[Kumori]

The night was high, the sky was dark; all around the wind blew silently, yet with an unwavering touch, a touch unliked by the flames from the street lanterns; the streets were paved with none other than with old sandy cobble stone. The Lanterns all 18th century old dutch wooden masonery; Slowly the moon peered out from the old abandoned wherehouse, out from the clouds, It's light could be seen for miles; this old war torn town had taken a beating since the last galaxy war, now a haven for crooks. It's center was an abandoned mothership now converted into some form of local tavern, the moon it's self had been blown into several chunks. Not many locals lived here, well not many, but myself. We got many passer-byes through here, many people mainly looking for something or hiding, whatever the case everyone here had a story, both futuristic and simply ancient, either way people, if you could call them that, from all walks of life came here. . .

Under my garder strapped to my inner thigh was my blaster. I had a small backpack; though i looked small, I had been a well known thief around the area, believe me to be well known was no the best. I sat across from the cantina (Tavern) on the Inn steps staring off blankly somewhat exausted, my right sock ripped and my elbows both bleeding. I had been in a fight, my last mark, or victem, or payment on my house, as you will, got away! After several moments of exausted breaths I stood brushing myself off and leaned agenst a poll. When out of nowhere I was kicked hard in my back, face first I went flying down the stairs into the roadway; I lay there quietly and exausted as his voice was heard over my breath.

"Well Kumori, I see you failed again; I will not tollerate this much longer!" He said leaping to the ground next to me, his face shadowed by the hooded cloak he wore; waisting no time he steped on my back and all the wind was knocked out of my breath;

"Okay, sir, okay! I will get him, please!" I gasped as he let up, I rolled over onto my back watching him walk away.

I laid there quietly breathing. "Prick" I whispered silently sitting up and pulling myself upright breathing hard; blood ran down my cheek.

Slowly I got up onto my feet and stared at the bastard as he walked off into the far distance. ."This is not over!" I thought quietly to myself as I begun to walk back to the stairs of the Inn; I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and fell onto my right knee and thrusted my left hand to the ground for support, as my right hand held my stomach, i winced, i stood once again and walked to the Inn door staring at it quietly for some time. . .

*"I can't do this!" I whispered narrowing my eyes and let both hands drop to my side and with my left hand i reached for the door handle, and my right hand I reached for my well hidden blaster; I unholstered the blaster and opened the door without warning I fired 2 fatal shots into the bellman's head, droping him like a rock from the sky. ran to the counter, slamming one hand onto the countertop and thrusted myself over the top of it landing hard on the otherside crouched firing 2 more shots to ensure death and stood quietly staring at the keys to the room 501a.*

*After Several Moments*

I staired quietly at the key wincing with my back facing the front door. from the pain in my abdomen; blood had been seeping down my cheek and from my elbows; after the beating i took earlier with those other 'marks' having escaped. I hadn't had time to rest, I had to finish. . .

I raised and spun around facing the front doors again, without warning planted both hands on the countertop having thrown my body weight onto my hands and thrusted off the countertop doing a front flip through the air comming down hard; and hand springing to my feet with my blaster holstered in my right thigh once again and the key in my mouth; I darted up the stairs to the left side of the building. As i ran i grabed the key from my mouth and gripped it tightly; about half way up the stairs i fell to my knees clutching my stomach; "Damn! He broke them" I gasped refering to my ribs. "How am I supposed to do his slavery if he continually beats like this." I gasped standing to my feet, sweat running down my forehead from the pain, I continued up the stairs without hesitation to the 3rd floor. . .

. . I made my way up the stairs without hesitation to the 3rd floor. bent forewards and ran just below the window lining to room 501a. without warning I stood reared back and . . .

Just then the door flung open and my kicking foot, that trusty ol' right foot met a dark figures hands, and i was thrown off my feet, through the air and into the adjacent wall. . where my back met the wall, for the first time. . . with the threshold of pain that shot through my spine i collapsed to my knees where i met his 'foot to face' technique. I hit the wall and met the butt to ground teqnique, for the first time today, my back was to the wall, I couldn't stop coughing up a little blood from the impact. . .

"You know I have to do this. . " I coughed as he laughed

"Veronica, we all know you're hardly in the. . " Just then my blaster fired a fatal shot through his groin, with the barrel of the gun facing the sky!; The blast shot through the top of his head, leaving some wierd mosaic stain on the ceiling. . I moaned and grunted as I got up on one knee and then stood to my feet holstering the blaster. . I looked down the hall. Seeing the shadow of yet another person. . . "DAMN IT!" I Grunted, "They told me there would be no one else here!" I said darting down the hall to the stairway once again.

As I aproached the staircase, I crouched and slid across the ground, normally I'd have been able to control this but still injured, I was a little to slow on the timing and just before going off the top step; and down the steps I grabed the staircase rug and yanked it down pulling myself up and with both hands as it went under me; I then shoved off of it front fliping landing crouched looking up looking at it and down the hall, sweat was beating off my forehead; "That was close" I winced as my ribs started feeling full thresholds of pain. With one knee to the ground, I looked back to the room, then back to the room, my eyes went wide "Damn it!" I yelled Charging the staircase and lept off my feet, and off the top step of the third floor, through the air. As I started heading down the stairs, well with force just inches above the stairs, mainly in part of the careless leap; the room behind me begun to explode. . I clinched my arms around the rug below locking them at my wrists-to-hand just to ensure i had a firm grip on the rug; hoping to use it as a cushion when I finally hit ground, if I hit at all. I felt the heat from the room singe my back as the heat from the blast followed me over the steps and shot over me as I descended downwardly I pressed my head into the heavy rugh and winced for impact 3 flights of stairs below. Finally landing with a crash, I slid across the floor and slammed into the wall, my left shoulder strap came loose and rested over my arm as I got upto my knees coughing, my hair dangled down touching the ground; my back felt on fire. I winced and then stood quietly. and quite slowly to my feet. I slowly raised my right hand to my still bleeding cheek bone and wiped blood from my mouth and turned facing the front doors of the inn; my attention was on the outside, and slowly i walked.

after several agonizing moments I made my way to the porch and walked down them to the streets staring at the pup. . I collapsed to my knees and started tearing up. after several moment; I heard his voice again; "OH PLEASE YOU GOT YOURSELF INTO THIS!" He said, that same man steped out from behind me pulling me to my feet. "You still have one more." He said smacking me in the face and walked off. "Don't fail me. . " he said walking off into the distance.

I rolled my eyes and slowly started making my way to the cantina stairs. . Exausted, hurt, and upset; I walked into the cantina pulling my left shoulder strap up once again; I then ran my fingers through my hair adjusting my comosure and walked into the cantina. . From the enterance there was the bartender clear across the otherside, tables and booths all about, and hardly anyone here; just the way i liked it. I walked to the far right corner booth and simply collapsed in the booth waiting, and coughing up blood every so often.

[ 11-29-2004, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: Kumori ]