Objective: Gaining information on Yoruba and the mysterious powers that one of the natives is stated to have.
Sub-Objective: Recovering whatever treasures that the crew are able to find.
Plot: In the dead of night the northern coast of Lvneel is swamped and destroyed by a colossal tidal wave. It's an area of the island sanctioned off for the Marines, but it doesn't seem to be a provoked attack on their outpost; rather the side-effect of the appearance of a mystery island. The World Government has offered no statement to explain the origins of this island, but they have launched an investigation to attempt to this out find out. Some natives of the Monarch Sea speculate they saw a meteorite falling from the sky and some Lvneel natives claim to have heard or been woken by a loud boom before the tidal wave was birthed. This has created a rumor that the island fell from the sky and it is in fact the mythological island, Yoruba. A place where Gods and Goddess can appear and roam alongside man.
Melissa and those who have accompanied her under the hiring of Zebediah Winch are too make their way to Yoruba and set up camp. Garning information on the islands backgrounds and histories as well as whatever they can on this mysterious native and the treasures this place is too hold. While there, they are too also keep an eye out for whatever rival organisations or crews that have come. It would be foolish to think anyone else had not set sail for this marveolous place.
"It looks like it might rain" Melissa said, her white/lilac eyes looking up to the darkened sky. "Yeah, if it does, It'll make searching harder" Eadric muttered. "I dunno, I find I do better when its raining" Melissa said wishfully. She had still kept up her human disguise. Thankfully it hadn't been questioned. Even with Rigel knowing her name and her past as a member of the Red Pirates. She hadn't been a big focus in terms of the crew, so many didn't really know that she was actually a very deformed mermaid. She had managed a few more solo swims here and there but she missed being covered in water. "So whats the plan" She asked Eadric. "Split into groups, we've already checked a lot of the west, East and North of the island, thats todays goal." he uttered. "Some of my guys have ran into trouble recently, marines and whatever bloody natives are on this island are hindering operations. I want to get this done sometime this year" he said with annoyance in his voice. Clearly a man who did not like to wait for things. "Rigel and I can take the east" she said. She had decided today would be the day that she showed him the truth about her anyway. She had built up trust with him. Whether this was a good idea or not, its what she felt in her heart. "Yeah, you've proven capable, I guess" Eadric muttered not looking up from his map.
Permission granted then. Melissa thought to herself as she would attempt to find Rigel. You'd think that would be easy right? But Rigel was a curious guy, evident by how easily bewildered he got over new things. It was cute, and it reminded Melissa of her first voyages with her crew. Everything seemed so new, so fresh. Ten minutes passed, fifteen minutes. "RIGEL" she shouted as she moved. Hopefully he would here her voice. She would tell the others that were dotted around the camp that she was looking for him and if they saw him to send him to her tent. She would return to her "home" and begin packing a few bits and bobs. This time she picked up her sewing kit. It wasn't really a medical kit but it was all she kind of had and turns out it may come in handy. She would't pack any water proof clothing, but if she saw Rigel she would have to remember to tell him to pack something warm and preferably water proof. When she was ready she would stand by her tent, her arms folded.
"Honestly, where is that boy" she said shaking her head
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jul 6, 2020 8:26:43 GMT -8
A tent was fine and good, but it was hardly fit for a true architect. To live under some sticks and tarp was an insult to his profession. Rigel had, after his initial fascination with the island, slowly collected dead wood and leaves to build himself something a bit more indulgent. In the boughs of a shorter tree, Rigel had been assembling a small treehouse of sorts. With his limited materials, it was difficult to make something more than a little fort, but seeing all the ruins and stone buildings made him endlessly imaginative about what sort of hidden constructs lay undiscovered on the island. The itch of inspiration wouldn't just fade and Rigel was bound to build.
That was, until Melissa's voice shouted his name back towards camp. In his building, he must have lost track of time. Returning to the encampment, he'd find her packing for some trip. "Where you headed?" Rigel would ask, "Actually, before that, can I come?" Little action had been seen in their opening days of the expedition. Some exploratory walks into the jungle to map out the surrounding area had been conducted, but beyond that and their first day's adventures, there hadn't been much of anything interesting. Their team seemed to be waiting for something. What that was, Rigel had no idea, but hoped that Melissa's journey would be it.
The commotion from Rigel and Melissa had unfortunately attracted a singularly unsavory character. Spade, the underworld mercenary walked his way up to Rigel with a fake friend's grin. The whole trip, he'd been making weird eyes towards Rigel, and the pirate had done everything he could to avoid them. He hadn't tried hard enough. "Hey, Larrat, where you guys off to? Mind if I come?"
He asked the same questions that Rigel had, but they carried venom and treachery on their syllables. "I'd really rather you get lost," Rigel told him.
The guy only laughed before leaning in close, "Careful now, Jukebox is listening," he whispered. With those words, Spade would apologize for interrupting and then walk off, pleased enough with what he said. The words were just right to upset Rigel. The reminder of the threat his friends back on Dulan were under was stressful and pitiful and crappy. To hear Spade was an agent directly under Jukebox's employ was all the more frustrating. It felt as there was no escape from his influence. More silent and reserved, Rigel would wait for Melissa to be ready for their trip, and follow along with a bit less spring to his step.
"What have you been up too?" the "human" said. She looked to Rigel who looked rather dirty and disheveled from some form of work. "Hahaha, you're always full of energy. Eadric want's us to explore the North" she said as she tightened her water skins. Yet upon Spade appearing, Melissa also have a soft sigh. She didn't like him. He gave off a strange vibe and was just really awkward. He was also pretty blood thirsty and made no qualms about it. She was in ear shot and thus heard the conversation between Rigel and Spade. Noting Rigels deflated persona she frowned. "Well....Eadric said for the two of us, but I guess if he can spare you, who am I to say no" She said. Hoping Eadric would decline. Alas upon Spade returning. "Lucky you, a stronger body guard" Spade said to Melissa. "Yaaaay" she said sarcastically.
"So, whose Jukebox?" she asked as they began to walk from the camp, in the direction of the north. "Seems important to the two of you?" she mused. As they walked, they would have about forty minutes to converse. They would find a field of flowers, fuzzy and blue. Crossing it, a most beautful sight would take away her breath. As they walked through the field. The petals from the fuzzy blue flowers unfurled and hundreds of thousands of tiny birds erupted into the air in a spiral pattern. "HAHAHAHAHAHA" Melissa laughed as they furled around her clothing, dancing around the trio before shooting high into the air. Tree's surrounded them. "Did you see that" A voice echoed out. "Weapons ready, might be more fucking natives"
"Hide" Melissa growled. She didn't know why, something deep inside her core told her to do so, and she generally trusted her gut. Whether Spade did so was his own issue. She made sure though to grab Rigel and push the duo behind one of the tree's the opposite side of where the voice came from. "Shhh" she uttered, noting that Spade had also hidden. From the opposite side, a man appeared. Bearing marine attire, he walked with his hands behind his back. Six....seven.....ten....twelve....twelve more came, each holding some form of rifle or sword.
"I heard voices, I'm sure of it" the weaselly voice said. "Tell me GIRL, is this where you savages hide" turning to a small girl, bound in chains, held by another marine. Was a young girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen in age. Her mouth was bleeding and her eye was puffy.
"No...and...I won't tell you......where the others are" she said through pained expression. The man's hand would find her face in a vicious slap, and she would scream out. "Now now, this land belongs to the World Government now, you can either aid us, or we shall wipe you from this land. Now about this Azure Orb. You will tell us its location, or you shall be executed for crimes against the Government"
Post by xxiristhewandererxx on Jul 6, 2020 14:41:16 GMT -8
As captain of the raid unit for the Yoruba operation Captain Denji often ventured out with his fellow officers to get the layout of the land, usually they would just wander around and try to investigate things but today they had a native that some men had captured earlier on to lead the way. He had been mostly quiet during the trip as to watch out for their surroundings but the one directly under him was rather annoying and made the trip harder, the obvious disdain and mistreatment of the offier directly under him towards their native prisoner irked him rather bad.
Suddenly a quick flash of a shadow made him look up, the man he already hating being rather paronoid quickly ordered their unit to pull out their weapons in preparation for a fight. The officer quickly turned to the girl and started to theorize that this was where her community hid with a passion that started to really tick him off.
"Offic-" before he could say anything the officer brought a quick heavy hand across this young girl's face before he could speak, the nerves that had already been sent on edge over the man exploded in a form of him leaping over to the man hitting him with enough force that he was sent flying to a tree just after talking to the girl, the point of impact on the tree leaving a small creator in it and leaving the man quickly knocked out by his straight punch. For a moment he let the silence stand before speaking, "Remember officers, this might be a raid team but we are not here to undermine the native's heritage or disrespect them. We are simply here to precure resources and at best establish a relationship with the natives, until that can be confirmed as an impossible task we are to remain vigilant and respectful, do i make myself clear men?"
"SIR YES SIR!" The other officers said obedient to their higher officer, "Good, let's continue. Just remain vigilant of you're surroundings." Captain Denji walked over to the girl that was slapped, "I'm so sorry for my subordinate mistreatment, rest assured I won't let it happen again. I require a peaceful alliance with your people if possible" Captain Denji said putting the girl comfortable in his pouch to protect her as he walked forward.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jul 6, 2020 18:42:13 GMT -8
Spade coming along was just what would ruin Rigel's mood. An agent of Jukebox breathing down his neck felt about as comfortable as concrete socks. It was unsurprising that another Underworld hire had been under his employ, but that didn't mean it made him happy. Once he got Eadric's blessing, there was no escape. Even the beauty of the island, which had once enchanted Rigel, only faded into his peripheral vision. Spade didn't need to say or do much for his presence to scald Rigel.
Rigel was reluctant to answer Melissa's questioning, but on Spade's pressuring, he took it upon himself to briefly explain. "Jukebox is an Underworld broker who used to operate out of Dulan Island, where I was hiding out," he'd explain. "He works in information and-"
"Stop beating around the bush!" Spade would say, "Coy like a little girl... You betrayed him! Left him to get obliterated by some cipher pol dog!" The words were half the story and all of the sting. Rigel couldn't stand the accusation, and he didn't care enough to argue against Spade. He didn't want to listen to him any longer. He didn't want Jukebox staring him down. Rigel turned to face the young man and boxed the bridge of his nose, sending the kid stumbling backwards. "You idiot!" he'd shout, "I'm telling Eadric... I'm telling Zebediah!"
Rigel waved it off. "Tell them you got what you wanted. You provoked me." Spade scoffed and left, presumably to tattle on the pirate. Rigel realized there may be some scolding to come, but cared little for the consequences. It was worth lifting the presence of the broker. "I apologize," he'd say, "I'll make sure you're not implicated in any of that mess. That's purely personal." Rigel would continue walking through the meadow of flowers, maintaining conversation with Melissa if she pleased. It was only when Melissa told him to hide would he come to his senses.
When the marines started fighting within one another, Rigel tried to crane for a better look. Some large, kangaroo person absolutely domed a shouty marine, ridding the world of his voice for the foreseeable future. The strength on display was enough to set every other marine back into disciplined line. Even worse, some injured Shandorian was closely guarded by him. She looked to be wearing the same kind of garb as the natives from Melissa and Rigel's first exploration into Yoruba.
"Peaceful relations my ass," Rigel whispered to Melissa, "after thrashing his own man like that... do you believe those words?"
"Did.....did that guy have a pouch" Melissa said in disbelief. Wasn't it only the girls? Ack never mind Melissa thought to herself. "This just got more interesting" she said with a grin. "I don't know, they've just left this dude here" Melissa said in return to Rigels question. She would push her foot in the face of the man, prodding him a few times. Nope, he certainly wasn't waking up. "Given they just left him here. There's no way we can use him as a hostage to try to bargain for the girl" "Yeah, well, I'm still telling" Spade huffed. Melissa had almost forgotten all about the boys minor scuffle. Honestly she didn't really believe Spade, but if it were true, then so what. Rigel wasn't the only thing hiding something. He seemed way to nice and cute to do anything like what Spade had said, and if he did, well surely this Jukebox dude deserved it. "You boys are gonna have to get along, we haven't exactly got time right now. We have to think of a plan" Melissa said.
They had met Shandorians before, luckily they seemed to have gotten on the right foot with one of the tribes. But she was unaware if this girl was apart of this tribe or apart of another who guarded some other spirit or temple or whatever this..."Azure Orb....sounds kinda like something we should be looking for" she said to her companions. "They seem to think there's a group of Shandorians around here. We could look for them, try to see if we can get them on our side to help us get the girl back, or we could try to get her back ourselves, hand her over and see if they would be willing to tell us just what this "Azure Orb" is and why these idiots might be after it." The woman muttered out loud. "Regardless. We should follow" Melissa said as she began to follow in the directions of the marines.
"I will not betray my people" the young child uttered as she was shoved into a pouch. A strange feeling being inside something like this. Yet she would stand strong. "I am Priestess Hanisu, you shall let me go, or my Guardian shall come and tear you down" she threatened. She was a very confident young girl thats for sure. The rustling winds and the rolling dark clouds gave an eery gesture. The marines would surely feel eyes upon them. Was it from the strange creatures? or was something else watching them. Birds danced within the trees, the same blue birds flew around the marines, blocking their vison.
A second or two passed and now standing ten feet from them was a man. Sullen and silent. Beside him a wolf. The wolf growled and the forest around the marines, began to sing, a howling orchestra. "Give her to me" the man growled.
Post by xxiristhewandererxx on Jul 7, 2020 17:23:17 GMT -8
As Captain Denji put the girl in his pouch she was adamant on not betraying her people, he hadn't been listening to what had happened during the walk but her words made it sound like it was forbidden to disclose any information about the village or her people. After that the girl started stating she was Preestess Harisu which was quite a surprise but a bit confused on exactly what that meant on the island but in either case she demanded to be let go off
She mentioned her guardian would come for her but since their was no sign of him there wasn't need to worry at the very moment, "Priestess Harisu, as much as I would love to just let you go I can't or it will get me in trouble with my superiors. If you could simply get you're leader to somehow make contact with me I could let you go without a fuss.." Danji said with a bit of regret as he was holding a child hostage which was not what he expected to ever do in his career.
However around them the forest quickly shifted tone, his animal instincts kicking in as someone appeared from behind the trees beside him a wolf growling at them that practically set the tone of what was about to unfold as that person demanded for them to hand over the girl, "I suppose you are Priestess Harisu guardian correct? I don't mind letting her go but in return I require a formal meeting with the village chief"
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jul 7, 2020 20:06:03 GMT -8
Rigel didn't like the idea of using the girl as leverage for information. It wasn't a bad idea, but it seemed to be exactly what this mink marine was doing, and that didn't sit right with him. He tried to press Melissa into finding the tribe members instead. "Let's see if we can search for the other Shandorians that know her. Maybe if we drop Ganon and Nova's names they'll be willing to believe us," he'd suggest. He was grateful that Melissa didn't press much for details with Spade, and was happy to stay focused at the matter at hand.
As they followed the marines travel, the pirate would quietly muse as to what an Azure Orb might be, and why both the Shandorians and the marines would want it in equal measure. "An Azure Orb... if it was just another spirit thing then it doesn't make sense as to why the marines would want it," Rigel thought back to what the other invaders wanted on the island. He tried to understand what the marines would want. As serving the World Government, they'd want power, control, their twisted law blanketing the world. "It has to be some kind of power," he finally guessed. "Maybe it's the source of those devilish powers we keep hearing rumors about."
The arrival of the other Shandorian would be a great relief to Rigel. Fighting this powerhouse marine officer and all of his men might be a tall task for the two of them. If he was as strong as the other guardians he'd seen, it would be a help should conflict arrive. The guardian stood preventing the passage of the marines. Many of the troops seemed nervous but the officer in question looked calm and collected, even with the wild animals howling all about him. He even tried to negotiate some terms with the Shandorian.
Rigel could only watch on in anticipation. "What do you think we do here? That's one guy against a full marine squad," he said. "Should we try to warn the guardian about what they're after?"
"Hey...where did Spade go?" Melissa wondered as they moved. "Never mind" she said as she crouched down. Witnessing the kangaroo and the native shandorian. Melissa's entire body would shiver, as if somoene had placed ice against the nape of her neck. "I wanted to hunt for the others....but this just made it a little more difficuly" Melissa said softly. As the symphany of wolves howled. The man, the guardian would look to the marines. His eyes did not leave them. Melissa and Rigel being crouched. "If your right, and the Azure orb is the power of the devil...we can't let the marines get it" Melissa said from their hiding place. Only to look somewhat confused. Looking passed Rigel, she had locked eyes with something. A creature, though this creature...canine in nature, was seemingly made up of flowers, so beautiful.. "Is that...a wolf?" she said, pointing towards the flowery canine. It howled.
"You think me stupid? I am Ho-Ho, Guardian of Priestess Hanisu. It is impossible to ambush me within this forest. Call out the two behind you." He said with such strong convictions. As he spoke the wolf that looked at Rigel and Melissa growled as if to tell them, that means you. "I ugh, I guess that means us" she said standing up. Offering a hand to Rigel. "I guess we go with our guts here" Melissa said with a smile. Her heart was pounding, nerves? Excitement? Fear? all of it circulated through her being as she walked into view of the guardian and the marines. "H...Hi there, Not a marine.....just a humble explorer" Melissa said to the guardian and then to the marines she frowned. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, I thought the marines were supposed to be protectors, not people who gamble with the protection of others" she said, a small pit of anger filled within her.
"Well....this is very very nice and all. But I suggest you let me go now, Ho-Ho will not ask again, and he has away with animals" the priestess said with a smile. "Ho-Ho, if they do not release me within the next five seconds. Tear them apart" The priestess said. Obviously she did not understand the position she was in, being in the pouch of this kangaroo, she was asking for her life to be forfeited. This one punch man, he could kill her way before any wolf or animal struck him. "Understood" Ho-Ho said, drawing two tomahawk like axes from his belt. Though those used to reading facial expressions would see the micro expressions, the concern, the uncertainty to attack while Hanisu was in the "enemies" grasp. "FIVE" "This seems a little more complicated. All for the Azure Orb? Ganon and Nova would never, right Rigel" Melissa said. "THREE" The Priestess continued. "Oi, Priestess, you realise that big kangaroo could kill you before you're saved right?" The disguised human shouted, she put her hands up in a confused expression. "Honestly....let's all take a minute, tae a breath. No one needs to get hurt, especially not me, okay?" The hidden mermaid uttered, her long hag like fingers reached up, her hands at her chest, in a "I am not your enemy" kinda way. The sounds of wolves and birds had begun to grow.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jul 11, 2020 12:15:32 GMT -8
Denji scrunched his face. He had already planned to be liberal with his treatment of the girl, Hanisu, but his men being threatened was never a welcome thing. "I don't do ambushes!" He'd try to protest, when the two 'explorers' as they'd been introduced revealed themselves, he was embarassed to have spoken so certainly. "She speaks the truth, no men of mine would hide in such a cowardly way."
The captain found himself at an awkward crossroads. In front of his men, he couldn't just roll over and accept whatever terms some civilian had proposed. However, he was fine with letting the girl go in reality. If the two, Ho-Ho and Hanisu, had been more diplomatic in their words, he would've been free to give over the priestess. As things stood, he was bound by his role and rank to refuse in swaying.
"No," Denji curtly replied. "I will not. Your priestess will be returned to your tribe if I'm given an audience with your village chief. My law is non-negotiable!" He would try to explain himself before Ho-Ho finished his countdown, hoping the threat of his group of marines would urge the native to change his mind.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jul 11, 2020 13:07:54 GMT -8
The situation was moving too fast for Rigel to keep a handle on it. Melissa and him had been discovered and wrapped up into this battle before they could even fully react. Melissa tried to reason with them, but the marine captain seemed to be completely ignoring their existence in favor of focusing on the native and his threats. The sounds of the forest seemed to close in on them, like a storm coming into view. It was oppressive. When he'd last found himself across a fight between the Shandorians and invaders, he'd failed to truly take a side, and Rigel wanted to remedy that.
"You're pretty trusting to just show us off, you got a crush on this one too?" Rigel would asked Melissa. She was trying to advise the priestess to be more careful around the marine, but they'd seen the hardheaded will of the Shandorians in the past. If these two were anything like the others, then their fighting would be inevitable. Hanisu might be the next victim of that kangaroo's power, like Melissa predicted. "If this gets tilted," Rigel said, "I'm going for the priestess," Rigel said. "They don't want to negotiate this time," he'd tell Melissa. This fight, he'd be listening to her words of advice, closely.
There was a serious chance that he would be seen as a threat. Ho-ho had already confused him and Melissa for marines. If he laid his hands on the priestess, he might become a target, but it was better than leaving her as a possible target for the kangaroo's fists. There was a small chance too, that Ganon, Pachwua or Nova might've talked about the two pirates that had helped them at Gress Ruins. The chances were slim, but not zero. Rigel tried to focus on the movements and reactions of the two facing off, the guardian and the captain. He had to be prepared to react to the small movement made by either party. In a battle of such superpowers, hesitation or inattention could prove fatal.
The countdown would continue and Rigel would steel himself. If Melissa told him to hold back, he would stick to the sidelines with her, but if not, he'd be ready to move.
"Well, this is awkward. So the marines do just use hostages for whatever they want. I knew that though, these people" she pointed to the marines. "These people murdered my family, the association they work for...they don't care about those they hurt, they abuse their power" the mermaid uttered. Her plan was somewhat working, the marines were in a bit of trouble, Ho-Ho's eyes locked on hers though she looked to the Priestess. "We have already met a few of you Shandorians, we even allied with them, I won't see it, I won't see the marines destroy anyone else" Melissa said. There had certainly been a change in her. Since being this close to the marines, a burst of anger? Or coldness? She wasn't sure what it was but she knew one thing. "I travelled with people, people who I laughed with, people who I worked with and people who became my family, Just like you do, Just like Ganon was with......Nova" Melissa said as she hooked her long sharp nails to her clothes. One hand grasped her skirt and with a burst of force, she ripped the clothing from her body. Yet her water skins remained, they were always attatched to her body not her clothing. She kicked off her boots. "You won't kill anyone else" she growled in one of the deepest she had ever uttered. She was there, standing in her full mermaid glory. Her hand rose to her head, as tears of anger began to form, she pulled the bandanna down to her neck. The signature scarf of the Red Scarfs, shabby from all it had endured. Melissa Devaroux, the Mermaid, The Siren of the Red Scarf Pirates had now been revealed.
Melissa grasped her water skin, with a push of the cork water began to flow over her hand, her blade, her trusty weapon flowed into existance. The priestess's counting had stopped, she was but a child after all and now, in front of these natives who had probably never met a fishman before or a mermaid, stood a monster, ugly to most, with tentacles that flowed where hair should be. Though Melissa was too set on taking down these marines to care. "For Ganon, we will help you" she said as she placed water upon her other hand. "GO NOW RIGEL" she shouted as she flicked her fingers forth, five bullets shot forth, each aiming for a different marine, she did not attempt to shoot the Kangaroo for she could not risk shooting the priestess by accident.
Melissa would follow Rigel if he ran, intending to keep any of the other marines who tried to interupt him from her. The sounds of the forest became an intense orchestra, yet Ho-Ho did not move. The Priestess had went silent for now. Why? She couldn't focus on that for now, she had to make sure they won, they had to protect this family...she couldn't protect her own from the marines, surely.......she had grown. U|CTR8FT1-100
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jul 13, 2020 13:08:22 GMT -8
That native man's countdown concluded, Denji was pressed for time in responding to the incoming assault. He had, in random positions, about fifteen marine soldiers behind him, armed with rifles and cutlasses each. The sound of the animals around them was closing in and Denji needed to retake his foothold in the situation. "Stragglers! Inverse Arrowhead formation! On me!" His commands were drilled into the heads of each soldier, and took control much more firmly than their fear.
A loose triangle formation was formed, with Denji at its base. A long line had been created, directly facing down the guardian that seemed have control over the wilderness behind him. They'd be able to prevent any of the beasts breaking through their line in this way. Before the formation could be completed, marines started yelping in pain. Gunfire seemed to strike them, but no sound was being made, their terror escalated.
The two unknowns, the explorers, were taking action. The girl seemed to have been replaced with some monstrous looking thing, water swimming around her form on dry land. The other explorer was rushing their group. Explorers would've ran, but they weren't marines and they weren't with the natives of the island. That mystery would need solving later. Beasts had begun to descend upon the marine formation, but Denji stayed focused on their orchestrator.
"Welterbolt!" His punch was thrown, thunder carried along by the force of his movement and headed towards Ho-Ho. This fight was now, inescapable.
Post by Rigel Larrat on Jul 13, 2020 13:38:54 GMT -8
Like the pistol shot of a race, Melissa's words released Rigel upon the marines. An arrow shot from her string. Before the pirate crashed into the wall of marines in his way, two found themselves swept away by Melissa's technique. Melissa. What the hell had become of her? Rigel though she was monstrous at the fight in the temple, but her form had become something entirely nonhuman in just a moment. It wasn't something he could yet dwell on, but it had shocked him all the same.
The marines tried to plug the holes Melissa had broken, but they were caught up in the panic summoned by the creatures of the forest. Wolves, bears, rodents, snakes, crows, buzzards, anything that slithered, crawled, flapped or growled assaulted the party of marines. The only one they seemed to ignore was the captain of the marines. Whether it was for his strength, or the priestess in his pouch, or the fact that he was a kind of animal too was impossible to know, but it was proof that Rigel needed to isolate him as a target. The kangaroo had seemed to throw out some ball of energy from his fist.
The captain's strength had been immense at close range, but if he could attack from a distance as well, then his destructive power was impossible to avoid, not that Rigel had any plans to do so. The mink was the enemy, and he would pay for choosing to fight the Shandorian and not the pirate. From his side, the pirate prepared his own attack. Rigel curled his spine and prepared his punch, aiming right into the side of the mink. He was fast, but he'd been noticed, it was just a matter of getting his attack off before the marine could react.
"Cygnus Pluck!"
Rigel's fist buried itself into fur and muscle, displacing the mink. His strength worked overtime to push past the immensely sized beast. It felt like his arm needed to work overtime just to get any kind of reaction from that hulking beast. There was just too much between his knuckles and the pain receptors. The marine felt the shock of the punch ripple through his body, but he only took a single step away from Rigel, gritting his teeth at the impact.
"Kid. You're about to take the punch of Marine Captain Denji Kord. Do not die." Rigel couldn't run away fast enough. "Flash Cross." Thunder swirled around Denji's arm like a drill, leaving trails of crackling energy behind it. The punch cut into the pirate's shoulder and exploded into fireworks. Rigel went sailing across the grassy plain, eating dirt and plant in his travels.
The pirate coughed up blood and and phlegm, sucking wind in torture. "Shit," Rigel complained, finding his feet on pure instinct. "I've gotta hit him again... harder this time." He looked around the battlefield for Melissa. Rigel wanted another shot.