hear me out."

Her brother had a point. The younger girl nodded in excitement, waiting for her brother to continue. "Okay, what's the plan?"

"What if we… offer your hand in marriage?"

The girl stood up straight, her excitement gone. "That's a dumb idea. I hate it."

"WAIT! Now hold on!"

"Let's just go turn ourselves in, to Yoshio," She groaned.

Taree turned to begin walking. Tamaki grabbed her wrist and struggled with all his might to keep his sister from leaving.

"Dear brother, you're trying awfully hard to get rid of your lovely younger sister," Taree said, her voice and expression, flat and emotionless.

"Coach! No! Wait!" Tamaki begged, "Maybe I was a little hasty!"

Taree dragged her brother a couple of yalms before stopping. Kimura Taree was the Ivory Judge sect's most outstanding martial artist in her generation. She had recently attained mastery of the Stone Fist, reaching First-Circle by Outer World standards. While she was only eleven, she could defeat everyone twice her age in contests of strength, with the exception of Muto Hisato.

"We'll ask for the Chosen One's help." Taree frowned, "But even if we don't get it, the Ivory Judge sect did not raise two cowards!"

Tamaki swallowed his disappointment with a gulp, "A-alright, Coach. But let me try. You know I'm a little better at this talking thing than you are."

"Okay, fine. But if you try to sell me to the Chosen One, you're out," Taree crossed her arms and hmph'ed.

"Don't worry, Coach. I got it."

...

"Sir, we found the girl." One of the warriors in dark clothing reported to a handsome teenager in dark hair.

Yoshio sneered, sweeping the dark hair out of his eyes.

He clenched his fist in anger as he thought of that girl... Kimura Taree... "How dare that bitch flee and hide like a RAT! What cowardice! She won't even face her destiny like a MAN!"

Yoshio punched a nearby tree in anger, leaving a fist-sized crack in the ancient wood, "I've been by that girl's side for years... YEARS! And not once has she acknowledged my attempts to woo her. I'll make her pay before returning her broken body to Young Master Hisato."

The older warrior shifted his weight uneasily. Even though he was a few years older than the man he was reporting to, Yoshio was cruel and physically powerful, second in talent only to Taree. It didn't matter what he thought of hunting down the greatest talent in the Ivory Judge sect. Hisato has had given Yoshio full reign to use the Muto family's forces, so they would hunt the Kimura girl to their dying breaths.

"Why are you still here?" Yoshio glared at the older man.

"Sir, there's been a complication."

Yoshio narrowed his eyes and growled, "What?"

"The Kimura siblings have made contact with Outsiders."

Yoshio swept a hand, flaring his robe aggressively, "Che! So the Kimura family had this hidden trump card! No matter. We are of the Muto family! If the Kimura family's coin can entreat the assistance of Outsiders, we will purchase their loyalty at double the cost!"