• The sun rode high in the sky, it was noon in Gaia. By now most of the citizens were going about their daily business. But some were not so energetic. Gin Kenshin was among them. He lived in a house outside of Barton Town. It wasn’t a big house, nor was it a hobble. There were two small ponds in the front on either side of the main walk way. Black lotuses floated on the surface of the clear, sparkling water, and Koi swam under it. The two story house was a simple, white-washed home. The roof was flat, with a fence along the edges, and flower beds visible, implying roof access.
    Inside, on the second floor, cloth rustled and metal clanked as Kenshin dressed. He pulled on his black jeans one leg at a time, and tugged on socks. He slipped into a black under shirt and tucked it in; the shirt was to prevent his armor from chafing him. He groggily strapped on and tightened his multi-colored breast plate. Purple, green, blue, and red were just some of the colors that played across its surface. He then strapped on the mantel with the skull pin. He sat on the bed and pulled his boots on before walking to the next room, his weapons room.
    Inside were various instruments of death and destruction, all hung on the walls by hooks and chains. At the back of the room was a large case with a glass front. He stepped forward and unlocked the case, pulling out his usual weapons; a scythe, a broad, double-edged sword, a broad, curved, single edged sword, a ninjato, a nine-ring Quan-Do, and a pair of black gauntlets. Some would collapse under the weight of all these weapons, combined with the armor, but to Kenshin, this was normal. He could not only casually walk with this small artillery, but effectively fight as well.
    Kenshin was demon-breed. Despite the name, the species wasn’t at all related to demons. They were typically called Furries, even by their own kind. He stood about five foot eight, and was covered with a soft, luxurious coat of dirty blond and brown fur. The hair atop his head was jet black, and his cat-like eyes sparkled emerald green. His thin frame and fur hide the tight muscles that rippled under his frame. He had years of martial arts training under his belt, and was among the last people a person would want to start a fight with.
    Now fully armed and armored, he stepped out to greet the day. The light of the sun bounced off the various metals on Kenshin’s person as he walked along the dusty road to town. He stopped for a cup of coffee before continuing on. One would expect him to get multiple looks, and one would be correct. Whilst he wasn’t the only armed person wandering the streets, no one carried the amount Kenshin did. A sword here, a lance there, but no one had anything to match the walking armory that was Kenshin. He leisurely sipped his coffee as he strolled to the other side of town. After an hour of walking he arrived at a small tavern. He dropped his Styrofoam cup in the nearest trash can and stretched, yawning widely.
    “No one in yet, eh?” He mumbled to himself in his soft, tenor voice.
    “No one but us workers.” A female voice answered from the table nearest him. He turned his head to look at her and yawned widely.
    “Morning, Sonja.” Kenshin said indifferently. Despite his appearance, he was actually overjoyed to be alone with her, and he wasn’t the only male who would be. Sonja Krystalwind was a demon-breed with a beautiful white coat and a head of long blond hair. Her golden-yellow eyes had a constant mischievous glint. While some demon-breeds, like Kenshin, lacked tails, she had one that was the envy of all others in Barton, it swayed softly behind her, as if it were moved by a gentle breeze. While it was her looks that caught the eye, the next thing to be noticed was the katana strapped to her hip. She proudly held the position of the Drunken King’s Crown bouncer.
    “Morning bar-keep. Mind whipping up a pot of Irish coffee for our hard working slaves… I mean employees?” She asked, leaning her chair back against the wall.
    “Well, I think the first word is more accurate. And sure thing. I need some myself.” Everyone knew that Kenshin was a coffee addict. He was known across Barton for drinking at least ten cups a day. He wasn’t sure it was healthy, but he also couldn’t care less. He walked behind the bar and leaned his scythe and Quan-Do against the wall, and began preparing the coffee/whiskey combination that was the favorite of the bar’s regulars.
    Hours past and the other three employees arrived. Archer, a loud, abrasive, womanizing fighter who served along-side Sonja as a bouncer, Luke, a skinny, comedic young chef who could make just about anyone laugh, and Miyu, a shy, quiet elf girl who served as the entertainment. Despite her quiet nature, she loved to sing, and she did it well, after a couple drinks. Soon enough, the bar was open for business. The regulars piled in, Charlotte, the young piano playing college student with a taste for fine men and finer wine, came in first, and took her usual spot at the piano. Jauche the Jock, an ironic name for the pot-bellied old man with the smooth tongue who came in soon afterwards, followed by a whole menagerie of odd fellows and females. It was a small place, and not the favorite in town, so business was pretty even, with hardly any strain on the employees. Luke cooked the meals, with long breaks in between, Kenshin mixed the drinks, sipping a cup of coffee frequently, Miyu sang in time with Charlotte’s piano, and Archer and Sonja, with a lack of any trouble makers, drank and mingled like any other customer.
    Then, at roughly eleven o’clock, a young man clad in light-weight black armor stormed into the bar. He was a lycan with ferocious yellow eyes, and a thick mane of auburn hair. He carried an arsenal to rival Kenshin’s, two katana strapped to one side, a flail attached to the other, an axe and a spear across his back, and a katar strapped to his leg. A white rose was emblazoned on his chest piece.
    “Jiiiiiiiiiin!” he screamed at the top of his lungs before the door even had time to shut. Kenshin shook his head and sighed softly.
    “Viera, I’ve told you a million times before. That’s my last name and it’s pronounced Gin, as in begin.” He said, polishing a mug casually. Viera and Kenshin were prominent members of the Order of The Black Lotus, an ancient warrior society. Kenshin was in line to be the next leader, the Black Lotus, and heir to all the power that came with it, whilst Viera Loup was heir to the White Rose, the second in command.
    “I don’t give a damn! We’re going to fight, and today is the day I surpass you and claim the Black Lotus!” He reached for the katana on his hip and drew them in a flash, his eyes sparkling fiercely, and his teeth clenched. There wasn’t a moment of silence before the customers started cheering Kenshin on. These frequently happened, and even Miyu was more eager to watch the fight than to sing.
    “Alright, alright already,” Kenshin said laughing softly, “but I’m only going to use one weapon; my scythe.” He unstrapped his swords and took off his gauntlets, placing them in the back, and picked up his scythe, walking towards the exit. “Try to keep up.” He said as he passed Viera, who followed close behind. Customers crowded onto the sidewalk as the two warriors took their places across from each other on the street. Miyu tossed a coin into the air as the two opponents watched each other carefully.
    The coin made a small tinkling sound as it hit the pavement, and Viera rushed, his swords out at his sides. He began a furious flurry of slashes which made a sound reminiscent of a machine gun as Kenshin blocked every swing. Kenshin’s foot shot out, and slammed into Viera’s ankle as he stepped forward, Viera stumbled and Kenshin wasted no time turning the tables. His scythe came around quickly, and he smacked Viera in the face with the flat of the blade, Kenshin then began to whirl the scythe in a figure-eight, the blade flashing in the moonlight. The blade came up in a wide arc, gazing Viera’s face and making a small cut.
    One of Viera’s swords shot forward and sliced into Kenshin’s cheek, though it was a cut no deeper then the cut on Viera’s face. He grabbed Viera’s arm and slammed a kick into his gut, swinging the scythe’s shaft towards his head. His sword came up and blocked the scythe as Viera reeled back from the kick. He thrust his sword into the ground and jumped off the hilt, high into the air, performing a front flip, bringing his legs around into a powerful axe kick. Kenshin blocked with the shaft of his scythe as Viera brought his sword down in a powerful arc, which Kenshin blocked with his scythe’s blade. The attack, counter-attack went on for well over an hour, until both combatants were breathing heavily.
    “You done yet, Viera?” Kenshin asked between breaths.
    “Not until you go down, you punk.” Viera responded, leaning on his sword. He rushed, bringing his sword up high, Kenshin took a deep breath and rammed his scythe’s shaft into Viera’s stomach, whirling around and crashing it into the back of Viera’s head. His eye’s crossed, and he swayed momentarily before collapsing, unconscious.
    “Well, it looks like you were wrong about that.” Kenshin said wiping his forehead as the bar goers cheered for their bartender. “Oh please guys, it’s just business as usual.” He said grinning at Sonja.
    “Yeah, it is.” She said walking up to his and holding him up, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Now all you have to do is beat that stump in your backyard.”