Night n Gale II Chapter 2

Cyclops Island

The mid morning sun beat down on the white sandy beach. The tide raced up on shore then slowly rolled back into the ocean, gulls high about in the air circled the sky scouring the beach for washed up creatures.

in the cove not too far from shore was a ship it’s haul badly damaged, debris was scattered in variously. Floating on top of the water and washed ashore by the incoming tide.

Sora was on the beach lying there, unmoving, as was, Taichi who was a couple feet from her. Jyou just began to come too, Koushiro was lying on his back near Taichi but he too was still unconscious. 

Jyou sat up he held his head for a moment until he looked up around him, “Where is this place…” he wondered.

From the forest Takeru and Hikari emerged with herbs, “Jyou!” she hollered and ran over to him, “We woke up first but I hate to be the one to bring you bad news, but Miyako is missing, I couldn’t find her any where,” she replied with worry.

“No, I fear a greater evil is at hand here,” Takeru said coming up to them.

Hikari looked at him with doubt, “Evil, how can that be he wanted us killed not alive…” she trailed off.

“SORA!” The three turned to see Taichi on his hands and knees right beside Sora.

“Brother! Wait let her rest she’s fine!” Hikari ran over toward them, Jyou and Takeru both followed. Sora was starting to come out of her unconscious state, she was laying on her side then rolled over on to her back.

Jyou kneeled down beside her, “Sora how are you doing?” he questioned.

She moaned, “I feel like I was ran over by a horse,” she grumbled she opened one eye the pulled herself up.

“It’s good that you’re all right,” Taichi told her.

Jyou observed their captain, “You need to be looked after, you got a pretty bad cut on you shoulder,” he walked over to him and checked the wound, “Come we got to get that cleaned up.”

“I’m fine,” he pulled his arm from reach of Jyou getting up he turned around and stared at his father’s ship which was now his and gasped, “Oh my god, she’s broken,” he whispered.
“After a storm like that of course she is going to be wrecked, and from the sites the ship is stranded on a sandbar, that’s what kept her from not sinking to the depths,” Takeru explained to Taichi who nodded.

“My Inventions!” Koushiro shouted he jumped up from his seat and stood staring in horror at the ship which was in shambles, “The ship…Taichi this will cost us like half the amount it does when we deliverer cargo to a port.”

“I know, but who said we had to pay to find supplies to repair it?” he questioned.

“Are you suggesting we steal supplies?” Sora asked plainly.

Taichi frowned then turned to her, “No, Sora not steal, I mean there has got to be some one on this island who needs help, like physical help we could braider that.”

“Don’t count on it Taichi, there isn’t much here, it’s deserted so far as the eye can tell,” Takeru replied.

“It’s true, we went earlier into the forest looking for herbs,” Hikari then looked into the forest suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Taichi asked.

“Nothing, I don’t think,” she then turned and smiled at her brother, “It was nothing.”

“Alright if your sure,” he then looked at the ship, “Well if we are going to get of this island we better start to gather wood to repair her.”

“Wait! Miyako where is she?” Koushiro cried he looked about but he couldn’t see any sign of his friend anywhere.

“it’s like she disappeared,” Sora whispered she pulled herself up off the beach, took a wobbly step forward then stopped, “What if is was pulled out to sea.. I mean we all fell off the ship at one point during that awful storm last night.”

“No that can’t be, how did we all manage to stay together on this island and only she was swept out to sea?” Koushiro questioned her.

“The current must have changed rapidly, who knows but where would we find her? I mean we have no ship to sail, we got to fix her first then we can go to find Miyako,” Taichi said, he walked forward.

“I think she is being held prisoner,” Hikari replied, the crew turned to her.

“How do you know?” Koushiro questioned.

“I could feel the evil presence during the duration of that storm.  And that storm wasn’t no natural storm it was the conjuring of evil,” she explained briefly.

“We know that, Serous is furious with me, it’s obvious he wants us dead cause it’s our fault. Or maybe it’s more of my fault that Catherine is dead,” Taichi paced, “But what dose this have to do with Miyako?”

“That is what quite puzzling,” she replied.

They heard someone running through the bush and next thing they knew Miyako came flying into Koushiro and they both toppled over onto the ground. Miyako franticly scrambled to her feet, “QUICK WE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!” she cried.

“Miyako wait! What’s wrong where were you?” Koushiro had tons of questions wondering through his mind but at the moment she took off passed him.

“NO TIME WE GOT TO LEAVE!” she cried.

The sound of tremendous footsteps vibrated the ground, which the stood, then they all bolted out of the forest as fast as they could.

Once they broke through the to the beach they ran to the shore and turned all out of breath.

“is this the evil you were talking about!?” Sora cried. She looked to ward the forest in the distance.

The Crew could see a giant man like creature walking toward them, his face was wrinkled and look scared and he had one large eye centered on it’s face, it’s nose was flat only feature that distinguished it was two holes.

“Yes, that could be it,” Hikari replied she looked to Takeru for and explanation but he just shrugged.

The creature stood still then and sniffed they air, and let out a roar. He then turned back and went back the way it had come.

The crew sighed in relief and they sat down on the beach. Miyako went into the tale that she had wakened before the rest and went to look for help. There was a village just beyond the forest, she visited and she was about to ask for directions when that large creature appeared from nowhere and began to terrorize the small village.

 “The villagers called it The Cyclops of Ragudin,” she replied frowning remembering the screaming villagers running away frightened.

“Maybe there is an underlying evil related to that Cyclops,” Taichi looked toward his sister.

“I don’t know maybe it was it that we sensed but it’s hard to tell. We should go find out at the village about it,” Hikari told him.

“Good Idea, if we get some answers from where it originates then we can find out who or what is behind that beast,” Sora said.

The crew nodded, Taichi lead the way toward the forest once again. This time they were going to go to that village and get answers. They had momentarily forgot about the Night n Gale who lay just off shore. *

A crackling howling laughter erupted from nowhere. It echoed with in the cave and Seoras was furious enough with out having to hear that nonsense.

Scratch appeared just a few feet from him still laughing and clutching is hairy body. “Shut up!” he cried.

“Oh I will indeed you have once and for all killed them didn’t you?” he broke into laughter again but this time Seoras shot a bolt of lighting at him which Scratch easily avoided.

“Now that is no way to treat a friend, huh good buddy? Surely you have a little rust in the department of killing but don’t take it out on me,” she said as sincerely as he could.

“They find ways to survive but they won’t for long. I will be bring back my daughter with your help!” he replied giving a glare at the half man half goat figure that float just off the floor.

“Yes, my help,” He laughed again, “Your daughter is just evil all around isn’t she that’s why she fell for the captain Taichi. He is quite a handsome fellow I would say,” he rubbed his breaded chin.
 
“BRING HER BACK NOW! The more help the better and stronger we will be!” Seoras shouted at the goat.

“Are you sure you want to I mean, Taichi still alive she will fall for him all over again. I say you should wait,” he replied.

“WAIT FOR WHAT? OUR DOWNFALL!” he shouted.

“Now, now. I want my payment of a soul that you have apparently promised me. Only then will she come back from the dead. An eye for an eye as the saying goes,” he smirked at Seoras who looked around the cave his eyes fell onto the bowl of water.

“How about a common person? Anyone? Doesn’t it matter whom?” he questioned staring into the bowl.

“That should be suitable, since I believe we are up against a fair amount of magical power,” scratch stroked his goatee and looking thoughtful, “Yes, I would say that they have two magical people aboard their ship.”

Seoras looked at him though he was mad “There is only one! That is her,” he pointed down at the bowl a picture of Hikari showed.

Scratch howled with laughter then snickering he pointed his finger down into the bowl then another image showed, “He is one too. You can not tell only because he hasn’t preformed any kind of magic at all.”

“No way, he was a hawk how could have learned magic? It’s impossible.”
“There are more thing that you do not know about this boy, he is strong. As being handled with for the last seven years with who know what kind of magical doers. He could have picked up stuff. Now that’s not saying he knows that he has any or how to use it. It would only take Hikari long for her to realize that he can actually perform magic, just watch.”

Seoras eyed him not looking very amused at this news, “if that is the case I should turn him back to the hawk he was.” *

 “I don’t like this. I don’t want to see it again,” Miyako cried, she clutched onto Koushiro’s arm as the journeyed further into the forest.

“We should watch out there are bogs around this area,” Taichi called from the front of the group.

They quietly progressed through the forest, the path they followed was clear and seem to be used as a roadway for villagers to head toward the shore and to get back to their own villages.

“Sora!” a voice shouted from the treetops.

Sora looked up she didn’t see anything, “Taichi stop!” she said to him.

“It’s me Yamato! Help me!” he shouted from a tiny cage that was pined up high in the tall evergreens.

“How did you get there!?” she said shocked.

“No time to explain help me please before that monster comes back,” Yamato said he looked nervously toward the narrow path through the forest.  

Hikari thought for a moment, “I could possibly cut that rope, with my magic but that could cause the cage to fall all that height and crash to the ground along with Yamato.”

“Koushiro you have any suggestions?” Sora asked.

He furrowed his brow, “We could do what Hikari suggested, say we put some leaves together and soften the ground a bit--".

“We could just tie a rock to the end of the rope I have here,” Takeru said holding a coil of rope, “And toss it up to him. It should work.”

“Good Idea,” Taichi replied, “We got a plan Yamato, we are going to tie a rock to the end of this rope and when we throw it up you catch it and tie it on to the cage and just climb down.”

Jyou tossed the rope to Yamato who missed. Then again Jyou tossed it but this time it was successful. Yamato tied the rope to the cage, then swung the door open and climbed down the rope he reached about midway when gigantic footsteps approached.
“Quickly! Yamato!” Sora shouted to him.

As fast as he could Yamato climbed down as he touched the ground the Cyclops appeared, he looked to the cage, which now was empty. It walked closely to the cage examined the rope that hung off it then looked to where the rope led. He saw nothing he let out a mighty roar and pounded his fists against his chest.

The eight held there breathes as the hid behind a bush not too far away from the monster. They watched as it took a few looks around then turned and walked back from where he had came from.

Taichi was first to get out into the open, “Okay that was close.”

“Your telling me,” Yamato said huffing and puffing still trying to catch his breath, “But now we have to go find Mimi she in a village not to far away from here. And if I’m right that Monster is heading toward there as well.”

“Right then, let’s go,” Taichi, said he took lead and they followed the beast.

The Cyclops was ransacking the village when they arrived. People ran around screaming and finding places to hide. Taichi feeling the need to do something ran out behind him screamed, “HEY ONE EYED FREAK!” the Cyclops turned around and began after him.

“Taichi! That’s a stupid, stupid idea!” Sora yelled angrily.

As he was running away from the village trying to get the monster to back off, “You stay there and take after the villagers, if I remember correctly there is supposed to be bogs on this island somewhere.” He called back to them.

Taichi ran back into the forest the Cyclops chased after him, he headed to his right off the path and threw the brush, every one and awhile getting scratched and snagged on branches. He broke through into a clearing and beyond he could see a bogs, numerous about of them.

He stopped looked back the Cyclops was gaining, he concentrated to the bogs, the high spots he had to get too. He hopped on one then to the next high spot until he was further away from safe ground and enough quick sand in front of him that he thought it would be safe from the Cyclops grasps.

The Cyclops stopped and stared at Taichi, who was waving his hands, “Come and get me!” he shouted.  He roared then started to walk into some of the quick sand the sand swallowed it up to his neck. Taichi watched as slowly the sand consumed the Cyclops.

          &nb sp;                         &nb sp;                         &nb sp;           *

Hikari watched at Yamato and Mimi hugged, she then turned to Takeru who too was looking at Yamato, “What wrong Takeru?”

“He reminds me of someone I knew so long ago,” he said. Then he remembered about what Sora had said. He turned to her, “Sora is this Yamato the one you think that could be my brother?” he asked.

“Yes, it is. I can call him over if you like.” Sora said. Takeru nodded, “Yamato, I have someone I should introduce you too.”

Yamato and Mimi both came over to where Sora was standing with her friends, “What is it?” Yamato asked.

“Yamato this is Takeru-.” He interrupted her.

“Takeru, my little brother?” he questioned in shock. He looked at Takeru the resemblance was remarkable to him.

“I remember you from long ago,” Takeru began, “And when I saw you today from a distance I though in my memory the best I could…I haven’t saw you since the day I was turned into hawk.” 

Taichi came back to the group, “Taichi, are you okay?” Sora questioned.

He nodded, “The Cyclops is no more.” He said. Then he saw Takeru and Yamato who were staring at each other with shocked expressions. “So they are brothers.”

The two long lost brothers hugged, Mimi dabbed her eyes with a tissue she had pulled out of her pocket.

“I thought you were dead,” Yamato cried, his tears of joy to see his brother here alive overwhelmed him and he hugged him again. “You have to come with me home, Mom I have to show her and dad that you’re alive.”

“Mom, Dad?” Takeru questioned sort of mystified. “I will.” Takeru then turned to Sora, Taichi, Jyou, Koushiro, Miyako and last of all Hikari, “Thanks very much for helping me, Hikari I want to thank you for feeling that I have some potential,” he walked up to her, “Thank you.”  He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Your welcome, Takeru,” Hikari said. She smiled and light traced the area of her cheek he had kissed her.

“Takeru maybe one day when you get well acquainted with your brother and mom and dad then perhaps you can rejoin us,” Taichi said with a warm smile.

“Thank for the offer Taichi but I think I’ve been away from home long enough,” Takeru replied as he stood next to his brother and his wife.

To Be Continued... PREVIOUS | HOME | NEXT