Flow of the Fire

Dust floated around the room, driven in by the outside wind through the hole that Tim had caused, his face lit up with an irritated expression.

"I'm pissed!" Since Tim gently moved his head to the side and lifted his arm high over his head to drop it and point fingers, it wasn't meant for Clawford, yet Natan, whose eyes got squiggly.

"I find you after such a lucky time, and then you just leave, without even sharing some food?! You need to learn some manners on how to talk to strangers! 'Collarman', you better say sorry when I recruit you onto my ship!"

"..."

"...."

"....."

"...Collarman...?"

"That's right. 'Collarman! A great moniker for someone who doesn't speak much and claims to be some kind of turtle, hiding their mouth beneath a turtleneck!" As Tim continued to grumble directly into Natan's disgusted expression, steam burst from his ears, mouth, and nose.

"That's what turtlenecks are for..." As they continued to bicker, Clawford slowly began to rise, grasping his head in anguish after Tim's insane kick.

"The purpose of a turtleneck is to keep your neck warm! Not to cover your mouth!"

"The purpose of a turtleneck is to keep the upper region of your neck and chin protected from the wind so you don't catch a cold."

"Why would you be concerned about catching a cold? Just let me know if you need any help getting warmed up! If you get cold, I've got some heat for you!"

"I never gave you permission to criticize my turtleneck, and no one requested for your absurd aid."

"What, you're embarrassed to flaunt your mouth?! Aren't you supposed to be a musician? If you cover your lips, everyone will believe you're merely listening to music on the radio in the backrooms and pretending to sing!"

"You stupid, as a musician, I don't need to sing."

"The job of a musician is supposed to be one that you can attest to! You must, without a doubt, sing!"

"I don't have to be a singer to be a musician! All I have to do is play music!"

Their arguments continued to shoot forth in a flurry of notes and words, leaving Clawford perplexed as to why they were still arguing about music.

"I must be hallucinating. Is it really necessary for them to be squabbling at a time like this?" Regardless of his dull words, they continued to hurl obscenities at each other as if they were a couple always bickering.

"You can't be serious..."

Karisa and Codey frantically hurried through the Grim Isle's woods, attempting to locate the tremendous explosion that reverberated across the region.

"Are you certain we're on the right track, Codey? The forests are large enough that the explosion may have come from any direction."

"I'm a navigator, There's no way I'd get lost on such a small island. Have faith in me."

Minutes passed.

Karisa stood immobile behind Codey with crossed arms and an unamused expression on her face, oblivious to Codey's error, who stood there with his jaw open to the floor and arms dangling.

"There's no way I'd get lost, he said..."

Codey's eyes were absolutely white, and his arms were shaky and pointing forward. He was surprised and perplexed as to how he had landed up back in town.

"We... We were... We were going North... A-Away from the town... H-How did we end up back in t-town...?"

Karisa sighed and rolled her eyes to the side, indicating her dissatisfaction and irritation.

"What a navigator we got..."

Soon after, Codey became agitated and began yelling, spinning about and throwing his arms up and down, sweat splashing away from his face, where he bowed his ankles and counted his fingers. He attempted to figure out what had happened, but he couldn't come up with a satisfactory explanation.

"Aha! I got it!"

Karisa's eyes widened with surprise as she asked a fast question. "Do you know where we should go? Have you figured it out yet?"

Codey's physique began to resemble soap, and he began to stand weirdly, swaying left and right. "I just realized I didn't stop for food on the way there." He was figuratively dead and fell flat.

Karisa's nerves were frayed as her veins popped from rage, and she stepped together and clasped her arms together. "You're not helping!"

Clawford sat on the floor, bored, rubbing his ear with his claws as the dispute continued unabated. He stared at them, unsure of what he should do. In response to his ennui, he yawned, as Tim and Natan continued to shout across the room.

"I should probably just kill them, but I shouldn't get involved in couple's quarrels."

Tim and Natan turned in unison to face Clawford, whose heads grew big and a popping vein appeared on their forehead. "SAY WHAT?!?"

As he stayed mute, their saliva splattered all over Clawford, on the walls and on his skin. "I just referred to you as couples. Is there something wrong with that?" He scratched his ear too hard after starting those words, and blood began to drip on his claws where his eyeballs had popped out of their eye pouches. "BLOOD?!"

With Tim and Natan standing still and uninterested, he began to freak out and scream in response to the dread and gore he witnessed in front of him, rolling on the floor and covering his ears.

"There's blood everywhere! My ears are bleeding profusely! I'm going to die if you don't help me! I need a doctor right now!"

He rolled around on the floor like an enthusiastic cat, coughing as a result of seeing his own blood, then swiftly whirled around to gaze at them angrily. "Well?! Don't just stand there! Help me out!"

Tim and Natan, on the other hand, formed into chibis and flailed their palms past their cheeks, unamused. "No way..."

"Gah! I'm never going to see my lover ever again! Young men, please tell her I loved them..."

Clawford slid across the floor like a piece of paper, tears streaming from his eyes. "Do you have a partner?"

Clawford swiftly lifted his torso and head, as if nothing had happened, and answered in a flash. "Of course!"

"Who?"

Clawford embraced himself and licked his claws with pony eyes all of a sudden. "Of course, I'm referring to my claws. They are the only ones that enjoy seeing my beautiful face's smile, putting me in a frame photo! It's wonderful, isn't it?"

"That's called a reflection."

"WILL YOU STOP TALKING IN SYNC?!"

Clawford leapt to his feet, claw nails extending outward, with a furious and ferocious grimace. "You're about to witness firsthand how the hunter becomes the hunted. I'm going to wash you in your own blood's red field of roses!"

Tim's expression eventually became serious as his hood rose to the top of his head, forcing him to grab the top of his own head.

"Sorry, but it is not going to happen. Because, I've still got a future ahead of me. As a result, I'll make quick work of you. Natan, take a step back. This guy is mine."

"What?! I was the first to come here, stupid!"

"That's why he's now my priority." Tim took a step forward, smiling and chuckling as he prepared for a one-on-one combat.

"You idiot! I want that bounty! If you kill him, I won't be paid!"

"Heh, don't worry. I'm not here for the bounty. When I beat the hell out of him, you can take the money, I just want this guy's ass to be destroyed! Let's see how well you fare against an opponent who can easily melt that dumb metal claws of yours!"

Tim made a broader stance by spreading his knees and then pulling up his sleeves to slip his hand behind it and encircle it with scorching flames that flared forth.

"Also, just to let you know. Your henchmen were easy to deal with, piece of cake! Let's see if their boss is any tougher! Fire Flow!"

He flung his arms forward obliquely as flames erupted from the tip of his palm, and then blitzed forward, speeding across the ground and easily closing in on Clawford, where a startling explosion of flames erupted inside the castle, shattering the castle walls.

Some of the flames flared about the room, causing Natan to come into contact with Clawford's body, which was severely burnt and thrashed against the wall. Tim gripped his wrist in front of his own vision, fist pointed at the ceiling with a flame burning on it, and he appeared to be in great condition, smiling despite being in a battle.

"This kid can manipulate fire from his body?"

Natan was taken aback because he had never seen somebody capable of influencing natural forces solely with their body.

"Who is this kid? He's not a normal pirate. Not a single pirate had such incredible powers out of all the bounties I managed to track down. It's almost incomprehensible."

Tim excitedly grasped his shoulder and began rotating his arm.

"Get ready Clawford, cuz' I'm gonna beat your ass! Here I come!"

To be continued...