11-17-2017, 11:39 PM
Koola cast his gaze over the piers. Sprawling sails of galley ships rippled in the wind as sailors tore around the decks in preparation for their next journey.
The changeling prince could easily leap into the air to find a new island but it wasn't exactly without effort; since his arrival in the Omniverse, Koola noticed that his strength and stamina weren't what they used to be. Flying at maximum speed for even an hour wore heavy on him. He chalked it up to some weird dimensional jetlag and expected his condition would improve over time. For now, it seemed appropriate to purchase a ride on one of the travelling galleys.
He ran his eyes over the available options. The first creaked as the crew members trundled over the deck, its sails tattered and listless. Not of a standard befitting one of Koola's station. The second's deck was noiseless and glistening with soapy water while the sails flapped unblemished in the high winds. The stench of fish, however, carried on the wind even to where Koola stood. Another choice crossed off the list.
"Excuse me sir," issued a voice from behind. "Might you be Koola?"
The changeling prince spun on his heel and scowled. A man in a trenchcoat and a wide brimmed hat stood with hands in his pockets. "The correct title is either Lord Koola or Prince Koola. However I'm feeling charitable today so I tell you this free of charge. The next and more pertinent question is: who are you?"
A flash of silver streaked towards Koola. Eyes wide, he stepped backwards as the blade of the knife scraped over his chest armour and deflected from its target of the underside of his chin. Koola's tail lashed out and clamped around the assassin's wrist.
"Perhaps a stab in the back would have been more efficient?"
"Had to make sure you were my mark. Don't get paid for killing random civilians."
The assassin's other hand struck from its pocket gripping another sharp-tipped knife. Koola's tail uncoiled and retreated as the second jab met air.
"You're not getting paid for me, either. But we'll have a nice, long chat after this introduction reaches its inevitable conclusion," Koola said. He primed his fists and tensed his muscles.
"Another time," the assassin said, snatching a black bauble from a pocket and dashing it against the ground. A thick shroud of oily smoke spewed over him in a wide curtain. Koola coughed and hacked as it entered his lungs, as did the other civilians loitering on the pier. He stumbled through the gas and rubbed his stinging eyes. The trenchcoat jumped into the air and fluttered into the ocean, formless and twisting. Koola locked onto the fleeing assassin as he tossed his hat like a frisbee and sprinted down the pier, knocking people over as he went.
Koola zipped into the air and flew after him. A trail of prone bodies through the crowd led to a single human flat on his face. The changeling prince smirked as he swooped down, thanking the assassin's clumsy retreat for ending the chase swiftly.
He wrapped his tail around the victim's neck and hoisted him to eye level. "Assassins are supposed to be more stealthy in their retreats. Ones like you don't tend to get second contracts."
The human man scratched at the purple coil fastened around his neck. "B-but I'm ... not ..."
"Don't be so churlish in defeat. Accept your failure and we can discuss what I plan to do with you."
"Excuse me, uh ... sir?" another member of the throng said.
"Yes? What is it?"
"That man ... he wasn't the man running, if that's who you are after. He shoved all these people aside and slipped towards the beach." She pointed at a long stretch of sand bordered by a forest of palm trees. "He was trying to trick you."
Koola frowned at his quarry as he spluttered and wheezed through the small gap the changeling permitted in his wind pipe. Now that he focused, he found it hard to believe that this flailing human could be a paid murderer. The thongs hanging from his feet probably should have given that away.
Koola dropped the human and darted into the sky, firing a nova of wind that knocked over the bystanders yet again.
Palm trees waved in the breeze, leaving gaps - and shadows - between each leaf. If the assassin was skulking through them, Koola's eyes couldn't see them.
Blast it. If I had my Gete Star upgrades, there would be no way for this malcontent to evade me. I'd settle for a functioning scouter.
Koola stopped and held out a splayed hand. He could bombard the palm tree forest with energy attacks but his power had not yet recovered to pre-death levels; he wasn't sure he could decimate the landscape fast enough to remove the camouflage before the assassin escaped. The only other option was to descend to the sandy floor and lure him out into another fight. Koola rarely underestimated his opponents but surely the assassin couldn't ambush him if the changelinge prince was on guard.
Landing on the cool, shaded sand, Koola crept around the bended palm tree trunks. The hustle of the pier whispered on the wind but the rustling of the canopy drowned it out. Koola strained his hearing, tensing for the sound of feet shifting sand.
"I know you're here," Koola said. "Come out and face me. Stop cowering behind the trees like a child."
"Who said I'm behind the trees?"
Koola spun as a wall of sand exploded from the ground. The assassin sheared through the grains and stabbed downwards, burying his knife in Koola's shoulder. Pain bloomed as warm purple blood flowed from the wound.
"How dare you?!" Koola roared. His tail lashed out and smacked the assassin square in the chest, knocking him backwards. The knife still protruded from Koola's body.
The assassin fished out another two daggers from sheaths strapped to his legs and gripped them, blades facing down. "I don't leave a job unfinished."
Koola gritted his teeth and tore the knife from his shoulder. He groaned as a fresh well of blood oozed free and trickled down his arm. He inspected the knife, turning the purple-stained blade over. Nothing seemed special about it. Koola laughed.
"What's so funny?" the assassin said, taking slow steps towards his target.
"In my home universe, a piece of sharpened steel would have shattered on my bare skin." Koola kept his red eyes on the weapon in his hands. "Now it seems I'm fragile. Weak. My ki does not strengthen me in the same way it once did. Ever since I met that blasted saiyan, I've gone from one failure to the next ..." Koola's gaze snapped up to the creeping assassin. "But this won't be one of those failures."
Koola dashed forward and stabbed with the knife coated in his own blood. The assassin stepped back, parried the blade with his own, and slashed. His dagger skated over Koola's cheek, barely missing his right eye. A new sting pulsed on Koola's face, but he stayed in the moment. He threw his weapon into the sand and charged forward, throwing a swinging kick. As he predicted, the assassin shifted out of its path. On the follow-through, the tip of Koola's tail wrapped around the knife in the sand and flung it. Moving with reflexes faster than the changeling prince had predicted, the assassin, though wide eyed, tangled the airborne knife in his daggers and deflected it into a nearby palm tree. Koola sprung forward and drove his fist into the assassin's face, knocking him backwards. The royal primed another punch but a warning swing of a dagger caused him to hop out of its range.
"If that's all you've got, this fight won't last long," Koola said.
The assassin nodded to Koola's shoulder. "I'm not the one with a bleeding arm."
There was a hint of truth to that statement. A lightheadedness became apparent as he watched the trails of his violet blood slinking down his arm. He moved his arm but an acute jab of pain flared in his shoulder. It was still possible to roll the joint but it hurt and relying on it to fight was a bad idea. The assassin took a set of knuckles to the face but otherwise Koola had landed no damage on him. Koola was right; the fight wouldn't last long, but it wasn't certain that he would be the victor.
"I can change that," Koola said. "Maybe I'll make a few other parts of your body weep red as well."
Bluster mostly, but Koola intended to injure his opponent worse than he originally planned. The fog in his mind thickened as more blood seeped from his knife wound. He had to stop that before the next strike.
Clapping his hand on the wound and grunting at the sting, he channelled ki over his palm and applied pressure. He clenched his teeth and growled as vapour escaped around his hand and the pain intensified. Stinging coupled with burning to provide an agonising bouqet, but he only had to hold it for a moment. The air rushed from his lungs once he was done. The smell of seared flesh, unfortunately, did not leave so easily.
"You can cauterise your own wound with just a hand," the assassin said. "Interesting."
While the blood had been stoppered, the loss of it still weighed on Koola. He needed a plan to finish the fight quickly. His eyes cast over the gadgets and objects hanging from the assassin's belt. Koola noticed the pouch where the assassin had plucked his smoke pellet from. A few other objects were indiscernable but he spotted a taser. A quick application of the sparking end of that item would floor his adversary and it wouldn't require a lot of strength.
Koola focused on the taser and willed it to him.
"What are you doing?" the assassin said. "Are you getting drowsy from the blood loss? Is there any point in fighting or should I just wait until you fall over?"
Koola tried again, mentally reaching around the object and pulling it to him, but nothing happened. His telekinesis wasn't working? Why?
The confusion must have shown on Koola's face. The assassin stepped forward boldly. "Yeah. I think we'll end this now."
"Come on!" Koola growled. This was unacceptable! This dimensional jetlag was starting to look like it would never fade, and worse, it was affecting more of his abilities than he first realised. His concentration went limp. Koola dropped to a knee, splashing in the blood that he had lost. It was only then that he realised how much leaked out of him. In a way, it was a wonder he had stood for as long as he did.
The assassin loomed over him.
"At least before you kill me ... tell me who sent you," Koola said. "I've earned that much."
"No, you haven't earned anything. I'm not one for revealing my employer. It's my code of conduct."
Koola looked up at him. "I'm immortal. When you kill me, I'll come back to life and hunt you down." He wasn't sure if he would resurrect like the glowing child promised but he had no reason to disbelieve it either.
"A Prime? Thanks for telling me. I like to know when I've bested one of your kind," the assassin said with a smile.
"Did you hear me? I will come back and -"
"Yes I heard you. But it's not the big threat that you think it is." He paused a moment. "Actually, I will give you one thing." He grabbed Koola under the arms and stood him up. "You fought well. I will let you die on your feet."
The changeling prince's eyes fell on the taser once again. Why couldn't he call it to him? "You're too kind."
The assassin's face fell. The dagger screamed for Koola's throat. Koola's eyes flickered.
Crackling filled the air. Koola snapped his eyes open. The assassin, lurched in mid-stab, trembled and groaned as electricity coursed over his body. He tumbled to the ground, smoke seeping from his black clothes, his fingers loosening on the dagger.
Crouching, Koola looked over the assassin's body. The taser had exploded and discharged its power into the assassin, but Koola was certain he wasn't responsible for the result. Was it some delayed result of his telekinesis or had the device malfunctioned?
It didn't matter. Koola turned the assassin over and removed anything he presumed to be a weapon. He sat down, weary but determined, to wait for the assassin to regain consciousness and find out who sent him.
The changeling prince could easily leap into the air to find a new island but it wasn't exactly without effort; since his arrival in the Omniverse, Koola noticed that his strength and stamina weren't what they used to be. Flying at maximum speed for even an hour wore heavy on him. He chalked it up to some weird dimensional jetlag and expected his condition would improve over time. For now, it seemed appropriate to purchase a ride on one of the travelling galleys.
He ran his eyes over the available options. The first creaked as the crew members trundled over the deck, its sails tattered and listless. Not of a standard befitting one of Koola's station. The second's deck was noiseless and glistening with soapy water while the sails flapped unblemished in the high winds. The stench of fish, however, carried on the wind even to where Koola stood. Another choice crossed off the list.
"Excuse me sir," issued a voice from behind. "Might you be Koola?"
The changeling prince spun on his heel and scowled. A man in a trenchcoat and a wide brimmed hat stood with hands in his pockets. "The correct title is either Lord Koola or Prince Koola. However I'm feeling charitable today so I tell you this free of charge. The next and more pertinent question is: who are you?"
A flash of silver streaked towards Koola. Eyes wide, he stepped backwards as the blade of the knife scraped over his chest armour and deflected from its target of the underside of his chin. Koola's tail lashed out and clamped around the assassin's wrist.
"Perhaps a stab in the back would have been more efficient?"
"Had to make sure you were my mark. Don't get paid for killing random civilians."
The assassin's other hand struck from its pocket gripping another sharp-tipped knife. Koola's tail uncoiled and retreated as the second jab met air.
"You're not getting paid for me, either. But we'll have a nice, long chat after this introduction reaches its inevitable conclusion," Koola said. He primed his fists and tensed his muscles.
"Another time," the assassin said, snatching a black bauble from a pocket and dashing it against the ground. A thick shroud of oily smoke spewed over him in a wide curtain. Koola coughed and hacked as it entered his lungs, as did the other civilians loitering on the pier. He stumbled through the gas and rubbed his stinging eyes. The trenchcoat jumped into the air and fluttered into the ocean, formless and twisting. Koola locked onto the fleeing assassin as he tossed his hat like a frisbee and sprinted down the pier, knocking people over as he went.
Koola zipped into the air and flew after him. A trail of prone bodies through the crowd led to a single human flat on his face. The changeling prince smirked as he swooped down, thanking the assassin's clumsy retreat for ending the chase swiftly.
He wrapped his tail around the victim's neck and hoisted him to eye level. "Assassins are supposed to be more stealthy in their retreats. Ones like you don't tend to get second contracts."
The human man scratched at the purple coil fastened around his neck. "B-but I'm ... not ..."
"Don't be so churlish in defeat. Accept your failure and we can discuss what I plan to do with you."
"Excuse me, uh ... sir?" another member of the throng said.
"Yes? What is it?"
"That man ... he wasn't the man running, if that's who you are after. He shoved all these people aside and slipped towards the beach." She pointed at a long stretch of sand bordered by a forest of palm trees. "He was trying to trick you."
Koola frowned at his quarry as he spluttered and wheezed through the small gap the changeling permitted in his wind pipe. Now that he focused, he found it hard to believe that this flailing human could be a paid murderer. The thongs hanging from his feet probably should have given that away.
Koola dropped the human and darted into the sky, firing a nova of wind that knocked over the bystanders yet again.
Palm trees waved in the breeze, leaving gaps - and shadows - between each leaf. If the assassin was skulking through them, Koola's eyes couldn't see them.
Blast it. If I had my Gete Star upgrades, there would be no way for this malcontent to evade me. I'd settle for a functioning scouter.
Koola stopped and held out a splayed hand. He could bombard the palm tree forest with energy attacks but his power had not yet recovered to pre-death levels; he wasn't sure he could decimate the landscape fast enough to remove the camouflage before the assassin escaped. The only other option was to descend to the sandy floor and lure him out into another fight. Koola rarely underestimated his opponents but surely the assassin couldn't ambush him if the changelinge prince was on guard.
Landing on the cool, shaded sand, Koola crept around the bended palm tree trunks. The hustle of the pier whispered on the wind but the rustling of the canopy drowned it out. Koola strained his hearing, tensing for the sound of feet shifting sand.
"I know you're here," Koola said. "Come out and face me. Stop cowering behind the trees like a child."
"Who said I'm behind the trees?"
Koola spun as a wall of sand exploded from the ground. The assassin sheared through the grains and stabbed downwards, burying his knife in Koola's shoulder. Pain bloomed as warm purple blood flowed from the wound.
"How dare you?!" Koola roared. His tail lashed out and smacked the assassin square in the chest, knocking him backwards. The knife still protruded from Koola's body.
The assassin fished out another two daggers from sheaths strapped to his legs and gripped them, blades facing down. "I don't leave a job unfinished."
Koola gritted his teeth and tore the knife from his shoulder. He groaned as a fresh well of blood oozed free and trickled down his arm. He inspected the knife, turning the purple-stained blade over. Nothing seemed special about it. Koola laughed.
"What's so funny?" the assassin said, taking slow steps towards his target.
"In my home universe, a piece of sharpened steel would have shattered on my bare skin." Koola kept his red eyes on the weapon in his hands. "Now it seems I'm fragile. Weak. My ki does not strengthen me in the same way it once did. Ever since I met that blasted saiyan, I've gone from one failure to the next ..." Koola's gaze snapped up to the creeping assassin. "But this won't be one of those failures."
Koola dashed forward and stabbed with the knife coated in his own blood. The assassin stepped back, parried the blade with his own, and slashed. His dagger skated over Koola's cheek, barely missing his right eye. A new sting pulsed on Koola's face, but he stayed in the moment. He threw his weapon into the sand and charged forward, throwing a swinging kick. As he predicted, the assassin shifted out of its path. On the follow-through, the tip of Koola's tail wrapped around the knife in the sand and flung it. Moving with reflexes faster than the changeling prince had predicted, the assassin, though wide eyed, tangled the airborne knife in his daggers and deflected it into a nearby palm tree. Koola sprung forward and drove his fist into the assassin's face, knocking him backwards. The royal primed another punch but a warning swing of a dagger caused him to hop out of its range.
"If that's all you've got, this fight won't last long," Koola said.
The assassin nodded to Koola's shoulder. "I'm not the one with a bleeding arm."
There was a hint of truth to that statement. A lightheadedness became apparent as he watched the trails of his violet blood slinking down his arm. He moved his arm but an acute jab of pain flared in his shoulder. It was still possible to roll the joint but it hurt and relying on it to fight was a bad idea. The assassin took a set of knuckles to the face but otherwise Koola had landed no damage on him. Koola was right; the fight wouldn't last long, but it wasn't certain that he would be the victor.
"I can change that," Koola said. "Maybe I'll make a few other parts of your body weep red as well."
Bluster mostly, but Koola intended to injure his opponent worse than he originally planned. The fog in his mind thickened as more blood seeped from his knife wound. He had to stop that before the next strike.
Clapping his hand on the wound and grunting at the sting, he channelled ki over his palm and applied pressure. He clenched his teeth and growled as vapour escaped around his hand and the pain intensified. Stinging coupled with burning to provide an agonising bouqet, but he only had to hold it for a moment. The air rushed from his lungs once he was done. The smell of seared flesh, unfortunately, did not leave so easily.
"You can cauterise your own wound with just a hand," the assassin said. "Interesting."
While the blood had been stoppered, the loss of it still weighed on Koola. He needed a plan to finish the fight quickly. His eyes cast over the gadgets and objects hanging from the assassin's belt. Koola noticed the pouch where the assassin had plucked his smoke pellet from. A few other objects were indiscernable but he spotted a taser. A quick application of the sparking end of that item would floor his adversary and it wouldn't require a lot of strength.
Koola focused on the taser and willed it to him.
"What are you doing?" the assassin said. "Are you getting drowsy from the blood loss? Is there any point in fighting or should I just wait until you fall over?"
Koola tried again, mentally reaching around the object and pulling it to him, but nothing happened. His telekinesis wasn't working? Why?
The confusion must have shown on Koola's face. The assassin stepped forward boldly. "Yeah. I think we'll end this now."
"Come on!" Koola growled. This was unacceptable! This dimensional jetlag was starting to look like it would never fade, and worse, it was affecting more of his abilities than he first realised. His concentration went limp. Koola dropped to a knee, splashing in the blood that he had lost. It was only then that he realised how much leaked out of him. In a way, it was a wonder he had stood for as long as he did.
The assassin loomed over him.
"At least before you kill me ... tell me who sent you," Koola said. "I've earned that much."
"No, you haven't earned anything. I'm not one for revealing my employer. It's my code of conduct."
Koola looked up at him. "I'm immortal. When you kill me, I'll come back to life and hunt you down." He wasn't sure if he would resurrect like the glowing child promised but he had no reason to disbelieve it either.
"A Prime? Thanks for telling me. I like to know when I've bested one of your kind," the assassin said with a smile.
"Did you hear me? I will come back and -"
"Yes I heard you. But it's not the big threat that you think it is." He paused a moment. "Actually, I will give you one thing." He grabbed Koola under the arms and stood him up. "You fought well. I will let you die on your feet."
The changeling prince's eyes fell on the taser once again. Why couldn't he call it to him? "You're too kind."
The assassin's face fell. The dagger screamed for Koola's throat. Koola's eyes flickered.
Crackling filled the air. Koola snapped his eyes open. The assassin, lurched in mid-stab, trembled and groaned as electricity coursed over his body. He tumbled to the ground, smoke seeping from his black clothes, his fingers loosening on the dagger.
Crouching, Koola looked over the assassin's body. The taser had exploded and discharged its power into the assassin, but Koola was certain he wasn't responsible for the result. Was it some delayed result of his telekinesis or had the device malfunctioned?
It didn't matter. Koola turned the assassin over and removed anything he presumed to be a weapon. He sat down, weary but determined, to wait for the assassin to regain consciousness and find out who sent him.