First Steps! A Forest Spirit Meets A Dragon!

[Sweet Dreams]

"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
 
That was the sound that could be heard in the darkness of the lower deck of a ship, the source of the noise could be found in a corner of the dim lit space. Akiko slammed her hooves against the iron bars of the cage she was in. Her pelt was soaked with seawater and due to the cold below deck it left her trembling with only a small amount of warmth from her old scarf. It and her wooden flute being the only thing she got to keep as her captors saw them as worthless. It had been a hellish journey the last year she had been held prisoner, and it showed. Her fur was soaked and thinning,her skin was pale from lack of sunlight and was stretched across her body as she had lost most of her muscle mass from being in such a small space for so long and all of her body fat from the half rotten scraps they had fed her. Her hooves were cracked from the daily pounding on the thick iron bars. She had been at this for hours , it was no use unless she could have a running start to buck the bars they wouldn't budge an inch. She hated this small cage, it was cold, she hated the ship she was on, it smelt and was always damp.
 
She...didn't like the humans, they were nothing like Daisuke, they were mean, they stunk worse then the ship and they wouldn't even give her any apples! Just half rotten leftovers. She wasn't sure where they had all gone because the ship had been pretty quiet for a hour or so. But if she remembered right she heard one talking about land earlier that day. So she figured that this would of been her chance to escape. She got up again and scratched her head, it didn't help that her antlers were growing in the consent itch was starting to drive her mad!
 

"Focus! I have to focus!" She thought as she slammed her hooves on the bars again "If I don't get out of here soon they might come back and eat me!" She had over heard one of the crew members earlier that day joking about how if they didn't sell her soon they could eat her instead.

[Deviant]

Before today the Captain Heartly Hayes who'd proved his usefulness to the Navy had been denied a crew of his own due to being far too reckless in the field and much more too laid back when it called for times of action.

But with pirate activity on the rise and the Navy struggling to combat against them it was time to forgo the pleasantries and ditch the reasoning behind denying crews to those who were reckless.

In actuality Heartly should really be thanking the increase in criminal activity, but that would seem weird.

Offered the chance to start his own crew in Battalion 72 he chose a name.

The Infernal Division.

And his first crew mate offered to him. A good for nothing lazy layabout who people had been so desperate to get rid of due to him being far too lazy.

Most other captains joked about punishing Heartly by giving him Colton but he saw it as a challenge.

Heartly had put in a request for a ship this same day and headed out to see so he and Colton could get to know each other and train themselves upon the sea where they could also hopefully stumble upon someone who may require their help.

In the large open blue aboard a simple rocking naval ship Captain Heartly Hayes stood at the helm with a smile on his face.

"Today I begin my journey into the ranks of the great." he muttered to himself.

[Sweet Dreams]

The banging of metal continued as Akiko continued to try and free herself but barely had made the bar even dent with her weakened but powerful kicks. She panted hard from the effort of her continuous kicking. With an angry shout she launched another kick,but in her anger missed her mark. Instead her leg shot out between the bar and hit a nearby create,this causing a chain reaction,a large section of a wooden crate gave way spilling gold coins and jewels all over the floor,but it didn't stop there,oh no the fates themselves really did seem to hate her as other boxes piled onto of the first fell and broke open spilling out causing the priceless vases and the large metal balls she had once seen them shoot at another ship. All around her now was a mess of broken wood,glass and split jewels as the domino effect caused a loud booming crash.

[Deviant]

Feeling proud of himself and rather honored to have his own crew for him to command Heartly took a gaze into the distance of the blues to see what he could find as a way of understanding Colton's powers.

He had read his file and understood aside from being a slacker he was a clever recruit who enjoyed music as it helped ease his nerves. He had eaten the Hai Hai no Mi a fruit known as the ash logia.

Spotting a ship just in the distance and spotting that they chose to fly the skull and cross bones Heartly grinned.

He could make out a couple of crew members, what appeared to be a cage and some sort of animal and person seemed to be held captive.

This was a classic act of piracy. Kidnap of live stock and people to sell off as slaves.

"Recruit Ryker, in the spirit of understanding your powers and abilities in the field I have spotted a vessel up ahead and realized that there may even be some civilians who require our help. So I would like to see what you can accomplish. I understand you are the owner of the ash fruit and may float, fly or drift or whatever you call it. I want you to make your way to the ship and subdue all crooks aboard. I repeat subdue, not kill. Once you've done so I want you to retain hold of the ship until I arrive."

Nodding as he understood Colton stood up stretching as he removed his guitar from his torso via the sling. Lying it down on the side he yawned and saluted Captain Hayes.

"Don't wait around Captain."

With that said and done his body quickly begun to blow away piece by piece into small glowering orange ashes in the direction of the pirate ship.

[Sweet Dreams]

Akiko had been in the middle of shielding herself from the pirates,even with the thick bars she feared what they would do to her in such a weakened state. "I say we just eat her! There is no way we will get the money back we lost from all this other stuff!" One man shouted after she had been brought above deck. It seemed like the crew was split as some still wanted to sell her but others wanted to turn her into food due to the lack they had in their stores.

 She closed her eyes tightly and curled up more,she could already smell the ash of a fire...Suddenly her head shout up as she looked around but seeing no fire,where was this ash coming from if there was no fire to make it.

[Deviant]

Watching as the ash man drifted apart into several pieces Heartly smirked and made sure he wasn't going to leave him alone long enough. Pulling the sails and releasing them so they were at full mast and watching as they sprung open to catch the the wind, Heartly moved to the helm ready to guide the ship.

With his eyes fixed on the ship ahead he just hoped Colton would actually try to do his best and not try the slacker approach. He wanted to raise the future admirals, not the future animals.

As for Colton with so little holding him back, Colton's body slowly begun to reform. Starting with the feet aboard the ship Heartly had spoke of, Colton could already her voices speaking of cannibalism.

His torso had begun to form and Colton was almost ready for a fight. The heads of two pirates turned to see him and before his head had even begun two shots were fired.

BANG
BANG

Separating the ash that made up Colton's body two holes were seen with orange burning ash on the insides whilst the outer side was black.

Quickly reforming and pulling his ash body back together and into one piece, Colton raised both hands and pointed them at the pirates ready to send their faces into a blistering hell fire of pain & agony before he remembered.

Subdue them, don't kill them.

Sighing as his head formed atop the headless body he lowered his hands and the two pirates swung for him.

Swinging high for his head with a small knife the blade shot through Colton face and tore out the other end leaving behind an ash trail and a black smear over the blade.

"Guys, just don't try it. You won't get anywhere."

A second blow to the ribs by rifle was to no avail. Another hole blown, another hole reformed.

"I warned ya guys."

"What the 'ell are you?!"

"I'm the guy sent here to arrest you guys, now if you wouldn't mind just telling your crew mates and sitting down in a group together."

Nodding and leading the way to the rest of the crew who were in a large lengthy debate about whether it was better to eat or sell Akiko.

"Captain sir, I know this must sound heinous and grossly inappropriate, but this here man is a Marine and he's here to arrest us. Ivan and have tried making him surrender and even killing 'im but it don't seem to werk."

Unleashing a hell fire on to Colton bullets, shells, blades and all tore through his body forming small to large holes coated with burning orange and black only to be pulled back together.

Not an inch did Colton move but as the final blow was fired and did the same as the rest Colton raised a hand pointed towards the sails.

Serpent Spit II

He stepped forward pushing past the crew until he was opposite the captain as the sails and jolly roger caught fire and quickly begun burning rendering the ship motionless except for the lazy currents which would push back and forth.

"Sorry Captain, but it seems you'll have to disband this crew as it is no longer in service."

Allowing his hand to remove itself and swirl around the captain's neck a trail of volcanic ash joined the two wrapping itself around Captain's neck. Scorching his flesh and sending screams through his body and finally into the air Colton let go watching the Captain hit the ground.

"If you don't wish the same to happen to you, I'd advise yo follow my orders and sit in the corner with your captain until mine arrives."

Yawning he watched as the crew moved to the corner in fear and sat down behind their captain who was so stricken with pain he clutched at his throat in hopes it would somehow make it feel better.

[Sweet Dreams]

Akiko saw all of this from his materialization to the useless holes created and reformed in his ash body. Her eyes became pinpricks as she saw the burns he inflicted on the captain but then there was no lost love there. She even watched as all the crew surrendered knowing there was so escape now that the sails were burned away. She had no idea if this man was here to save her but she plucked up the courage to speak,after all she was sore that the very least he wouldn't eat her. "I um...T-Thank you" She spoke up finally. It was then that she noticed the other ship nearing them,the sails white and blue so unlike the sails that this ship had.

[Deviant]

Looking towards the pirates who cowered in fear talking among themselves Colton turned away to look at his Captain's ship. Heartly would be out there sailing as fast as he could.

Just out in the distance barely visable were a set of sails Colton knew well. White and blue the colours of the Navy. Sighing he turned back to the crew to see them still petrified of him and he couldn't blame them.

Should've bought my guitar Colton thought before his memory served slightly better realizing it'd be full of holes he wouldn't be too happy to see. Maybe it was wise not to bring it. he thought again.

A weak feminine voice spoke up from behind and turning to find the source Colton found it in the shape of a human, deer type creature. Raising an eyebrow before sighing and yawning once more he rubbed his eyes and approached.

[b]"Captain said they'd captured livestock and humans, not - sorry what are you?"[b]

Slightly confused but too lazy to have his brain worry about it or even question it, Colton yawned again and turned to see how far his captain was.

At the helm steering as he could and trying his best to get there as fast as possible Heartly raised his telescope to see if Colton had succeeded in this little exercise as he'd like to call it.

Spotting Colton looking back and the creature in the cage which looked much clearer now Heartly raised a curious eyebrow wondering what monstrosity the creature Colton had rescued was.

Hostile? Docile? Friendly? Aggressive?

[Sweet Dreams]

Akiko sighed seeing he didn't seem to have any cruel intentions to her. Her ears perked up and her eyes widened as he asked what she was but at the same time didn't stare at her. "Me?...well I um..I'm a Centaur" She says before falling quiet for a moment. Then she spoke up again "Um...I hate to be a bother after you saved me but..can you get this thing off?" She asks poking at the large thick lock on the door. "I'd rather like to get out of this box if possible.."

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