With word of the courier being able to pull through with a slight limp was the best that could be Kamaru figured considering the alternatives. With Hajime getting his package delivered which turned out to be money and supplies for his family Kamaru was a bit surprised. Finding out the man was a journalist in the village ruined the mood though. Getting word of another mission had Kamaru dismissing the heartfelt moment and getting back to business quickly. From what he was told a man by the name Kenichi Endo would be needed protection from a group called the United Strike Directive. With orders to escort him back to Titan’s Keep Kamaru wondered what was in store for him this time around.
Kamaru headed into the Petrified Redwoods following the waypoints given to get to his new charge, while Kamaru was expecting trouble what he found was something he didn’t really think he’d encounter.
Seeing a boy hanging by the back of his coveralls from a tree and the boy staring back gave Kamaru a moment of pause. It was an odd place to meet a child there wasn’t anything safe or fun per say about the Petrified Redwoods but here they were looking at each other. Kamaru wondering what kind of animal could make a trap this elaborate.
”You okay kid?” Kamaru finally asked after a long drawn out pause.
”No, I’m hanging from a tree by my pants. I miss my Daddy and I have to go also.” the boy explained.
Kamaru blinked. This was probably a very elaborate trap or the boy was just here for random reasons. Not wanting to see the boy hang around when he had things to take care of he moved up the tree taking the boy to the ground. Once finished with his business he came back and explained things to Kamaru since he saved him. It made a little more sense but not much. The boy didn’t know what his father did for a living but for some reason he opted to go and take his son with him for his job. At some point from what Kamaru could gather the boy was set up in the trees, seeing the area Kamaru had to admit that if you weren’t looking for it you probably wouldn’t notice. A small camp had been setup for the days among the branches for the boy, boredom and not paying attention had him flying out of the tree and getting stuck. Kamaru figured the boy was lucky. There was little he could have done several hours after the fact if the boy had landed head first from the distance down.
Kamaru debated things for a bit and finally just sighed, ”Wanna go find your dad?” he asked.
The boy seemed to frown a bit and actual think, ”I’m suppose to wait in the tree and not talk to strangers.” the boy commented.
Kamaru looked back up the several meters it would be for the boy to get up to his nesting camp.
”I can put you back up there but you’ve already talked to a stranger, plus if an animal finds you up there you won’t have a lot of options besides jumping…” Kamaru explained.
After a bit of thought the boy thought finding his father was probably the better option, maybe he didn’t feel safe or he had gotten bored alone, there’s only so much one could do in a tree to entertain one’s self Kamaru figured and got an additional charge to look after on the trip.
Finding the cabin was easy enough, probably would have been easier if he didn’t have a kid asking him questions the whole time to distract him.
Kamaru looked back, he didn’t like what he had just told the young boy or what he did but he needed to scout out the area when he thought he heard voices. As the boy tried to tell him something he told the boy to be quiet and he’d be right back. Letting the boy know Kamaru had seen spiders large enough to grab a man whole and pull him deep into the forests had the boy shaking in a fetal position and Kamaru had found the boy’s weakness. Besides slightly sniffling he didn’t make that much noise.
The voices were from various people in the area. Although they had surrounded the cabin Kamaru needed to get to they were waiting to hear back from someone, although he had joked and teased the boy it seemed one of their group had actually been spirited away from something in the forest and others were searching for them not knowing where or what took them.
Getting back Kamaru blinked a few times, since he had been focused on trying to do two things at once he finally understood things and what the boy meant when he started talking. In his fear for spiders from the talk he wanted his father, he also explained the voice of his uncle was out there and he’d also protect him. Nodding Kamaru said they should possibly find him and say hello but Kamaru needed to get into a cabin to say hello to his friend as well.
The boy waving at a man as Kamaru darted through his field of vision gave the man a shock.
”Sakuma!?!?!” he barked out in surprise before several of the men looked and came running.
Kamaru had made it to the cabin, moving inside with the boy had someone moving a hand crossbow to his temple.
”How long they been out there?” Kamaru simply asked.
The man moved him in closing the door behind them. Moving around still aiming it at Kamaru the man repositioned behind piled up furniture while keeping a line of sight on Kamaru.
”I don’t think your friend likes you right now.” the boy said as Kamaru put him down keeping his hands in the open.
”They didn’t think I noticed, I went dark this morning they probably been out there for a while, overnight, don’t know why they’re waiting but they can’t see me, who the hell are you anyway? Their negotiator.” the man asked looking from Kamaru to the kid.
”I’m more the reason they’ll probably want to talk.” Kamaru explained. A few minutes later a voice outside yelled out.
”Give us the boy!” someone demanded.
”Bring his father and your lost man first! We’ll babysit him until you do, that way you can pick him up on the way out of the forest and get your friend medical aid.” Kamaru shot back from his position. The man with the hand crossbow darted around trying to figure out what was going on. When there was silence for far too long he finally looked outside.
”They’re gone!” he exclaimed slumping down the wall.
”They’ll be back…” Kamaru reminded him getting the man nervous again for a bit.
The knock at the door had Kamaru opening it and looking out. A bearded man looked at him pulling his hat off, ”Where’s my son?” he stated, he didn’t try and demand it or intimidate Kamaru. Scanning the area and seeing a man missing the lower half of one of his legs Kamaru motioned slowly with one hand to get the man out of site. The man motioned as ordered before turning to see a young boy hiding behind Kamaru’s leg.
”He apologizes for not staying put but he fell from the tree…” Kamaru explained the man moving up to his son jerked his head up to look at Kamaru in disbelief. ”He got stuck on a broken branch though. He didn’t want to do anything he wasn’t suppose to but the situation had him almost p-” Kamaru continued before the boy piped up with a beet red face, ”I didn’t go… I had to really bad and I was scared. I didn’t go though!” he stammered out. Kamaru moved behind the boy as the man got closer. Taking the boy and cradling him in his arms the man shook slightly.
”Do you still need to take care of things or did you want to take care of your man instead?” Kamaru said causing the man to freeze in his position. Was Kamaru a nice person or a monster. Asking that at a time like this they’d need to rush them and grab the man. Kamaru was inches from him, inches from his son. Had he not done anything to the boy to use him as a bargaining chip? Looking up Kamaru’s expressionless dead fish stare didn’t help alleviate the man’s thoughts or show what was on Kamaru’s mind. Mention of someone in a town close by that dealt well with a spider bite got his son clutching onto him tighter.
”I’ll take care of my men, and family. Guess the target was gone when we got here, I’d rather just not get paid for the job than the other options involved with finishing it.” the man stated.
With the man in the cabin and Kamaru eventually left to their own designs the man looked at Kamaru, ”Did that just work?”
Kamaru shrugged, ”Either I’m the saint that saved the bosses son and let them find their missing man or the demon that used his son as a hostage. Anyone coming in here is either really good or considered a bit crazy. They may not have thought I was that good.” Kamaru explained to the man and nodded outside and pointed around the corner where all the men outside could have seen. When Kamaru was scouting around and easedropping he had managed to steal some of their gear. Nothing major but enough that they lost courage. Anyone getting that close and not noticing them meant they could have been killed. Time to talk amongst themselves and find out how many got them nervous especially since the boss’s son was the hostage. The truth was Kamaru didn’t know how far he would have taken it if there was a confrontation. For now he was just glad there was a peaceful resolution.
Kamaru headed into the Petrified Redwoods following the waypoints given to get to his new charge, while Kamaru was expecting trouble what he found was something he didn’t really think he’d encounter.
Seeing a boy hanging by the back of his coveralls from a tree and the boy staring back gave Kamaru a moment of pause. It was an odd place to meet a child there wasn’t anything safe or fun per say about the Petrified Redwoods but here they were looking at each other. Kamaru wondering what kind of animal could make a trap this elaborate.
”You okay kid?” Kamaru finally asked after a long drawn out pause.
”No, I’m hanging from a tree by my pants. I miss my Daddy and I have to go also.” the boy explained.
Kamaru blinked. This was probably a very elaborate trap or the boy was just here for random reasons. Not wanting to see the boy hang around when he had things to take care of he moved up the tree taking the boy to the ground. Once finished with his business he came back and explained things to Kamaru since he saved him. It made a little more sense but not much. The boy didn’t know what his father did for a living but for some reason he opted to go and take his son with him for his job. At some point from what Kamaru could gather the boy was set up in the trees, seeing the area Kamaru had to admit that if you weren’t looking for it you probably wouldn’t notice. A small camp had been setup for the days among the branches for the boy, boredom and not paying attention had him flying out of the tree and getting stuck. Kamaru figured the boy was lucky. There was little he could have done several hours after the fact if the boy had landed head first from the distance down.
Kamaru debated things for a bit and finally just sighed, ”Wanna go find your dad?” he asked.
The boy seemed to frown a bit and actual think, ”I’m suppose to wait in the tree and not talk to strangers.” the boy commented.
Kamaru looked back up the several meters it would be for the boy to get up to his nesting camp.
”I can put you back up there but you’ve already talked to a stranger, plus if an animal finds you up there you won’t have a lot of options besides jumping…” Kamaru explained.
After a bit of thought the boy thought finding his father was probably the better option, maybe he didn’t feel safe or he had gotten bored alone, there’s only so much one could do in a tree to entertain one’s self Kamaru figured and got an additional charge to look after on the trip.
Finding the cabin was easy enough, probably would have been easier if he didn’t have a kid asking him questions the whole time to distract him.
Kamaru looked back, he didn’t like what he had just told the young boy or what he did but he needed to scout out the area when he thought he heard voices. As the boy tried to tell him something he told the boy to be quiet and he’d be right back. Letting the boy know Kamaru had seen spiders large enough to grab a man whole and pull him deep into the forests had the boy shaking in a fetal position and Kamaru had found the boy’s weakness. Besides slightly sniffling he didn’t make that much noise.
The voices were from various people in the area. Although they had surrounded the cabin Kamaru needed to get to they were waiting to hear back from someone, although he had joked and teased the boy it seemed one of their group had actually been spirited away from something in the forest and others were searching for them not knowing where or what took them.
Getting back Kamaru blinked a few times, since he had been focused on trying to do two things at once he finally understood things and what the boy meant when he started talking. In his fear for spiders from the talk he wanted his father, he also explained the voice of his uncle was out there and he’d also protect him. Nodding Kamaru said they should possibly find him and say hello but Kamaru needed to get into a cabin to say hello to his friend as well.
The boy waving at a man as Kamaru darted through his field of vision gave the man a shock.
”Sakuma!?!?!” he barked out in surprise before several of the men looked and came running.
Kamaru had made it to the cabin, moving inside with the boy had someone moving a hand crossbow to his temple.
”How long they been out there?” Kamaru simply asked.
The man moved him in closing the door behind them. Moving around still aiming it at Kamaru the man repositioned behind piled up furniture while keeping a line of sight on Kamaru.
”I don’t think your friend likes you right now.” the boy said as Kamaru put him down keeping his hands in the open.
”They didn’t think I noticed, I went dark this morning they probably been out there for a while, overnight, don’t know why they’re waiting but they can’t see me, who the hell are you anyway? Their negotiator.” the man asked looking from Kamaru to the kid.
”I’m more the reason they’ll probably want to talk.” Kamaru explained. A few minutes later a voice outside yelled out.
”Give us the boy!” someone demanded.
”Bring his father and your lost man first! We’ll babysit him until you do, that way you can pick him up on the way out of the forest and get your friend medical aid.” Kamaru shot back from his position. The man with the hand crossbow darted around trying to figure out what was going on. When there was silence for far too long he finally looked outside.
”They’re gone!” he exclaimed slumping down the wall.
”They’ll be back…” Kamaru reminded him getting the man nervous again for a bit.
The knock at the door had Kamaru opening it and looking out. A bearded man looked at him pulling his hat off, ”Where’s my son?” he stated, he didn’t try and demand it or intimidate Kamaru. Scanning the area and seeing a man missing the lower half of one of his legs Kamaru motioned slowly with one hand to get the man out of site. The man motioned as ordered before turning to see a young boy hiding behind Kamaru’s leg.
”He apologizes for not staying put but he fell from the tree…” Kamaru explained the man moving up to his son jerked his head up to look at Kamaru in disbelief. ”He got stuck on a broken branch though. He didn’t want to do anything he wasn’t suppose to but the situation had him almost p-” Kamaru continued before the boy piped up with a beet red face, ”I didn’t go… I had to really bad and I was scared. I didn’t go though!” he stammered out. Kamaru moved behind the boy as the man got closer. Taking the boy and cradling him in his arms the man shook slightly.
”Do you still need to take care of things or did you want to take care of your man instead?” Kamaru said causing the man to freeze in his position. Was Kamaru a nice person or a monster. Asking that at a time like this they’d need to rush them and grab the man. Kamaru was inches from him, inches from his son. Had he not done anything to the boy to use him as a bargaining chip? Looking up Kamaru’s expressionless dead fish stare didn’t help alleviate the man’s thoughts or show what was on Kamaru’s mind. Mention of someone in a town close by that dealt well with a spider bite got his son clutching onto him tighter.
”I’ll take care of my men, and family. Guess the target was gone when we got here, I’d rather just not get paid for the job than the other options involved with finishing it.” the man stated.
With the man in the cabin and Kamaru eventually left to their own designs the man looked at Kamaru, ”Did that just work?”
Kamaru shrugged, ”Either I’m the saint that saved the bosses son and let them find their missing man or the demon that used his son as a hostage. Anyone coming in here is either really good or considered a bit crazy. They may not have thought I was that good.” Kamaru explained to the man and nodded outside and pointed around the corner where all the men outside could have seen. When Kamaru was scouting around and easedropping he had managed to steal some of their gear. Nothing major but enough that they lost courage. Anyone getting that close and not noticing them meant they could have been killed. Time to talk amongst themselves and find out how many got them nervous especially since the boss’s son was the hostage. The truth was Kamaru didn’t know how far he would have taken it if there was a confrontation. For now he was just glad there was a peaceful resolution.