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{Loop Lionheart - Ship's medical bay}
Artemis flint was 'beaten' by the logic behind what the scarecrow had said, the proof he needed was in the fact that the bird only reacted to when he hit the idiot knight, Mr.Bunsington was atleast unharmed from the ordeal albeit soaking wet and stained red. With shaking steps on legs that could no longer support his weight, Artemis leaned down and picked up his beloved teddy bear lovingly before slowly making his way to the fallen knight.
Reaching down with his torn and slashed but still armored arm he picked up the poor man by his head and lifted him effortlessly off the ground, his conciousness was fading but he was still coherent. "Your captain is weak, surpass him and your master." He hissed into the man's ear before dropping him like a sack of meat.
When his eyes crawled open there was no sharp intake of breath, no dramatic attempt to rise, no hands shooting for his wounds or chest, just a methodical rythm of steady respiration that drifted in the small chamber. Loop's gaze was lost within endless maze of brown that marred the wooden ceiling above. The gentle light that seeped from the room's sole window to warm his motionless form was purposfully ignored.
Coil sat quetly perched upon a small comodine a few beds away. The creture’s unwavering gaze bore intensely upon the silent figure laying beneath the spotless white sheets, he himself made as unmoving as the man he overlooked. Loop made took no action to acknowledge his companion, yet, through an unexplained six sense, an inherent bond between protector and ward, between friends, Coil knew that the man was simply awaiting for his words, for his judgment. Naturally, the creature obliged his unspoken request.
"You acted like a child." The creature's voice echoed in loop's mind, powerful, firm and timeless. Countless times the knight had pondered upon the divine authority and strength that improbably seemed to at times radiate from the voice of a being as lowly as his companion. A mysterious quality that seemed to press upon his very soul like a solid block of gold whenever their minds made connection during critical times.
"I know." Loop's hushed reply flowed through the room, within its silence sounding as striking as a mighty hammer impacting upon steel.
The pair went still, Coil carefully contemplating his next words just as the knight did with his last.
“Your juvenile tendencies for reckless heroics endangered both me and the pirate crew that saved you.” The creature’s tone still retained the blinding regal glow that Loop seldom had the opportunity to hear from his friend save for a few rare occasions.
“I understand.”
“You owe us.”
“I will pay what is due.”
“Your desire to bring light to this dark dreary world and indeed your very being shines like a lighthouse within an ever-present storm. You bring hope and salvation upon those lost. Yet as you fight to pierce the shadows drowning the world around you, you forget of those that lie within. Pride is a grave sin, knight, and an even greater flaw. Told, you have been, otherwise. However during your latest trial, with your own eyes and soul, you have witnessed the ruin that it brings. A true hero to become, that corruption you must eradicate. Fight you must, to stand above it. For what you owe of me, I demand only for you heed my words. You shall see that your light will shine brighter if you do.”
“I shall.” The royal knight’s response was steady and incensed with stanch resolve. With a powerful motion, he tore the bed sheets off his body.
“Buh! Cover yourself your moron! My cute eyes do not deserve to suffer you when you’re exposed like that!”
Loop sighed before allowing himself a resigned but subtly content smile.
The normal coil was back.
[Loop Lionheart and Coil Lionheart – Ship, upper deck]
An ebony river of unchecked hair flowing behind him, Loop Lionheart, knight of the royal coil, rose from the stairs and into the sunlight. His appearance was humble and simple. With his armor crushed beyond use, he lacked his pristine silver plate and flowing ivory cloth. With his black silk shirt stained with blood, his impressive chest was now laid bare save for the occasional mass of stained bandaging cloth. Indeed only the spring blade, fastened as it was on the belt of his black trousers, remained of his once impressive armaments and now stood as the sole symbol associating him with knighthood.
Coil, as per usual, was latched upon his head, hoping for a free ride around the new city. Loop had been rather surprised to discover that they had managed to reach one. Especially after such a short while after escaping from the gemlord. For all intents and purposes, he had thought they would still be drifting in inconspicuous waters, trying to avoid the wrath of the apparently, somehow, fended off Ruby.
Ruby.
The man’s words still echoed in his head but the knight was still unsure what to make of them. What did he mean surpassing his captain and his master? What captain? And what did the fiend know of the general of the Royal coil? Probably next to nothing to believe that Loop had a chance of surpassing him during his lifetime. Either way, he could ponder that later, at his own time. For now, he had an apology to give to the pirate crew of this ship.
Swiftly, his eyes spotted the acclaimed captain of the crew, Kino, along with a pair of his crewmates. Slowly Loop made way towards the three, aiming to talk to them about repaying them for his past mistakes. A year with the crew would do it, with no pillaging or murder all during that time, of course. Sure, sometimes one needed to steal or kill to survive, he accepted that and helped instead of punished such individuals. That in mind, owing them or not, part of the crew or not, Loop would sooner decapitate and disembowel his newfound allies than join them in unnecessary crime.
He was barely within speaking distance when a whistling interrupted him.
Silently Loop the new man’s words and carefully observed his stature. His eyes narrowed almost instantly. Something was extremely off with this man. In his time travelling Loop had met with a great deal of corrupted and greedy officials. People who had too much power or knowledge and used all of it to extort money and favors from helpless, unsuspecting victims. This person gave off a very similar vibe. Something that was nearly confirmed when several guards begun gathering behind him. Worse yet, he somehow knew that this was a gemlord ship. Luckily, Loop knew exactly how to deal with the situation, after all, he had dealt with people like this time and time again.
“And who or what exactly gave you the authority to storm our ship with your guards and threaten us, Reggy the dockmaster? Even if this ship was related with criminal activity, which it clearly isn’t, I wasn’t aware that a man of your rank you perform a search on it without a search warrant or at least an escort from the local marine base. Something I don’t see you flaunting off. As it stands you have no legal reason to either confiscate or search the ship as such your intrusion is illegal. In other words, either you scamper off and hope we don’t report you to the local base or you try and take over the ship and give us every right to beat you and your subordinates to and inch of your life.” Loop paused, letting all this sink in. “Your choice dockmaster.”
_________________  Made it myself. (Tukinode may not reflect the ideas of his original creator)
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