Welcome to The Endless Horizon. We hope you enjoy your visit.
You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
Syrup village, a small village in the east blue. this village is not well known, as such it doesn't get too many visitors, it was quite idyllic, all the more reason to vacation there.
such was the case for Masura, who had left his crew, retiring from te pirating business, realizing it was not a life for him when his crew started becoming greedy.
The former pirate captain had settled down in Syrup village, enjoying the peacefull, yet productive life he had created for himself, having become a captain again, only this time ferrying fishermen out to sea, it wasn't a well paying job, but it was easy and he enjoyed it.
It was a calm day, the fishermen had pulled in an exceptionally large haul so Masura was set for a few days, he decided he'd use his free time to take a walk around the island, try and find a relaxing place.
Group: Admin
Posts: 389
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-June 11
Leopold IV, Son of Leopold III, who was the son of Leopold II, was of a proud, noble dynasty which had ruled a small, but affluent chain of islands for the last four-hundred years... vaguely linked to a tenryuubito's family through a twenty-person familial link, even that barely tangible family link afforded them much affluence, and influence, at least within a small portion of the Navy, and their local area - but regardless afforded the family patriarch much personal responsibility; and it was raw necessity that caused him the need for the occassional holiday in which to shed a few hundred million belly and likely gain a pound or ten...
Unfortunately for him, he'd likely be losing both, instead of just one of those two - of course, he could run quite quickly for a man of his not inconsiderable girth (of course, a wide belly was one of the many rewards of wealth) So it might take them some time to catch up to him and cut the poor man like a pig... judging by the sound of his coat jingling and jangling with each stride, he probably had a lot of gold on him to begin with... not to mention however many keys he had to the rest of it...
Needless to say, his pursuers, the group of them leaving a mess of tracks in the sand, either didn't know who they were trying to kill, or simply didn't care... Either way, unless Lord Leopold IV didn't recieve help in a timely fashion, it was more than likely that he'd lose that noble belly in short order
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
Masura stumbled a sight he didn't expect to see in a remote location like this, a well dressed, portly man being dragged by a bunch of hooligans, it was obvious that they were either going to rob him, kill him or hold him for ransom. most likely a combination of those things.
However, it wouldn't happen if Masura had anything to say about it, he was glad he always kept ihs claws on him or this might become a bigger mess than he wanted. "Hey, you over there! i don't know who you are but you will release that man right now!" Masura shouted, being a fair distance away from them.
Group: Admin
Posts: 389
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-June 11
The lot of them, five in all, turned to face the pirate-turned-fisherman-turned savior of a rich fatman, obviously caught in a rather unappealing mix of frustration and blatant arrogance; the latter evident in the notable swagger of the leader (garbed in a pseudo-tattered overcoat, along with other things held together with belts and rough stitching) as he took a handful of steps toward Masura, hand loosely resting on the hilt of his cutlass - all of them appeared somewhat worn and cut up, more the former, but they still looked like they'd gone through a scrap before catching him... "Son, you don't know half the trouble my boys'n' I went through to catch this doughball... Hell, we lost half the boys cutting through his men, and there were only two of them...! I'm not about to lose out on this cash-sack now that we've lost that much..." He concluded, drawing his sword threateningly - the blade was jaggedly edged due to countless sword-fights and ill treatment - obviously, the motion was one meant to scare off a harmless civilian...
"... Or do I need to make my point clearer...?" He threatenned, what remained of his men drawing their own blades at the words...
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
Masura opposed the pirates without an ounce of fear, these bandits were nothing compared to his crew, and he fought them all at one point or another. He reached behind his back, slipping his hands into his claws and pulling them out in one smooth move, two extra claws falling out, in his free time he had modified his claws to carry his other claws. he put his feet into the claws before rushing forward.
As soon as he got to the bandits he jumped over the leader, a sword cutting the space he occupied a second before, and landed in front of two of his lackeys, stabbing his claws at their throats.
Group: Admin
Posts: 389
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-June 11
The captain swerved around, swinging the cutlass towards the dracomorph like a cleaver - and despite the rusted, chipped edge, it was doubtless that it would be razor sharp, and it was almost certain that he was a cut or two above his men in terms of combat -
"He's got bloody claws!! Watch his hands, damnit!" He cried out to his men, who suddenly took defensive postures, waiting for him to make a move... blindly attacking a sudden threat was an idiot's move - the only reason the captain had lashed out was because he was now behind him... "Two of my men, in an instant...! I'll have your head, you little prick!"
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
Masura quickly planted his hand on the ground and kicked upwards, blocking the blade with the sole of his clawed foot, kicking the man in the face with the other one.
As soon as the man went flying he got up and sprinted towards the other two bandits, jumping up and landed on their blades, keeping them from attacking while he slashed at their heads.
Group: Admin
Posts: 389
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-June 11
Unfortunately for the two pirates, they were done in rather quickly by the claw-wielding warrior; falling backward from the force of the blow; blood flew out of gaping claw-wounds as they crashed down against the sand... The captain, however - bleeding as he was, was nonetheless several orders more dangerous than his men, standing back up with a feral snarl, blade held tightly in his hand... those were men he'd spent a great deal of time with - drinking and raiding and stealing - they were his comrades...! And now... all of them were dead!
He gave a hard bellow, raising his cutlass high as he rushed back into battle against a now likely-unbalanced Masura, thanks to the collapse of the blades he had so happily stood upon... He wasn't wasting breath on words now, lashing out with an impressive amount of brute force!
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
Masura once again did a handstand, this time to get his balance back, using both feet to block the pirate's blade. "I am sorry for your loss, but it is the risk of being a pirate, you should have known what you were getting into." Masura said apologetically before kicking the man's blade from his hand, getting up and holding his claws at the man's throat.
"Surrender now and i'll spare you, or give you an honorable death if you prefer. i will make sure your friends get buried properly." Masura said calmly, allowing the pirate time to decide.
Group: Admin
Posts: 389
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-June 11
The man glowered darkly at him, stance stern and proud as he stared him down, a snarl on his lips... "You act like that's even a question, boy." He uttered simply... he knew his death when he saw it - but he refused to look away, or cower in fright... he was far too proud a man for that.
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
"Very well, if that is your choice, i hope you find peace in the afterlife." Masura said before plunging a claw into the man's heart, trying to kill him as painlessly as possible, laying him down gently and closing his eyes before heading towards the group's captive, helping the pudgy man up. "Are you alright, sir? what did they want with you?"
Group: Admin
Posts: 389
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-June 11
The Noble had used the time his captors were distracted to get himself out of his bindings, slowly standing up as he brushed himself of dirt and sand... "Your timing was impeccable, young man... I should imagine those brutes would have likely made to ransom me - and even then, possibly killed me anyway when the money was forthcoming..." He began, looking at the assorted corpses with a mix of distaste and satisfaction...
He turned back to Masura, placing his hands in his pockets, even that eliciting a mild jingle from his varied bits of jewelry and adornments, before he bowed with a flourish; "I am Leopold IV, Patron of the Noble house of Estermarch and current ruler over the Eastern reaches of this Sea - and you are...? I would much appreciate knowing the identity of my savior."
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
"Shinigo Masura, sir, a pleasure to meet you, but please do not feel bad about these men, as evil as they were, they will be judged by the afterlife, we have no place judging them." Masura said calmly, making a small bow for the pudgy noble.
"If you feel you are safe then i will take my leave." He said, taking off his claws, turning his back to leave shortly after.
Group: Admin
Posts: 389
Member No.: 1
Joined: 16-June 11
"Actually, young man... I do believe I know of you... 50 Belli bounty, wasn't it...?" He spoke smoothly - though not unkindly... he spoke with a vague familiarity, but enough to know it as a certainty - likely Masura was some rogue he'd spoken idly over breakfast about or some sort... "Not enough to garner you any attention, asides from a bounty hunter looking for small change... but you're worth so much more than that, aren't you, my young friend...?" He continued... this could be rather dangerous for both of them if the course stayed... but for who in particular...?
"You see... I happen to be in a rather influential position, due to my station... and I never like leaving debts unpaid - do you understand...? ... I'm sure a young man of your particular... talents would be able to excell quite rapidly, given the field in question...
... Do you understand where I'm going with this, my boy?" He spoke calmly - but his tone was in such a way that Masura was unlikely to be able to say no... his guards may have died, but this Leopold... he was obviously well capable of bringing all of Hell down upon his head if he declined the offer...
Group: Moderators
Posts: 351
Member No.: 53
Joined: 8-September 11
Masura stopped halfway in a step and turned around instead, a frown on his face. "I could kill you right here, that way i get to live peacefully and i wouldn't cause any problems for this island... but it's not in me to slay an unarmed man. what do you want? to turn me into your private guard?" Masura asked, deciding to take the straight and narrow, even if it would make his life much more annoying.
An unexpected encounter
