Act 1, The Isle of Kura part 2

Tatsuki finally came to when they reached a travel agency about 23 miles from the smoldering pile of ash that was once Copri.

"Are you done yet!" snapped Kitchwa impatiently pounding on the changing room door. "Just pick something so we can go!" he continued.

WHAP! the door slammed opened hitting Kitchwa in the head and knocking him flat on his ass. As he sat there rubbing his head Tatasuki stepped out in a black and red robe that covered the lower part of a fresh white wrap as well as most of a pair of black leggings and a pair of black leather boots holding her torn bloodstained Kimono in her arms.

"About time." whined Kitchwa when he got to his feet again.

"Let's see" said the employee at the cash register. "one pair of size 10 leather boots, one short black and red one size fits all archers robe, one pair of small black leggings, a shower, and 2 rolls of white wrap." he recited as he typed in the order. "and the total comes to 230wu."

"230wu!" exclaimed Kitchwa.

"that’s correct."

"Just pay the man already" said Tatsuki nonchalantly as grabbed a brush off of one of the racks and started running it through her long black hair.

"oh, and that brush there makes it 235." finished the employee as he took Kitchwa's money.

"235wu, 'it's not gonna be that much' she says, But no 235wu; That about broke me." thought Kitchwa as they left the travel agency.

They had gone about half a mile when Tatsuki said "man these boots sure make it easier to walk."

Kitchwa said nothing to that comment.

"Hey, come to think of it you never did tell me your name." she added.

"What importance is it to you?" he asked as though some what annoyed.

"If we're going to be traveling together don’t you think knowing each others names would make things easier?"

"I know yours, Tatsuki." he responded. "any way who said we were going to be traveling together?" he continued.

"This bracelet of yours." she answered as she pulled back the right sleeve of her robe.

"Oh yeah I forgot to get that back from you."

"Good luck it won't come off." Responded Tatsuki.

Kitchwa stopped in the middle of the road grabbed the back of her robe pulled her back next to him and said "what do you mean 'it won't come off'?!"

Tatsuki stood there for a second then said, "won't come off as in it's stuck on my wrist."

"so the bracelet that I worked so hard to steal is stuck on your arm," he started. “And I’m out 235wu because I’m stuck with you since that bracelet won’t come off!” Kitchwa finished in and angry tone.

He then resumed walking as Tatsuki said, “Hey, on the bright side at least things couldn’t get any worse.”

VEEEWOK! Kitchwa looked over to his right and saw a crossbow bolt lodged in the tree, just behind his head. VEEE! “OOF!” grunted Kitchwa as Tatsuki dropped the bow and shoved him to the ground.

THWOK! the bolt passed trough Tatsuki’s neck just as Kitchwa hit the ground, and hit the same tree as the previous one. THWOCHING! Tatsuki heard something else hit another tree some where, then next thing she knew some one or some thing had grabbed her around the waist. About as fast as this happened she had been landed on a tree branch.

As she got a first look at whoever or whatever had grabbed her Kitchwa came running up and shouted “HEY!”

Her kidnapper looked over at Kitchwa as he finished his sentence by saying “That’s my human, go find your own!”

There was then a sudden gust of wind as he stopped in front of the tree branch after he said this.

“Who the hell do you think you are anyway!” continued Kitchwa in his usual impatient tone as Garth crawled up on to his shoulder.

“Hey Carrot stick, instead of shouting why don’t you just…” she was cut off in mid sentrance when her kidnapper said to Kitchwa, “ To you demon I am the bringer of death” he said this in a proud distinguished voice as he removed the faded shapeless black hat that covered his head and obscured his face.

Without the hat he was much more distinguished, and he looked much more human. He then turned to Tatsuki and said, “however to you miss, I am Zanfor the demon hunter.”

Just then she realized that this Zanfor guy was pretty tall and cool looking with his black duster and boots, even with his unruly mop of messy dark brown hair that was oddly enough brushed away from his cool deep blue eyes.

“Carrot stick?” thought Kitchwa as he let those last comments of Zanfor’s go in one pointy ear and out the other.

“Anyway demon” said Zanfor as he drew his crossbow again “prepare to die!” he finished as he released a seemingly endless barrage of bolts on Kitchwa. KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG! Kitchwa had drawn his sword and was now using it to block the bolts. KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG, KLANG! There was a look of shock on Zanfor’s when he and Tasuki saw that not one of the bolts had even so much as grazed him.

There was an irritated look on his face as he put the sword back in it’s sheath Garth clinging on to his right shoulder with his eyes closed.

“you done yet!?” he said in that usual annoyed tone of his.

“how weird” thought Zanfor “I’ve never seen any demon move that fast.” he then had an even greater look of shock on his face as he saw Tatsuki fall through the branch they were standing on.

“what the…” Zanfor looked back over at Kitchwa and saw the blade of Kitchwa’s sword coming strait at him. THWOK! Zanfor had grabbed a rope and swung away just as the sword lodged itself in the tree branch. When Zanfor was out of firing range Kitchwa walked over towards the branch and when he was almost right under it he jumped up and yanked the sword out of the tree. He then landed back on the ground and re-sheathed the sword yet again.

SHF, SHF. Tatsuki came stumbling out of the bushes she had fallen in when she went through the branch.

"Old friend of yours?” she asked as she started picking the leaves and twigs out of her long hair that had now fallen into complete disarray.

Zanfor sat on a ledge over looking the main road about 3 miles from where he had shot at Kitchwa. “That demon’s hold over that girl is strong.” he said to himself as he threw a rock into the trees on the opposite side of the road.

Kitchwa and Tatsuki had resumed walking towards Port Kino; Tatsuki was still trying to get leaves and twigs out of her hair. Garth was sitting on her right shoulder eating a banana and Kitchwa was walking in front of them when Tatsuki said, “Hey Carrot stick how much farther is it to Port Kino anyway?”

Without stopping Kitchwa turned around to face her (as he was walking backwards) and said, “Where in the old world did you derive Carrot stick from?” then before Tatsuki could answer he added, “I do have a name ya know.”

“And you won‘t tell me what the hell it is!” She blurted out, “So I gave you one!”

FEERRSHH! Just as she said this Kitchwa fell through a trap hole in the ground.

“CARROT STICK!” Tatsuki yelled as she ran over towards hole.

Kitchwa could hear her voice as he fell; he then pulled out his sword and jabbed it in to the side of the pit stopping only about 3 feet from a bed of bloody corpse ridden spikes. It was a tiger trap he had fallen in, the corpses below him couldn’t have been down there any longer than 4 or 5 hours tops yet it seemed to be rather old, probably one left over from the restoration. “But who covered it up again?” Thought Kitchwa.

“You ok?!” Kitchwa looked up and saw Tatsuki over the opening of the hole.

“Just Dandy” he responded Sarcastically “Just thought I'd drop in for a bit, Catch up with the old corpses and join them for some tea and crumpets.” he paused for a moment as Tatsuki walked a way from the opening than shouted “DO I BLOODY LOOK OK!”

SHEERFF! CRUNCH! “Grab this.” Said Tatsuki as she drug a vine over to the hole. She threw the vine down not three seconds later.

FOOOO!, SMACK! The vine wangged Kitchwa in the head as it tumbled down.

"Oops sorry Carrotstick" Tatsuki apologized as Kitchwa grabbed the vine sheathed his sword and started climbing up.

When he had climbed out of the trap he noticed a rustle in the brush behind Tatsuki. Then upon closer inspection he noticed something shiny gleam in the bright sun light then with another rustle the gleam disappeared as if some one had realized their mistake and rushed to cover it up with careless haste.

Just after this happened Kitchwa shoved Tatsuki out of the way nearly knocking her in to the tiger trap, drew his sword once again and leapt in to the air all in one fluid motion. Then with the same fluency he brought his sword down upon the brush as he landed.

CHING!! Tatsuki heard the distinct sound of clashing metal as she got to her feet, and next thing anybody knew Kitchwa had been thrust to the ground with great force.

She ran towards that general direction not stopping until she was only 5 feet away from Kitchwa.

“Don’t just gawk like an idiot!” snapped Kitchwa as he came to his senses.

Tatsuki grabbed and nocked an arrow and was drawing the bow when she heard a somewhat familiar, sound clear voice shout,

“Don’t shoot!” strangely enough she lowered the bow though it was still drawn and ready to fire at a seconds notice.

“Thanks.” she heard the same voice say as Zanfor stood up and sheathed a Katana in a hidden scabbard under his black duster.

“You again!” snapped Kitchwa in great displeasure.

VEERWOK! A bolt had just barely missed Kitchwa’s head as he sat up. “What the hell do you…”

Zanfor then cut Kitchwa off in mid sentence by saying, “Don’t move demon.”

KREEE! Tatsuki brought the bow back up and aimed it at Zanfor.

“Drop it Zanzibar!” Tatsuki demanded.

“Not too good with names are ya.” said Kitchwa sarcastically as he went to get up.

VEERWOK!, BWONG! Zanfor fired another bolt and at almost that same instant Tatsuki released the arrow.

“Please hit, please hit, Please hit” Tatsuki mumbled to her self after she released the arrow.

THAK! The arrow missed by a long shot, though she didn’t see where it went she could tell that it had hit some tree off in the distance as she listened to it echo through the woods.

“There’s marksmanship for ya.” thought Kitchwa bitterly as he pulled the bolt out of his right shoulder.

“Your power must wane with injury.” Said Zanfor victoriously.

“power!?” retorted Kitchwa questioningly as he went to grab his sword.

VEERWOK! PLIPH! PLIPH! “CARROT STICK!!” shouted Tatsuki as she watched two bolts hit Kitchwa in the gut.

“Leave the sword be, or the next one’s goin through your heart!”

“why are you so dead set on killing Carrot stick! He never did anything to you!” snapped Tatsuki.

“It’s my job.” Zanfor answered “I am a demon hunter, as such it is my sole duty in life to slay demons such as this one that ensnare mortals in their traps and eat them.”

“What the hell are you babbling about?” Tatsuki looked over at Kitchwa after he said this as Zanfor added, “With your death this young woman will finally be free, and the souls of all those mortals you killed will finally be able to rest in peace!” just after he said this he released a massive gale of bolts from his crossbow.

“GUU, NGH, AHH” Kitchwa grunted as he was hit by the bolts.

“STOP!” Shouted Tatsuki in a desperate pleading tone. “Your killing him!”

“That’s the Idea.” Zanfor’s smart ass comment sounded like something Kitchwa would say, only Tatsuki noticed that unlike Kitchwa there was no sarcasm in that remark; he meant it.

Although the vast majority of the bolts missed, by the time Zanfor had stopped firing quite a few had managed to lodge themselves in Kitchwa’s flesh.

“Your gonna have to better than that”

A look of pure horror came over Tatsuki and Zanfor’s faces as the heard a shaky pain filled voice say these words.

Then with a great surge of hope Tatsuki looked over at Kitchwa as he grabbed his sword and stood up.

“That’s impossible” said Zanfor in shock and disbelief as he dropped his crossbow on the dirt covered ground.

“HIYA” he grunted as he ran over in front of Kitchwa, drew his katana, and jabbed it into Kitchwa’s mid section.

“This makes no sense.” thought the confused Tatsuki. “Between all those bolts and the sword Carrot stick should be dead.”

DRUUUSHH! Tatsuki heard something that sounded almost like a ginormous foot step.

CRUNCH! “TATSUKI!”

Next thing she knew something had hit her and all she could hear was Kitchwa’s voice. Though dazed and confused she could feel herself flying through the air yet Tatsuki couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes.

Zanfor must’ve pulled the Katana out of Kitchwa or something, cause not a moment later she knocked him to the ground as he tried to catch her.

“What do we have here.” said a deep menacing voice.

Kitchwa looked up and saw a huge greenish gray Cyclops standing about 2 stories tall near the spot where Tatsuki was sent flying.

“could it be, an Elf” said the Cyclops as it looked at Kitchwa.

“And a pair of humans.” it continued as it looked over at Tatsuki who was lying on the ground on top of an unconscious Zanfor. “This must be my lucky day.”

“Buzz off” said Kitchwa as he started to remove the bolts from his body. “I already got dibs on this demon hunter, so go find another one to munch on.”

Finished Kitchwa as he took Zanfor’s katana out of his midsection.

“Do you have any idea to whom you speak?" Retorted the Cyclops, “I am Lurr ruler of these woods and you and those two humans have fallen prey to me.”

“So you’re the demon that’s been luring travelers in to this trap!” snapped Tatsuki angrily.

“you’re a bright little cookie aren’t you.” Lurr answered sarcastically as Tatsuki picked up her bow.”

“Now which one to eat first” Lurr said to himself “I hate to give the girl the chance to run away but the Elf is already nice and bloody.”

“Why not eat the demon hunter if you can’t decide between the two of us” said Kitchwa as he jumped into the air.

“why not indeed.” answered Lurr.

“Carrot stick!” snapped Tatsuki, “Your not supposed to give him idea’s.”

Kitchwa wasn’t listening as he went to attack Lurr with his and Zanfor’s swords.

“What an Idiot.” thought Tatsuki as she watched Lurr turn around and grab Kitchwa with his left hand.

“Damn you!” yelled Kitchwa just after Lurr had closed his ginormous hand around Kitchwa’s body.

“Thought I wouldn’t see you huh” said Lurr glaring at Kitchwa. “I may be a Cyclops, but I’m not blind.” he finished as he started to squeeze Kitchwa.

BWONG! Tatsuki fired an arrow at Lurr, though it missed him completely. “Drop him!” Tatsuki demanded as she reached for another arrow.

“Or you’ll what?” Lurr paused for a moment after he said this and looked Tatsuki over as she drew the bow.

“your also bold Little cookie, I think after I stew and pickle this Elf I’ll brown you up and put you in a taco salad.”

“Try it!” Retorted Tatsuki as she aimed and fired the arrow at Lurr’s eye. “Please hit.” she thought as she watched her arrow sail through the air WOOOSH! “The arrow just barely missed Kitchwa’s head as it whizzed past the Cyclops’s eye.

“WILL YOU WATCH WHERE YOUR AIMING THAT THING PLEASE!” Yelled Kitchwa.

“Or maybe you’d rather be a pancake.” said Lurr as he bent over.

Tatsuki tripped and fell on top of Zanfor again, then he squashed Tatsuki and Zanfor with his right hand.

“You Bastard!” said Kitchwa in an angry shock.

“Sure she was annoying but you didn’t have to kill her!” he continued.

A strange tingly melty feeling came over the hand Lurr had used to squish Tatsuki and Zanfor, the next thing he knew he had dropped Kitchwa and was watching Tatsuki come up through his hand.

“Wa- what the!?” Blubbered Lurr.

“How did I do that?” thought Tatsuki as she checked herself and Zanfor over, “and Zanfor’s just fine too.”

“I’LL GET YOU THIS TIME!” howled Lurr as he went to swat her with the other hand.

Still on top of Zanfor, Tatsuki covered her head with her arms.

Some time passed after he squashed them the second time, then the exact same thing happened.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!” he shouted.

“She’s the new Phantom Medjai!” exclaimed Kitchwa as he jumped back up with both swords still in his hands.

KERSHI! Lurr hadn’t even had the chance to turn his head all the way around when Kitchwa had crossed his sword and Zanfor’s Katana and used them to cut Lurr’s head off.

DOM! As a fountain of blood rose up from Lurr’s body the head hit the ground somewhere in the woods.

Tatsuki draped Zanfor over her shoulders and ran towards Kitchwa’s general location as the body fell to the ground.

Kitchwa was completely covered in blood when he landed next to Tatsuki as she set Zanfor on the ground against a tree.

“Let’s go.” said Kitchwa jabbing Zanfor’s Katana in the ground next to him.

“What about Zanfor Carrot stick?” asked Tatsuki as she stood up.

“He’ll be fine, trust me Demon hunters are like
Roaches, no matter how many times you kill em’ they keep coming back.” responded Kitchwa “And the Name is Kitchwa, just so you know.”

After he said this Kitchwa and Tatsuki went on towards Port Kino.

“I still think we should at least wake Zanfor” thought Tatsuki as she watched Kitchwa wipe some of the blood off.