Chapter One:Making the Team
An eighteen year old girl with long green hair in typical peasant clothing was in her yard, swingning around a simple sword about half the height of her body and less then half the width(with her being a normal sized girl)playfully Her typical peasant clohing consisted of black overalls over a red long sleeve shirt and blue boots. She sighed, wiping some pretend sweat off her face. An older man walked out of the house seeing her. "You're not actually going to attempt it, are you Karaka?" he asked.
"Of course I am dad. Fame and fortune await!" said Karaka. Her dad shook his head. "You're a girl Karaka, your place is either at work or home, not the battlefield" he said.
"No way, that's not where the money is" said Karaka.
"Karaka, you're forbidden by law from entering any combat duties. If they find you even attempting to try that they'll-
Karaka however had allready leaped over the fence and began running. "See you later Dad!" she said running with her sword in hand. The town was mostly paved with dirt roads rather then cement ones, smaller houses seen crowding the area. The downtown district had actual concrete pavement with many bigger buildings opened up. She retracted her sword, putting the handle in the back of her shirt.
She stopped running, well out of reach of her father. She couldn't surpress the knowledge he was right. As a female she was forbidden from combat duties. However she was detirmined to find a way. "It'll be hard but just think of all the money I'll make, how famous I'll be!" she thought with money allready in her sight as far as she was concerned. She continued forward, knowing the ones she was looking for were supposed to be in town that day on rest according to a rumor.
"Of course I can't let them know that's what I'm after. I have to look noble and brave, otherwise they'll never accept me" thought Karaka trying to keep a noble expression. Just then she heared a scream, looking over to see a woman being dragged out by a pair of men, one with his arm wrapped around her throat and a knife to it, the other holding the legs.
"Anyone tries anything I'll slit her like a pig!" said the one with the knife.
Karaka grabbed the handle of her sword, pulling it out. "Allright, wait until we get out of here so no one will attempt to strike, we'll kill her as soon as we're in a safe distance" said the one holding the legs said.
Karaka pushed the button on the handle, the sword coming out. She ran towards them, but stopped when two arrows went through the shoulder of the one holding the legs, blood spurting out of both and the man falling to his knees. The bigger one, distracted, loosened his grip, allowing the woman to elbow him in the face and run away. "Get back here!" he said. The one who was holding the legs one looked up, seeing the one who had stabbed him in the shoulders. He had short, blue spikey hair, wearing a red top, pants and boots, the top exposing some surrounding area on his neck, shoulders and arms. "You're one of those Mahados!" he said.
Karaka looked at him in shock. "One of the Mahados? This couldn't be any better!" he thought.
"I got the other one Megro!" said a much chubbier one with a thick grey vest covering enough os his upper body with thick dark green huntings pants and boots. "Sure thing Jerome" said Megro.
Jerome formed a spiral of wind in his hand, hitting it on the other man's chest, sending him flying into the building, then falling face first. Suddenly another one came down in a near flash, kicking the man with the stabbed shoulders across the face. He had short blue hair although much smoother, a uniform like Megro's only green. Karaka just stared with wide eyes. "I wish there was a third one, I could've shown them my stuff" thought Karaka.
The one in the green suit began kicking the wounded man mercilessly in the ribs. "Rivora that's enough" said Megro coming down. Rivora ignored him and continued kicking. "Rivora!" said Jerome running over. Megro looked at Karaka with that same, stone wall face. "What's wrong with you, a girl has no place holding a sword out in public, swords are for fighting" he said.
"C'mon Rivora, stop it, this is a bit excessive" said Jerome but Rivora didn't even acknowledge him.
"I tell you for your own safety to put the sword away" said Megro.
"If you want me to take orders from you make me part of your group" said Karaka. Jerome looked over at Karaka, even Rivora stopped his assault and looked at her like she had two heads. Megro's expression however remained the same. "Goodbye" said Megro.
"Hey, I'm serious!" she said. Rivora laughed. "We allready have a secretary thank you" he said.
"No, I want to be-
"A Mercenary? Absurd. There's laws that prevent that and good reason for them" said Rivora. Karaka got down on her knees.
"Please? Pretty please? C'mon, I really want to!" said Karaka.
"Enough. You're embaressing yourself and us by asking to join" said Megro. Karaka growled, getting up to her feet. "Hey listen, I've busted my hump for this moment and you have no right to just shoot me down!" said Karaka.
"The only team you should be part of is a knitting club" said Rivora. Karaka growled. "That's it, there's only one way to get in, I'll have to show them my stuff" thought Karaka.
"Oh yeah, well I'll show you a knitting club!" she yelled rushing at Rivora with the sword, Rivora's eyes widening as the sword came down towards him. An arrow launched past, scraping by the sword and causing Karaka to fall back into a sitting position. "Hey no fair I wasn't ready! What kind of opponent attacks someone unprepared, you should be ashamed of yourself! I hope-
Megro however was ignoring her rantings. "Even off guard Rivora should've been able to dodge that. At best he would've gotten away with a noticable scratch. I've never seen a girl with that kind of speed, and she handles the sword well" thought Megro suprised.
Karaka stood up. "Oh please oh please don't have him fight back! Please!" she thought. Rivora looked infuriated, Karaka gulping while trying her best to hide her fear. "That's it! The gloves come off!" said Rivora, his body flashing white and going right for Karaka, Karaka throwing herself back, hitting the ground, Rivora stopping. Karaka skid back. "Hey wait a minute, let's talk this over!" she said.
The whole public gasped, Rivora looking at Karaka in disbelief. Karaka immidiately got to her feet, Rivora's body flashing again. "Rivora stop!" said Megro. Rivora looked at Megro angrily.
"Don't look at me like that Rivora. This farce has gone on long enough" said Megro. Karaka sighed, then got back to her feet putting a confident face on. "So am I in?" she asked.
Jerome looked at Megro. "That was pretty impressive" he said. "I won't deny she's good for a female, but laws are laws. My awnser stands" said Megro.
"What! Screw the laws, I just proved myself didn't I?" asked Karaka. Megro ignored her, motioning for Rivora and Jerome to join him as he walked away. Jerome looked at Karaka with sympathy, shrugging and walking away, Rivora chuckiling. "Just accept realities, females have their place in the world but it's not in combat. Come across my path again, and I'll make sure no man ever wants to even look at you" said Rivora before joining Megro.
Karaka began walking after them. Megro could see this at the corner of his right eye.
The three Mahados were deep in the forest, bugs flying everywhere, having passed through swamp water and thick bushes. Karaka, hiding, whined quietly about the bugs, slapping them away. "Why is this so hard, I hate it!" she moaned quietly, none of the other three hearing her.
Megro stopped walking, prompting Jerome and Rivora to stop. "You can come out now" said Megro. Jerome and Rivora turned around, both gasping when they saw Karaka step out from the bushes. "She followed us, all this way!" gasped Jerome.
"Hmph, all the swamp, bugs, ugh! It's all so dirty and nasty, I expected you would live more in style!" she said.
"So how did you get here? I'm sure you used some kind of transportation" said Rivora angrily. "Negative, she walked here just like us. Are you really that detirmined to join us?" asked Megro.
"Of course! Why do you think I followed you all this way, of course I want to join!" said Karaka.
Jerome and Rivora stood in suspense, looking at Megro, stone faced as ever as he stood in silence. "Then you're stupid" he said finally. "What!" she said. Megro suddenly formed a bow and arrow, the bow becoming large. Karaka ducked, holding her hands above her head. "I knew it" said Megro releasing it, turning and walking. Karaka stood back up, realizing what she did. Angrily she continued walking.
Megro stopped, turning around. He did what he did before, creating the large arrow. Karaka was beggining to duck but stopped herself, pointing her sword at Megro. Two blue beams shot out towards Megro, Megro moving to avoid them, well away from Jerome and Rivora, Karaka running at Megro with her sword, Megro moving well before she got there and was behind her, creating a smaller arrow. She turned around and slashed the sword towards the arrow which was shot in the sky while Megro got back. The arrow came around going for Karaka.
"His heat seeking arrow. Is he really?" thought Jerome. Karaka swung at Megro again, who dodged, the arrow coming closer. Rivora smiled, Karaka shooting the beams out at Megro who sidestepped, Karaka swingning at Megro again who quickly got out of the way. "You fight extremely well, regardless of gender. However" said Megro, the arrow stopping just as it touched Karaka's neck, Karaka's eyes widening.
"You don't have a natural fighting instinct. Rivora, head back, we'll catch up" said Megro. Rivora shrugged, turning and walking away. A few moments later Karaka was tied to a tree, rope wrapped around the tree pinning her upper body there, her wrists bound behind the tree as well. Her sword was on the ground behind the tree. "Let me out! You can't just leave me here!" said Karaka.
Megro didn't awnser, him and Jerome walking away. Karaka growled, thrashing about trying to free herself.
"Don't you think that's a little much Megro? I mean leaving her tied up like that? She could die" said Jerome.
"It's her own fault. She shouldn't have followed us. Laws are laws" said Megro.
Karaka sighed, her struggles failing again but she continued anyway, then tired out, sighing. She remembered in class for the students to be asked what they wanted. "I'm going to become a Mahado!" said Karaka. The other students had all laughed, thinking she was joking.
"I was serious!" said Karaka to a boy she was walking with. "Even if it was legal, you wouldn't have a chance. You should aim for something more realistic, like becoming president or something"the boy had said.
Karaka was about to cry but shook her head. "No! I have to get out of this! I can't reach my sword, so I just have to keep going!" she thought rubbing her wrists vigourously, even when she started feeling pain. Finally she felt blood coming form her wirsts, which allowed them to slide out, now she waas able, after a struggle, to bring her hands in front of her and pull the knot there, freeing herself. She cringed from her bleeding wrists.
"No fair, no fair at all! I'm all alone in this nasty forest, I'm bleeding, I hate this!" she yelled. She took a deep breath. "I'll find them somehow" she thought.
They were all in a shed that night, relatively big with five rooms including a living room and a bathroom. Their thoughts went back to Karaka from time to time but it wasn't really a pressing issue to them. It was late at night, all of them having been asleep for at least an hour. Jerome however woke up, hearing footsteps outside. He got up out of bed, quickly throwing clothes on and heading into Megro's room, shaking him. "Someone's here" he said.
Soon enough the three of them stepped outside. "I'll head first. If it's an intruder, attack on my command" he said. A long black haired girl in a nightgown stepped out the door just then, yawning. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Go back inside Stanya, I think we may have an intruder" whispered Jerome. "Lovely, I'll make him some coffee" she said sarcasticly before going back in. Stanya was their secretary, in charge of storing files, handiling clients and such, and was allowed to live with them even though she wasn't officialy a Mahado.
They went to the corner, Megro peeking around to see who it was. "Well, who is it?" asked Rivora walking up anyway. "I don't believe this" said Rivora, jerome coming up too. Karaka was standing there panting, bleeding from the wrists still as well as having cuts across her chest and blood on her sword. "Not only did she make it all the way here, but it looks like she survived some wild animal attacks as well" said Jerome. Karaka fell to a knee.
"I hate this, I'm so icky and everything, and I'm not looking strong for them. I have to make myself more presentable" she thought standing herself back up. Rivora cracked his knuckles. "I'll take care of this" he said.
"No way!" gasped Jerome. "Hmph, you think I have anything against hitting a girl? You should know me, I'll beat up anyone I feel like, no one's off limits for me" he said walking up to her. "Megro, why aren't you stopping this? She can't fight him, especialy not like this!" said Jerome. Megro stood silent.
Rivora stopped in front of her smiling, Karaka barely able to stand. He slapped her, Karaka staggering, nearly dropping her sword. He then flashed and kneed her, elbowing her too, causing her to fall to a knee. "Now you see the difference between us" said Rivora, kicking her in her wounded chest, Karaka crying out while holding it.
"Stop it Rivora! She can't even defend herself!" gasped Jerome.
"You don't belong here girl. If women were meant to be on the same footing with men, they wouldn't be lacking the muscle and they would certainly be bigger. You were brought to this earth to bring babies, perhaps teach a school, get into some politics perhaps. In almost ever area of society you are as free as a man to do what you please but when it comes to combat, be it the milatary or mercenaries like us, I'm afraid you just weren't made for it" said Rivora, kicking her again. Karaka put her other hand back on the handle of the sword tightly, forcing herself back to her feet, She was dizzy, her eyesight becoming blurry. Rivora punched her across the face. "Megro, do something! Rivora has no right to be doing this! Do something or I will!" said Jerome.
"Just stand back" said Megro. Karaka saw this as all or nothing, swingning her sword at the same time Rivora went for a punch as his body flashed. The movement of Karaka's body caused Rivora's punch to miss her stomach and instead hit on of her arms, while Karaka's sword went into Rivora's shoulder, Rivora screaming, Two beams came from the sword, knocking Rivora down, Karaka dropping the sword and falling to her knees. "I don't have any strength leaft" she thought falling unconcious. Rivora held his shoulder. "I'll break both of those arms!" yelled Rivora angrily but a huge arrow shot in front of him, exploding and blowing Rivora back. Megro walked down, as did Jerome. Jerome rolled her over so she was facing up. "You okay?" she asked.
"So, how did I do?" asked Karaka weakly. "Laws are laws Karaka. If you join us, your role must remain anonymous, otherwise we'll have even more pressure onto us" said Megro. "S-sure" said Karaka before falling unconcious.
"Jerome, get Karaka's wounds taken care of before placing her on Rivora's bed" ordered Megro. 'Sure" said Jerome liftinf her up.
"You think I'm going to share a bed with her?" asked Rivora. "No, you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. You attacked a wounded and near defenceless girl yet still managed to get a nice cut on your shoulder, not to mention you directly disobeyed my orders earlier to stop attacking" said Megro. He walked back into the cabin, Rivora holding his shoulder. "Damn you girl" said Rivora.
Karaka fell unconcious with a smile.
TBC
By the way, am I allowed to post all the chapters on one thread or do I need one thread for each chapter?
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