• ((AN: Translations at the bottom))





    tab It was quiet, the only sound present being the faint sound of the ocean to the right. The thick fog that had settled over the small clearing of the forest a good half mile in from the coast was tinged with the familiar salty scent. Bright stars glittered above in the dark sky like raindrops around the shining puddle called the moon. Dew had not yet formed on the grass, making a soft crunch as it was pressed down by heavy leather boots.
    tab Any sensible person would have been asleep on a calm night like this. Any but the blond hared man moving cautiously into the clearing. He was a muscular sort, not quite bulky but not lithe either. Standing about 5'13", barely kept blond hair stubbled his face and reached to the middle of his back, pulled into a messy ponytail. The light from the night sky reflected in his clear left blue eye and hit futilely on the patch worn over the right.
    tab At a distance he could be considered a curious sight, for despite the normal apparel of a simple white shirt, loose fitting dark pants, leather boots, and a pair of matching gloves, he was also accessorized differently than most. The thick belt tightened around his waist was home to the holsters of two guns, one of which he held in his right hand. Two other belts crisscrossed his chest, outfitted with a various array of knives, vials, ammo for guns, and even crosses. On his back, under a tattered as well as stained brown cloak, was both a loaded semi-automatic crossbow and Minié system, or "Rifled Musket". The blond haired man was a bounty hunter.
    tab Stepping slowly and breathing deep in the cool air, he advanced into the lit area, the grayish blue fog brighter than the shadows of the trees. Nothing moved other than himself, the animals of the forest had went to sleep and the nocturnal beasts had been steering clear. No sign of his quarry. He let out a frustrated sigh and turned to leave, until the slightest sound came to him.
    tab He whirled back around, brandishing the Howdah Hunter 20 gauge pistol with one hand in the direction it had come from. A minute passed. Nothing moved. Just when he was averting his sight, thinking he'd hopefully imagined it, a blurred shape darted to the right. Without a word he took off in a mad dash as the shadow flitted into the trees.

    _______________________________________________________________________



    tab The silent trees practically flew by the man as he reentered them on the far side. The blond haired man paid no heed to the branches or the night sky above flashing through the gaps the leaves made. When he had before had a cautious approach, the sight of his prey clicked something into place. He stepped as lightly as he could on his toes but his heavy footfalls still shattered the quiet.
    tab Ahead, the shadow flitted on the bare edges of his view, staying long enough for him to continue chasing. His breathing came in short bursts now as his legs pumped almost tirelessly, reminding him of his vivid dream. Twigs snapped and leaves crunched sharply. The salty smell of the sea was getting stronger. His prey was leading him to the coast? Why? He shook his head angrily with a growl, losing focus.
    tab The ground under his pounding feet became softer as he went on. The rushing sound of the waves grew louder. Soon he burst out from the treeline and into the fog again, thicker now, which had been reaching it's soft tendrils further inland while he'd been creeping into the forest. It reached high and roiled slowly just to forehead level now. He slowed his pace, glanced furtively back and forth due to his only eye's capabilities. Light shapes made their way over and around him, but those were not his prey. His palm began to sweat in anxiety, the Howdah's redwood stock was thankfully waterproofed.
    tab Only the constant sound of the lapping waves greeted him as he walked onward toward the sea. The much darker and larger shape of the ship bobbed up and down farther ahead, the faint light of the fire a beacon. He paid no attention to the distant object, only on his task. A pair of floating eyes near ground level alerted him, their unnatural yellow hue like a will-o'-wisp. The gruff man took off again, scattering sand wildly and pell-mell from his explosive manner.
    tab He hop-skipped around a fallen log washed up by the tide, past glistening mossy rocks, and avoided the stagnant pools of saltwater dotting various places. Even as he took these precautions, the strong tug of a seaweed latched onto one of his feet, making him stumble to a stop. A quick glance down told him that rushing ahead would just trip him up more. He swore to himself loudly, not bothering to suppress his voice as he bent to rip the plants away.
    tab A faint but distinguishable clicking noise sounded two feet in front of his hunched over form, awfully like someone reprimanding him. The man's head shot up to fix the one responsible with his blue eye. There stood a young man, possibly around his age in the twenties, though the blond haired man looked a few years older than he really was. The newcomer had his arms crossed over a black vest, staring with yellow eyes between strands of midnight black hair.
    tab A few moments passed tersely with the blond haired man scarcely daring to breathe, almost afraid that it was a vision. Similar to his dream, the young man was even wearing the top hat. The other man smiled bemusedly and spoke.
    tab "What a curious turn of events, no?"
    tab The blond haired man instantly forgot about the seaweed around his foot, and with an animal-like growl, he lunged at the black haired young man. Predictably, he met the gritty sand instead. A chuckle ahead of his sprawling form only infuriated him more. He practically yanked the plants impeding him off before leaping up and running after the black haired man who'd already had a head start. The man briefly noted that he was being led to his friend's ship.
    tab "Haltestelle! b*****d!" The blond haired man yelled out, breathing the cool air like he was being deprived of it. A ghost-like chuckle floated back to him. The red haired man on the ship perked up slightly with this exchange, standing up stiffly to peer over the rail.
    tab "Comrade! What is going on?"
    tab "Haltestelle!"
    tab The red haired man sighed and flicked his spent cigarette into the lapping waves below. There was almost no getting through to his friend when he was like this. He bit his lip before climbing up onto the rail, glancing calmly down at the thick fog. It was dreamlike. swirling into patterns. Shaking his head, the pirate hopped down the height of his beached ship, walking slowly to the bow of the wooden structure with one hand on the hilt of his cutlass.
    tab The blond haired man smiled grimly in satisfaction when he saw that the black haired man had stopped, not noticing his folly. Another chuckle came to him, echoing in the fog, and the man faded from view like he was crouching to tie his shoe. His outline came back up, advancing towards him now. The chance was too good. He decided to take it.
    tab "I've got you now, you mischling! Menschenwolf!"
    tab The blond haired man had skirted around to the blind side of his prey, tackling him from behind. He shoved the man's head down into the damp sand.
    tab "эй! товарищ! It's me!"
    tab The red haired man sputtered, lifting his face up enough from the sand so he could speak properly. The hand was removed immediately.
    tab "Vhat?"
    tab "Good, you're both here. That makes my job easier."
    tab Both men, the blond and red haired, looked up at the one wearing the top hat and smiling, confusion written on their faces. He blinked his yellow eyes, snapping a sharp clawed finger casually. The fog swirled, turning a pearly white, obscuring the three. The cool wind of the sea rose to a warm breeze, losing it's salty tinge for a more stale smell. What was going on?
    tab "Have fun, you two!"
    tab In the blink of an eye, the fog began to thin after a moment. There was no sign of the one wearing the top hat. A chuckle sounded behind them, and the two men glanced back in time to see him give a wink and a smile before disappearing. They stared at the wall he'd been leaning against, cedar planks expertly set with no cracks. The bounty hunter had all forgotten he was sitting on his friend's back, likewise for the pirate. Two gasps made them swivel yet again in confusion, to the front of them. The sight barely registered in their minds. They were staring at themselves.




    Translation notes:
    German- Haltestelle (Stop, or halt); Mischling (b*****d); Menschenwolf (Werewolf)
    Russian- эй! (Hey); товарищ (Comrade)