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He Who Sees All	By : AlmitaFine Category: +S to Z > Samurai Champloo Views: 1746 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Samurai Champloo does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. I do not make money off of this dribble.

Chapter List
- 1-He Who Sees All
- 2-Chapter 2
- 1
- 2
She knew that he saw it, just like he somehow saw all the others despite her precautions. He would glance down at her covered skin than force her to meet those slate gray eyes until her face burned in shame. No words were ever exchanged during these moments, just an intense silent communication. Never sure what he was trying to say however, she usually ducked her head. His eyes might see all but he was very good at keeping others out of his own personal world. She would avoid him after that, staying on the opposite side of the dojo. Always aware of his piercing gaze however, it never did any good. He always saw but never said anything. She wasn’t sure she should thank or resent him for that.
Still keeping her distance she peeked across the floor at him while he performed a few simple katas, loosening his muscles for the coming training. He was an extremely skilled swordsman and martial artist in general. Top of the class and said to be inheriting the dojo above the master’s own children, he was a force to be reckoned with. Always calm and collected however. She didn’t think she ever remembered seeing him smile in the slightest. It was almost unnerving watching him perform with such skill with hardly a crease in his brow. Then to have those all seeing eyes turn towards her and the hidden marks on her skin made the back of her neck prick. He saw everything, every opening in his opponent's defense, every trick and slight of hand in their offence, and every bruise concealed beneath the sleeves of her practice shirt.
Picking a bokken from the selection on the wall she tried to push thoughts of him out of her mind so she could begin today’s lessons. Stepping to the center of the floor at her Master’s bidding she readied herself for his attack. The other students decorated the outside walls, waiting to watch the sparring match. Today they would forgo normal training routines, instead focusing on one on one sword skills. This was her one true escape in the life she had been dealt. Day in and day out was a test of her perseverance and tenacity of spirit. Every tear she could not shed she would sweat out here, letting all emotions purge from her body while her muscles both resented and relished the abuse. Pain was of no consequence however, having been bathed in it for most of her life. It would almost be strange now not to feel the bite of bokken slipping through her defences or the impact of the mat when a master bested her in hand to hand combat. She welcomed the pain of her art as long as it drowned out the pain of strong hands holding her down, of rough fingers digging into soft flesh.
She shuddered slightly, trying to focus her mind on the task at hand. It would not do well to loose sight of the here and now when up against a master such as Jun. He was skilled beyond reason and would be difficult if not impossible to best even in an undistracted mindset. Dodging a swift downward strike of his weapon she winced slightly as the muscles in her right hip seized up protesting the physical abuse after receiving such a recent injuring only the night before. Her stomach lurched at the thought of the slight swelling and darkening bruise. Last night had almost been too much, had almost broken her. Only those fearful brown eyes staring back at her from the corner of the room had kept her sane. Those eyes that were so much like his, yet she wanted to protect from all the evil that that their world provided.
“You seem distracted today Nina, is there something on your mind?” Master Jun spoke softly, breaking through her thoughts just as his bokken broke through her defenses and tapped her side in what could have been a lethal blow. Hiding the jolt to her nerves as the practice weapon hit tender skin still in the process of healing she simply shook her head and bowed.
“Forgive me Master, I will do better.” She didn’t miss the thoughtful look in his eye as he regarded her, considering her answer.
“Hm, Jin come.” He said, immediately catching his adoptive son’s attention from across the room. Nina tried to slow her heart as he made his way towards them, keeping her head bowed so as to not catch the man’s eye. “See if you can’t get Nina’s head out of the clouds Jin. She seems to be elsewhere today. You may use the smaller area in the back, while I deal with the rest of the class.”
“Of course Master.” He said, his cool stotic voice hardly above a whisper. For the second time that day her face burned in shame. She should by now know how to leave her troubles outside the dojo but they still managed to creep up and invade her mind, hampering her ability to perform effectively.
Following Jin to the smaller area behind the main floor, Nina tried to pull her scattered thoughts together before she looked him in the eye. He could see her even with her mask fully in place, she dread the thought of him seeing through the cracks that were so visible now. She was certain that he noticed her other hidden injuries, but in all probability had known they were there prior to their Master’s lesson.
“Are you ready Nina?” Jin asked, feet shifting slightly as he gripped his bokken. She merely nodded, before meeting his gaze and adjusting her hold on her own bokken launching towards him.
As their practice weapons clashed she realized all over again why he was the Master’s chosen. Barely able to keep her defenses up she knew that this would be a short match, noticing that he was in fact holding back. The thought angered her, knowing that she was could be so much more and that if she could simply bring her mind to the present moment that he might be forced to show her his true skill. As it were however, her body and mind was just too worn out from the injuries and abuse of her life outside of the dojo to defeat him.
A harsh breath of air left her lungs as he maneuvered behind her bringing his wooden blade back to strike her ribs before pulling back round and hitting her swollen hip. The pain that shot through her body brought her to her knees as her teeth grit together to keep from screaming.
“You should be resting if your injuries are hindering your ability to defend yourself properly Nina.” He said lowly while circling back in front of her before crouching down to look her in the eye.
She tried to hold his gaze but found she couldn’t, instead focusing on the sweat dripping down onto the mat from the tip of her nose. Of course he saw, as he always has and there was no reason for him not to use her own weaknesses against her. He wouldn’t be the skilled warrior he was if he didn’t.
Breathing deeply and pushing the pain back inside she finally glanced back up at his silent form. He didn’t even look winded, face calm, dark hair still held neatly back with a simple tie at the back of his head.
“The time I spend here is my rest Jin.” She whispered as her gaze once again faltered while slowly rising to move further away from him.
“I see. If that is the case then ready yourself, we still have some time before the end of the day.”
She hardly had time to raise her bokken in defense as he came at her again, with a hard glint shining in his eye.
********
Nina wrapped her thin jacket more closely around herself as she made her way through the dark streets of the city. It was the kind of cold that you could feel even in your eyes as it settled into every bone of the body and she quickened her pace despite her sore limbs. Jin hadn’t held back after their first match, and had made her more familiar with the mat than she ever had before. He seemed to understand her need for the distraction, and had given her what she needed. Until tonight she wasn’t quite sure what he saw when he looked at her but she had an uneasy feeling that she had let him see much more than her hidden bruises this time around.
Glancing down every alley and watching the shadowy doorways as she hurried to her destination she thought back to his reaction to her response when he questioned her presence there. His eyes had changed somehow like everything about her was suddenly so much clearer; like he understood what it was that she needed in order to keep living. No one had ever looked at her like that before, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Was he someone that she could place her trust in, or did he simply get a thrill whenever he managed to pick apart someone’s soul and character?
Ducking into a narrow alley when she heard rowdy voices up ahead, she made her way through the foul smelling back streets until she came to the little dilapidated dwelling that she called home. It wasn’t much to look at, with boarded up windows and peeling paint on the once detailed woodwork. Poverty and crime were rampant in this once thriving city as famine, disease, and war took control of the country. What was once a hub for traders and craftsmen was now just a haven for those seeking to escape the bitter elements of the countryside. The war had decimated the land, destroying crops, killing livestock, and polluting the lakes and streams. The foreign armies that had come to help her people had all but vanished years ago, leaving them to rebuild on their own.
Sidestepping a questionable puddle she made her way towards the back of the building to a small opening with only a faded red curtain to separate the occupants inside from the biting wind of winter. The interior had lost all the glory of its past years, yielding to the power of time and the elements. Wooden floors once covered in handmade rugs were now bare and dull, giving way under too much pressure revealing the rodents hidden underneath. The detailed paintings on the walls were now unrecognizable, while the furniture had been pillaged or used to warm the drafty rooms. It was better than living on the streets with no protection at all however, at least that’s what she always told herself upon entering her own little piece of hell.
Hearing voices in the next room she quickened her pace to the low doorway, stilling as she took in the scene before her. The room was small with only a few mismatched chairs and rickety table. A musty cot was pushed up against the far wall while a fire in a blackened stone fireplace crackled not far from the door. There in the fire’s inviting warmth sat her entire world, her only reason for pushing forward in the muck of life. She did not smile however,the look of terror in the little girl’s face wouldn’t allow such a warm welcome. Her world, her little Kali, sat in a man’s lap in the light of the fire, her big brown eyes glassy with unshed tears as his dirty hand rested on the inside of her thigh. Nina vaguely recognized him from her step father’s bar, a quiet but violent man that was fond of and extremely skilled with a knife. Fully intending to take the girl from him and put her own skills to good use she didn’t notice the other presence in the room, hiding in the shadows where the fire’s light didn’t quite reach.
“Now now Nina, you wouldn’t be about to insult my guest now would you?”
She stopped instantly, but never took her eyes away from the small girl quivering in fright. Clenching her fists in frustration she took a few calming breaths, trying to ease the sudden restriction she was feeling in her chest. The sensation only intensified however when Tresk stepped up behind her, placing his large callused hands on her shoulders. They felt heavy against her slight frame, weighing her down more than just physically.
“You remember our good friend Bomoar here don’t you Nina?” He grumbled in her ear while giving her shoulders a painful squeeze.
“Bomoar, of course, how could I forget. Forgive me.” She whispered, still unable to look away from her sister’s eyes. Bomoar merely grunted in response before fishing a crudely rolled cigarette from his front pocket. Letting the tobacco hang limply from his mouth while he reached for the box of matches on the table next to him his mouth twisted up into a leering smile.
“Oi, I remember ya girly… quite the pair o’ legs on ya if I recall.” He muttered while dragging the match sharply across the arm of the chair and bringing it to the stog still between his lips. Smoke curling up around his hard face she couldn’t help the sneer of disgust as his eyes traveled the length of her while he gave her sister’s thigh a quick squeeze. “Not much left of ya from what I can tell. Ya always were a bit rough with the girly Tresk.”
Tresk didn’t respond as he slid one of his burly hands down her chest into the hidden pocket of her jacket to find the few bills stashed there. Giving her flesh a slight squeeze he pulled his hand back up her body and down her arms, taking her jacket with her. The cold air hit her skin with timid fingers, the fire doing well to keep most of the chill at bay. She watched with apprehension as her stepfather threw her jacket on a chair and flipped through the bills she had managed to pilfer that day.
“I’m a bit disappointed in you Nina, expected a little more effort after our discussion last night.” He said, tucking the bills into the pocket of his faded leather vest.
Nina paled slightly as images of last night invaded her mind’s eye. She couldn’t help but to glance at the cot pushed up behind him and remember the feel of the rough fabric against her cheek.
“It seems like you didn’t quite understand me Nina, when I said I wasn’t going to put up with such poor behavior from you again.”
“I’m sorry Tresk, the cold kept most people off the streets.” She said pulling her eyes away from the rumpled cot to meet his hard gaze. He was a large man in his early fifties with deep lines etched into his face from a life of hard work and even harder time. Having lost what little hair he had on his head long ago, only added to his severe nature; drawing attention to the firm set of his face and the wicked demons hidden behind his eyes.
“Hmm perhaps it’s time to lock you back up at the bar, and you can earn your keep with your legs spread.” He said while coming up to stand next to Kali. She looked up at him, shivering in the thin blue shift as he took a lock of her dark mane and tugged slightly, “Or maybe it’s time I made use of this little doll. She’s about the right age wouldn’t you say Bomoar?”
The spindly man grinned in response, leaning closer to the the girl in his lap to bury his nose against the side of her neck.
“No, you promised me Tresk! You promise she would be left alone if I took on earning for you.” Nina gasped desperately, once again stepping forward to rip Kali away from Bomoar’s wandering hands. The glint of cold steel in the vagrant’s hand had her stopping instantly once again however, watching the the tip travel slowing up Kali’s leg where his fingers had been moments before. She briefly made eye contact with Bomor’s dark eyes, noting the gleeful spark that lept there, as she calculated the risk of reaching for Kali anyway.
“Yes I did say I would leave my daughter alone if you managed to earn enough for the both of you.” Said Tresk coming to stand before her, blocking her view of her younger sister, “But you haven’t been earning lately have you Nina?”
She gasped suddenly as his hand shot out to grip the hair at the base of her neck, pulling her both forward and up against him. Hearing Kali whimper behind him she tried to dislodge his hand as he only tightened his hold and caught her wrist, twisting it up behind her back.
“So much like your mother.” He whispered bringing his mouth to the hollow of her throat, “I always loved her skin, so smooth and clear. You’d never know she earned her living as street whore before I came along and put a roof over her head.” Nina shivered as she felt his tongue move along the column of her neck. He looked her in the eye before bending back to lick the corner of her mouth, smirking as she tried to jerk her head away.
“I knew from the moment I saw those pale eyes of yours that you’d earn so much more than she ever could.” He leered, pushing himself against her hips. “But you’ve been such a disappointment lately. Your mother never required the repeat lessons you’ve needed Nina, and I’m getting tired of it. Men don’t like a woman with the amount of damage you have on your skin, it shows a certain level of disobedience that is most unbecoming.”
Nina could only stare into his hard brown eyes as tears burned in her throat. She had loved her mother, had known what she went through to keep her fed and safe after her father had been killed. When Tresk had come along and offered them a home and provisions as long as she became his, her mother had jumped at the chance. It was too late when they both realized what kind of man he really was, and what type of people he was involved with.
“I’m sorry Tresk. I can do better, please. Please you promised Kali would be left -” She clenched her teeth in pain as he twisted her arm harder, her toes barely touching the ground as he held her up with the hand in her dark locks.
“Sorry, isn’t going to cut it this time sweetheart. The pot needs filling and if you can’t do it then your sister will until you shape up. Bomoar.” He said over his shoulder, a grin growing over his yellowed teeth at the sight of Nina’s horrified trembling.
“Aye?”
“I accept your offer, there’s a room down the hall you can use. Leave the payment on the table.” He said, malicious glee evident in his tone. Nina began to struggle in earnest then, hearing Kali’s sharp cry and Bomoar’s gravelly laugh.
“Mighty fine of ya, Tresk. I’m sure it’ll be worth every penny.”
Pure terror filled Nina as she saw Bomaor’s figure duck through the far door with a screaming Kali thrown over his shoulder. She couldn’t let this happen, she promised to always protect the girl and now she was being carried away by a man that would give no thought to the pain she was sure to feel at his hands. Never before had she fought back against Tresk, always allowing him to own her as long as it kept his eyes away from her sister. Looking into his soulless depths now, she knew that he believed that she would do the same now.
Letting her body go limp to throw him off balance she brought her knee up sharply hitting him hard in the groin. He loosened his hold but still did not relinquish her entirely, bringing them both to ground. Ignoring all her wounds and aching muscles, Nina used every trick she knew to gain the upper hand against the larger man.
“Ugh, you little bitch Nina!” Tresk growled as her elbow found a pressure point in his arm rending the limb temporarily useless. Using this to her advantage she quickly swung her leg round, letting her knee connect with his face. Hearing the satisfying crunch of bone and Tresk’s sharp cry she stumbled to her feet searching for something she could use a weapon. Quickly spotting the old pipe leaning against the fireplace that they used to stir the flames she leapt towards it. Catching a glimpse of him reaching for her from the corner of her eye she wasted no time swinging the pipe round once her fingers had a firm hold. The resounding crack as metal hit bone and the answer vibrations traveling up her arm were all she needed to know that she had found her mark.
Not sparing him a second glace Nina pushed her tired form from the room grasping the doorframe on the way to whip herself around the corner. She could hear her sister’s strangled cry from down the hall and prayed that Bomoar hadn’t managed to do any damage yet.
Almost tripping over her own feet as she flew into the room, her heart stilled at the sight of the vagrant upon Kali. He had her hands trapped above her head with one of his own while he buried his face in the soft curve of her neck. Hesitating only a fraction of a second when she noticed the blade he held against her inner thigh she rushed forward brandishing her makeshift weapon. He only had a moment to look up, meeting her desperate gaze before the pipe came down hard across his skull. Kali screamed again as his weight crushed her and all Nina could do was stand there and breathe searching her sister’s eyes.
Seeing the fear there Nina was thrown back years into her past when she had first met the knife wielding thug. She had been about Kali’s age then, just past her first summer of maturity when he had strolled through the door with a cigarette burning between his lips and a hardness in his eyes she wasn’t yet familiar with. She had sat in the corner while he and Tresk spoke about his time in the eastern province of Halriug and the profits he had brought back with him. That was when her stepfather had called her over to the fire to stand before them. After a few short words, Bomoar had dropped a small coin purse on the table between, then stood and guided her from the room. His affinity for knives didn’t stop at the bedroom, and she would forever bear the scars of that night on the tender flesh of her thighs.
Shaking her head to rid her mind of the memories better left forgotten she pulled Bomoar from her sister letting his dead weight hit the ground with a thumb. A small groan past his lips and she wasn’t sure she was glad she hadn’t killed him or not.
“Come on baby girl, we have to go.” She said hoarsely, scooping the younger girl up into her arms while searching for something to protect her from the cold. While she wasn’t sure where they would go, she knew they could no longer stay here or anywhere near this part of town. Tresk would have people out looking for them as soon as he could stand straight and Bomoar would take that hit as an act of war against him. Grabbing the ratty blanket from the makeshift bed on the floor she quickly made her way towards the back of the house, stopping briefly to glance at Tresk still on the floor. He stirred slightly hearing the floor creak under her feet and his eyes snapped open to meet her resolved gave. His face contorted into a mask of fiery rage as he struggled to right himself in order to pursue what he deemed his property. Not willing to give him enough time to recover from his obvious dizziness, Nina bolted towards the door. Flinging the red curtain aside she set Kali on the cold ground and gripped her shoulders forcing the young girl to look at her.
“Listen to me Kali, we need to leave. I need you to hang on as tight as you can and don’t let go. OK?” She whispered urgently, waiting for Kali to nod in understanding, “Promise me you won’t let go unless I tell you to, no matter how frozen your hands get, OK? I’m not going to let them hurt you.”
With her sister’s nod she crouched down to let her climb onto her back then swung the blanket over her and tied the ends around her neck and waist. It wouldn’t do much, but at least it was something until she could find them some shelter.
“Nina!” Came Tresk’s deep voice from in the recesses of the house and she took off down the narrow alleyways without looking back. Ignoring the burn in her legs and the awkward weight of her sister clinging to her back she ran like she never had before, knowing that her life did indeed depend on it.
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He Who Sees All