Chapter 17: We're All Human, Aren't We?

"So yer.. here?" Heiji didn't want to say the wrong thing on accident but it was weird. Kudo looked like Kudo, the only difference being he looked like he was hiding some pointed armor under his clothes, near his shoulders, and he was wearing some really weird white robe thing over pretty normal clothes.

"I'm here. Unfortunately, though I had the same amount of time as you, I'm a party of a grand total of one, and fighting isn't so easy. I'm half surprised I made it through the forest. Since I'm, well, me, I changed. And being a level one sucks, might I add," there was a narrowing of his eyes and Heiji couldn't help but laugh at that. "Shut up."

"Sorry, so yer a level one again?"

"Two, thank you."

Heiji continued with his laughing, looking him over again. "So, ya… make something good?"

"I had the kids do it. I just told them nothing too weird." Kudo reached over, showing off a shield like Amuro-san had. "And something with defense. I've been looking over a few things but for some reason, some of my stuff is blurred, even to me. At least I look normal."

"Is that really a good thing," Amuro asked beside him, the man's words quiet and dark, something there in his eyes that looked far more volatile than even his actions from the night before.

"I don't know but I'll have to deal with that later." Kudo tipped his head towards the town. "Now that I'm closer to you I should gain experience with you. Do you think if you two level we can try that monster fight?"

"I dunno." Hattori looked between them all again. "Why? Yer just a level two. That don't mean much."

"I'm a cleric now. I can heal. I can play backup while you all fight."

Heiji was caught between a laugh and trying to be serious. "Ya really think a level two is gonna help? And wow, ya let them make ya a 'man a god', did ya?"

"A god, yes." Kudo pulled out some weird coin that he'd had hidden under his shirt. It looked gold with some lady on it. He put it back. "I'm not sure why this one, but I know it's the goddess of luck. I'm sure it's important but, as of right now, I have no idea how most of this works still. Another month in here when I had to hide a lot didn't do me a lot of good."

"We can try," Amuro shrugged. "Another human isn't the best thing to have but by far not the worst, especially a cleric."

"I actually would like you to play backup as well. You can heal and attack, right?"

Amuro nodded. "Not well but yes." He looked dismissively at Kudo after that, turning to them. "And you're going to level four, right? That requires planning and you get no new skills."

"What? Than what's ta' point?"

"You get something that adds to your attack or, better yet, something that helps you on a whole new level. I can climb, for example, a lot better than I used to. It hasn't proved very handy but that's more for the fact I didn't think things out as well." He turned and looked at him. "What do you focus on?"

"Ah, p'ertectin' I guess. It's what I took as my subclass thing I think?"

"Let me see." Amuro pulled up the screen again and they all stood at waited, though Heiji noticed Kudo hadn't taken any steps closer. "You should take Heavy Armor Mastery then, to have yourself take less damage." He peeked over at Hakuba. "And let me guess, archery?"

Hakuba looked a bit embarrassed but nodded.

"Who was your leader in the forest, you?"

Hakuba nodded again before Amuro went back to a list that Heiji couldn't see him reading. "You won't get much better on here. I would suggest you take from your racial side instead and go with the Drow Magic it gives you. You're not part of another race, are you?"

This time Hakuba shook his head and Amuro closed with window, losing any smile he had and turning his gaze back to Kudo. "You have money?"

"I couldn't really fight much, could I? I became the town healer for a while." He nudge a bag at his side. "I'm sure there's enough for a boat."

"Go do that then. I don't think they want to see us. We still have no way of leaving or taking the elf with us though." Amuro stared down at Kuroba, who Heiji wanted to stop looking at. If it weren't for the black clothes hiding a bunch of stuff he didn't want to see, he was fairly positive he wouldn't be able to be dragging him around, even with all the death he had seen.

"Hey, ah, before ya go, be careful an' all, but if yer a cleric, can't ya help him?"

Kudo just shook his head as he went the long way around them. "I get the same spell Amuro-san would have at the same level so no, I'm not of much use as you would think in that area."

"Oh, okay. Ya, should a' figured ya looked inta that already."

"In all honesty…" Kudo did stop this time, turning around but not smiling as he shrugged. "In another few levels, having him with us wouldn't be an issue, assuming I want to play things that way. I can bring him back, only without everything that's him. It would just be until we figured something out but, if something happens to him before then and he's gone because he would, technically, be something to be afraid of, even if I'm behind the wheel, there wouldn't be much we could do."

"So we take him with because we have no choice. I'll be back as well. I'm sure there's some lumber around I could barter for," Amuro's eyes flickered to Kudo. "Unless you have extra."

"No much." Kudo dug in the pouch, not looking as he pulled out a few coins, seeming hesitate at first before putting them in Amuro's open hand. "I had to keep the time scheduled still."

Both of them just stared at one another for at least twenty seconds, making Heiji feel uneasy before Kudo turned and went off to get that boat.

"Yer not gonna do anythin' ta 'im, are ya?" Heiji hadn't been told much but he'd been told enough to know that he just gave away a very big secret ta this guy. It was kinda obvious, just listenin', that Kudo didn't even ask what was goin' on, almost like 'e was here already -'cause he was.

"Hm?" Amuro tipped his head towards him, not as tall as he was when they had first met. "Oh, no. He just smells funny."

That made Heiji frown. "What?"

"I wasn't sure, what with him right there," Amuro said as he tipped his head towards Kuroba once more. "But when he came closer I was pretty sure of it. It's weird. He almost smells like fresh water or something."

"Huh." Heiji looked after Kudo but he was gone. He hadn't smelled anything weird. Maybe 'cause he was that fire thing, 'e got some water thing in 'im now. "You can mix some 'a these races from what I read, which is why I wanted ta be a straight up human. He did say he had the kids touch the character sheet."

"Possible. In any cause, I'll be back. I'm not any good with wood tools but I know for a fact when I picked up the guy's bag – which is over there by the way, don't forget it – that there was a hammer in it. That'll be good enough for something basic."

Heiji nodded as Amuro walked away as well, Hakuba coming up beside him.

"I don't know what's going on, as I've only met the both of them here, but there's something going on between those two, is there not?"

"Yeah, and not somethin' good either. Just gotta watch 'em." Heiji shifted, getting tired even if Kuroba didn't weigh that much. His own armor and his own bag were well more than that extra straw at this point but he didn't want to put him on the ground. "Hakuba, can ya just give me a few minutes?"

"Of course." Hakuba took Kuroba from him fairly easily, though there was a struggle there as well. Even if they were stronger in this world, a dead body is dead weight. Heiji moved about while he had the chance, waiting for them to get back.

Amuro was first, which was weird. Heiji would have thought it was easier getting a ship. Then again, there was a monster of some sort out there. "Here, lemme. Hakuba-kun, jus' keep holdin' 'im."

Heiji had some issues. Some of the wood wasn't the same size and, though they had the hammer and Amuro had brought nails, there was no way of cutting it to make everything the right size. Heiji had worked with wood before though, mostly for the fact that Kazuha liked crafts and his own idea of crafts was bigger and bolder. It took a while still and he was tired, but Amuro helped him level all the pieces so it formed at tightly sealed as they could get it, putting Kuroba inside of it and sealing it. It wasn't going to smell better but it'd be easier to transport.

"Okay, let's go."

Heiji jumped again, Kudo somehow getting behind him once more, even with the fact he could hear the metal shift around on him now that he was paying attention. "Stop doin' that!"

Kudo shrugged. "I didn't mean to. I'm really not all that quiet. I like to test out what I can do though, even the stuff I'm bad at." He smirked at him. "And still end up succeeding."

"Oh, shut up and lets go." Heiji looked him up and down once more, seeing what the armor was compensating for. "Can ya help?"

Kudo kind of closed one eye. He really did look like his normal self. "Maybe but it won't be that easy for me."

"It's fine, I can do it. We need a few of us with our hands free if the town has issue with me reentering in any case." Hakuba went over on the other end, so the elf was walking backwards.

"Don' trip."

"That's my line."

"Let's just get going." Kudo went to the head of the group, nodding at the last of them. "You stay to the back, just in case."

Heiji heard the man get behind him as he started to walk off, wondering what to say and what not to say. Everyone seemed to be following Kudo and he was, at least at the moment, the weakest of all of them and now at the front of the group. "Can kinda see why 'e gave Kuroba-kun a headache now. Guy can be freakin' crazy at the worst times," he muttered under his breath so the others wouldn't hear.

It was… weird, going back through the town. Heiji felt himself draw in on himself and Hakuba would look at nothing but his feet, which was probably a good thing. Instead of any whispering like last time they just had eyes on them. Most of them, strangely, weren't on Hakuba or the 'box', like he thought they were be. A great deal of them were all staring at Kudo, any hostility sealed away somewhere while he was leading them.

"Ya took Folk Hero, didn't ya?"

"Don't fix what isn't broken." He could hear the laugh even if he couldn't see it. "It's been far too helpful to give up."

"Wait, what-"

"Anyway," Kudo spoke, cutting Hakuba off. He started leading to the end of the docks where they had to follow a side road to. "We've got a small crew of four and a captain. We'll have enough food to get us through the week, if we make it past the creature. I spoke with the village leader. If we succeed he already gave a reward to an official who's traveling with us with two guards. If we fail, we fail and we turn around."

"Hm. I didn't try going further than talking with the sailors. The elves here didn't like listening to the three of us while we were here."

"No surprise. Elves look down on other races, though the leader is a human. The balance is precarious and most decisions here are apparently left up to a panel, including him and four other elves, passing votes on majority. I asked for them to be sent with us on the chance we succeed, because I don't like going backwards. It was three to two."

"I wondered what took you so long."

"Yeah." Kudo nodded over to a boat, the one docked second to last. It was a little bigger than double the width and height of four speed boats. It'd be a little cramped, but it wasn't like had had the money or anything to say about that, since there likely wasn't a way to get something more expensive.

"Best ya could find?"

"Only one they'd let us use." Kudo waved up and a younger man, barely in his twenties, pushed a small rope ladder down to them. "Are you going to be able to get that up here? It's not that far."

"Yeah, no worries." Heiji stopped enough to get Hakuba's side too, scooting his hold until he had the center of it, resting it on his right shoulder. "Won't be fer long though. Get going."

Hakuba didn't even ask if he was sure he was fine, climbing up the rope as fast as he could to get out of his way, Heiji finding it really difficult to follow the same steps, happy when they helped drag the impromptu coffin up once he had it high enough for them to reach down. Amuro followed after, staring at the water.

"I never did get to ask what this monster is. What is it?" Kudo turned to the blond once they were more or less all on board.

"I feel like we're going to die in any case. We didn't stand up to it long before. It's some type of mutant creature, I don't know it's name. I know the more bloody you get, the happier it gets though."

Kudo nodded and went for the front of the boat. "I heard it was at least and hour out and blocking the routes. Before then everyone should get ready."

"An' you shouldn't stand at the front."

Kudo smirked and didn't move. "I'll go where I need to once I see what we're fighting." At least he had defensive garb this time. Heiji got a glace as Kudo turned, the silver looking shield off his back having a strange circular pattern on it that looked like it was half entwined, half not. Hattori wasted no time going beside him, his own shield hanging in one hand at his side. He'd protect Kudo if he had to and knew he could.

"So… are you good, like this? Wasn't this supposed ta be a secret?"

"It's like watching someone get away with murder. If time doesn't pass here at all, he's gone, one way or another. That just doesn't sit well with me." Kudo glanced behind them. "Plus I had no idea what made him stay."

"Me neither. 'e says ya smell funny though."

That made Kudo blink before frowning. "Smell funny?"

"Yeah, said somethin' like fresh water."

Kudo looked at his own skin, touching around his head. "Now that you mention it, I am a little funny. I didn't notice anything though and my race does say human, though that's one of the blurry words on my menu. I can read it though."

"Maybe there are different types a humans?" Heiji shrugged. "What's weird 'bout ya?"

"I didn't think about it before I saw you, but I can see in the dark, same as before. It's just not red this time."

"Huh. Damn. Wish I had that." Heiji folded his arms as best he could, sulking a bit. He thought Kudo was gonna be like him now and they were more on equal footing. Not fair the guy could still see in the dark.

"Don't worry about that right now, worry about being ready."

…

It was past that hour when Saguru heard the noise on the side of the boat, seeing the others hear it as well. Kudo dashed away somewhere, likely to hide and heal them as planned, though he only knew the guy as a great detective. Odds were Mouri-san or someone else had sent him in here to help, but that left him unsure where Kudo's loyalties lay.

Arrow ready to go and hiding himself, it would be simple get the hit in before the thing saw him coming, Saguru took in and let out a breath, prepared. This was… this wasn't something large though he saw it's green skin as some sort of fish man he had only seen in fantasy movies came over the side, more creature than human, though it was human enough to have on armor.

Hakuba saw it's eyes meet his and Kudo was fumbling enough beside him to try and get a look himself that he was sure the creature was aware of both of them, seeing as the other two hadn't hid.

He shot the arrow he had at the ready, watching it miss the thing completely, the sun bothering him as Saguru tried to pull on the hood a bit more.

Kudo did something strange then, something Saguru wasn't expecting. He watched as he ran further back, almost to the other side of the ship, before running back again and right past him, not at all trying to hide from the monster as it clung to the side and he stood behind the other two, not twenty feet from it and clearly not following his own plan.

"The hell?" he heard Hattori murmur, the guy not having any distance spells to shoot off before it could climb up.

Amuro on the other hand did, though he couldn't catch what the man was saying. Whatever the spell was, it was strictly vocal and the sound of the wind and the waves was carrying it away from him. Whatever the spell was supposed to do, it didn't look like it hurt much as the creature shook his head and the blond man grimaced.

Kudo was fast. He at least had his shield up while the other teen went forward with… no weapon in his hand. He watched as he waved his fingers at him, right beside the creature, muttering something.

It was as if he'd had several blades hidden on him, open cuts forming on the creature's skin, causing it to scream out in pain

It was still standing, looking more angry than hurt, as he watched the blond go up again, gently murmuring something to Hattori-kun that, yet again, Saguru couldn't catch, before raising his hand and that same, loud, painful ringing coming from somewhere over the water, hurting his ears even if it didn't physically cause him pain.

This time it looked like the spell got to it, the thing trying to reach up to what looked like fins but had to be some way for it to hear, shaking it's head and blood spilling out where it's… fin-like hands were. The blood was a red as any other creatures so Saguru relaxed a bit, more sure that this was something they could possibly take down.

Saguru had time to draw back another arrow as he watched this, firing it but having trouble seeing over Kudo but able to move around enough he could get a shot in and still get back to where he had been. He watched it hit the creatures shoulder, saw intelligent eyes meet his own, and saw the fear there as the thing clearly thought about running away.

Hattori didn't know or care, since it was a monster they were fighting, stabbing at it and making a small hole through part of it's chest.

The creature, whatever it was, was bleeding and hurt and far too angry to do anything other than attack, and it was apparently not something that went for long distances. It went for Hattori first, raising up a trident in it's right hand and stabbing at him.

The first one went above his armor, getting him near the throat though Hattori dodged to the side as it did. The second attack was aimed even better as it went for his face, making large gash marks across his cheek and chin and one that looked like it went across his eye. The dark skinned teen had winced, badly, putting a hand up to try and stop the bleeding. It looked like it was going to go for Kudo next but, the second it's eyes went back onto Hattori's bleeding form, it swiped at him with it's empty hand, grabbing him and biting into his arm as blood flowed into it's mouth and Hattori screamed. The teen pulled away but he had one arm loose at his side and the other covering his face over wounds that were hard to see, clearly barely standing.

Kudo didn't wast much time after that, putting a hand on Hattori and muttering something from beside him, some of the blood drying up as the cuts that caused it fall were sealed out of sight. There was a very strange look on Hattori's face that Hakuba couldn't understand. It wasn't much healing, considering Kudo was at so much lower a level than them, but that fact there made him stop to think. Kudo had been doing a lot of damage for such a low level. It was rather amazing.

"Ah, damn it," the blond spoke, whispering under his breath while a gentle light shown across his hands, Hattori glowing slightly as well, even more wounds around him sealing up, at least, to the point he didn't look like he was about to fall over.

"Thanks."

"I wasn't sure if we'd be able to kill it this round. At least you'll survive now," Amuro spoke as he turned back to the monster, a look of indecision on his face, before he ran up and tried to stab at it, the blade just barely glancing off the strange armor as the creature pushed it aside and made a weird noise, something that sounded like a word but with far too many syllables in too short a time to be anything understandable.

Saguru let another arrow loose, having a lot of issues getting around three figures that were now in his way. Then the boat shifted at the last second as he left go, winced when he realized he would likely hit the others. He didn't swear a lot but right then seemed the best time, shoving the bow up completely so that it would clear the others, the arrow going the only other easy direction he could point it as he lost his footing – up. He cursed once more, staring skyward and making sure it was under his breath as the projectile went maybe ten feet before landing back and grazing his hand badly before it fell to the floor. He felt his heart rate kick up at that, Hattori apparently not noticing what had almost happened, and stabbed at it again, this time going for it's face as well.

The weapon that normally was used to make holes instead slashed at it's right eye, making it hard for it to see the two that were on it's left. The creature screamed some more, covering it's eye and just glaring at the 'human' before it before going in for yet more attacks.

It only managed to get one in this time and Hattori turned his arm enough that half of the attack went against the armor, Kudo sparing no time waving his hand back out in front of him like he had before, only this time, as the creature moved erratically to the side, it missed and no wounds appeared, Kudo losing his smile and looking perturbed, though not worried in the bit.

The blond man wasted no time speaking something and waving as something seemed to glow on his chest slightly, now that he had a better look at him. It looked like whatever it was was in an inner pocket though. The sound came once more and Saguru had no way of holding his ears, watching Hattori have the same issue and Kudo… seeming not to care.

The strange monster looked disoriented before falling over the side of the boat, Hattori and Amuro both going to catch the thing before it could fall in, pulling it back on deck so that they could all see it. It was bleeding, though it's blood, now that he was closer, seemed thinner than it should be. He knelt down but had no more time to wonder on it than Hattori standing up and facing Kudo.

"The hell, man. Ya could'a said somethin'."

Kudo just smirked and said nothing.

"Man, I'd punch you if I knew I could." And just like he promised, Hattori went in to punch the other teen, Saguru half on his feet to stop him when… his hand went right through.

"Oh, come on. You didn't want me up front and I was the healer, right?"

Kudo's voice did not come from right in front of him but from the other side of the boat, the teen himself walking up until he was beside… himself? "It's not like it's not hard to figure out the second my copy touches someone or someone touches it."

"No wonder yer still alive. Kami this has to be helpful."

"Once a day, but yes. I'm going to really have to thank those kids when I get back. That was enough to level me so if you'll give me a second, I prefer to be as strong as I can." Kudo went over, the other version of him vanishing soon after, and Saguru had to smile as he went and did whatever he had to do to level.

"That was smart."

"Ya, but 'e could'a told us."

"Fool your friends if you want to fool your enemies." Saguru stood, looking around. The captain had stopped the boat and was watching him, his arms folded over the steering wheel. He nodded to him with a smile, the first anyone in this town had ever given him, even if this one was human."Didn't think you could do it, the townspeople. I always believe in the underdogs though."

"As promised." A man, or elf, Saguru hadn't seen before, who had clearly been under the deck before now, walked out with two armored men in tow. In his hand was a bundle of something which Saguru took. "I will be forced to travel with you the week out but, as we need many things from Port Niravia, it is no bother. Thank you for you assistance."

Saguru bowed at the acknowledgment. "You are welcome. I'm glad that we were able to help each other out." He noticed the other two bow their heads as well, though Kudo was still distracted and ignored them all.

"I will think you would not need me but if you do, I will be bellow deck. Please leave that creature where it has fallen, so that everyone will know what it is and we can attempt to figure out where it came from and why it was stopping our trade routes."

Saguru didn't answer back, instead turning to Kudo when he heard the others mutter something dark under his breath, yelling at some unknown.

"Is something wrong, Kudo-kun?"

The other teen didn't look at him. He was reading, clearly, something still up on his personal screen. His frown only deepen as he seemed to scroll up and down.

"Something wrong with something you can do?" None of their magic or abilities seemed evil or as unsettling as whatever Kudo seemed to be looking at so he was authentically curious. He was level three. Whatever he was running into now, they would have run into before and he could possibly help.

"Maybe? I have no idea. I should have spoken with the kids longer. I just got a big block of information in a skill list and it's all blurred to me." Kudo didn't exit the screen as his hand went his eyes instead of swiping it away, keeping himself from looking at it. "I wish more than that idiot knew about this game. I should, at least, know what I'm capable of pulling off."

"What?" Hattori spoke up this time, coming close and placing his arm on the other teen's shoulder. "Can't be that bad."

"Who knows? I can tell you I don't." Kudo looked around from under his eyes, his head still down. "Let's just not talk about it and forget I even know. It's really what's best. I hate worrying about the stuff I already know, let alone the stuff I can only guess at now."

"It might be important, it might not." Amuro folded his arms but he didn't look mad. He stared back at the monster a moment before smiling. "We had someone go down right away but, expecting it, focusing on healing those that were hurt, and seeing as it was so slow, that was amazing. The extra damage helped a lot. You're rather impressive for a lower level."

"One level lower only, now, though I'm guessing you all are going to hit five long before me." Kudo tried to smile but he still looked unnerved. "You said I smell funny?"

"Told you I said that, did he?" Amuro shrugged. "You do, which is weird. You just smell clean for some reason. It's a hard thing to pull off here and having been through the forest."

"I hope that's not something everyone will notice and think I'm weird for. I don't mind smelling clean at all but, yeah, I think I only bathe here once, and that was a few weeks ago." Kudo shrugged, though he failed in, at least, making him believe that he was okay. Hattori still had a hand on his shoulder as well. He either didn't care about it or didn't notice.

Saguru had to shrug as well when no one was saying much. "You get spells and everything as normal, right?"

Kudo nodded. "I can learn another, yeah. Technically I'm versatile. I can be a healer or a fighter, depending on what I decide when I sleep. Right now I'm something in between." He turned afterwards, nodding at the captain a moment. "Do you mind if you go below deck for a moment to find somewhere to put the body? I know what he said but keeping it up here in the elements isn't the best idea at all."

"Sure thing. Would have to do that anyway, though I was kind'a hoping you would." The captain took the two steps down that put him level with them, grabbing the feet of the underwater creature and looking like he was having trouble as he pulled it. Hattori was about to volunteer his help when Kudo put a hand up and Saguru could barely catch the words 'It's his ship. Leave him be.' It only took him a few minutes before the captain called down the stairs to look out, shoving the body and following after it.

Kudo seemed to give it another minute before looking at them. "I don't know much about strange races in this game, but a werewolf – and I know Kuroba said something about messing with his own. It's got me worried. You can see your own information Amuro-san, correct?"

Amuro nodded. "I can see what I can do as a wolf as well."

"So why is only mine hidden?" Kudo ran a hand through his hair, Saguru watching all of this from his backseat. He had no information to put forward except for the fact it was either some type of bug or Kuroba would have to answer. He was fairly sure the people here knew almost nothing since he never saw them touch screens of their own, unless they did so privately.

"Can't be worse than a werewolf," the blond spoke, bitterly.

"Who knows? As long as I'm not some type of villain I don't really care that much but that's the thing. This ability is a race thing. I'm human." Kudo turned his hand over as if looking at his skin. "What if something went wrong because I… because I did something?"

Saguru frowned, noticing Hattori go in as close as he could, having some type of whispered conversation with the other. "What did you do, mess with it like Kuroba-kun?"

"In a way, yes," Kudo spoke after a minute, Hattori and him coming to some type of agreement in that time of whispered words. "It's nothing we can do anything about right now though." The other teen's worried look turned into a smile and he folded his arms, looking out at sea. "And hey, if we get what we need, maybe that guy in the box has the answers."