((A/N: I felt like working on this for some reason…))

“So you’re a bounty hunter, Renga?” Akira asked in his honey-filled voice. His un-bandaged eye was wide open, and seemed to be filled with innocence.

“It’s Rengawa,” he growled, “And yes.”

“Ahhh, but Renga is cuter, don’t you think?” Akira smiled widely, swinging his arms as he walked, trying to keep up with Rengawa’s quick pace.

“Listen bub, I’m not going to put up with you if you continue to piss me off.” This silenced Akira. They continued to walk through the streets. Then, Rengawa’s eyes widened.

“What is it—” But Akira’s loud voice was cut off as Rengawa covered the boy’s mouth.

“Shut up, will ya?” Rengawa snarled. He looked at the woman he had spotted standing outside a bookshop. She appeared to be a very tall lady, but she actually was just wearing very high heels. Her bright amber eyes flickered over the book she was reading. As she absorbed the words, she pushed a loose strand of long black hair behind her pointed ear.

Yes, that’s definitely her… the elf with the five hundred thousand oukin bounty on her head! Rengawa though eagerly.

“Listen,” he muttered in Akira’s ear as the boy started to squirm, “That lady over there—you see her?—she has a mighty bounty on her head. I mean to capture her to you either help or get the hell out of the way.”

“I’ll help!” Akira chirped as Rengawa released his grip.

“Good, just quiet up. Now, sneak up on the left side and when I give the signal do what you can to restrain her.”

“What’s the signal, Renga?” Akira whispered, still in his usual happy tone.

“Rengawa! And it’s when I scratch my left shoulder, like this,” He demonstrated by itching beneath the armor on his left shoulder. “Go now! Do it discreetly!” And thus Rengawa walked casually to the right of the elf while Akira skipped merrily to the left. Rengawa offhandedly picked up a book at random, opening it. He pretended to be interested in the text.

“Making something for the missus?” and old man chortled near him. Rengawa looked at the book; One Hundred Scrumptious Recipes for Desert.

“Euh, yes, she’s been pestering me about it,” he replied in a fake, lower voice. He set down the book and scratched his head. “Perhaps I’ll have to buy—”

“Eeeeaahhh!” a shrill voice rang out. Rengawa spun his head around; Akira had spun vines around the elf, who was now doing her best to get out of his reach. Rengawa gaped at the scene for a moment, and then ran over. I said shoulder, not head, idiot!

“Shikaiko!” he bawled. He drew his sword, kicked the elf in the stomach and then pointed the blade at her throat. “I’ve got you now, and that bounty.”

“What bounty?” Shikaiko sobbed, “I have no idea what’re talking about!” Her heavy makeup on her eyes was starting to smear as tears flowed down her face. “Why are you attacking me?! Please stop!”

“Well…” Akira said sympathetically. He waved his hand over the vines and they loosened.

“Akira!” barked Rengawa as Akira helped Shikaiko up. “What the hell are you doing!?”

“Just helping,” Akira grinned. He turned to the elf, who still seemed a bit weak on her feet. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she sniffed. “Now why did you attack me? It couldn’t have anything to do with…” Her crying face suddenly turned into a malicious grin. “That family I murdered.” She spun around, small but sharp blades bursting out from her gloves, and punched Rengawa’s face. He cursed, clutching the spot where the bladed had sunk into his face. Then she twirled to punch Akira’s shoulder, who fell over dramatically. People around the bookstore retreated back in fear.

“That’s right!” Shikaiko screeched manically, “I am Shikaiko of Hikaricho, the feared murderer of that annoying bastard and his maggots, Fahdot of Jiekara!”

“You witch!” roared Rengawa, coming at her with his sword. He swung madly at her, cutting her leg.

She swore angrily at him, but continued to laugh. “It’ll take more than that to bring me in!” She swooped over him, throwing a punch, but it only hit his armor. Rengawa continued to strike blows with his long, thin blade at her, but most she dodged with ease. With one swing of his blade, she ducked under it and pummeled his thigh with her bladed fist. Cursing even more, he chopped his sword at her crouched body, slicing her back with the bloodstained blade. Now stained in crimson blood, she ripped off her ornamental jacket. She practically flew to Akira, where she swooped him up and held her fist close to his throat.

“Renga!” he cried desperately. The few people who were watching this battle gasped, some covering their eyes.

“Shut up, boy! Now… Renga. Let me go or I kill the boy,” she smirked.

“You’ll kill him either way,” Rengawa stated roughly. “So don’t try and bribe me.”

Shikaiko frowned. “You know our kind too well, I suppose that comes with being a bounty hunter and interacting with us. Well…” Her fist approached Akira’s neck slowly.

“You’re not going to kill me,” Akira smiled nonchalantly.

“Eh? What are you talking about, boy, I know how to kill.”

“Well, you’re not going to get me.” Dark flames started to engorge both him and Shikaiko. She shrieked loudly, her voice filled the square. The crowd’s fear grew even larger as the elf continued to scream, even starting to sob real tears. Akira just smiled and walked out of the flames. Rengawa gawked at him once again; what had this boy just done?

“I think she’s immobilized now,” Akira beamed at Rengawa.

“Yeah. Well, I’ll get her…” He roughly picked the elf up, who was now breathing heavily. He dragged her along with Akira following, and stopped after a few minutes at a tall ominous building. It seemed to be extremely old, with the cracking bricks and almost rotten wooden door. There were few windows, but those few were barred with rusty rods. “Open the door,” snapped Rengawa. Akira smiled at him in return and gladly held the door for Rengawa to haul Shikaiko in. The inside of the building was no better than the out; it had a musty smell to it. The room they had walked into floored by a stale blue color. The walls were covered in what appeared to be a once white wallpaper. Now it was more of a mix between grey and tan; it was peeling as well. A shedding wooden desk with a chubby mid-aged man behind it was in the end of the room. They walked over to him.

“Yes?” the man spat gruffly.

“I’m here to collect a bounty,” Rengawa replied stonily.

“Name?”

“Rengawa Otyka.”

“Who’d ya catch?”

“Shikaiko of Hikaricho.”

The man leaned over his desk and looked down at the elf who glared angrily at him. “Good. Just wait.” He pulled himself up at waddled to a door behind him. Rengawa crossed his arms impatiently. Within a few minutes the man returned with a worn fabric sack. He dropped it on the desk and plopped down into his chair. Rengawa picked the sack up and shook it. Then he weighed it in his hand critically.

“This is five hundred thousand oukin?” he asked.

“Yup.”

“Okay.” Rengawa spun on his heel and grabbed Akira’s arm, dragging him out of the building.

“Thank you!” chirped Akira right before they excited. “Are you glad that I’m joining you now?”

“Yeah,” Rengawa muttered, “But you’ve got some explaining to do! No magic my a—” But his voice was drowned by Akira’s cheerful laughter.

((A/N: Ahhh… that took a bit… yup. Well, this came out at random, and I hoped you liked it! If you want, you can ask the characters questions like I’m doing in Water Mage. Send them by review!))