Ulrich scratched his ears with a toothbrush much to the disgust of Sakura. Sakura has been teaching the 'Young Wolf' how to perform basic personal hygiene but Ulrich always seems to always make himself look even more socially revolting.

"Brushy... Brushy....'till squeaky clean." He said before passing over an earwax covered toothbrush to Sakura. Disgusted but still trying to be tactful about it, Sakura moved the toothbrush away from them.

"Well at least your teeth and ears are both clean." Sakura smiled.

"Me brush teeth...and ears after eating food now. Teeth...no hurt...no more. Ulrich....happy.... Th--th..." Ulrich stuttered. He stood up from the wooden floor and wet back out.

Sakura has been sailing 'the Dragon of the seas' Vanoran warship for about a week now. She tries to keep herself busy by helping around the ship and chatting with her friends. The food on the ship is usually grilled fish and bread with a cup of water. Sometimes the sailors would scrape off the barnacles glued to the hull of the ships.

Sakura's legs were like noodles and her nauseated brain rocked around her skull like a tilting baby on a cradle as she stood up. The ship must have met some rogue waters. Trying to not trip over the ludicrous amount of litter, rags and sailor's clothing, she made her way outside to the upper deck. It was around noon and lunchtime has arrived on the ship. The sailors were distributed there rations of food while some of the 'fishermen' would slice up their catch and distribute the fish cuts to them for a ducat. Sakura grabbed her rations of dried fish, a piece of fruit, a loaf of rye bread and a cup of water. She carried her lunch to a set of stairs that led to ship's steering wheel and chowed down on her lunch.

The cook took great care with of the food that she was thankful for. The fish was seasoned appropriately, not to salty and not to peppery. Her bread was tougher than the bread she was used to at earth and her teeth felt like eating cardboad. The sailors gave her a tip to rub the bread at the fish to make the bread taste a tad bit better. Then her fruit which was stored properly to avoid spoilage tasted like if it was fresh off of the market, crispy and juicy. She washed down the food with her water cup, the water flooded down pushing the chewed up food particles down to her stomach nourishing her body for another 6 hours. Sakura soon realised she ate faster than she would normally do since she was not used to food rationing. It made her appetite cry desperately for fuel and it would grab anything edible and consume it quickly. Sakura burped but the noise was drowned by the chatter of the sailors.... well except for....

"Oh, you belched? Good for you." Rainoric's voice was heard above Sakura.

Sakura turned around and saw that Rainoric was staring at a map of the ships route. He planned that the ship will stop somewhere in between Vanoran and Baizan so that Rainoric can hunt down a 'Sea King' for his passage of rite. Sakura smiled at her newly made friend, the night they spent together at Belisarius roof was a great experience for her to forget what she was right now. Rainoric has been treating her and her friends less like slaves and has started to actually labor around when they set up camp like pitching his tent, starting a fire and chopping fire wood with his axe.

"Hey, Rain-kun so how long 'till we reach Baizan?" Sakura stood up and asked.

"Don't call me 'kun' that was one letter away from a swear word that could get your tongue cut and squished infront of your face. Anyhow, if the wind keeps pushing us as it should without any problems... I guess maybe less than 2 weeks." Rainoric said. He placed down the map on the table and pulled out 'Ulfberth' from its sheathe and sharpened it with his whetstone. The whetstone brushed through the Gimaelic Steel with great agitation that some sparks flew off.

"Anyway, are you going to enlighten me further with your many life lessons? Then proceed. I am listening." He said sternly, his face staring intently at her eyes.

"Ok then... I remember when I saw you fight you have alway's taken a... direct approach. You know, run to the guy with your sword raise and hack at him 'till his arm sweats blood. Its pretty straight forward you know." Sakura began to teach Rainoric.

"Are you criticising the way I fight?" Rainoric asked, his voice raised up a bit as if he was beared false witness upon.

"No, but have you ever thought 'outside of the box'?"

"Outside of the box?? What you sayin?"

"Well your way of thinking is always the same. Grind until its done, but believe me there's better ways that can make you finish things better." Sakura sat down beside Rainoric and held his hand. He often gets stress when people would tell him to do things not normally in his way of thinking. But Sakura was a special case for him. She almost always know what's right better than Eslek or any sage or wiseman he knows.

"So imagine again, you are fighting a man equally as good with swords as you, and you are having a duel to see who would win a large bag of.... ducats. You would normally charge first and make the first move. But your opponent might be anticipating that and he will use your 'all-out attack' mentality you have against you. He could parry and deliver a decisive blow by stabbing you in the chest and poof! He wins and you lose." Sakura's hand was clenched tighter when Rainoric heard 'you lose'.

"Lose... so how can I beat him? Rainoric Eadwulf doe's not accept Failure." He asked emphasing 'lose' and 'failure' in his sentence.

"Well, you need to think 'outside your box'. It means to think creatively, like outside your normal way of thinking. So think Rain, how would you try to win the fight?" Sakura challenged him.

Rainoric thought for a minute. He set aside sharpening his sword and he place his hand on his head to think. After a while he came up with an answer.

"I will fight it out cautiously, I would let him make the first move. He is bound to strike me if I don't bother to strike first. Maybe I can... uhm say he smell like hog filth to uhm... make him mad and.... uhm.... he will attack at me angrily and I can block them... then.... I kick him in the nuts and knock'em down to the dirt. Then I beat his head SO HARD HIS EYE---" Rainoric grew rather ecstatic that his new found way of thinking so much he raised his voice and stood up as he got caught in his own violent imagination. Thankfully Sakura was there to stop him from accidentally embarassing himself.

"Whoa! Ok Rain. You get the point now? Think outside the box?"

"Yeah... but can I do this? Just get me own box and think inside that?" Rainoric asked and then he grabbed a box filled with unused paper for map making. He turned the box upside down spilling the contents and placed it on top of his helmet/head.

Sakura couldn't help but gigle over Rainoric taking her teachings literally in rather amusing ways.

---------------------------

Heavy breathing.... Heavy breathing was the first sounds Yuki heard as she woke up from the crazy party she had been back in Vanoran. She remebered the dancing, the music and Osgar lifting her down then she felt her head got dizzy and her world became blank. She soon realised she was in a bunk bed and the scent of the sea was felt from a nearby window. Belisarius must have made sure that Yuki would safely recover in his ship before they departed for Baizan. Yet as she slowly rose up she saw that the source of the Heavy Breathing was a shirtless and sweating man performing pull up from a raised bar in front of her. She immediately observed that the man had scars all over her back perhaps arrow wounds with little knowledge she has. The man had a shaved head and a tatoo with 3 triangles linked together and below those triangles were words in the Gimaelic alphabet.

"Hello..." Yuki weakly said.

"Oh, your awake. Finally, thought you dead." The voice was Osgar's

"Osgar-sama, how long was I sleeping?" She asked.

"Uhm, less than 3 days. Had to spoon you soup everyday. You ok now?" Osgar stopped doing pull ups and dropped down from the pole creating a loud 'thud' sound due to the squeaky wood of the ship.

"Yes, I think. Ahh... I need water...." Yuki grasped her head. She must have been dehydrated from all of the sleeping she went through. The dehydration caused her head to get a migraine.

Osgar grabbed a jug of water nearby and poured it to Yuki's mouth. He then sat down at the side of Yuki's bed. Yuki felt embarassed to see a shirtless and buffed up man sitting next to her making sure she recovers from her injury. Trying to keep her mind off of Osgar's muscles she changed the subject.

"OMG! OMG! OMG! There's a half man next to me. Those muscles are.... so huge. The tatoos, he looks so manly.... I think im going to...." Yuki's head talked to itself for awhile. Unknown to her it made her look uneasy infront of Osgar.

"You ok Yuki?" Osgar asked

"Uhm, no... its.... I never saw a half man workout near me before, with those tatoos. What are they?" Yuki pointed to Osgar's tats.

(Osgar's Tatoo)

"It is called 'Valknut'. It means 'Knot of the Slain'. It means that Life and Death are connected together and it also is a symbol of protection against evil. I got this tatoo when I became Rainoric's bodyguard. I am sworn to protect him with my life." Osgar said.

"Why do you protect him and his family so much?" Yuki asked. Her curiousity taking over.

"When Merovech, Rainoric's grandfather rebelled against the Ghogths. He gathered all of the tribesmen in what will be Gimael to stand and fight with him. In the end, the Gimaelics won and Merovech was crowned as their first High King. My people, the Sebharii, were his most valued allies and after the war he awarded us  with the most fertile land in Gimael. The Solling Forest Valley south of Guaita, my family are shepherds and my sister runs the farm and my older brother lives in Baizan. I can't wait to meet him after all of these years." Osgar said.

"Why is your brother is in Baizan?" Yuki asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. I usu-"

"You can tell me." Yuki held Osgar's bare shoulder.

"Well ok, My brother once got into a fight with a neighbor and then he did a very.... 'uneighborly' thing."

"What? He didn't return a garden tool?"

"Nah! My brother got punished for murder and is sent off to the penal colony of Baizan." Osgar said

Penal Colony...

Penal Colony...

Penal Colony..... PENAL COLONY!!!

"Eh!?!? What did you say?!" Yuki shouted she quickly tried to get out of bed but Osgar stopped her.

"Whoa! You need rest lady!" Osgar tried to calm Yuki.

"Get me out of here!" To no avail, Yuki was still screaming.

The long necked girl soon attracted the attention of the people nearby.

"Oi! Can you shut you b*tch mouth! My eyes are red as wine right now and I aye only git half a nights sleep!" A sailor shouted.

"Sorry!" Osgar apologized

"I don't want to go to Baizan!" Yuki shouted.

"I heard screaming, whats going--- what are you doing to her?!?" Churi ran in to investigate.

"Birdie! Its not what you think." Osgar said

"Oh I know what I think. You are touching Yuki innapropriately. !" Churi then ordered her bird Papipo to attack Osgar.

Osgar grabbed the Dust Bird and slammed it to the wall. The barbaric act enraged Churi even more. She lifted her right arm and haymaker'd Osgar to the chin. Osgar quickly grabbed the bar he was doing pull ups on and whacked Churi's abdomen with it. It pushed her back outside of the room where sailors were standing around resting. The sailors noticed the fight and walked torwards the spectacle. It was a boring day that day with cleaning and just staring at the open waters so any form of entertainment was welcome.

"Me ducs' go to the Sebharii! He hits harder."

"10 pieces for the girl! She strike fast!" Said the sailors.

The sailors were throwing there Ducats on the floor and the 2 rival began to fight on like roosters in a cockpit.

"Your dinner Birdie!" Osgar taunted.

"I will shove your spear down your throat!" Churi yelled back.

And the fighters tackled each other and the brawl was on!

Little did they remember was that Yuki was still tied up to her room crying and shielding herself from all of the violence infront of her.

-----------------------------

Shimazaki Haruka had never had so much attention in her life. Men were flocking to her by the dozens. Perhaps it was her mysterious nature reeled them in or perhaps her exotic charm being a full-blooded Japanese young belle from Saitama. Maybe they were attracted by her salty nature, something rather unique and quite alluring to the Aurigan men who flocked to her.

"So Paruru, Ha Ha! I love that nickname, whats your favorite color?" A vanoran man said.

"Well, Black and White." Paru smiled back to the Vanoran politely hopefully to convince him that her tastes in the rainbow was bland as her nickname.

"Oh, I will remember to buy the finest black and white linen for you." the Vanoran enthusiastically said.

"My Lady, I would like to say you are the most beautiful pearl in all of the seas." A Bejewelled Headhunter knelt down.

"I thank you now can you leave me alone? I want to sit down for awhile." Paruru excused herself.

She ran down stairs to her quarters and sat down. She had been pampered with gifts by her suitors recently. She acquired silks, food and even a wooden carving of a woman eversince her newfound status was given to her thanks to her little brother. Paruru sighed and was about to fall asleep when a familiar growl was heard.

"Ulrich! Hey boy.... how are you doing?" Paruru spread her arms and hugged Ulrich.

Ulrich was by far the most honest and amusing of Rainoric's Bodyguards. Ulrich also likes to be around Paruru because of her hair and her 'scent'.
"Ulrich...like Salty...me.... want to find gift for Salty one day....Salty....Ulrich's new friend." He stuttered. Ulrich's mentally damaged brain reminds Paruru of her former title as AKB's Ponkutsu. And Salty, her nickname given by the 'Young Wolf' echoes her past. She shed a single tear and it fell down.

"Ulrich's new friend....eyes bled....you hurt?" Ulrich noticed Paruru's tears.

"Oh, no....uhm..yes....no....*sigh*...yes....Salty hurt" Paruru slouched down from her seat. Ulrich walked upto Paruru and lay down on her lap like a restful dog.

"Where....is Salty hurt?" Ulrich asked.

"In here....my kokoro....heart..." Paruru began to tear up.. She tried to hold them back but they were overwhelmed with emotions and Paru just couldn't hold it anymore. She began to let it all out, the tears falling down on Ulrich's bare and scared skin. Ulrich couldn't understand what Paru was going through so instinctively (due to his Tetike blood transfusion) he rubbed his wolf coat's head on Paru's chest.

"Why....you....bleeding on eyes.....who hurt....you?" He asked as he continued to comfort Paru.

"I just miss my home Ulrich-chan.... I just miss everything. Do you ever miss home Ulrich?" Paruru asked.

"Ulrich home is were friends is .....family too! Rainoric...Wulfgar....Osss...gar..... are home.....Home is ......where people.....accept...you as.....you......are.....Master.....accepts Ulrich....because he is...brave...strong.... loyal...." Ulrich said.

Paruru scratched the top of Ulrich's Wolf Coat where is head rests on and scratched it to comfort herself. She felt better as she did.

"Ulrich... I....don't know about what you said. When I was back at Japan. I was always called 'Ponkutsu'. I can't do anything right. I was often bullied, picked on and even beaten because of that. Nobody ever accepts me for what I am." Paruru sadly said to Ulrich.

"No! Salty say....no true....you have people who accept...you.....Tiny Girl and Rainoric's Freundin."

"Tiny girl and Rainoric's Freundin? What's a 'Freundin'?" Paruru's tearful eyes were replaced with question marks.

"Your...friend....Takamina...tiny...girl....Freundin....means girl lover..."

"Girl lover? Of Master Rainoric? Who?"

"Sakura....Sakura....she....is...together with...Master....talk....alot...listens....alot..." Ulrich said.

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Paruru asked.

"Ulrich always listen...Sakura...likes....teaching....about...love....kindness...thinking happy....with Master....Master likes...listen to...Sakura.... Ulrich respects....Sakura....makes Master.....wise...."

"Really? I thought he was just, a cold-hearted. man...ghost....monster...thing."

"Master is no monster....Rainoric.....just....different....Broken Lords.....Salians.....different.....they....think.... not like...anyone....yet knows better than everyone...... People follow Salians and Eadwulf.....cuz People....want to be strong....Salians are strong....teach how to....to people....people follow them after....Salians teach....vigilance....be own man....grab destiny....improve...strengthen...fight...resilience....Ulrich knows...these....Ulrich strong! Salty girl should...be strong...like Ulrich."

"Eh? Really? Perhaps I was wrong about the Gimaelics."

"Salty...need more...teaching....Salty no want to be weak....The weak....dies fast....Salty wants to be strong....Salty no more tears....Salty has friends....Takamina...Sakura....brother Hayato....and me." Ulrich curled up and began to nap on Haruka's lap.

Haruka, now cheered up, smiled as she continued to scratch Ulrich's head.

----------------------------------------

Takamina absolutely hates boats. The seabreeze and the heat of the sun constantly barrage her sensitive skin making her shiver or sweat most of the time. She would sit in the shaded areas or just be near the ship's kitchen where the warmth of the 'Soup of the day' is the only sensation she can tolerate.

"Oy! Hands off yer dirty hands near the soup! E' makes it tastes bad." The chef said to her. The cook took away to pot from Takamina and she was left in the cold again.

Shivering and tippy-toeing deeper down to the ship, Takamina soon encountered several of Gizzur's men.

"Hey, its the midget lady. What are you doin' here?" A Bejewelled man asked.

"I was looking for a place to sit down." Takamina replied.

"Well, Gizzur just made his room into a workshop, I think the boss won't mind if you sit around for awhile on his satin chair. Just don't touch anything, he's been hard at work on some project he never tells us about."

Takamina walked into Gizzur's room and just as the man told her, Gizzur made what space he could into his own workshop. There were tools, jewelry and drawings scattered around the room and Gizzur, not wearing his armor but a dark reddish brown tunic with bronze highlights on the bordering areas.

(Like this)

Takamina spotted the satin chair near her and sat down. A slight cushioning sound was heard that alerted Gizzur to her prescence.

"Minami Takahashi, the fiery ruby who rallied the Vanorans. Welcome to my workshop." Gizzur turned around from his work table. On the table was a strange looking necklace of not of any origin that Takamina knows of.

"What's that necklace over there?" Takamina asked about Gizzur.

"Oh, its a project that Eslek and Rainoric told me to do. Its a very special necklace. It is of Endless origin." Gizzur replied.

"The Endless, Sakura told be about them. They were the Broken Lord's masters before they went extinct right?"

"Correct! When there was an Endless Empire, the Endless made several vaults and temples hidden around Auriga. They contain so much treasures, secrets and knowledge lost throughout milleniums. They are however, locked. And this necklace, once I get this bloody drawing right, will unlock every one of them."

"Like a key?"

"Yes indeed. But this will take alot of time. The schematics have to be translated by Eslek and Im the only man in Auriga who can make these kinds of dangerous stuff."

"Dangerous? What do you mean? The keys are dangerous?"

"Yes, if I get the inscription, moulding or gem cut wrong, then when the key is used in an Endless ruins, either every y trap imaginable ever created will fall on you or... the whole place blows up!"

"Eh?!? Really? Rainoric must really trust you with this."

"Yes, getting a Salian's trust is hard to obtain, let alone his respect. If you can, help me get these stuff when we reach Baizan. It will help my research alot." Gizzur passed a list of several items to Takamina.

The list of items were translated for her and they seem the kind of things a run in the marketplace would suffice.

"Ok, well good luck on your key bracelet...thing."

"Im calling it 'Halskette project'. If your askin, no run along. I work better when people aren't staring at me." Gizzur showed the door to Takamina.

"And don't let the severed head scare you on your way out." He added.

Takamina looked up from the door's upper part to see a severed head adorned. It's eyes were sewn shut and his tongue was made a 'necktie' through a hole in his neck.

After a brief jump scare from the Gizzur's grissly choice of decor, Takamina found herself outside again.

"*sigh* I guess im going to-----ittai!" Takamina bumped her head onto the scale armored chest of an Antesignani. She was knocked down to the floor and a small bruise erupted from her head.

"Hey... 'Little General'? You ok?" the familiar voice of Isiaja said to the dizzied Takamina.

"Ouch...my head.....Isiaja-san....you seemed in a....hurry...what's up?" Takamina replied still recollecting herself and fighting off her bruise.

"What's up? Uhm...well....I was looking for you exactly... I need help training some of the Skutatoi. You see most of them are survivors from Ydeli and I need a drill master right now. You up for it with you and your little 'shout crossbow' thing you have?" Isiaja asked.

"You mean my megaphone? Ok, but I could use an umbrella, the sun is beating on me."

"Yeah me too, but Belisarius won't let me take it off. Up you go." Isiaja helped Takamina up and they both walked upstairs.

------------------------------------------------

Osgar took a mean left hook from the raging rooster known as Takayanagi 'Churi' Akane. His mouth was bleeding, arms are sweating and his eyes must have cuts. They have been brawling for 30 minutes now. They were forced to take some time off to recuperate since the sailors wanted to keep the fight as long as possible. The prolonged fight must have been getting into both of them as fatigue slowed them down and weakened them. But neither man (or woman) won't settle down 'till the other is down on the floor begging for mercy.

"I bet your skin will taste wonderful when roasted on a pit." Osgar taunted.

"Your going to have a baaaaaddd time shepherd boy." Churi insulted back.

A bell rang and both fighters raised their right hands and charged with a stoned fist on them. But as they were about to have their fist impact the others face to further break it, two large hands grabbed both of their heads and smashed them face first to eachother nearly caving in both of their noses.

"Fights over you lazy wretches! Get back to work!" Wulfgar yelled at all the sailors.

The sailors quickly gathered there gambled money and ran off.

"Dumme kinder immer über einfache dinge kämpfen."  Wulfgar said with disgust. He dragged the knocked out and nosebled bodies of away where noone won't trip on them.

As he dragged them through the wooden floor making creaking noises with every step, the Huscarl heard a faint sound. It then followed by sniffs and broken inhales. It was the rarely seen human emotion state that was called 'Crying'. After setting aside Osgar and Churi on a near by bed together. Wulfgar investigated the sound.

It came from what was Osgar's room, he remembered that he was treating a woman that  his master's friend Sakura told him was called 'Yuki'. A tall girl with a beautiful face and dyed brunette hair to match. Was she crying?

Wulfgar slowly opened Osgar's door and gently stepped into the room. He saw Yuki sitting down crying on her knees. Her hair was over her body veiling her almost completely saved for her arms.

"Hey, your Yuki.... right? Osgar and your friend Sakura told me about you." Wulfgar said softly as his gruff voice could.

"*sniff* You sound big....*sniff* who are you?" Yuki tearfully asked.

"Wulfgar Bjornsson, also known as 'the Tower'. You alright?" Wulfgar let out his hand to Yuki.

As Yuki looked up to grab it she soon found out what exactly Wulfgar was. She recoiled and crawled backwards to a corner.

"G-g-get away from me....DON'T GO NEAR ME YOU....KAIJU....MONSTER!" Yuki screamed.

Wulfgar tried to get closer to Yuki but he it only made Yuki cower even more.

"Im, a friend, don't worry. Uhm how about this." Wulfgar threw away his axe to the floor and sat down on the floor across where Yuki is.

His posture was gentle looking yet his Broken Lord's Glow made him stand out from the darkness.

"So, what got you pissed off this mornin'?" Wulfgar asked.

"Its....Baizan.....its...." Yuki stuttered, her tongue slipping because she mentally refuses to say more words of her chosen destination.

"Oh, I get it. Osgar must have told you Baizan is a Penal Colony. What exactly are you scared off there?"

"The prisoners... they might... hurt me..."

"Don't worry about them, they are usually in the Shipyard going under force labor. You won't be going anywhere near there, I assure you. As Sakura told me."

"Sakura....she...told you?"

(Flashback)

"Wulfgar, its about Yuki, she still scared of being with the Gimaelics after what they did to her back on Earth." Sakura said while sitting down on a chair while opening sealed letters and passing them to Rainoric who lazily grabbed them with his arm.

"Aye, I have heard of your friend whom you say lives in the same city or 'prefecture' as you say. I just can't believe im now taking orders from a slave girl." Wulfgar said while kneeling down due to his master's prescence.

"'Slave girl' is something I shall omit myslef from saying. I trust Sakura alright, she just something....that was missing in me... I also find her smart and efficient unlike most meat heads I meet." Rainoric cussed while working on some official documents.

"Rainoric, no cussing..." Sakura rebuked, a angry looking face arised from Sakura's head as she devilishly looked at Rainoric.

"A'right, sorry. *turns to the letter he grabbed*. Hey, its from father. Its says, he just finished raiding earth again and he is giving me some of the loot he got when we arrive in Baizan, IN PERSON." He said.

"Really? I can't wait to greet him again. I bet he has lots of stories to tell us all of his adventures of his journey across the Nocturnal Sea*."  Wulfgar said as he stood up.

"Remember, the reason why I trust you more than Osgar is that Osgar can, get 'henjin' crazy when he is with girls. And your and honest man and Rainoric trusts you with his life---"

"Immortal! Immortal life!" Rainoric interrupted Sakura.

"Immortal life, so I trust you. Please make sure Yukirin-senpai is going to be ok when we reach this... 'Penal Colony' you say." Sakura said.

"The Vanorans would spit at you if you say 'Baizan is just a Penal Colony in the middle of the f***king ocean. Its like that Earth city you call...Ma--cau? Gambling dens, brothels, restaurants and tours to the volcano. You'll love it there. Its quite, 'romantic' or what in Japanese would say 'romanchikku'. I hope I got the Japanese right."

"Your speech was good, you deserved a pat on the head later."  Sakura said.

"So I have my orders, protect your friend Yukirin and make sure Osgar doesn't sh** himself on the wh**** when we get there. Got it." Wulfgar stood up and a was about to leave when Sakura stopped him.

"In case Yukirin, doesn't believe in you. Take this, she will know it was from me." Sakura took of her hairpin and placed it on the leather skinned hands of Wulfgar.

Wulfgar fistbumped his chest and bowed which is the Gimaelic way of saying 'Thy will be done' and left Rainoric and Sakura's private quarters.

(End Flashback)

"And so she gave me this. Will you trust me?" Wulfgar threw the hairpin that Sakura gave him across the room to Yuki.

Yuki grabbed the pin, her eyes red from thre crying and now she felt like a guardian angel was now protecting her. A 'Tower' that would protect her from all harm and danger. A knight in shining armor for the princess.

Yuki took Wulfgar's hand stared at him. Despite having no eyes of his own, Yuki knows he was sincere.

"So, well now that im now your Huscarl and Rainoric's, Can I know you more than just your name?" Wulfgar asked.

"Well let's sit down. My favorite-----" Yuki said away her story and likes and dislikes to Wulfgar as he listens to her.

-----------------------------

(The next morning)

"Waaahhh..... I can't smell if im clean or not....because of you!" Churi said while placing an icepack on her head.

"Oh -a-doodle-doo, what am I gonna do? S*** myself? A child hits better than you." Osgar yelled back while placing another wrapping of bandages up his almost destroyed nasal cartilage.

Just as they were about to argue and possibly fight again, Rena came in.

"So im going back to the Island now, im nervous...." Rena quietly said.

"Why?" Churi asked.

"Well, its this, as soon as we get there Im going to search for Jurina and Airin. They must still be there and I want to ask from you and Takamina, can you help me find them?"

"Well, that might be a hiccup, who exactly enslaved you anyway?" Osgar asked.

"Well, he had many ritually made scars all over his skin, a bit fat, has piercings over---"

"Wait! Scars? Piercings? Im sorry Rena, but your friends could be mindless f**k toys and scarring dolls for the Ardent Mages by now." Osgar interrupted.

"Ardent Mages? Who are they?" Churi asked.

"Well thank Godan you never heard of them untill now. These guys are in a way, like the Broken Lords when it comes to spell castin. But there spells are weak compared to a Broken Lord's mastery of Dust. They make up for that by scarring themselves often in rituals to enhance there arcane powers. A circle of exiled mages live in Baizan if I recall. I think they are called 'the Kelebihan Circle' a group of bloody and scar-ridden freaks. They have and still are after their exile, makin seedy business like brothels, gamblin' haus and smoking dens. I hear they always keep a fresh batch of girls that they buy off of the market on cheap sell and then work them untill the poor lass breaks. Then they would drain out all of her life from her body the same way Broken Lords do." Osgar explained.

"Then we need to find them before its too late! I made a promise to Jurina and Airi before they were taken away!" Rena shouted

(Flashback)

"Airi? Airi!! Where are you?!"

Jurina and Rena lost Airi as they were wondering through the town. They started to panic as they weren't as familiar with the city as any of the locals.

"Airi!"

Then upon hearing a scream, Rena sharply turned to find a body laying there as one man beat them with what look like a stick.

"You dare deny me, lass?"

"I-I'm not working for scum l-like y-you..--"

"Pfft~ I'll just beat you, with this. These Earthlings are worthless..."

"Earthlings?" Rena thought. That was when she needed to intervene. She ran to the men who were beating up an innocent person, for who knows why.

"Rena, wait--!"

Jurina's warnings were one second too late.

"Hey! Hey, you!"

Rena walked towards the attacker, whom had multiple scars covering his body, face, arms and legs.

Jurina couldn't help but to walk closer and upon looking at the beaten figure, it was the person that they had being looking for.

"Airin!" Jurina couldn't contain her concern for the older girl, "Rena, go distract them, I'll get Airin!"

"Oh no you don't..." Another voice said.

Then about a half dozen men or more appeared from the alley ways surrounding the 3 girls. They men were either shirtless or sleevless tops which exposed there scars. They looked menacingly at Rena and Jurina.

"Well, Well, fresh meat.... *sniff* exotic meat if I may be corrected. Im going to have fun breaking you..." One of them said. He was rather plump in width and he looked scary even if you remove his scars. His scars began to glow blue as Dust energies filled the intricate lines of his body.

Rena was astonished by what she was seeing infront of her. What kind of people are these aliens? Was she being sent to a metaphorical helll of sorts? Is she and her friends destined to be slaves to these... Sub-human....'things'?

"You... Bastards!" Jurina yelled before clenching her first and charging at the fat man.

But the man blinked behind Jurina and held her ertedly.

"Such...succculent...skin...." The man creepingly said. Before Jurina's neck.

Rena turned around to see Airi was being dragged away from them. Her face was bloodied as if dead and her eyes were closed.

"I call dibs on the long haired one." One of the people that surrounded her said. He went close to Rena and grabbed her wrist.

Not wanting to be taken away to be a pleasure slave by evil men, Rena kicked the man in the groin which loosened the man's grip on her. She turned around and ran.

"Get her!" the man said.

Then the men conjured there dust powers. Some of them had whips while other were shooting plasma like missles. The whips cracked her skin and some of the missled hit their marks.

Rena dashed through a nearby jungle that was near the village she ran away from hoping to get away from her abusive masters. They had violated in all degrees in both physically and mental aspects.

She ran until she found an abandoned mausoleum. She got in with her slavers still hot on her heels.

"I need to get away. Never again" Rena thought to herself.

"Find her! Spread out! She is getting a thousand lashes for this!" A gruff man's voice was heard. Rena's snow white skin was tainted with innumerable amounts of scars and bruises. She then saw that the tomb in the Mausoleum was loose enough to have a weak bodied human like her to push out. Quickly pushing the cover put as quietly as she could. She went in.

When laid down she felt the dust of the tombs occupant move up as she tried to make herself comfortable in her hiding place. She felt on her back a silky robe was separating her from the remains.
The girl then held her breath as she heard footsteps...

"I swore! I heard a sound from here!" Said a man.

As she tried to not make a sound, a strange sticky sensation was felt by her. The Black silk robe began to literally stick on her body. And first covered her back then her arms and then her head was now slowly making her wear the robes.

"No....No....pls....pls........Death......Death......I......no.....Jurina......I......must.........SEEK YOUR DEATH!!!" Rena now cloaked in Black leaped out of the tomb to the surprise of her pursuers.

"By the Gods! Its a..."  A man stuttered

"Death Seeker! I see your sins.... the death of countless slaves are in your blood....your sentence is.....DEATH!" The girl jumped and conjured a black Dust bow with arrows whose heads were as large as an axe's blade and shot through the neck decapitating those targeted. The Death Seeker girl's hands then unleashed hidden blades as long as swords and stabbed the survivors.

As their blood spilled she tasted them as if she was sipping wine. A satisfied and psychotic grin was dressed from her uncovered mouth as the last of her hunters now hunted had his stomach and guts ripped out by the Raven headed girl's new blades.

She stood up from the grisly art of assassination she had just created and began to laugh maniacally.

"He...he...he....ha...ha...more.....more.....death....must....find...more...sinners....to...SEEK.....I....want.....blood!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!"

(End Flashback)

"And that's how I became Samhane Haligtide." Rena said ending her story. Tears fell on her eyes as she leaned her head to Churi who comforted her by patting her head.

"Its ok Rena-sama, We will find them." Churi assured her.

Osgar minded his own bussiness as he saw the 2 girls hugging each other. He stood up and walked away.

----------------------------------

Belisarius woke up when a ray of sunshine shot towards his closed eyes breaking the darkness that was his sleep. He opened his eyes to see that it was non-other than Miyuki who woke him up by opening the curtains in his private quarters.

"Wake up Bel-kun!" Milky cheerfully greeted him.

"Miyu, your cheerful today... What's happening with you?" Belisarius asked.

"Well, nothing really. Im usually like this during the morning." Miyuki said. She sat down at Belisarius bed and smile at him as he rise up and put on his sandal for his remaining foot and grabbed his crutch..

As he walked he noticed he saw the same box of drugs that he keeps. He constantly has to struggle his urges to not whiff even a bit of them. But thanks to Miyuki's help, he was able to fight it. Anger then arose from Belisarius as he grabbed the box and ran outside.

Concerned, Miyuki followed hastily for Belisarius. Belisarius when to the main deck of the ship and stood near the edge of the railings that seperated him and the azure ocean infront of him. Mustering all of his strength he threw the box outside the ship. The box created a huge splash and floated for awhile before it eventually sank. Belisarius screamed loudly until his voice was hoarse from dehydration. He sat down and leaned on the railings catching his breath.

Miyuki, who witnessed Belisarius' 'Declaration of Independence', ran up to Belisarius and hugged him and shedded a few tears.

"Im so proud of you Bel-kun. I made a promise I won't stop believing you can do it and you did." She whispered gently to his hear.

Belisarius tucked Miyuki closer to him and smiled. He then did something Miyuki didn't expect from the Magister Equites, he kissed her in the cheek.

Miyuki's eye's widened after she was pecked by Belisarius. She blushed and looked at Belisarius in the eyes. He was smiling and showing his teeth. He laughed and then kissed Miyuki again in the forehead which made Miyuki blush harder.

"Thanks for everything so far Miiyuki. I felt, better now." He said.

"That's good, but you other leg? How are you going to ride a horse now?" Miyuki asked.

"Did the party got you drunk last time? I know a doctor in Baizan who can help me. Just try not to freak out when you meet him ok? Or accidentally kick him, he's dwarfish to say the least." Belisarius replied.

They then embraced each other to make the most out of this auspicous moment in there time together. For once in Miyuki's life, she has done something truly wonderful other than singing and being the object of affection and admiration to the millions of her fans.

"Hey, Magister, are you...uhm....." A voice said breaking the embrace.

It was Isiaja and other Skutatoi who just woke up for their morning training drills. Pushing aside Miyuki, Belisarius stood up to show the Antesignani he is of authority despite wearing his nightwear and holding a crutch.

Isiaja and the other Skutatoi saluted Belisarius and proceded to their positions. Takamina also just got out of bed and walked outside. She had a wooden stick with her and was clad in a Vanoran commoner's robe.

"Legio! Attention! Get ready for an inspection." Takamina barked.

The Vanorans lined up in a vertical line with their hands behind their backs and chest forward and upright.

Isiaja, being the most senior of the Vanoran Legionnaire and second only to Belisarius walked beside the formation of Skutatoi and brushed along them and stared at them intently. He was looking at their posture overall appearance of their discipline. Then out of the blue, he punched one of the soldiers to the abdomen.

The man flinched slightly but regained his composture.

"Excellent form Lucillius." Isiaja commented.

Lucillius saluted silently before getting back into his uniformed stance.

After Isiaja finished inspecting the men, He stepped back and grabbed himself another wooden stick. He knocked the floor with it to declare an announcement.

"Skutatoi! Today's drills are one-on-one sparring. Grab a partner and get some space with him. I want to see your shields crack! And also, we have a new Drill Sargeant who will be assisting me today. Minami Takhashi, she has been trained to know what should every formation, stance and everything by the book! So don't even bother making her a fool. Dismissed!" The Antesignani yelled.

The Skutatoi scrambled to get a partner. Most of them got their best friends while a handful were paired in the 'Recruit-Veteran' combination.

Takamina was in charged to oversee 4 pairs due to her first time on the job.

"Ok everyone, ready? Begin!" She said.

The Skutatoi began there drills immediately, it was a spectacle to see by everyone in the ship. Miyuki felt like she was watching a play as the soldiers fought like they were on a stage. Wood was cracked, grunts were exhaled, whips were snapped and the barking's of Drill Sargeants were heard.

"Don't slouch! You will leave your head open." Takamina said. She gently tapped the back of the lackadaisical soldier who quickly fixed his posture.

She then signaled the pair to continue sparring.

"They are doing well, like they should." Belisarius said to Antesignani.

"They seem to be better drilled wuth Takamina. Despite her inexperience and hasty introduction, she's a natural Drill Sargeant." Isiaja replied.

"Well that's because Takamina actually does have experience training people." Miyuki butted in.

"Really? Like?" Belisarius asked.

"Well she is the type of leader you would respect, fear and someone to look up to. Whenever me and my friends were sad or upset, Takamina would walk towards us and ask what's wrong. She has a caring side to her. But don't get her on her badside. She maybe slow to anger but when she is mad, you better watch out!" Miyuki replied.

"A Drill Sargeant who genuinely cares for the people under her tutelage. I think she would fit well." Isiaja said.

They looked on to Takamina as she continued to train the Vanoran Legionairres with the upmost discipline.

"HIYA!" They all yelled as they struck their training swords.

-----------------------------------

(a few hours later)

"Storm's coming! All hand's on deck!" The man on top of the lookout post of the ship cried.

It was already midway into the journey as sailors scrambled to prop the ship for the oncoming windy onslaught. Rain and wind quickly blitzed the ship as everyone struggled to keep their footing so they won't fall off the ship (which was a common hazzard if your a sailor and its a pretty bad way to go if you drown in the middle of a storm).

"Cut those ropes! No man goes overboard!" Belisarius yelled while holding onto a railing.

Meanwhile Sakura and her friends were dugged in deep below the ship praying that the ship would make it through.

"Don't worry Yukirin, Bel-kun and the sailors know what they are doing." Miyuki comforted Yukirin.

"That doesn't help me." Yukirin said.

"A f*** My head is rolling again." Osgar complained about the turbulence.

"Keep your head together Osgar." Wulfgar said.

"Should we call of the Sea King hunt master? Storm's makes for bad hunting conditions." Eslek advised.

Rainoric grumbled, he had waited for months to get this moment and now his chance was spoiled by a storm. Sakura grasped his hand to relax him. His anger soothed, he became quiet.

Silence surrounded the room as everyone nervously waited for the storm to pass.

Then.... suddenly.....Rainoric twitched turbulently.

"I-I-I hear...something....shhh...." He shushed everyone.

He looked towards Wulfgar and signal gestured him. Rainoric pointed his index finger on the side of his helmet/head which means 'listen carefully'.

Wulfgar concentrated his hearing. Broken Lords have very good hearing abilities, they are capable of hearing both infrasonic and ultrasonic soundwaves at farther distances than those of flesh and bone.

"Oh im getting f****** in the here!" Rainoric dashe off outside with Wulfgar following closely.

"What is he talking about?" Paruru asked worringly.

"I don't know Salt-san. Sakura, your the only person that can get some answers from him." Takamina said.

Sakura walked outside to be greeted by strong winds and rain the touched her skin like dull bullets. The sailors were shouting and struggling to keep the boat from tipping over and sinking it to a watery grave 20,000 leagues under the sea.

"Pull you worthless scum!" Isiaja yelled to the Skutatoi as they pulled a rope that was tied to a sail on one of the ship's mast. They didn't noticed Sakura pass by as the were grunting, yelling and screaming in pain due to the excessive task they were exerting on.

Sakura walked carefully while covering her face from the strong winds, taking care not to slip less she would slide and hit herself in the head. Her light frame was like a leaf to the winds as they continue to gush ever harder.

Sakura suddenly lost her footing and tumbled towards the railings and fell over.

'No! I don't want to die like this!' Her head said to her. Time seems to slowdown to a near stop as Sakura felt weightless. Her body tilted directly facing the violent waters beneath her. The laws of time seemed to slowly then return to normal. Sakura clenched her hands and placed them together to her chest. A tear went to her eye and then she closed her eyes as she accepted her fate.....

-

--

----

Then at the very last moment, a strong grip grasped Sakura's right foot. It was firm yet gentle enough to not accidentally crush her fragile limbs.

"The bloody hell are you doing out here!?!" The Voice Rainoric roared in confused anger.

He... saved me? This 'monster' saved me? Sakura thought for a moment on this sudden realization.

"Answer me Sak!" He shouted to her again. His voice was almost as loud as the storm that raged around them.

"Back in the cabin, you heard something. My friends got scared and I know when you run off its usually something urgent." Sakura replied.

"Best I show you." Rainoric replied. He pulled Sakura back into the ship.

"Hold my hand and don't let go." He said to her. They dashed towards the bow of the ship. Wulfgar was already there looking forward at the path of where the ship is moving on its course to.

Rainoric, still clenching Sakura's hand, then walked towards long the wooden pole on the front part of the ship called the 'dolphin striker'. He let go of Sakura's hand and quickly grabbed the wooden pole. Sakura hugged her hands around Rainoric's waist for dear life as the wind became even more enraged. Wulfgar soon followed behind them and held his hands on a nearby railing.

"By Godan! This can't be happening right now!" Wulfgar said. Panic was in his tone which was unusual for someone like him to say.

"What is it? What are we doing here?" Sakura asked Rainoric.

Rainoric was silent. He only pointed forward with his finger prompting Sakura to concentrate her eyes towards that direction. As she continued to struggle to see through the fog that the storm created. A loud shrieking noise was heard.

"I have been waiting for 10 millenias to kill you..." Rainoric said. He then unsheathed 'Ulfberth from its scabbard.

"Is it the 'Sea King'?" Sakura asked.

"Not just that..."Rainoric then nudged his head back towards the ship's direction.

Sakura again focused her eyes again. This time she now knows what caused Wulfgar and Rainoric to be so distressed about.

It was a Whirlpool! Its spinning torrents gushed down to an eye that was as dark as the night sky. It was quickly the 'Dragon of the Seas' into its vortex.

Sakura's heart raced as the nightmare was not yet over just yet. Her fear pierced her thoughts like knives as she shivered in terror.

"Wulfgar, keep Sakura safe. I need to get to Belisarius." Rainoric ordered.

Wulfgar went to Sakura and secured her and himself with the railings and any holding they can get there hands on.

Rainoric, dashed carefully on the wet wooden deck towards Belisarius who was at the Stern of the ship. Brushing pass the sailors and resisting the strength of the wind effortlessly, he made it to the otherside without any slip-ups.

He saw Belisarius and several of his men were trying to steer the ship out of the violent waves as best as they could. Their faces were red from all of their efforts and their clothes were as wet as clothes fresh from a washing machine.

"Belisarius! Watch out on bow side!" Rainoric yelled.

"Why? I got my hands full with the waves already." Belisarius replied.

"Well we got more problems than that. Ship's getting into a f****** whirlpool!"

"Bull****! This ocean is not known for having whirlpools...except...." Belisarius soon realised the greates nightmare of any Aurigan seaman was being played right in front of him.

"Captain! Starboard! Look at the size of her!" A sailor exclaimed.

Rainoric turned around to see what was there on that side of the ship. He stood up to the railings and held a piece of rope to keep him balanced and looked on.

It was the 'Sea King'! In all of its majestic size and glory. Its tentacles were menacingly long and was infused with Yellow Dust as if he was channeling a spell.

"Bollocks! He's channeling the energies to make this damn storm!" Rainoric yelled.

"He is? What are going to---- hey it dived back into the water." The sailor said.

The Sea King, dissapeared from view and swam back into the ocean. A large splash followed by a visible trail of sea foam which was gave away its position for as long the sea foam lasted.

"What's it doing?" the sailor asked confused.

Rainoric fighting back the limited visibility was able to get a lock on the Sea King's swimming direction.

"ITS HEADING STRAIGHT AT US!!!! BRACE! BRACE! BRACE! BRACE!!!!!!" Rainoric yelled before tightly holding the rope.

(To be continued)