Hunter of The Red Plains

An Old Friend: Chapter V

"Wake up, milady." She heard her pillow's voice with a gentle shake on her shoulder. As she opened her eyes, she saw Archer staring at her face. "We have arrived." He added, as their eyes met. She raised her head to stand up, with a headbutt to his chin.

"Well done." She said while Archer was scrubbing his chin.

"My thanks." He murmured, staring daggers at her. He stood up and got on the harbour, before he offered his hand to Scathach. She held it and got on as well, before saying "Let's go, if we cannot finish shoping today, investigating might end later than expected."

Scathach surely was a person not to go to shopping with. She was going to a building one after another, without losing a moment. Also, without even one as exception, Archer was scanned by every single eye there. The source of attention might have been his unique look, since he could not see anyone with white hair and dark skin with such young face, as well as the fact that he was with Scathach, The Queen of The Land of Shadows.

"I want to renew my liquor." She told, as they stopped at the entrence of a bar. "And this is the number one place to get some." She entered to the place, with Archer following her with bunch of things she bought in his hands. But in a sudden, he heard a scream due to his advanced hearing he obtained by his magecraft. He dropped everything in his hands, and began to rush after saying "I will be leaving for a moment!" to Scathach, causing her to run after him slowly, leaving all her money behind. Barkeeper of the place took a coin from among, while Scathach was yelling after Archer. She sighed before stepping on the ground so strongly that a stone flew to her hand, before she threw it to barkeeper's hand, causing him to drop the coin. "What is it, mister," she began to talk slowly while walking to him, with a looking-down on him smile of expression on her face. "I hope you didn't think about tricking this lady, since this would be signing your own deathwish. Now now," she put her hands on the table, with her smile remaining as her crimson eyes began to shine. "let's talk about bargain, shall we?"

Archer quickly climbed to the roof of a building, using his married blades, while Scathach was yelling at him from behind. He traced the voice and found himself in alley, with a pair of man and a woman between then who wrapped her arms around something.

"Stop!" A high-pitched voice screamed, revealing itself from the arms of woman. It was a little girl of blonde hair and green eyes, probably that woman's daughter, staring daggers at two men even though tears were runing down from both her and her mother's cheeks. Those men had swords in their hands, and Archer bet that they were threating the woman.

"Please stop," woman called out. "we do not have that much money on ourselves." Man was smiling whickedly, and the impression he had was disturbing Archer.

"You still have your body, don't you?" He asked, as he kept his smile. "When I look at you, well, I am sure you'll be pretty-" he was cut short by Archer's words: "Excuse me." They both turned around to face him.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked. "Can't you see we're bit busy here?"

"I apologise, but," he said as a smile took its place on his face. "I was told that I would be able to find a pair of manure packages here. I think I am at the right place, since I saw you." The men became red out of anger, as they both yelled "What the hell did you say!?" before they began to rush at him, with their swords unsheathed. Archer sighed before he dodged a swing from the blade, which was followed by many others. As he decided that it was enough of game, he moved his hands to the back of his waist to project Bakuya and Kanshou, giving the impression as if he drew them from there.

He parried an attack from the first man, as he kicked the other from his chin, knocking him out. Then, he disarmed the other easily with a swing and moved his blade to his heart, but before piercing it, he stopped suddenly. With his eyes wide-opened, and his hands trembling.