Tag Archives: Apple Mint Hills

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #24

Bluegill nodded and watched Manna bow respectively before leaving the room.  It was sudden, but Manna had been polite and said what he needed.  It was a good move for him to get out the door before he got dragged into something.  “Smart guy,” Bluegill commented to himself after Manna was gone.

Leaning back into his chair, Bluegill thought for a moment about what was happening.  He knew that Guy had left to attempt a deal of some kind.  He also knew that Manna was the only real friend he had.  If anything happened or was retrieved, Manna would know about it before anyone else.

After a few minutes, he called for Reubin Chai, the leader of the thugs he used before.  They all were deeper in debt to Bluegill now.  Medical fees were expensive.  They got even more expensive when surgeries had to be kept off the books.  Thanks to their reckless run in with Manna, the Green Tea Boys now pretty much belonged to Bluegill.

Before long, Reubin walked in.  He was slightly below average height at five and a half centimeters tall.  His bright orange skin and red orange spots seemed brighter against his black suit.  His eyes were daggers of serious unhappiness due to his gang’s new role as Bluegill’s servants.

His jaw muscles were still in great pain due to the rushed operation.  The procedure without anesthetics provided a constant reminder of his debt.  It would do no good for him to hold his mouth.  His new metal mouth defined discomfort as the nerves and muscles adjusted to their new home.  Tucked under his skin, the metal mouth was unnoticeable unless he opened it.  It remained closed.  The slightest movement would cause great unnecessary pain.  Unable to speak, he had no choice but to listen.

Standing before Bluegill in silence, Reubin bowed low.  Bluegill knew that Reubin wouldn’t speak yet so he started, “I want you and you boys to watch Manna.”  Though Reubin remained low, Bluegill noticed his unsettling shift when he mentioned Manna.  “Just watch him,” Bluegill emphasized, “Stay out of sight.  Call me when you see Guy.”

At the end of these instructions, Reubin stood strait.  In silence he exited the room.

#1 – Lost and Found #23 – Lost and Found #25

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #23

Apple Mint Hills, Mole Hill Club:

In the mid-morning hours, a white robed figure walked boldly into the Mole Hill Night Club.  Almost everything on him was the purist white.  Shoes, bagged pants, and hood did not produce a hint of color.  Orange and blue skin peeked from under his hood.  A rust red tint clouded his gloves.  He hadn’t been there for a long while, still he knew his way around.  He walked straight to the backroom.

It was a syndicate club.  Everyone knew it, and everyone knew not to say it out loud.  The crowd was thin this time of day.  He ignored the live music and the ladies of entertainment.  He had a purpose.  It needed to be finished with it as soon as possible.  He walked through the kitchen and by the offices to his destination, the one room where a man of great importance sat.

Two large men in suits blocked the way.  They stood closer to each other as he approached, almost standing shoulder to shoulder as he reached them.  They were only doing their job.  But as Manna pulled back his hood and looked up to them, the cold stare told them he would finish them quickly if they delayed him much longer, “I’m expected.”

“No weapons,” one of the guards said.

“Hey!  Let him through,” yelled a voice from inside the office, “I don’t need any more hurt men.”

At Bluegill’s order, the two men slowly separated.  This wasn’t fast enough so Manna yanked them apart with his magnetism skills.  One on Manna’s right was pulled by his belt buckle, the other by his wrist watch.  With them out of the way and a little disoriented, Manna walked into the room without looking at them.

Bluegill was sitting on his chair, it was almost a throne.  He was an average height male with yellow green skin.  He wore the most expensive and pressed suit in the Thousand Flowers area, Manna knew that much.  His defining feature was the two large blue patches on the sides of his neck.

At entering the room, Manna bowed at the hip to Bluegill then proceeded to the center of the room.  For a matter like this, a phone call was not good enough.  He had to talk to Bluegill face to face though he didn’t like being there one bit.  “Greetings Bluegill,” he started, “Thank you for allowing me to pay back the money that I owed you in such a short time.  I do not speak for Guy, though we were caught in the same situation.”

“Manna, my man.  No worries, no bad blood.  You did a good number on those goons.”

“Yes, that is why I came to talk to you.  In the interest of safety I had to defend myself against a some men that wanted to speak to Guy.  I wanted you to know that this was in no way meant as an offense against you.”

Bluegill chuckled to himself, “Don’t even think about those idiots.  I told them to collect or give a message.  I know those guys a bit aggressive but good hard workin’ guys.  So I say, ‘talk, only talk but make sure he don’t forget,’ then, they try to scare someone.  Not what I told ‘em.  The new guys, they always want to impress me.  Your costume still works I see.”

Manna believed what he heard.  If Bluegill was one thing, he was honest.  Of course, the things he didn’t say were always open to interpretation.  “Yes,” Manna said with respect, “The way they spoke to me, I figured they didn’t know me.”

“They do now,” Bluegill said laughing.  “They came in here cryin’.  They never thought a ‘Green Child’ would smash in teeth.  That clown talked too much anyways.  I was trying to find a way to teach him to listen.  Now he don’t have a choice.”

“Thank you for your understanding,” Manna said as he prepared to leave the room.

“Hey stay a while, have some coffee,” Bluegill said, “We can talk a bit.”

Manna knew too well the dangers of accepting such an offer.  Not only was consuming highly caffeinated drinks illegal, doing so with the likes of Bluegill only invited trouble from Bluegill’s allies and enemies.  Besides, the conversation would probably be Bluegill’s attempt to hire him for a job.  “I’m sorry sir,” Manna spoke as he turned, “I have to get to work.  I’m late already.”  At that, Manna left the room.

#1 – Lost and Found #22 – Lost and Found #24

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #18

“What?!  Metcalf!  I TOLD you this was going to happen!”  Haruna Huai always had a way with words.  She never sugar coated anything, especially to people she cared about.  She would seem rude to an outsider but the truth people needed to hear was rarely kind.  She had known and cared for Metcalf for so long, they may as well have been sisters.

The two of them were in the dining hall eating fruit and ice cream.   They were not out in the open like during breakfast.  This time, they were in a room set aside for parties.  There were few parties this time of year so they had the whole room pretty much to themselves.

“Let me see it,” she said reaching for Metcalf’s handheld.  Seeing Metcalf’s student rank, her eyes widened in shock.  Then she said calmly, “Yeah, you’ll definitely have to take the final.”

That was all it took for Metcalf to see her situation.  She was in trouble.  She had been at Spear Mint Academy for as long as she remembered.  The people here were her family.  Hardly anyone passes the final.  And if she failed, she may never see her friends again.  “So what can I do,” Metcalf asked herself out loud.

Haruna picked up on the defeated sound in her voice.  She jerked a hand into Metcalf’s face and snapped to get her attention.  “One thing we can’t do is give up,” she said taking command of the situation, “You have six months, and lots of friends.  We’re gonna fight this.”

Haruna then took her own handheld and called up the gang one by one.  They each expressed the predictability of Metcalf’s situation but agreed to help as best they could.  They had a long six months.

—–

“Bye Manna,” Pinar called.

“See you tomorrow,” he called back as he left.  Tired but victorious he walked out into the sunlit chilly street headed home.  Another day business was finished.  The bakery was reasonably busy today.  There were acceptable leftovers.  He even kept some treats for himself to eat at home.

Chef Thetis usually would let him do that when they had enough for the discount morning special.  The day-old pastries would be sold at a discount the next day while the new ones were still being prepared.  It was good business practices.  In storage, the pastries would stay reasonably good overnight.  Also, the scent of the new pastries baking would overwhelm the senses and cause the hungry to buy more than they needed.

“Well, another eighty notes,” Manna said to himself as he walked down the street.  It wasn’t enough to make a large dent in his debt, but he was making some headway.  It was enough to pay down some interest for this month.  He would be free eventually.

Walking down the chilly street, he saw a face he remembered from earlier in the bakery, then another.  They were leaning against walls, sitting in cars, hanging out on corners, trying and failing to look ordinary.  There were about six of them.  They were all people that didn’t recognize him during his grand entrance to the bakery.  Or maybe they did.

Manna didn’t speed up.  He knew they’d follow him no matter where he went.  He turned down an alley a parking area in the back of a warehouse.  He made his way to a wall and waited to see how long it would take them to catch up.  Using his magnetism skills again, he readjusted his robe to give himself more freedom of motion.

Just as he expected, the six of them came around the corner a little while following him.  Thankfully they didn’t have guns, but their bats, canes, and crowbars seemed to have a specific purpose.

Despite this, Manna only smiles and bows, his orange face serene, his motions practiced.  Still smiling he says “Greetings friends.  How may I help you?”

#1 – Lost and Found #17 – Lost and Found #19