Strena Youngest Bounty Hunter Arc Part One

Strena's First Hunt

Strena had lived with Zaryb for a year now. She still cried at night, even-though she knew that she had to stop, but she could not help it. She was five to six years old! She sometimes had to remind herself of this. She even had to remind herself of her true name too. She had to chant it every night when she wasn't out with her parents murderer s he took on job after job. Meanwhile as she did this she kept all the memories of her parents alive and she kept their faces in her mind. She did this to alleviate her fear of losing all these things.

She had spotted that her dark skin had become paler and there were bags under her eyes as she woke up from nightmares of that night. She had developed a more muscular frame but it was not as predominant like Zaryb's and she still looked like a normal child. Maybe one of those homeless children that she sometimes saw, but still a child. She had developed tougher skin and blisters. Her nails were all uneven and some had been cut, clearly by using her own teeth.

It was on that day that had marked their murder that Zaryb came up to her.

“Master Zaryb, are we going out on a hunt?” she asked.

He smiled an almost pleasant smile.

“No, today, instead of me taking you, you will be bringing me.” he said.

Strene frowned.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

“Today we find out what you hat leant over the past year. And this time it is you that will me picking the job. And, over the course of the next couple of months you will be picking five more jobs. This will lead you to become a fully fledged bounty hunter. Just like I am.” he explained.

“Then I'll get changed into my hunter's gear.” she said.

“Yes, and I think that you should pick a job, preferably a job that is a low paying one. They're the easiest.” he said.

“Thank you.” she was as she got up.

She walked up to the board and as she looked at the jobs and she only skimmed the board but then one almost jumped up at her. She snatched it way before her rational part could respond and waked back. She then showed him the the poster.

“'Rescuing the Princess Lorana from the evil Stonim'...Interesting...Why would you pick that one?” he asked.

“I dunno it just felt right.” she said. “Plus, Lorana's my friend so I wanna save her.”

“And how're you going to do this without being recognised?” he asked.

She frowned.

Then his face changed to that face that she greeted when he killed her parents.

“Because if you're recognised by any one I will kill them do you understand?” he said as his face softened slightly. For a moment she went pale as she suddenly felt afraid for her friend.

“Well, I thought about that. Why don't we go to a hair morpher to dye my hair white and cut it and I'll no on as your illegitimate son.” she said.

He smiled and nodded.

“Seems like a good plan.” he admitted.

She smiled as she finished. She then washed and then changed and pack, just the way that she was taught. She had made sure to pack the essentials and after several beatings, she knew what they were. She then plated her hair the way Nigica had shown her. She hoped that she would get back from her job soon. Then again, she did say that it was going to take some time to get this one done, after all it did take her to a far away kingdom.

“Ready?” he asked.

She showed him the strap of her bag.

“Did you pack the spare clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Some pots and pans?”

“Yes, and some food too!” she said with a part of her wanting to show off. He gave her a look of pride.

“Good girl.”

“Boy, when we're on mission.” she said.

He smiled and nodded. He tossed a coin to the cook. They then set off and then went to the hair morphers and he cut and dyed her hair, which took longer than Strena thought. When it was done she jumped as she looked in the mirror. She really did look like his child. She looked at him again, her face pale.

“He did a good job.” she said trying to cover her shock.

He smiled and paid the man. They then went on to the next ship and then they came to the tropical kingdom that she always went to when she was with her parents. They always told her that they wanted her to marry Prince Neronah, Princess Lorama' younger brother, but even-though she would have loved that, she knew that Zaryb had put an end to those plans, and even-though they would have learnt by now that she was taken, but it was all too clear that non could recognise her. Which was good.

As she went on she had noticed that there were things that she had noticed that were different. The first thing was that she noticed was how, with her parents all of the soldiers would let her pass first or move out of the way to let her pass or move the curtain out of the way for her. Now they looked at her as if she was not worth the dirt beneath their feet. They even snapped at her several times as she bumped into then several times.

She remembered that the streets were clean but she could see the rubbish on the ground and the beggars with animal skulls used as bowls sat here and there. She could even see the bloated dead animals with a swarm of flies over them and the dung.

Everything that she did not like but she knew that she had to see. It helped her see the things from a different angle. This also made her wonder what else did her parents or her class hide her eyes from? What else did she now know or see? What other things did she see through rose coloured glasses because of her being a princess?

She then found a couple of guards and walked over to them. Zaryb followed her and looked around. Strena spotted that people were giving him a dirty look then looked at her with a subtle contempt and the quickly looked away. It was all too clear that they did not recognise her and probably did think that she really was his child! Even-though it was a good thing that they did but she did not like that one bit.

“Hey, urm could-” she felt a fist in her gut.

“Kid get away from here.”

She clutched her stomach. She had to get over her sudden shock at the fact that one of the guards had pampered her a year and a half ago had just hit her. She got up.

“Sorry, I just wanted to know where Stonim was.” she muttered.

They looked at each-other and laughed.

“You planning on rescuing her?”

“Well I wouldn't if I were you!”

“Why?”

“'Cause most likely than not 'e sold her to 'im.”

“Who?”

“The king o' course!”

“No-that can't be true, he doted over her!” she cried.

“Unlikely!” they laughed as they walked away.

She walked back. Zaryb raised his eyebrow.

“Got what you needed?”

“Hardly.” she said.

“Thought not.” he then turned. “Come on!”

“You mean that you know where he is?” she asked.

“Yup. In fact I've had several interactions with him.” he said as his face went completely pale despite the cheery tone to his voice.

She, still clutching her gut followed him. He let them to a river where there was an island in the centre with a tower built like the high towers of the west where she had been living. Clearly telling her that he was from there and not a native of the country.

“Cone on!” he sang as he took out a canoe with two holes at the top. They both fit in and he paddled over to the island. They then walked to the front door a and opened it as she walked in.

“Why are we doing things this way? What if he had booby trapped the entire building?” she asked.

“Not his style.” he told her.

She frowned as she walked over to the stairs she looked at the rusty bannister. She placed her hand on it and pushed down on it. Seeing that it was safe she walked up to the top.

“Why did you do that?” Zaryb asked.

“The bannister was rusty and I didn't know if the rust had eaten away the metal.” she said.

He looked down and nodded, she could see that he was clearly impressed as they walked up higher and higher and higher. It almost took then forever just to get to the top where she saw her friend tied up above their heads. She was about to reach out to get her down and see if she was alright, but Zaryb placed his hand on her shoulder as a reminder of what he had told her. She nodded and lowered her tone.

“Are you alright?” she asked, trying to sound like a boy.

She looked down and shook her head and let out a muffled scream.

“We'll have you down soon!” she called.

“Will you!” cam a voice behind her. She jumped only to see that the one stood behind her was none other than Stonim! She jumped back and took up the nearest weapon ad pointed it at him. Only to realise that it was nothing but a book.

“I have to say Zarry, I heard that you had taken in a child apprentice but this it ridiculous! She's barely old enough to even give me a good fight and yet you're already making her into a bounty hunter like yourself. What next? Is she going to become an assassin before she's old enough to have her first crush?” he mocked.

“Mock me all you want, just let my apprentice dispatch of you.” he said. “After all I have trained her well, regardless of how much she need to grow up and improve.”

Stonim laughed at that.

“Oh Zarry!”

Strena ran up to him and swung the spine into his gut and closed it as he hit him again across his face and dug the other corner into his throat so hard that the cuts on them flowed freely with blood. Yet as he looked at her he let out a loud and absurd laugh.

“Why! So it is her! Do you know how many people in the Sand planed are looking for you?” he asked.

Her eyes widened in shock as she glanced over at Zaryb, whose face had changed into that face that had killed her parents. She gulped with dread knowing exactly what that meant.

“Good girl!” he said as he took out several small knives and threw every single one. Fearing for her life, Strena quickly pulled her friend down and covered her with her body to stop her from having a drop of Stonim's blood on her as he brutally killed him like he did her parents.

They soon took her home and collected their bounty and were back home.