The man looked at Akibara with a slightly disgusted look before going cold face. “I’m here to collect the debt.” He simply put it, Akibara seemingly smirked before it quickly disappeared, but the man still caught it. “W-W-We don’t have the m-m-money back…” She spoke in a sad tone, but it was traced with ridicule, as she slowly knelt down onto the ground. “P-Please! G-G-Give us one more day!” She acted like she was a sobbing mother, which would trick most people - besides the man and Purity.
Purity stood slowly waking over to the door, staring at her mother before slowly looking up towards the man. The man hearing someone walking over peered over to Purity before clenching his fist before slowly relaxing. “So this was the person who you were talking about.” He looked down towards Purity’s mother, who was seemingly sobbing. “Y-Yes…” She spoke weakly, hiccuping as she covered her mouth with her palm trying to suppress her displeasure. “I see.” He simply spoke, before grabbing Purity’s wrist tightly, which in return made her flinch but didn’t move away. “Then I’ll be taking what is due.” He grumbled before starting to walk, dragging Purity with him.
A sly smile formed on Akibara’s face looking up at the cold eyes of Purity. “I see now.” Purity spoke softly, clenching her fist. Ienaga hearing the sobbing, and the man saying he is taking his sister away ran over. “M-Mother! W-Why is he taking away sister?!” He asked, trying to run over to recuse Purity but was suddenly grabbed by the waist by Akibara’s arms. “I-I’m sorry love… W-We had to get money... And didn’t want to put you or your brother up s-so we put up your sister…” She kept sobbing. “W-Why did you do that!” He retorted, but it was too late Purity was already being stuffed in the back of a carriage, filled with metal cages.
Purity remained silent, hatred boiling within her eyes, as her legs and arms were tied together so she couldn’t runoff. The man looked at Purity, noticing her hatred, he didn’t say a word, tying another rope around her neck before fastening it to a metal pole. The rope was just tight enough so if she tried to free herself she would choke. He got down from the back of the carriage, walking to the front. He looked behind to the boy and his mother fighting, before whipping the horses to start his way back to the nearest city.
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[ POV Change: Man → Takai | Three Days earlier ]
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Takai ran his hand through his short dark brown hair, rubbing the leather reins staring out at the paved road as he exited the town, Squall's End. Why does he have to get all of the debts owed this run? Senri knows that I suck at this, especially when it deals with kids, mostly girls. Shaking his head to get rid of the thought - there were many things he wanted to curse about, people putting up their children is one, the other is the stupid fucking storm that passed due to the idiots at the front exploring the unknowns. They are stupid for letting what ever that was out - people are coming back in droves having lost arms or part of their bodies being ash. The worst he heard was that the people affected don’t die straight away and stream in pain till the ash takes over all the body. People call the cure, “Curse of the Fallen” based on the dungeon that they stupidly opened. He let out a sigh, taking out a paper scanning the contents. “Alright..” He spoke aloud, staring at the first and the furthest away from the others. A family farm, he was looking for a girl named Purity - he let out a sigh. Why is it always the hardest first?
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[ Current POV: Takai | Current day ]
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Takai scanned the ruined wildlife of this area - and he thought only the place they lived got hit hard. He was mistaken for sure, is purely bare. All that is left are the husks of the trees, but even those seem to be going. Parking the carriage near the house, before glancing over. “Seems to have been rebuilt recently..” He muttered. “So that’s where they put the money towards… Bastards.” He walked his way over to the house, scanning around before simply knocking onto the door - making sure it was loud enough to echo through the house.
There was a pause before he heard someone calling. “Coming, coming!” He heard, though muffled by the door. The door opened after a few moments before being met with a short lady, he would guess Purity’s mother. He was disgusted seeing the women, not even trying to hide his face as he spoke. “I’m here to collect the debt.” He stated, looking past the short woman, as he was able to see who you would say was Purity and her seeming brother.
He ignored the woman spouting nonsense, as he watched Purity who had frozen for a moment before meeting his gaze with her blue eyes - she didn’t break eye contact before standing looking down to the ground. He shivered as she looked away, she looked just like his daughter, but her eyes were lifeless as she already gave in to her fate. “So this was the person who you were talking about.” He clenched his fist staring at Purity before returning his gaze to the sobbing woman, god forbid she could act better.
“Y-Yes…” The woman responded, covering her mouth with her palm it was either to make her act more believable or she is hiding what she truly feels - it doesn’t matter anymore. “I see.” He responded, before gripping Purity's wrist tightly - he didn’t want to be here anymore this mother is horrible. He felt the girl flinch but didn’t even struggle against his grip, so he loosened it before starting to drag the girl to the carriage. Useless bastards using the money to rebuild their house fully, why not use it for something better to make the money back? Why are people so stupid, he doesn’t understand these people who live out of the middle of nowhere. “I see now..” He heard the girl muttered weakly, her voice empty of emotion.
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[ POV Change: Purity | Few hours later ]
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It’s been a few hours, and a few stops later - I would have to say. I'm the most numb towards all of this crap that’s happening around me. There’s one girl crying next to me - well… I would have to say there are metal bars separating us, then a silent teen boy I would have to say in another cage staring down at the metal floor. He doesn’t seem to be having outbursts of emotion but bet he’s in turmoil. I slowly shift my gaze back to the crying girl - she seems older than me. She has light brown hair that goes down to her shoulders - I would say she is cute if her face wasn’t smeared with tears and snot.
Let me also say that riding in this carriage is horrible, especially with this rope around my neck, bumps are horrible due to this fact. The guy had to fix the rope every time we stopped so it wouldn't kill me - sometimes I wish it would, so I won’t have to worry about what will happen to me when we get to our final stop. Slowly looking down at my small hands, staring at the rope I let out a faint sigh - but loud enough for the girl to stop crying briefly before continuing her sobbing fest. Shaking my head, I slowly peered out of the tarp of the carriage, as buildings of a farm appeared - though I would have to say the wildlife here is also shit.
Shaking my head before bracing myself for the stop of the carriage as I shifted around to lean my back into the wood behind me. The sudden and rather quick stop caught me by surprise, as my jolted to the side, the rope quickly tightening its grip around my neck. Coughing loudly as I try to wiggle around trying to loosen - there was muffled yelling before hearing someone walking to the back of the carriage - well maybe two? There seem to be two different footsteps. After a brief moment, a teenage girl was thrown in before the man stepped up looking at me struggling with the rope around my neck.
He reached over with his large hands, before gently loosening the rope before grabbing a hold of the teenaged girl - pushing her next to me. Turning my attention to the woman, I saw her staring right back at me - she had green piercing eyes. It felt like she saw through me even though I had nothing to hide - her blonde hair reaching down to her elbows. Before she was suddenly thrown the cell with the once sobbing girl before the cell was closed and locked before the man muttered something under his breath before getting out of the back of the carriage walking back up to the front.
Looking back down to my small rugged hands, I gently clenched my hands making small fists before slowly relaxing letting out a faint sigh. The crying had stopped - now it was silent besides the horses and the carriage moving on the road. I would have to say it was peaceful - but honestly, it wasn’t. Slowly turning my head to the woman in the cell next to me I saw the recent lady was comforting the younger - though she was still staring at me. I shuddered slightly just staring back at her silently - her eyes didn’t seem empty like the other two, they seemed dangerous or evil even. Though oddly enough I felt comfort as well as I stared into them, I felt a small blush start to form so I quickly looked away, down towards my hands to try to hide the fact my cheeks were flushed faintly red.
