AKAME ASSASINATION (16)
"The Massai people are pastoralists."
"Meaning?"
"They have no permanent settlements, instead they camp around in mud based structures… I forget the name but that's basically it."
The sun's eye took a peep over the horizon, sending its warm rays outwards, although it was obviously straining to get its light everywhere since some places remained dark.
PALM!
Gil, with the help of the man in white, was perfecting his new technique of which he had been taught just a day ago. The complete basics of martial arts.
FIST, PALM & FINGERS!
This time with the help of the palm technique he was able to break a tree branch from a distance. Slow and steady.
"But how will that help us get Akame and Catherine back?" Gil asked as he breathed heavily.
"I have a theory." The man said.
"?"
"Maybe whoever took them saw that one of their own was in danger, and as such decided to take it out on the people who were closest to her. Or maybe its an opposing tribe that thought they hit the jackpot by taking friends of hers or perhaps it was a third party involved which would make it even worse."
The last embers of a fire that burned the entire night finally went out with the introduction of a new day.
"I don't know how we'll be able to find them… Wait aren't you a hunter sorcerer though?" Gil asked.
"Yeah."
"Then shouldn't you be able to find them?"
"Yeah… probably." The man slowly turned his eyes to the side.
"But?"
"There is no but I could probably find them. However, from my personal experience it would be more fun to locate them by yourself."
Gil squinted his eyes for a moment, its not like the idea of that sort of challenge hadn't crossed his mind. "Isn't this like the wrong time for something like that though?"
"Nah, its never the wrong time for a challenge." He said with a playful grin.
'I've seen this somewhere before.' (Gil is probably thinking about Blake)
"Ok I'll give it a shot and see what happens." Gil smiled at the thought, 'Maybe we'll be on equal footing by that time.'
He clenched his fists and did a playful jab, "Although I have no idea where to begin."
"True, its not like we know where they actually are, and our only lead doesn't understand us." The man got up, "I'll go do some necessary spotting, anything I find I'll bring as your first lead."
"Sure, but what should I do before you come back?"
"Take care of her, try and understand her anything at all will be useful." The man in white had failed to mention the deadline he had subconsciously put for them. This was not time for a challenge, in fact he probably would have been able to find Catherine and Akame with such ease it would have taken less than an entire day. However, he wanted to observe something, something he found interesting.
"Um, what if she spits in my face again?"
"She probably will, but be nice to her we still need her."
He gave Gil one final wave off as he walked away and for a time Gil could see him slowly walking across the flat land into the distance before disappearing somewhere along the horizon.
He then switched his focus back to the girl whose eyes were on him the entire time.
'She probably hasn't slept the entire night. Keeping her guard up the entire night, it must be hard. I know the feeling of being surrounded by people you don't know and how you might feel if you've seen them hurt others around you, it really is a shitty feeling.'
POOF!
Gil sat with his legs cross right in front of her, he then showed her both his palms. "Let's play a game."
"?"
"You put you palm on mine, like this."
CLASP!
He put both his palms together.
The girl looked at him as though she found him to be annoying, which she did. She had no interest at all in associating with him or the white man that just left. But here he was trying to do so, what is wrong with him?
"Try it." He said with a smile.
But the girl just shrugged him off.
"That's just rude." he sighed, "Let me show you."
He reached out for her right rand which was covered a cloth wrapped around her whole body, but her fingers were sticking out. Gil tried grabbing it.
SPIT!
She spat but this time he dodged it and gently grabbed her hand. Since this hand was on her disabled side, she couldn't do a thing about it and maybe that was a good thing… for Gil anyway since this would mean she couldn't resist.
"See like this."
CLASP!
This time both their palms met. Gil noted how rough and rigid her palms were, not the standard palms for your average lady. It was really weird, it was as though her entire personality was engraved onto her palm and Gil could tell all there was to tell about her by just feeling her palm.
"I think I've felt palms like this before." He said, "Back in my village lots of women had to get down and dirty doing things most would hate to do… I'm glad."
The girl just stared at him, he wasn't doing anything that seemed it would hurt her and even if he did its not like she had the physical capacity to defend herself. So she decided to let this play out. She had lost all feeling in her right palm so she couldn't feel the texture of Gil's palms like he felt hers. So from her POV it just seemed as though Gil was rubbing their hands together.
"I'm glad."
"?"
"I'm glad that you really work hard to provide for those you love." Gil gave another smile.
But this one wasn't like the rest, this smile was different. Not to you reader, not to me but rather to the girl who sat in front of him. She was suddenly hit with a wave of growing emotions she wasn't feeling earlier. That smile was warm and inviting, a smile she remembered being shown to her vividly. She couldn't remember where it was from, but it was there.
SLAP!
Gil didn't have the mental capacity to dodge the slap that followed from the girl's left hand which worked perfectly fine. This sent Gil flying and landing a short distance away.
"What was that for?" He got back up holding his cheek, "Man that hurts, its like I was hit by a…"
Gil paused as he noticed something different about the girl's expression. It used to be cold and isolated, now it was warm and she seemed flustered by something. Her cheeks were red and she was breathing heavily.
"Are you sick?" Gil began panicking, "Is it something you've just caught, like a disease or maybe…"
He jumped up and ran back to her, but she recoiled wanting not to be touched by Gil for whatever reason.
"?" He wondered, "Was it… my palm?"
She just stared at him, but not how she normally did in the beginning, it was as though things had suddenly changed between the two of them.
"Maybe you felt something you didn't like, huh." He stared at his right palm, "Was it that bad."
SWOOOSH!
"Thank god the man with the weird hat is gone."
"!"
The both of them exclaimed as they felt a presence just above them. Gil looked up and sitting on the branches of the tree they camped under was a muscular man with silver hair.
"He seems very skilled, plus he has an artifact, it would have proven difficult thank goodness I managed to remove him." The man stared back down at Gil and the girl, "So now we can have a little chat, where is Saikyo Akame?"
TO BE CONTINUED!