Chapter 2:
The Dark and the Light

It had been many days since Will's home was sacked by the bandits. Will was meandering downcastedly through the forest, the Thunder Sword, his father's blade, dragging through the mud and the muck...
"It... was... all my fault..." Will muttered quietly, holding back tears. He trudged on disheartenedly, when suddenly, a strange monster jumped out, and bit Will! He quickly raised his blade and sliced the monster in half, and continued on for a bit more, until his legs have out suddenly, and he collapsed onto the ground...

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Will awoke to find himself in a strange room. He rose up, and saw a girl looking at him, smiling softly. She had long golden hair, she wore a simple white and gold robe, and wore a small white and gold hat on her head. She looked slender and adverage height... "Are... you feeling better...?" She asked meekly, smiling.
"Yeah." Will replied, "I'm Fine." He then stood up, as the girl continued:
"That's good... you were poisioned by a Telight... It was good that I found you..."
"... Yeah, thanks." Will stated, and headed for the door.
"Um... I'm Tina..." the girl said, after some time.
"... I'm Will." Will replied, and turned toward Tina, "... And WHAT do you want?" Tina blinked, shocked by Will's rudeness, and said,
"Um... I was wondering... if I could travel with you... please..." Will looked away, and replied:
"No," He continued for the door, and said, "I... wouldn't be able to protect you." He then continued outside, walking onto a street. He was halfway down the road, when he heard a shriek behind him! He quickly spun around as he took out the Thunder Sword, and saw a man in gray armor, wearing a red cloth around his body, face, and legs, weilding a sword and halbred, with Tina wrapped in his arm!
"HAH! I caught up to you!" The man said, grinning evilly, "Now... Let's make a d..."
"No. And who ARE you?" Will replied.
"BWAAAAH!? You've never heard of me!? I am Gilgamesh!! Now, if you wish to see this girl safely, you must give me that sword!"
"... No. She doesn't mean anything to me."
"You sure...?" Gilgamesh replied, confused, but then grinned evilly, tighting his grip on Tina!
"H...H... Help me... please..." Tina begged in a whisper... Will looked at her, and saw she was quivering in fear, and about to cry...
"... Fine." Will said. He walked up to Gilgamesh, and was about to hand him the blade... When suddenly, a bullet shot out of nowhere, hitting the arm that Tina was in!
"GAH!" Gilgamesh groaned as he released the girl! She then ran over to Will, colapsing on him, sobbing uncontrolably.
"Who shot me!?" Gilgamesh yelled out, looking around.
"I did, Gilgy." A voice rang out. Will and Gilgamesh both looked up to the east to see a man on a rooftop! He lept off the roof, landing in a cloud of dust... He then walked out of the dust cloud, the spurs on his boots jingling with each step. He wore a black and yellow jacket with black and yellow pants and boots, with a black and yellow shirt. He wore a black and yellow cowboy hat covering most of his silver hair. In his hands was a strange rifle, equiped with a pile bunker, and and held a silver revolver in the other.
"Y-you!!" Gilgamesh yelled out, and took a step back.
"Yes.... it is I... The man said theatrically, "Harken Browning! Bounty Hunter extrodenare!" He grinned widely, and continued, "And I'm takin you in, Gilgy!"
"Hah! You'll never take me alive!" Gilgamesh shouted out, then thought on this comment for a moment, and continued: "Or dead for that matter!" Harken smiled, and said,
"Well, at least you're not making it too easy, Gilgy!" He then turned to Will and continued, "Hey, kid, think you could help me?"
"... Why me?" Will replied.
"'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'." Harken said, smirking. "Ever heard of that saying?"
"... Alright then." Will replied, and stepped up next to Harken, readying for combat.
"Hah!" Gilgamesh defiantly said, "I laugh at you, HAH! You think that just the two of you can take ME on!? The Awsome Gilgamesh!?"
"Yeah, Gilgy!" Harken replied and grinned, "I haven't lost to you yet!" He then charged toward Gilgamehs, and hit him with a blast from the pile bunker! Gilgamesh lept back, in a tumble, yelling out:
"GAH! Damnit!! DAAAAMN that hurt! Geh! Forget you!! I'll be back!" He then tossed down a smoke bomb, and ran away...
"... Well, thanks for standing with me, kid." Harken said as he strapped his pile bunker to his back, "I think I might stick around you for awhile... I mean, Gilgy has his eye on that sword, and being near you is the best way to get the bounty on him..."
"Do I have a say in this...?" Will muttered.
"Nah, not really." Harken replied with a wink, "And I think we should take the girl with us."
"Her name is Tina." Will muttered, "And I'm Will."
"Alright then, Ti... Wi... We should head to Carrisdale, and find out about what to do next... And where to go next... So..." Harken then pulled out a map, "To get there... from where we are... we'll need to hire a boat... here, at Dolta." He said, puting away the map, "Then we'll be halfway there." He then looked at the two, and said, "Well, let's get some rest, shall we?"
"R-right..." Tina wimpered, "Dolta is... kinda far..." She turned to Will, and said, "Besides... you're still not 100% better..."
"Wait!! What about Harken!?" Will yelled out as Tina grabbed his arm, and dragged him off...
"I'll be there shortly!" Harken replied with a smile, then headed down an allyway... Once he made sure no one followed him, he let out a sharp loud whistle... He then said, "I made contact with him."
"Thank you, Harken." A familular voice said, as three figures stepped out from the shadows...
"Not a problem, Al." Harken replied.
"I'm sorry that we can't pay you y..." Sarah started.
"Like I said, not a problem, Ser." Harken said, waving his hand a bit in the air, "Gilgy's bounty will more than make up for it. My luck, huh?"
"'S-Ser'...? Right..." Sarah mumbled under her breath.
"Anyway... I'm taking him to Carrisdale, like you asked. Now, why exactly...? I didn't get that part."
"I... sensed some trouble happening there..." Alex muttered, "Or... going to happen... And... It will open William's eyes."
"R-right." Harken said, confused even more. "Well, if everything goes well, we'll get there in a few days. Roughly. Adios!" Harken then waved and walked off.

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Meanwhile, in Lord Blazer's castle, the lord stirred on his throne once again... He felt the presence that... the boy was on the move once again.
"Milord..." A servant called out, "There... is a man who wishes to see you."
"Bring him in." Lord Blazer Commanded. The servant bowed and left. The man came in shortly afterward, and bowed before Lord Blazer.
"You summoned me, Lord Blazer?" The man asked, his pitch black armor reflecting the candlight...
"Yes... I need you... to kill a boy by the name of William... if you wait on the road to Carrisdale... He will come to you."
"...Yes, Lord Blazer."
"Do not fail me, Archibald..."

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The next day, Will, Tina, and Harken were already on the road ("Only four hours of sleep...?" "We need to hurry, Will."). The had traveled far in one day, so they decided to stop and pitch up camp.
"Will..." Tina wimpered as he fixed up his own tent, "... Why... did you... save me...?"
"... I couldn't let a girl suffer like that..." Will replied, "... I... let a friend down once..."
"How...?"
"I... don't want to talk about it..."
"B-"
"NO!" Will screamed at her, "I don't want to remember that pain... ever again!" He then ran off, into the woods... Harken, who was in earshot of this, walked up to Tina, and said,
"He has a deep and tragic pain in him, I guess..." He sighed, and continued, "As if... he betrayed his only friend." Tina looked up at Harken, and meekly was able to squeak out:
"Um... Mr. Browning... Thank you for saving me..."
"Ah, I'm not the one you should be thanking." Harken replied with a smile, "I was just there at the right time. But, you're welcome, Ti."
"T-tea...?" Tina whispered to herself as Harken went to his own tent. Tina stoop by, looking to where Will ran off. She looked down, holding back a tear, and said, "I... am sorry..." She then went to her own tent, and slowly fell asleep...
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The next morning, Harken and Tina awoke to gind Will sitting infront of the embers of the campfire. He looked towards them, and stood up.
"Let's go..." He muttered, and walked off towards the north, Harken quickly packing up the tents, and followed him with Tina. Almost another day of travel had passed, until they finally reached Dolta, the sun had almost set at this time...
"Let's get a room, Will..." Tina wimpered, while Harken, looking off in the distance to the port, said,
"You do that, I'll get us a ship. I'll be back soon." He grinned at them, and ran off... He scowered the docks, until he found a man fixing his ship.
"'Lo there!" Harken yelled to him, "Are you willing to transport me and my friends?" The man looked up at Harken, grunting...
"Hrm, how many o' yer friends?" He asked, as he walked up to Harken, his features being revealed. He wore a white and gold captain's jack, black pants and black boots. His silvery hair was somewhat neat, and had a unique looking mustache of silver as well...
"Well, six..." Harken replied. "three of them will arrive here first, two girls and one man... they'll need to hide in the cargo, while me and the other two will come in the morning."
"Very well. That'll be..." The man said, counting off numbers... "1,000 gold."
"Can't ya make it 500?"
"Hm... Ye seem desperate. 900."
"I'm really not, 600."
"Hm... really, are ye now? 800."
"750, final offer."
"Alright, ye have a deal, boy." The man said, as he took the gold Harken pulled out, "Captain Ricard'll take good care of ye."
"What!?" Hark yelled, doing a double-take, "Captain Ricard... the famous pirate!?"
"Aye, that I be." Ricard replied. "That be a problem fer ye?" Harken pauised for a moment, and shook his head.
"Not at all, Captain." Harken replied, grinning, and walked off...