Unforgiven Swords: Chapter 20

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 Blades flew through the air as Grainne jumped into the pirate’s direction. Purposely, two only hit the ground, to the left and right sides next to Karen RedClaw.

 Finishing her flight, Grainne landed on her feet, meters away from the swordswoman, and launched one last blade at her, the defenseless and wounded girl.

 The blade never met its target.

 Macabre RedClaw, staring Grainne with his blue eyes, held both of his tonfa, while the dagger flew in the air after the impact with the pirate’s weapon.

 Grainne hesitated, for the White Wolf’s eyes bared deep and raw anger.

 Macabre: Don’t mess with my family like this, unless you want to feel…

 Karen: Stop!

 Macabre turned his face to look at his niece. Grainne also took her eyes to the dirty face of the girl.

 Macabre: Karen… I can handle her, just stay back…

 Grainne: (provoking) Are you sure? Both Hound and… and my father, Locke Wolff, said I was faster than them both… (thoughts) Why I had to remind myself of him… Ugh!

 Macabre: Let’s see that…

 When he was about to move, Karen stepped between the two.

 Macabre: Karen…

 Karen: Stop! Let me do this!

 Macabre: You…? You’re tired of a battle, wounded and even your sword is broken, how do you want to…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Karen: I don’t care!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> That moment, Grainne realized later, was the perfect moment in which she could strike them both in surprise, as she would normally do with an opponent.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Something, however, kept her simply looking at the scene when it occurred.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Karen: I don’t care how I will do it, all I know is that I must do it!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The bounty hunter noticed when, amidst the fever that surrounded them, especially Karen RedClaw, who looked with conviction towards her, the RedClaw captain showed something similar to a smile.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Karen: After what you told me… After… Ugh! Your vengeance, if that’s what you want, uncle, if that’s what it’s right for you, I… I must stay by your side and assure that you’ll find it!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne closed her fists strongly. Her hands were shaking, and her mind dived in confusion, in contrasting feelings and emotions.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Karen: Locke Wolff is waiting for you, and he is much stronger than her. So if I can at least do that for you, I… I…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Karen…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Karen: No, let me say the words! I know I am not strong, at least not as you, but as long as I can breathe, and as long as you can breathe, I’m going to do all I can to help you out. Yes, I spent a long time thinking, but now I am decided… You will not carry your burden alone!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The bounty hunter opened her mouth, as if she would say something, but kept only mumbling mean less words.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Karen: That is what family’s for…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne of the Tides yelled. What passed inside her heart suddenly busted outside and she yelled as loud as she could.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Looking somewhat angry, she turned, showing her left shoulder to the two pirates, and put her hands downwards.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: Pass, White Wolf… Pass and face Locke Wolff.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Do you think I’m allowing.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: I don’t care what you are allowing or not. I want to know the strength that this girl has.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre gave one last look to Karen and left.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The bounty hunter and the pirate remained alone.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Grainne: (throws blade to Karen) One blow, that’s all I want.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Both presented their blades.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> And advanced towards each other.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Locke Wolff, kneeled down, kept his breath paced while his sword rested in front of him.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> His room was large and open to the nature, in a way that there were barely any walls or roof, thus nature simply invaded the place.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> When he heard steps coming, Wolff opened his eyes and took the sheathed sword, standing up.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Macabre RedClaw.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Wolfe Hazard.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: This man does not exist anymore…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: All that remained is his sorrow, I can see it.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: You don’t know what you’re talking about…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: I wonder why you gave his sorrow the name of Locke Wolff, though.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The Unforgiven Sword pulled out his blade, pointing it at the pirate.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Why should I even argue? No matter how much you understand my justice, after this, you will be dead.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: We will see that.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre entered his battle stance.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Both simply kept staring each other for a few seconds, Macabre ready with his tonfa, Wolff moving his sword randomly.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Both were the same man, Macabre knew, aside from one small difference… A difference for which the RedClaw should win.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The pirate gave the first step, and move his arm.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Steel met steel. Receiving the impact, Wolff stepped back.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Thinking he had the advantage, Macabre rushed and inverted his tonfa. A quick succession of attacks, all of which ended only damaging the steel of the blade.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> In the last one, the bounty hunter moved and stopped his blade when it touched the cold metal of the tonfa, deviating it from its original route, and used that moment to grab Macabre’s neck and push the sword to his face.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The White Wolf, however, tried to get out of his closed hand. He stepped back, in an attempt to get away from the blade, and ended up falling to the ground, rolling and taking Wolff with him.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The bounty hunter stopped five steps farther than him, but managed to get up first. Macabre rolled, using his hand as a lever and got up also, blocking with the weapon a swing from his opponent.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> In an instant that seemed to take minutes, the two pairs of eyes, each filled with its own kind of melancholy, met each other in a cold shock.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Locke Wolff looked desperate.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre growled and hit the immobile blade with his unoccupied tonfa. Its user stepped back with the impact, so the RedClaw captain rushed.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> One with his right hand in his face. With the left in his chest. A third with the right, blocked by an elbow, with a corresponding counterattack.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> With his right feet, Wolff made Macabre lose his balance, then, with the left hand, he pushed him. He did not fell, but immediately after a quick cut crossed his shoulder.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff changed his sword position, inverting it, and ran to the pirate performing three aerial knee blows on his chest, later jumping and spinning with his sword.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Luckily Macabre had already seen that last performed by Lura, thus he simply stepped back and purposely fell on his back, making the bounty hunter to jump over him.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> He stood up in a jump and soon closed his arms, for Wolff’s sword flew into his direction. Hitting the metal protection made by the two tonfa, one over the other, the blade rebounded, getting back to Locke’s hand, who was already running towards the pirate.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The sword descended and met a cross, made by the two inverted tonfa, before Macabre’s face.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff held the sword’s handle with both hands and pushed strongly, making the pirate’s hadn to go down an inch.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: (thought) He looks more tired than I do. I suppose that’s what age does… His knee! What did Ainer tell about his knee…?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> A knee that then was hitting his stomach. More than once.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: I won’t cede, dammit!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> He then pulled with his hands, and Wolff stepped back, his hand raising after receiving impact.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Still inverted, the tonfa hit several times in his chest.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> However, he didn’t seem he cared much about it.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The sword fell again. The White Wolf jumped back and avoided it.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: You appear to be fighting better than last time.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: I’d say it’s the contrary. I might be wrong, but you look a bit unstable. Something happened on your personal life, which is stopping you from concentrate?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Quiet!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Locke sheathed his sword and advanced, not removing his hand from the cable.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> First he jumped, aiming for a knee strike on the pirate’s face, which missed, then he landed and pulled an inch of the sword out of the sheath.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: (thought) Just a small mistake… Right knee or left knee? (Speaking) It has to do with your daughter?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Locke Wolff pulled the whole sword and, with anger in his look, not melancholy, threw himself onto his opponent. The pirate easily avoided the attempt of killing and spun to Wolff’s direction.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> For his surprise, the bounty hunter was also spinning, meaning a sword almost cut Macabre’s head in two.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Do you really think I’d be shaken up by anything?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Tsk… Not even if involves you daughter…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Don’t talk about her! She has nothing to do with anything!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Maybe Hound…?

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Shouting, Wolff rushed as inconsequently as before.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> His sword went downwards, with great strength and aiming for the neck, but as expected, it didn’t hit. The pressure did make a wind cut and left a mark on the ground, however it was not well planned.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre’s cold gaze met Locke’s cold gaze from the bounty hunter’s left side.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Before Wolff could turn, Macabre moved his leg and made the bounty hunter lose balance. He tried to turn even after, but a tonfa met his face with strength.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The pirate ran, but the bounty hunter had already recovered, so he went… downwards.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre rolled on the ground, but did not stand. On his knees, he moved his arm and made steel meet Wolff’s right leg four times.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> He shouted and tried to kick the opponent’s head, however all the pirate needed to do was to get down. The leg passed over his head and he attacked the left leg, still on the ground, twice. Wolff fell and still tried to hit Macabre with the blade, moving back.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> When he stood up, the White Wolf noticed how the other man felt pain in his right leg.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> “Now he has no chance…,” Macabre thought and rushed the next second. He jumped and punched Locke in the forehead, to then next roll to his left and attack the bounty hunter right leg.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Locke may have tried to move again, but, that moment, Macabre was faster, for sure. He received an uppercut on his chin and flew behind. When he was able to get up, he saw Macabre holding the left tonfa by the longer handle, coming closer.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff stepped to the front, piercing with the blade, but the attempt was easily dodged. He spun, as the pirate was for sure on his back and made a blow. Macabre dodged. Another one. Macabre spun and ended on his back again. That time he managed to notice quicker, but it was useless anyway.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre using the left tonfa, which he held by the longer handle, transformed the weapon in a hook and pulled Wolff by his neck, hitting his head with the right one at the same time.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The bounty hunter rolled, stopping him from falling, but the pain in his leg did not allow him to get up. Macabre threw, then, the left tonfa on his head, allowing him to fall.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Ugh… Ugh…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Stay down now… Wolfe Hazard…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Don’t call me that name… Wolfe Hazard is dead!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Locke got up in a jump and attacked. When he noticed, however, Macabre had broken his blade.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: It took me a while to notice how similar we were...

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Shut up!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Using what was left from the blade, he tried to pierce.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> With the empty left hand, Macabre held his wrist. The right one, holding the tonfa, was positioned onto his shoulder.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: You should have talked to your daughter some more…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff yelled, and when he moved his left arm, Macabre dislocated his shoulder.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> The bounty hunter screamed, and as he screamed, falling down to his knees, the White Wolf looked down to him, to the melancholic figure whom which he might have turned.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Don’t matter how, I… I will not allow you to go free…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: You and I are just the same.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: I am not like you! You’re a criminal, and I am the executor of justice!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: I have my vengeance, a dreadful one that should never exist. You have all the hatred and the sorrow of Wolfe Hazard packed in one ideology…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: I told you that man is dead… I killed him, and even so he is still better than pirates like you, who cause the chaos and the…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: You should have talked to your daughter some more…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Don’t talk about her!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: I will, because you can’t see what is right in front of you! You are no different than I am, we’re both men with a bloody past, trying to achieve something so much that it burns us inside. I know the feeling and you know the feeling. That's why your daughter and my niece enter. I know Karen will always be there for me, remembering me why I started in the first place... She is the one that I'll look at, all the times, and say: "that’s my motivation, that’s why I’ll keep crawling into the fire until I do what I have to do". You, on the other hand... You are carrying your burden alone…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Don’t talk as if you know me.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: But I know… I understand you. I would bet you never really said anything about why you're doing what you do to anyone... and that's the reason why Grainne simply let me pass without resisting.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: I…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Don't deny it. I understand you perfectly and I know if I was alone I would have that same melancholy on my eyes, more than I already have... "This is not a path you should travel alone", my brother said... That is the reason why I have companions. Companions, not a mere crew that I barely talk to, even if one of them is my family. What you did, Locke Wolff, was losing your family over your justice...

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Stop…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: … and now you are unhappy with everything...

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Stop!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: My will of vengeance always comes secondly…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Stop! Stop! Stop!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Otherwise, I would be just another Locke Wolff.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Wolff: Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!! I don’t care! You understand me? You haven’t passed half of what I passed! You… you know how is to have your whole world destroyed all of a sudden? All your beliefs and your faith? No, don’t say you understand me, it was your own family who did this to me!

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre laughed. He laughed patiently, calmly and genuinely having fun within his thoughts.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre: Funny that you mention it, because… Me too.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> None said anything else.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Macabre RedClaw turned around and left the room.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Locke Wolff, the ghost of Wolfe Hazard, still on his knees, did not move an inch.

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> He just remained there… realizing what he had done all those years…

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left"> Only he and his personal justice.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> Next Chapter