The Skycleaver had been docked for only an hour or so. Mashyuu had dressed in his classic pirate garb, black slacks with matching boots, a black padded vest, red gloves and a black trench coat that had a space for his white feathered wings to push out of. His whip blade was wrapped around his waist like a belt, his cane sword in one hand, he stepped to the main deck of the Skycleaver and took a deep breath of the salty air. On either side of the ship were two small islands with tall mountains atop each island. The islands needed to be scouted to make sure that the crew was safe and didn't have anyone to worry about. While he trusted Harley and Sky, the pair along with Madori had been making sure the ship stayed on course the entire trip.

He mulled it over for a moment then looked around for Elias, the man Mashyuu brought on to be the crew's Marksman. "Elias my boy! You and I are going out on a trip to that island, we are gonna climb to the top of it and scout out the small mountain. I want to make sure we are safe here. If there isn't anyone, we are going to the next island, get your gear and meet me at the gang plank!" Mashyuu shouted.

Harley wandered over to Mashyuu's side and leaned against the rail of the ship. "We need to think about getting someone strong to stay here and keep the ship safe when we dock..." Harley complained. "What are you talking about? I've got you and Sky... But I get it. I'll see if we can't find a cabin boy or something." Mashyuu agreed. Sky waved over at the pair and Mashyuu wandered over towards her. "What's up?" "Well I'll tell you what isn't up, we have no cannons on this bad boy and you're a blacksmith, maybe you can craft one, or like.... six. So you know, we can fire them!" Mashyuu winced at her sudden scream. "I don't have the supplies for that right now, I'll work on it. You and Harley make me a list of things we need and I'll take care of it." Mashyuu ran his left hand through his shaggy hair and waited for Elias so the duo could make way to the first island that was covered in a small forest before hitting mountain ranges.

"Captain Mashyuu...my...captain?" He tried to address Mashyuu in the same way that Mashyuu addressed him. He had been busy up to this point in time, trying to mark a part of the Sky Cleaver as an area where he could make a small garden. He was going to make that garden one way or another, but it seemed that would have to be happening another time. Mashyuu wanted to go out on to one of the islands of Jordsand immediately and start exploring.

In his mind he was groaning, he didn't want to do this. He wanted to start making a garden for his seeds here on the Skycleaver. Instead, he simply replied with a deadpan, "Aight." He shrugged and sighed inside of his mind. This was going to be one of those days wasn't it? After Mashyuu addressed him, Elias went to find his own private room here on the Skycleaver, having made a part of the ship just for him. It was filled with his stuff, and it had a lot of paper, and a few potted plants. What he came to this room for was that hooded jacket, his slingshot and his satchel filled with his pop green seeds.

Once he had everything, Elias made his way out on to the deck and on to the gangplank. "Soooo, Captain. Why me? I mean, there are others on the ship just as suited if not better suited." He might have been quirky, he may be eccentric, he may even be somewhat of an odd ball. But he wasn't too confident in terms of his power compared to others on the boat. When you have someone that can teleport anything within a given area, someone who can turn in to magma, someone who can contort gravity, seeds that popped in to different stuff didn't really stick out.

Maybe this excursion out on the islands of Jordsand could prove to be a confidence booster for the Wayward Wordsmith.

A friendly smile spread on Mashyuu's face while he pulled his white and red mask out of his jacket pocket and placed it over his eyes, keeping his fingers placed to his forehead he simple shook his head side to side at the question Elias gave. "Simple, because out of everyone on this ship, you and I have spent the most time in the forest and you might know the most about getting around without being seen since you're on the run from an entire group of people. Besides I've spent the least amount of time with you and as your Captain I need to make sure of a few things." He continued on by placing a hand on his crewmate's shoulder. "Now if you don't believe in yourself, believe in the me, that believes in you." Mashyuu assured Elias of his confidence and started to walk down the gang plank to the first island.

Once the pair had broken the tree line and he was sure the duo were not being followed by the others, Mashyuu glanced down at the shorter man, clearly not showing any fear of wild life or dangers in the forest and calmly asked a simple question. "Why are you so unsure of yourself? You're a capable man and skilled at what you do. I don't see a reason to be so... hmm what's the word.... I don't understand why you seem so uneasy about things. Life is too short to live like that, so tell me what's up." Mashyuu asked while stepping over a large log and making a face that looked like he hated being in the forest even though he was the one who started to walk through it towards a large mountain...

He had skills? He had worth? Well, sure, but, in a combat scenario, like, any combat scenario, he only had a limited amount of power. he needed more seeds to have more power, and even then there was a finite amount.  It frustrated the Wayward Wordsmith all the more as he had to come up with something that he could do to be more viable in a combat scenario. Maybe he could grow himself a new weapon?

"So captain's orders 'cause we haven't seen hide nor tail of one another? That's kind of a lazy roundabout way about it don't ya think Captain? But alright, orders are orders. I agreed to come with you, so I go where you say. But I draw the line at going Okama to sneak in to someone's stronghold, I've read too many books about that, and nuh uh, not gonna happen. i'm putting it out there now!"

As he said that he strolled down off of the gang plank, walking out on tot he slightly stony ground. The island was able to support plant life despite large stone deposits. Already, he was considering just how the plant life adapted to live on this island. "Well this world is not a cookie cutter template Captain. Every island has a different set of rules for its plants based on the weather and geography. I need to take some time to study all of these new plants, and, you know, make sure I can work with them."

He rolled his shoulders backwards, bending at the top of his spine and rolled his head around to crack his spine and neck, only to twist hard to the left and then to the right, getting the lower portion of his backbone to snap and crackle several times. "Lead the way oh captain my captain."

"I come from the sky, the plants up there would blow your mind. But you're avoiding my question." Mashyuu admonished Elias by taking his cane and cracking the boy on the forehead with it in a playful manner. "And yes, those are Captain's orders, I look at you like a little brother so I'll forgive the way you talk to me this time, but you need to start watching your tone. Don't undermine me on my ship like you did when we decided to come here. I'll treat you with the same amount of respect you give me. It's a give and take with me. Remember that.." Mashyuu said in an almost dark tone, as if he wouldn't put up with the way Elias had been, even though Mashyuu didn't really care.

The pair continued through the woods, Mashyuu careful to not get himself too dirty while he listened for any sign of human life, thus far he had heard nothing though. "Earlier you told Sky you had a woman to call a lover already, who is she? Is she in any danger now that you aren't around?" The Captain asked, not willing to give up the topic without an answer he would call satisfactory all while he marked trees with his cane blade to remind himself that he had been in any given section of the forest. "Don't you want to take some of the plant life here? We might not get a chance to do it later." Mashyuu muttered while he stopped and looked around for a good place to take a break from the walk, figuring Elias wasn't as used to walking long distances as Mashyuu had been.

"You know that if the marines have a strong hold here we are gonna have to rip it apart right? You're going to have to fight at some point. It's part of this life... I'll do my best to not let harm come to you guys but it happens sometimes. There might even come a time where we are killed. Just don't go down without a fight." Mashyuu clasped his friend by the shoulder and stood up, stretching his body to the point that his joints popped and he continued on until the duo came to a beaten path.

Mashyuu's eyes narrowed and his wings spread wide and flapped once, a sign of his suddenly going on edge. "Do you know of an animal that would suddenly make a path after not doing it for so long? Look it only goes one way, and some of the trees are chopped down... " Mashyuu pointed out a few thick tress that had been chopped with ax's and dragged off towards the mountain. "We are pretty deep in, whoever is here might have thought nobody else would be coming, we should move carefully from here on out. What way should we go?"

Forgiven for the way he talks to him? Elias winced one eye shut as he was whacked on the noggin. "Sorry Captain, but, I don't really have any control over when I have my little outbursts." He tapped the side of his head with his middle finger, lifting his thumb up like the hammer of a flintlock pistol. "Not exactly right up here. Never been. Never will unless I find a world class doctor that works on brains. My brain just decides to switch the emotional switch on me ya know! I go from cold and calculating, to jovial and ecstatic, to quiet and secluded. Wish I could fix it myself!"

Then Mashyuu brought up what he said to Sky earlier, the other day. Rubbing the back of his neck, there was a tinge of pink to his face as he considered how to say this to someone from another culture. "Yeah, well," He started to say as he walked off of the gangplank and started to head inland with the captain. "It's more like our parents decided for us from when we were little kids that we were going to get married. My father wants to do it to climb the social ladder and become a Celestial Dragon. Her father just wants to see his little girl happy because she fancies me."

"I fancy her too! Don't get me wrong. She's rambunctious, light hearted, has enough energy for three people, and she's rather cute in my opinion." He dug in to his jacket and pulled out a photo of a girl with brown hair tied back in to two ponytails, happily swinging a spear around in a flamboyant pose. "This is her. And no, she's in no danger, more like the town would be in danger because of how I left? She's a little protective." The way he said 'little' wasn't really convincing. They could talk more about her if Mashyuu wanted, but now it was on to the next topic.

"I do plan to collect some plant here, and cross breed it with one of mine, and leave that hybrid here. If I can successfully grow a plant on every island we visit, in every climate, I know I can grow my own island from scratch one day! And as for the marines, I know. I know I have to fight. Knowing my father, he'll use every little transgression against the government I make to pay even more money to ensure I am brought home alive, so that I can be put under permanent house arrest." He sighed, thinking about how boring of a life that would be.

"Oh, and none of you better die on my watch. I'd hate for an interesting story to end before it really begins. Can't write an odyssey about someone who dies within two weeks of meeting them." When mashyuu went on edge, Elias just folded his arms, clutching on to his chin with one hand as he bent at the waist to take a good look at the downed trees.

"Nah, someone's cutting these down. These are done by man. See here? This half of a wedge chunk one one side of the trunk? That's from an ax hitting it again and again. At some point, the weight on one side of the tree is too much and it collapses on to the carved out wedge.  Only question is, who the hell needs this many trees for up on the mountain." He was letting the botanist knowledge out, having worked with plants, he knew what it looked like when plants were damaged by animals and when they were damaged by humans.

A link to the picture that Elias showed Mashyuu

Mashyuu chuckled at Elias and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mind you speaking your mind, just do it with some respect for those who are trying to help you." Mashyuu admonished. The Captain looked down at the photo Elias showed him and smiled in a polite manner. "If you two care for one another, it doesn't matter how you met. Good for you. I hope everything works out Elias. She might have to join the crew though. I don't know if I can afford to let you go." Mashyuu winked at the botanist while wearing a smile.

Once Elias started to explain that the trees were cut by man Mashyuu nodded his head up and down and agreed. "That's what I mean. We need to be careful..." Mashyuu had been hunted before, felt like he had been all his life and marines made him uneasy. He had rarely felt as uneasy as he did at that exact moment. "We aren't alone. Elias, get to the base of the mountain and scout it out, I'm going to cover our tracks and I'll meet you there."

Mashyuu waited for Elias to move then flew up and grabbed a loose branch with lots of leaves on it and dropped back down. He didn't land though and instead went back the way he came by flight, when he came to the shore he started to dust and brush the tracks he and Elias had made with the branch of leaves until he was back to the path made by marines who cut trees down. When he was done he turned and flew towards the mountain to meet back up with Elias.....

Three quarters of the way up the mountain, there was a large slab of stone that was smooth and seemed like it was cut off instead of forming a natural peak. Running along the edges of this odd clearing were walls of wood, and a natural slant off to the left of the make shift fortress that led to a single opening guarded by four marines, wearing their normal white and blue attire two stood atop the ten meter wall with rifles, the two on the ground carried slightly curved blades known as cutlasses. Inside the marine camp were twenty tents, lining the walls, each tent could hold four soldiers and a fire pit rested in the center of the camp. To its right was a long table with a map of Jordsand held to it by rocks on each corner. Marines milled about, relaying information via den den mushi's, patrolling the tops of the walls and looking out to see if they could find any sort of disturbance but were at too odd of an angle to see the Skycleaver or right below them to the base of the mountain.

The familiar face of Captain Stein stood near the map pointing at the mainland and a few open spots that had tiny islands around the mainland. "Lets get word to set up ten men sniper teams, here, here, there and here. Five watching the water, five watching the mainland. So twenty men on each island so they can work in shifts. People have already gotten off the Island with little samples of the stone and we can't have anyone else doing that. This is going to be a major foothold for the Marines." She said to her second in command, a cute young girl who was assigned to work under Stein after Stein returned from Skypiea.

Elias looked at Mashyuu, "Isn't it more flattering to speak to one another like a family? Greater bonds formed through familiarity and ease of speech among one another. As opposed to the militaristic prim and proper, rank and file manner of speech the marines have for one another. Unless, you want to operate like those guys." He chided back at Mashyuu with folded arms, giving one of those wild eyed smiles. He was getting a little unhinged, his mind wanting him to be a bit more jovial, sadistic, whimsical. "And of course I care for her. I just want to get a journal of my adventures so I can write a book off of it! And piss my dad off! Screw that guy." He said before turning and giving that explanation of how cut trees meant people were on this island, other than them.

Walking off toward the mountain, Elias would meander his way up in the open. He couldn't discern anyone was in the immediate area, "Just me and my shadow. Walking along. Singing a song. In the creepy forest on the mountain. Doesn't need to rhyme, because I'm not a singer, just passing the time, because this is kind of creepy." He said out loud to himself in a somewhat sing song voice. Mashyuu wanted Elias to scout ahead, and he was doing just that. On the path he was taking he wasn't going to bump in to any marines what so ever. That was, until he came across something. But before that, let's double back to what's happening inside of the mountain.

---

While Captain Stein was busy pointing at the map, there was a girl standing nearby, arms folded behind her back, spear clutching in between her fingers with the sword like tip pointed down at the ground. Her hair was pulled back in two pony tails, and she wore a series of light armor plates and a mesh weave underneath it. Her name, Celeste Centoria. Better known as C.C. While the captain instructed on where she wanted people to go, C.C. clicked her heels together and gave a firm salute, a brimming smile across her face, "You got it Captain!" SHe twirled her spear overhead and brought it flush against her arm and back before she took off in tot he halls of the little outpost with her arms behind her. The Wings of Justice, the Furious Flier, C.C. She would give word to the men to get going out on to the mountain and start setting up together.

---

Back to Elias, he would happen across one of those men, unnoticed thankfully. While the man was setting up to get to sniping, Elias meandered through the trees, hands in his jacket pockets. It was a little comical to see how someone could easily slip past a sniper because he knew how to use plants to his advantage. And so when Elias knelt down next to the guy quietly, Elias would talk to him, "So, setting up to watch something right?"

"Yes, my post, shouldn't you be at yours?" "I already am at my post though." "What are you talking about? We're supposed to be spread out a mile eac-Wha-Who the hell are you?!" He shouted at Elias in confusion as he turned around.

Elias thought about that and clutched a Trampolia seed in his hand, slamming his palm to the man's face, letting the seed expand outward, sending his arm backward like he was using one of those impact dials, but the force of the bouncy sap was enough to send the man out off of his perch and tumbling down the mountain. After that, Elias stood up and stretched his arms overhead. "I'm the guy that's taking over for you is all. Wait. Right. I probably should have said who I was before doing that. Dramatic timing and all." He admonished himself while rubbing his shoulder, mentally making a note to not do that with a seed, ever again. That really hurt, hell, he might even need to see Kouse about that.

The Marine Captain took one look at her newest second in command and smiled brightly at her, the young woman had done a good job so far and the two had only been paired together for a few weeks but Stein could see shades of herself in the young C.C. Stein took hold of one scabbard on each of her hips, holding her two black blades proudly and walked past the young seventeen year old. "Come, we have much to do before the sun rises. I want you to pick someone to take command while we rest." Stein was testing C.C. to see if she would follow an order or question the idea and instead claim whoever was the next highest in rank should naturally take command. Stein moved to her private tent and pushed the flap open, only taking a glance over her shoulder once to see if C.C. was following.

Mashyuu slowly made his way towards the base of the mountain and looked around, his blue eyes narrowed with annoyance when he couldn't see Elias. "You would think since I have wings I would be able to see in the dark like a bird of prey, but no..." He complained but took a step back and started to draw his blade when a few small rocks rolled down the side of the mountain and landed at Mashyuu's feet. A few moments later a marine body crashed into the ground hard on his neck, snapping it in the process. Mashyuu winced and looked up to see if he could figure out where he fell from. He could see another small figure moving and shook his head. "Elias.... Well if the marines are actually up there, might as well not this guys death be a waste."

With a bit of effort Mashyuu undressed the dead man, and then undressed himself and shoved his body into the dead marines uniform. He kept his bladed belt on under the button down white shirt the marines wore and pulled the bill of his hat to mostly shield his eyes from direct line of sight. His wings were folded in on his back but it didn't matter too much while he carried his cane sword, hopefully a sign to Elias that he was indeed Mashyuu. The Captain wandered over to the switch back that led up to the marine base and strolled up it until he ran into Elias.

"It's me, Mashyuu.... Did you see the base? I obviously found the body. You should have waited for me." Mashyuu admonished Elias silently, trying to keep his voice down. "Hmmm... what do you think about being bait?".... Mashyuu suddenly had an idea. They knew that some sort of marine base was at the mountain and that it was clearly being guarded. "We could act like you've been captured by me, since you're a trespasser on the island, walk right in and see who's in charge, try to take these guys out before they have a chance to really mobilize. What do you say?"

Elias sat down on that post for about a minute, legs crossed and the crux of his thumb and index finger clutching his chin, his elbow resting upon his knee as he considered the course of actions he just took. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to send a man tumbling down the mountain, but he was a marine right? That meant that he would be fine. He was well trained, right? He'd be fine. Yeah. He'd be fine.

When Mashyuu came up, Elias was looking down at the spot where he sent the marine toward with his brow furrowed, clutching on to the edge of the hunter's blind he was perched upon. "COme on you stupid idiot. Why aren't you getting up yet?"

When Mashyuu made himself known to Elias, he turned around, his eyes a little welled up as realization of what may have happened set in, "I'm sorry, I won't do anything like that ever again if the guy is alright, alright? He's fine right?"

"Oh god I'm so sorry!" He cried out, not loud enough for anyone else to hear, but it was clear that he was barreling through the five stages of grief quickly. When you are an emotional time bomb just waiting for your ticker to hit zero, you tend to switch through these things fast, just, probably not as comically as Elias was.

"Okay, look, it's fine. This kind of stuff happens all the time out here. He was probably gonna try to shoot me anyways. So really, it was preemptive self defense." He said while shutting his eyes, hands lifted up in the air while he went through a final stage of accepting what he had done with a bit more bargaining thrown in.

"Bait? SUre? I don't see why not." He said to Mashyuu, "Just don't take my seeds, lord knows what these guys would do with them."

---

C.C. rushed in to the tent, standing at attention once she was inside. "Awaiting further orders captain!"

Elias was so odd sometimes that Mashyuu forgot he was just a boy and that he might have taken his first life. Slowly Mashyuu dropped to a knee and placed his hand on the boys shoulder comfortingly. He made sure to look Elias in the eyes, his blue orbs narrowed for a moment but his face was soft and polite. "Elias, those marines wouldn't have killed you, your poster is for alive only. But they would have hurt you, or me, or anyone else on the crew. They would kill anyone else traveling with us. It's okay to take a life if it's for your own safety or the safety of someone you care about. You just can't dwell on it." Mashyuu's index finger tapped the side of Elias' forehead then his heart. "You have to be ready to take a life here, and steel yourself here." Mashyuu said as he tapped Elias' head and heart. "Being a Pirate is a bloody, and dangerous life. It's okay to crave adventure and see the world. Just don't forget that we aren't promised tomorrow, or even an hour from now. Not ever. I believe in you as a person and a crew mate. Don't ever forget it."

Mashyuu stood up cleared his throat and walked with Elias up the turn about of the mountain. "Why would I take anyting of yours Mr. Elias? You found me after escaping a small group of pirates, after a tough scuffle you an I fought them off and now you are coming to turn yourself in after you learned the error of your way." Mashyuu laid out the plan in his mind an waited for Elias to possibly give any other point of view on the topic...

Stein walked up to the back of her tent and poured herself and C.C. a cup of warm tea and offered C.C. the small tea cup. "So, who did you pick to take command while we are resting?" Captain Stein asked then took a sip of her tea. "Our job here is simple, we just need to hold this island and report any activity running through it. The entire thing shouldn't be hard. We don't even need to attack unless the activity on the island is a very small pirate crew, smaller group of Revs, or something like that. Otherwise we are to stay hidden. How are you liking it under my command?" Stein asked while waving her hand dismissively. "And please, in here while we are alone, no need to be so formal, relax a little."

Mashyuu, dressed in the dead marine's uniform stopped at the gate, keeping the bill of his hat down to cover his eyes a little. "Found a wanted man, turned himself in and even helped take out a small band of pirates. I want to show him to the .. Boss." Mashyuu realized he had no idea what ranking officer was behind the wooden walls of the make shift fortress. The guards looked at one another and opened the gates to let the pair inside.

Elias was just a boy in terms of age. And in terms of mentality, he ranged anywhere between a child and a centuries old sage. The fact that his emotional state helped him seem more like an adult could sometimes prove to be a detriment to his status among peers. When Mashyuu poked him on the noggin then ont he chest, he just nodded slowly, understanding the words, but not their true meaning, not yet at least. "Y-yeah. I got it." He said with uncertainty before he stood up and gave himself a quick shake to get the jitters off.

That's when Mashyuu was starting to speak and act weird. "I--But we didn't fight any other pirates. Why are you talking to me like that all of the sudde--OHHHHH. Oh right. Oh yeah, okay I get it." For someone so bright, he wasn't a grand actor.

---

Back at the base, C.C. responded to the captain with a salute still held to her forehead, "I picked Joenes Andersmith ma'am!" She pronounced the name as Jo-en-es.

"To tell you the truth ma'a--I mean Capt--I mea--crap, i never learned my captain's first name. Okay! Well. To tell you the truth captain, I'm still finding marine life a bit odd. I would be more than happy to find my special someone and head right home with him! He said he wouldn't be too long. he just had to see the world first." SHe said with her cheeks puffed out and her hands folded on her hips.

"I just know I'll bump in to him sooner or later, and if he's not strong enough at that point to beat me, I'm taking him home!" She said with a jovial smile.

---

Outside of the base, Mashyuu brought Elias before the guard, only to let them right in and they could find their way to the tent. "Sooooo, how long you been a marine?" He asked Mashyuu, trying to milk the act for all it was worth.

Mashyuu wasn't so sure that Elias understood what he was saying, that the lesson the Captain had given Elias was setting in but he was sure that the boy would think on the subject and pull some valuable information out of it. Even if it took some time. If Mashyuu could say anything of his crew, it was that they were good people with better hearts and minds. The duo walked up the ramp and were met buy guards who after a moments talk let the pair into the encampment. "I'm a private. Hopefully you letting me bring you in will help me climb the ladder." Mashyuu chided the boy and nudged him in the side.

"Interesting choice. Now about that boy of yours. The world is a big place. It could take years to find him, and in the meantime serving the marines will not only make you a better person but line your pockets with extra money." Captain Stein muttered while clasping her hands behind her back and examining the young C.C. with a smirk on her face. "My name is Stein, that's all you need to know.... Now, about th-" Stein was cut off by a shout at the flap of the tent.

"Ma'am, Captain... We have captured a wanted man." One of the marines under the pairs command said while entering the tent and bowing as if asking for forgiveness. Stein glared down at the man and smiled ear to ear, as if she had been expecting it. "Of course, I expect nothing less of my soldiers. Come C.C. let us see who we have here."  Captain Stein stepped out of the tent and strutted to the center of the camp where Mashyuu waited with Elias at his side. When Mashyuu spotted Stein his heart skipped a beat, a pang of concern running through him, While he didn't consider her a threat, he knew of her skills with her swords, hell he thought he had killed her the last time they crossed blades. "Elias.... she's very dangerous, she might try to kill you." Mashyuu whispered and tugged the boy back by the collar of his shirt.

"Hmmm... and who do we have here?" Stein pondered while rounding on the duo. Her eyes locked on the cane sword carried by Mashyuu and a knowing smirk crossed her full lips. Before C.C. could run out to Elias, Stein reached out with an arm, stopping C.C. "We must first examine the man, make sure he's not a threat to the soldiers or us. Then.... Private, why is this boy not shackled?" Stein asked and kicked a loose stone at the feet of Elias. The entire time, Mashyuu had been counting the marines in the base. Thirty or so in the location, no telling how many on the island proper. Mashyuu needed time to figure out a way to get out of this alive, but first he needed to get Elias out unharmed. "Ma'am. While my unit and I entered the forest below to head out to our post... We were set upon by a small group of pirates who were dragging this young boy along. As it's our jobs to uphold the law, we attacked the pirates and tried to free the boy. I was ordered to free him of his rope binds. The boy here picked up a slingshot and helped us defeat the pirates. I didn't see a reason to disarm him or bind him afterwords. I was sent to bring him back while the rest of the unit moved on. Thought it might be best to let the boy remain weapon ready in case of a secondary attack."

"I see.... So, to sum up. You're unit was attacked at the base of the mountain, you defeated the pirates and brought back this boy, Elias.... who happens to be wanted alive only and you defeated the captain of the Phantom Raiders? Because that is his sword cane. As someone who's battled him in the past, I know how good of a fighter he is. Something tells me you're not being honest." Stein grasped the handles of both her blades and as she did this, all the near by marines leveled their weapons at Mashyuu.

Mashyuu smiled under his hat and sighed while reaching to the bill of the head ware and tossing it aside to reveal his dark locks, and pretty boy face. "Stein, you're smarter than I give you credit for. But I've grown since our last fight. Elias, take out the joints of the fortress and lets drop these walls!" Mashyuu shouted while drawing his cane sword and turning to face Stein, a sparking barrier of silver energy ejected from his left arm as he brought it up like a shield. The fight was on...

Before Stein and Mashyuu could have their conversation, five minutes of antics interrupted it. Those five minutes were of Elias and C.C's reunion. The moment that C.C. walked out of the tent with her captain and saw Elias, she gasped in excitement, and threw her spear to the ground. The metal clang was audible enough that anyone in the area would turn and look. "Elias! Elias! Elias! I'm so happy to see you!" She shouted as she started to charge at him.

"No! No! NO! Oh god! Not again!" He shouted before turning to run from the rambunctious girl who tackled him to the ground and the both went somersaulting for a good twenty feet before they came to a stop. Elias was on the ground, on his stomach, face in the ground, arms and legs splayed out. C.C> was perched on top of his back, crouched down with her knees on either side of his torso.

"It's so good to see you again my sweet Elias!" "It's good to see you too C.C." He said, though it was muffled from his position and came out like mggh ffmg plmgmh klglgm. C.C. just happily bounced up and tugged Elias with her, hugging him tight, while Elias just smiled a little nervously.

"C.C. Remember what we talked about? About hugging so tight you crush rib cages?" He said with strained breath, his arms dangling backwards and his head listing back, while his gaze was cast skyward. "Oh! Right! Sorry!" She said before letting Elias go, clinging on to his hand with her own, which he reciprocated. He was smiling genuinely, not that manic out of the ordinary smile he had.

He looked content, like he was fine with her being around, something about her helped even him out. When Stein started to speak to Mashyuu in an accusatory way, C.C. gripped Elias' arm and pushed him behind her, "That man might be an impostor Elias, be careful!" She said with an imperative tone.

When Mashyuu said what to do to Elias, he just blinked, "What?" To which C.C. responded in kind, with a resounding 'What' just the same. Elias was confused, C.C. was confused.

"Wait, this mean you aren't the private trying to work your way up?!" Elias declared as he took out his slingshot and aimed for Mashyuu, angling it so that if Mashyuu were to dodge, his seed would fly out and hit one of the key points of the fortress to knock it down.

The Captain wasn't thinking about Elias and the fact that he was trying to lay low and not boost his bounty, he wasn't even considering what Elias was saying, instead he was worried about all the marines leveling weapons at him. A burst of silver sparking energy flowed out of Mashyuu for a good twenty meters. "Attract!" He shouted, suddenly pulling all the metal in the area towards him. Only a few marines were strong enough to hang on to their weapons including Captain Stein who had taken a few steps back, shocked at the new skill Mashyuu had developed since their last meeting. Once he metal was near him, Mashyuu jumped back to evade a shot from Elias. Mashyuu scowled at him, for a moment thinking the boy had turned on him before realizing what had happened. "Stupid brat! I should have killed you when I-"

Mashyuu was cut off when a black blade came swinging down at him and he was forced to lift his left arm up to use his electromagnetic shield to block the strike and just barely at that. "Repel!" He shouted, suddenly launching all the metal that was drawn in on him away, including the black sword Stein was holding, causing her to give up some ground. "Idiot's get your weapons and attack! C.C. this man is a wanted criminal, pick up your spear and help! That's an order!" Stein shouted and moved in on Mashyuu yet again while the marines scrambled for their weapons. The two Captains, one of marines, one of Pirates locked blades, Mashyuu's face twisted with strain as he struggled to fend the woman off, Stein had grown stronger since their last meeting and was starting to force Mashyuu to give up ground.

Mashyuu's left palm opened and he brought his whip blade from his waist to his hand then let it charge with an electromagnetic energy that caused it to go straight and become a full on sword. Just as Stein thrust her free sword forward to try and stab Mashyuu, his left arm came up, the field around it deflected her strike but at the same time, Mashyuu jabbed his second blade up to try and stab the sword into Stein's jaw. The woman saw it coming, planted her foot on Mashyuu's hip and pushed, throwing herself away from Mashyuu just as Elais' seed connected with some ropes holding up one of the walls. A few marines near the wall had just picked up their rifles when the wall behind them started to rumble and logs rolled backwards towards the group.

The Marines dove, some crushed under the heavy logs of the wall that made up the front door of the fortress while other logs rolled down the switch back, throwing the guards atop it down with the wooden structure. Stein took a look back to see what had happened and Mashyuu took advantage. His blades spun in his palms, each moving in on one another. His right hand low, left hand high. He jumped up and flew towards Stein, spun to his left and shouted just as he made contact with the left side of Stein's body. "Raptor's Talons!"

Mashyuu cut her ribs and arm, along with her hip with his whirling blades, causing her to cry out in a shrill scream and collapse to the ground, not dead but in enough pain to drop her for a bit. The rest of the walls needed to come down...