[center][h1][U][B][Color=Silver]Arashi, Akane[/color][url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/3037310](風,茜 疾)[/url][/B][/U][/h1][color=silver][sub][h3]~}| The Cruel Knave’s Iron Heart |{~[/h3][/sub] Date- 5/01/1925, Location- Sunagakure Time- Morning [/color][/center] Below deck was a nightmare from her worst memory as Akane shut her mind off to the familiar sounds she knew all too well, the feminine cries for mercy and pity. It was all wasted on those men with only hollowed out holes in their chests. The men had been given their reward and were set to satisfy those common desires. It brought a deep disgust to Akane’s heart on being made to hear it happening again. Even worse to recall herself being in the same position as the captives brought onboard and inside, she knew those too weak to survive would soon meet Davy Jones at the bottom of the sea. She wasn’t honestly sure which fact bothered her most, having the knowledge only the strong would survive here or that she was unable to do anything. Instead of dwelling on it, her mind was set on the task set before her and her ears blocked out the horrid sounds rattling in the ship's bowls. Her heart was knotted tighter than a bundle of sea sprayed rope and now just a lump nestled in her core that seemed it would never come undone. Meanwhile, her hands were locked into the duty she was assigned to: piling up the dead. The bodies were cold as ice and starting to stiffen as she hauled one corpse after corpse, then stacked them to one side. From the looks of the dead’s variety, it was all too clear that death wasn’t picky about who it stole from Captain Wind when it came to collect its debts. Seeing the evidence that made they were disposable to the captain had angered her as she shucked another dead stiff on his fellows. She buried that emotion in her core during her work. Akane sensed the ship move in her graceful way and swaying her board side to the shore quickly. It seemed they were in a conflict. Moment later, Akane's suspicions were correct when the Quartermaster bellowed below deck, relaying the captain's demands and stirred her to action. A dead body of a young sailor was the last corpse she shoved onto the pile when she started her shouting. [color=silver] "Attention mates, t' six pounder Brigade t' yer stations at t' starboard. Get those six pounders ready else ye will be dealin' with me. Now stir those hides, lads!"[/color] Several men and boys randomly dropped their current tasks then rushed to the guns. Their boots were not allow to idle else they risked earning Akane's wrath. Among those under her charge, her fury was something that had seared itself in their mind and they started to rise the covers for the six pounders. Four man teams rolled the cast iron cannons to the starboard, lashing them into place on the bitts. Meanwhile a few runners rushed to retrieve the balls and power, avoiding the single sailor working on the lighting torch. It was single duty as the man’s head bent down, focusing on not blowing them all up thanks to one careless spark. Meanwhile, he was sure to tightly hold the wooden shaft with the other end wrapped up in booze drenched rags, each time careful to aim the sparking flintstone and starter toward the end. The lower decks were filled by bustling bodies eager to obey their orders before the Cannon Brigade General’s watchful cinnamon irises. Her short boots sloshed the seawater washing through the open ports as she berated any lazy bilge rat for not moving his lazy bones. It was then she spotted three men struggling to load a cannon, their pace falling behind due to the missing aid of a fourth. The sight caused Akane to close her distance rapidly to them. Her arms reached out to help and quickly hoisting a cannon into place, making a hollow thunk into the floor slots, while the youngest jerked the ropes into place. They held, their twine creaking in protest against the strain and stopping the cannon from rolling backwards. Her eyes turned upon them in a vicious glare then snapped at the men. Her voice rattled the very hull’s interior as she pronounced her rage in loud volumes causing several men to sneak glances in her direction. Secretly, each witness was counting their blessings and praying for the result to be mild. [color=Silver]“Avast, whar be yer mate? Aarrr! All me men be knowin' thar needs t' four men per six pounder, no exceptions. Answer me now or so help Davy Jones, I’ll slit yer throat and pull yer tongue through it!”[/color] The men merely looked at her with wide, frightened eyes. Akane’s expression darkened more. Like lightning, her hand jerked out to seize hold of the first unfortunate man nearest her. She tugged him roughly to her personal zone as her other hand reached behind her and to collect a kunai. She then shifted it under the man’s throat. It had already been set with a [b]Hidden Mine[/b], during their earlier relief between the successful raid and return to the ship. All the crew had seen her do this so the man knew exactly how [i]dangerous[/i] the blade under his flesh was. One more hand sign then the thing would immediately blow. Taking the man’s head and turning it into sticky, red and white pieces. It was excessive and a waste of the six (two shuriken and three other kunai) trapped weapons she had in her possession. However, compared to Wind and the Quartermaster, she was much more merciful. A fact all the crewmen learned quickly enough if they lived past the first week of her training. Any color on the man’s face drained in an instant, his spine turned to jelly and figure quivering in her tight grip. The sight brought a hard frown to Akane’s lips. Her fingers tightening at the cowardliness and seemed to threaten more violence when she spoke. [color=silver]“Stop yer whimper like a yellow belly sea dog and answer me. Clearly before yer head be blown off yer shoulders!”[/color] [b]“W-w-w-went t' Davy Jones' locker! He’s been killed Sir! At t’raidin' party as he never reported for duty… ”[/b] The man stammered out to save his life. Akane sighed in annoyance, her gaze heated by the fact she wasn’t informed until now. Likely it was a lazy and sloppy mistake by some stupid sailor in a drunken state. Her fingers clasped harder and pressed the weapon under his chin, drawing a small, red drop of blood from the broken skin. [color=silver] “Ye first 'n only warnin'. Next time, I'll keelhaul ye fer t' fishes t' devour.” [/color] With those words lingering in the air, she released the man. On noticing the crew being distracted by their little scene, she whipped her head about then barked out another set of orders. [color=Silver] “What ye dogs lookin' at? Get ye hide movin'. Load them six pounders, pour in t' powder, put in t' iron balls 'n light them up. cap'n's expectin' a massacre 'n ye all be knowin' what happens when ye deny t' cap'n his commands. Now back t' set the six pounders.”[/color] Her words broke the spell and all men were returning to their stations, all knowing that her threats were mild for the time being. If it had been off duty, the man would’ve been lashed to the mast to die or starve for a few days instead of being let off so easily. Akane rarely gave a second warning and every single man under her command was fully aware of it. It was follow orders or die under her lash. She was the fairest high ranking officer they could expect on the Cruel Knave. When the cannons were all primed and ready, Akane leaned through the threesome team’s porthole as she eyed the stairs leading to the deck. At the Qaurtermaster’s second shout she relayed the message in her own hollering way. [color=silver] “Light them up, lads! Fire!”[/color] The lower deck exploded with sound, deadening the ears of all those currently manning the cannons. Akane’s lips pulled into an excited smile and warped her pretty features into a wicked grin. Her excitement over distinct roaring of the cannon and their raw power rattling the frame of the ship filled her with a joy, the intensity that was hard to explain. When the flaming, iron balls crashed into the shore there would be a blaze and in hour, nothing would likely remind. For a brief moment a prick of pity stabbed into Akane’s heart causing her face’s slight madden to fade as she leaned back, her foot taken off the hatch’s frame and placed within the ship. Her face became blank and unreadable while she spotted the captain stomp his way down. Her skin shivering at the sight of Wind. To ignore him, Akane edge back to her work of piling up the dead. Once more she began to adjust them from toppling over until the time came where they would be shoved out to sea. She couldn’t but overhear the conversation occurring in the background, the captain clearly out to interrogate the shinobi in ways that left a sour taste in her mouth. When the captain claimed one of the captive shinobi, Akane’s heart clutched itself tightly and her body stiffened in alarm. However she couldn’t bring herself to look and watch the scene continue. Her mind, despite her pity for the girl, aimed to distract herself while she prolonged her task. She turned Wind’s words over and over, unwillingly, inside her head. She recalled similar words being spoke to her nearly decade over and immediately she had a sour, burning taste settle in her throat back. Akane pushed aside her nightmares, refusing to let her mind returned to them. It belonged here, in the very real present and not treading into her past. Some horrors were best left forgotten...especially on the Cruel Knave. [center]|~~~~~| [/center] The sound of gunfire caused all the crew’s eyes to raise in alert, including Akane, as their tasks were interrupted by the sudden noise. The ninja’s screams followed telling them all what had happened when Wind creaked open the door then shoved the girl out. Her shin was stained red where the bullet had gone into her and from the looks of it, not came out the other side. Akane frowned instinctively at the display, noting the captain’s orders and tossed the woman to his crew’s feet. Her head watched him move away toward the upper deck and likely, in her best guess, toward the helm. Waiting until the man was out of sight, the woman hunched down on one knee then gently moved the wounded calf. The shinobi hissed in pain and recoiled, drawing a dark glare from the Cannon Brigade General at her resistance. [b]“Stay away…” [/b]she hissed, then forced the rest of the sentence out, [b]“Away from me!”[/b] [color=Silver]”Bleed t' Davy Jones' treasure chest then, makes wee difference t' me.[/color] Akane spoke softly, through her tone was nowhere near kind in sound. She was merely stating facts as she saw them, likely if Wind or the Quartermaster had heard her then she would’ve received a punishment for it.[color=silver] “Despite t' cap'n's threats, if they were as harsh as he boasts then we all would've died a thousands times. So, 'tis ye choice if ye want t' make it out alive or be put in t' bottom o' t' sea... either way, it won't be me ye'll be disappointin' in t' end.”[/color] Again, Akane started to move the leg but this time the shinobi didn’t pull away or make a remark. The blood pooled over the white skin making the darker woman bite her lip in worry and concern for less then a second. If the bleeding continued, the woman wouldn’t live to see another day. She gritted her teeth in irritation at Wind’s carelessness and high expectations to fix his damn blunders. The rotting, walking dead man was a fucking nuisance because of this. She pointed at one of the boys and called him over, the only lad to serve last years recruiting. Smartly marched over, bending at the waist to eye what she also saw. [color=silver] “Bastion, be off get t' surgeon now! Be tellin' him t' meet me in t' kitchen. Also get cook t' stoke t' fires 'n boil some water, freshest he's got. Now!”[/color] Her arms lifting the girl into her own and moving toward her destination without wasting time. Akane had left the girl in the old surgeon’s care and now it was up to one legged Tims to save her now. Systematically she was hastily cleaning the red off her hands when she marched quickly back to the room, the drop off taking less than a minute, and immediately was greeted by some men lurking outside the door. The irritation swelled in Akane. She nipped any unsavory thoughts in the ass as she snapped at the hovering men, giving each a hard glare that dared them to truffle with her. [Color=Silver]“Get t' your stations, now! Thar’'s work t' be done and we're still in a battle, back t' six pounders. Now!”[/color] Several backed off, their figures returned to their stations before she could utter more, while a few stalled long enough to give her a distasteful look at being denied their prey. Her hand reached for her stowed kunai, partly daring them to try to beat her into submission. At this point, only the Quartermaster, Wind and two others could easily take her on and win, reaping their rewards. Begrudgingly the remaining stragglers retreated back to their positions, her mind making a mental note to deal with the questionable behavior another time. Right now, they were in a battle. Her body returned to one of the cannon ports and edged out slightly, her torso visibly hanging into the sea air while she scanned for where the beast’s position had been. It was no longer on shore and according to one of the boys, it had slipped into the sea before they lose sight moments ago. That meant many things and none of them was something that Akane liked. Their first line of responsibility was to protect the ship. She patted the lad’s back, smirking, and retreated back into the ship. [color=Silver] “Good laddie. Now, let's see how well 'tis beast likes explosions should its intentions be rammin' a hole in t' Cruel Knave, shall we?”[/color] Akane said, her tone full of false hope and making assumptions about the beast’s tactics. It wasn’t a farfetched one as the best way to cripple a crew of raiding pirates was to attack their ship. In the end, she could only prepare for the worse and sometimes hope it wasn’t a waste. It was something she wasn’t fond of in the end. However, there was more terrible things. Like the moment the men realized the ship was in danger of sinking, they all would’ve abandoned it. Their departure leaving its superiors to sink to Davy Jone’s Locker. This way she could keep them on board long enough to put up a decent fight then haul their sorry asses to the deck, giving them a chance to swim to shore or fight to survive. Through from how that beast tore up her earlier maties, either one would likely be a short lived one. At least the end might be quick and it wouldn’t be given without her killers earning it. [color=Silver] “Brin' me six balls, twelve empty barrels from t' grub stocks! smartly, not the time fer lollygaggin' around mates.”[/color] Akane bellowed, her hands already beginning to signing. They were simple and crude, but effective in their own fashion (taking about 2-3 seconds each) while the requested items were rolled next to her. She focused a few slivers of her chakra into the palm of her right then extended it to one of the barrels, mindful of her chakra usage, while she repeated this same to each barrel and cannon ball. They briefly glowed for a moment then faded back to normal. [color=silver] “Weigh t' barrels wit' t'dead stuffed inside, 'n a small iron cannon ball each. Make it able t' drop 'bout a meter below t' waterline 'n still float so we can toss it overboard. Then tie each together wit' a rope so it don't pull away from t' ship 'n stays in place tightly against t' hull.” [/color] [b]“Won’t that blow us up?’[/b] Asked one man, his face filled with terror as she answered honestly. [color=silver]“Aye, it could...but what do ye think that wee beast gunna do t' us? Either way, would ye rather sit n' wait to die or be off fightin' wit' a chance t' live? Now, move them six pounders out o' t' way so we can toss these pretties over t' side. ”[/color] With those last words lingering on the air, she signaled her sailors to untie the cannons then roll them out of the way. She and others, once the barrels were weighed down, tossed them through the cannon ports and into the sea. Their round shape sank quickly with the addition weight while the ropes trailed from their position, pulling them along side the hull. She did the same toward the other side hoping it was all most precaution than necessary. To anyone who had no knowledge of Akane’s ability, it would seem like she was goofing off. However, if to her crew it was more of a sloppy and hasty created defense against attack. normally these barrels, if needed, were used against persuading ship as they could easily be cut and set afloat in their wake. However, it would remain to be seen if they would be effective against an underwater threat when the time came. The worse part… all she could do was inform the Captain or the Quartermaster of her safety measures then wait. The barrels were both set to go off through touch or manually, through the latter used up additional chakra to activate. She hoped it wasn’t just a waste of chakra else someone was going to pay for it. Her mind considered checking on the girl again, pausing just at the stairway she had seen Wind go up earlier, wondering if the men would heed her orders while she was away. [color=Silver]“Refashion them six pounders 'n load them up lads.”[/color] She ordered one more time then let go of the railing, detouring back to the kitchen.