Son Of The Shinigami

Chapter 10

As we cross over a hill to see the next village, the size is slightly larger than the one we left four nights ago. I have changed my garb to look more like a mercenary, it's a dark over coat used over my casual clothing, with my long sword in its sheath behind my back as its belt comes over the coat. The front is open to show the shirt underneath, and the length is all the way down to just before the top of my black and worn boots, a bit of steal is sewn into the shoulder on my right, my dominant hand. As the wind blows past us we all stare at it with dulled faces. After the raid on the last one... we wish the stay to be as quick and short as possible.

"Looks like this one has guards posted..." Kiara calls pointing to the gates.

Indeed, this village has set up large wooden walls with whittled points to make sure no one has any ideas of climbing over. And there on the road were gates leading in. The guards had pikes and small amounts of armor. Each with a crest on the cloth covering their breast plates, a skull with a crown, with swords forming a circle around them.

I let out an exhausted sigh, which makes Tora turn to me.

"Are you okay, Akio?" She asks.

I point to them and shake my head, "I know that crest.... we are moving towards the area controlled by a baron... and he's not really a fan of the Shinigami. Has a reward for my head, a quarter of a thousands coins."

Looking to me, they all say at once, "a quarter of a thousand?!"

Nodding, "yes. yes. He is a firm believer in the rumor about killing me."

"What, the one for eternal life?" Kiara asks.

"He's gotten another idea though," I reply. "The reward is nearly tripled if you could bring me to him alive."

"Wait, why does he want you alive?" Hisoka inquires.

"Because he thinks that if you feast on the current Shinigami's heart you will gain immortality for yourself. As well as the Shinigami's power."

Tora hisses, "greedy bastard..."

"Yes," I smile. "He is. He has the title of the greed eater master."

Hisoka and Tora both stare at me concerned. "Wait you don't mean."

I nod. "He is the only other one in the world to collect and breed greed eaters."

"But how is that possible? Tora asks.

"No one knows how he learned the secrets of the greed eaters. It used to be that the old Shinigami's were allowed to breed them since they were allowed to be the divine punishment of the accused, or the soon to be dead." I explain. "But that practice ended when one Shinigami let the secret die with him."

"But you know how to make them." Tora says.

"Yes, but I do not know how to breed or keep them. The ones I make die out because I made them. They were not bred to be in this world." I continue.

"So what does he do with them?" Tora asks.

"Charities." I reply with a doomed tone. "He will give them away as charities to those who say taxes are too much, or their not getting their fair share."

"That's horrible!" Tora growls.

"It's effective," Hisoka crosses her arms.

I nod, "that it is. Everyone under his rule is demanded to tribute to him. For no reason, save the fact he is baron."

"Do we have to go down there?" Tora asks.

"Sadly yes. But we can collect supplies, and start to move out of the barons territory toward another village I know of." I nod.