Hunter X Hunter Fan Fiction ❯ Castle in the Sand ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Hunter X Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi.

Also thanks go out to Choco for reviewing! Your review was deleted when I was fixing up the chapter, but it's very well remembered!

Machi's head jerked up, her golden eyes scouring the surrounding hotel room. The thread of Nen that should have been attached to the boy had broken, cut cleanly as if a pair of scissors had been taken to it. It was progressing faster now. Her Nen was slowly leaking from her grasp, slowly being drawn away by her foe. She would have never thought the drain would be so fast, never could have imagined the weakness left in its wake.

Her charge, Tsukeru poked his head out from behind the door. The boy was still frail, far too pale and thin for a child of his age. Had she been with her full ability, he would be fine now. He wouldn't be tired after an hour or two of excursion, he wouldn't shake with suppressed tension lifting and manipulating various objects, he wouldn't be left with the scars and bruises…

"Machi?" he inquired, looking at her strangely.

Snapping to attention, she realized she had been staring at him for a full minute, maybe more. "What?" She barked at the boy.

Tsukeru tilted his head watching as she stood up, fumbling with the sheets on the oversized bed, pulling them into disarray in her attempt to save face. Grinning, he shook his head and started to help her.

"You know about the party tomorrow, don't you?" He questioned her.

Machi made a sour face, causing him to laugh. Of course she knew about the damn party. Mr. Yutaka, the fool who called himself Tsukeru's father had gone and invited roughly 500 people for a `social gathering'. Social gathering, he had said. No, it was a showing. Meant to prove to whom ever had instigated the accident that the heir to the family business was quiet alive and regaining health. Of course, it would be up to her to keep an eye on Tsukeru and watch for any suspicious behavior. The instigator would almost certainly be there. Mr. Yutaka hadn't left this to chance. Apparently he had hired some other flunkies to patrol the party. With her luck it would be some head strong idiot who'd just discovered Nen. Or worse, had no idea about it.

"Well…I hate to tell you this, but I don't think they'll like it if you go dressed in…that." He said gesturing to the clothing she usually wore while on any job. The Gi top, biker shorts and long socks were comfortable and easy to fight in. Plus, of course her pincushion wrist band aided her in her quest for trying to maintain her Nen…

"Don't tell me. It's formal dress only." Machi groaned.

"No…but it's certainly not that. Something presentable to the `upper class' is what Dad said." Tsukeru giggled as she sent him a glare that would have in the old days, sent her opponent into a screaming retreat. "We're going out shopping today anyways, Dad's paying for it. Hurry up, will you? The market opens pretty soon and if we don't hurry everything will be gone!"

Machi's fingers dug into the soft down of the pillow in her hand. This would be far worse then she had thought. Grumbling, she dropped it onto the bed before heading for the door. "All right, all right…"

Hisoka sat in the small café on the beach, sipping at a liquid he really hoped was coffee. He wasn't really too sure. Not that food in front of him mattered at the moment. Hisoka was focused on another, more delectable item, one whom had managed to elude him for so very long. No more. Now they were on this tiny island, together. A boat left the island twice a day and was watched by him at all times. There was no way she would escape him again. His appetite would soon be sated. Looking down at his plate Hisoka stared as his syrup slowly appeared to develop bubbles, which quickly burst upon formation. Wincing he pushed it away. So much for breakfast.

The village was bustling with activity. Machi stared at the stalls, so bland last week, yet so jarringly bright and decorative today. There were people everywhere, she didn't think the island had this many people on it, let alone here in this small place. It was like some horrible epidemic had set loose upon the island. Instead of a normal treatable disease, it presented a plague of humanity. Which was curable, but she really didn't think her employer would approve of her purging the island of its inhabitants. Tsukeru laughed at the suspicious glances he spotted her shooting at the people brushing past.

"Relax, it's festival time here. There's always lots of people on the island for the celebration, the population almost doubles for the three days."

Three days of this horror, it was unthinkable.

"Plus, with everyone from the party it'll be even more busy."

People. Gods, how she hated them. With that many people on the damn island, she wouldn't be able to breath without rubbing shoulders with some of them! Would it be possible to hide in her room…?

"Come on!" Tsukeru's excited voice broke in upon her thoughts. "It looks like the street vendors are just opening!" with that, he dragged her off.

Hisoka watched as the first boat slowly appeared over the horizon, ponderously making its way to shore like an old overburdened pack beast. There were specks crawling all over the docks in a vibrant hum of activity, the sound of cheering echoing the waves. Shuffling his cards slowly he returned his gaze back to land, specifically in the direction he knew the village lay. The damaged child had literally hauled Machi by the hand out of their hotel, out onto the previously dust laden streets. Despite her growling, the boy had maintained the physical contact. Hisoka wondered about that. Normally Machi's attitude would put off all but the bravest. Was it possible the child was just stupid? No, that couldn't be it. Yet, he largely ignored her façade. It was obvious Machi was slowly growing affection for the boy despite herself. The game was indeed getting more and more interesting.

Machi collapsed gratefully onto a small wooden bench located in what was probably the market center square. It was relatively free of those stalls, and there were no store clerks around to hover and glare. Tsukeru had been running like a mad thing from place to place examining the various wares, distressingly focused on fabric and jewelry. To tell the truth she was beginning to get a bit worried that she would never be able to escape, but at last he had found something that really caught his attention. She could see him from here, bickering with the owner of the wagon which displayed an awe inspiring arrangement of clothing. She personally would have never thought it possible to have that much stuff on display with that much room. The owner had used nearly every square inch of free space to present the goods. And luckily for him, he would very soon be getting some more space, for Tsukeru had made his decision. It would be such a simple matter to steal the items of course, but on such a tiny place it wouldn't be long before they tracked her down. Not that it mattered because it wasn't her money she would be wasting, but Mr. Yutakas. That thought in itself was more then enough to put a smile on her face, one that didn't even fade when her charge moved on to find her some appropriate jewelry to go along.

Finally the boat had arrived, groaning to a halt at the long dock just next to the café. Ropes were secured, a gangplank extended, and quickly quite an assortment of people began to spill out onto the pale sands of the beach. Hisoka listened as the captain laughingly told the dock master there would be three more loads coming in today. This lot was apparently a bunch of seasick mainlanders. Groaning aloud, the dock master made some comment on feeding the fishes, but Hisoka had by then stopped paying attention to them. He was focused on a tall, slim figure slowly making his way down the plank onto the dock. There was a paper in the man's hands, which he was obviously examining. A gust of wind blew up suddenly from the sea, snatching the note from his grasp, sending it on a dizzying airborne flight. Strange black eyes seemingly devoid of emotion or soul watched its path upon the airways, long strands of black hair blowing across his face. Smirking to himself Hisoka's hand lashed out in a blur of movement unseen by the normal eye. The slip of paper is crushed, as the man's gaze settles upon Hisoka.

"Hello, Illumi."