Odd Jobs and Loose Ends

[tsukare]

Ikezu had been ordered to obtain a number of items once he became a member of the Saiyan Solar Empire. These items included armor, a ship, a simulation device, and a scouter. He had saved enough money to get a ship, and with it came a gravity training room. Now he was trying to save up for a simulation device, and a scouter. However all this had to come out of his own pocket, so Ikezu figured the best way to do this would be to go around Planet Vegeta and give aid to all those who needed aid, and see if any of the many caves in the desert held anything of value like the cabbage head cave did.

The wind blew down the street of Saru City as Ikezu made his way into the Tavern. A place where many a Saiyan go to talk about rumors and such. He walked right up to the barkeep, requested the finest saiyan ale, and asked for any rumors.

The barkeep looked at the feline man and smiled taking out a bottle of white liquid that strongly resembled milk. He poured it into a glass and slid it to Ikezu. "There you go."

Ikezu took a sip and sure enough it was milk. He placed the cup down, licked his lips and smiled.

"You must think me some kind of chump." Ikezu said lifting his sleeve revealing the SSE brand on his shoulder. "You know what this is?"

"The Empire's brand sir." said the barkeep as he looked away in shame.

"That's right, the Emperor's personaly brand. Do you have one?"

"Do I have a brand."

"Yes. Do you have a brand?"

"No... no I don't."

"Why not? The emperor gave me one, why not you? I mean, I am just a cat... right?" Ikezu said.

"No you’re not a cat, you’re a soldier of the emperor."

"Than why give me milk, when I requested the strongest ale you have? Unless you thought that's what I meant. Did you?"

"No sir. I'll fix this right away sir."

"Thank you." Ikezu said, all of this conversation was in a very hushed voice as to not arouse suspicion. The barkeep took Ikezu's milk and replaced it with a fire-red liquid exuding a dark smoke which curled up Ikezu's nose tinging the hairs and stoking the fires of his war-born appetite. He shot the glass down, and the warm liquid tingled his throat, than slowly started to burn up to his mouth. The taste was bitter-sweet, and the after taste left something to be desired.

"What do you call this?"

"Saiyan Pride. Two parts Oozaru Fire-Brand, one part Bardock's Liquer. Makes for great ale, don't you think?"

"I do, I'll have another please."

He was about to shoot down the second when he remembered while he was here, and turned to the bar looking for those who looked like they were in trouble. He immediately found what he was looking for as a half-saiyan woman burst into the Tavern screaming and bloody with her clothes ripped, and her pants torn away.

"Help! I'm being attacked, somebody do something!" She yelled, before cowering behind Ikezu as a group of 5 saiyan men ran into the tavern. All dressed in black leather, all of them had baby faces, and all of them were younger than Ikezu. The oldest was probably 21. The youngest was probably 16. The leader of the group had 4 scratches across the left side of his face, probably from the girl scratching him.

"Hey girly." The leader of the group said, walking towards her. As he tried to grab her by her hair with his left hand, Ikezu caught him.

"I'd leave if I were you."

"Oh the poor little kitten wants to play too. You'll have to wait your turn!" He said spitting in Ikezu's face. The barkeep took a step back.

"He's a soldier man, just do what he says."

"A soldier? Isn't it enough that he takes in half-trash! Now he's accepting pets too!" The leader said laughing to his group.

Ikezu squeezed his arm, the thugs bones gave a slight pop.

"Do you need this?"

"What?"

"You arm, do you need it?"

"What the fuck are you talking about, let go before I call your owner!"

"My owner? Cute." Ikezu said as a sickening crack rang out of the man’s arm. Ikezu had just broken his arm with one hand. The leader grabbed his arm and started crying. His ulna was now sticking out of his arm.

"Oh your crying. Does this help?" Ikezu said grabbing his Saiyan Pride, and pouring it over the wound slowly. The man squirmed and thrashed trying to get Ikezu to let go, but all his strikes landed against his fur with the sound that comes from softly smacking a pillow. The tears came out in streams, and when Ikezu finally let go the man fell to the ground quivering like a baby.

The rest of his group immediately ganged up on Ikezu after overcoming the shock of their leader being reduced to a pile of useless flesh.

The second oldest was the first to swing, and he swung hard with his right. Ikezu simply released a ki ball into his stomach which exploded a few seconds later, splattering his friends with his innards. The rest turned to flee but Ikezu wasn't having none of that, he used his speed to burst in front of them before they could even see anything. This wasn't Zanzoken, but with the power level these chumps had compared to Ikezu, they wouldn't know the difference.

"Nu uh uh! Get back inside. Sit down!" The startled hoodlums tripped over themselves, falling into a pile on the ground.

"Now you! *pointing at leader.* Tell this lady your sorry."

"I'm so- sorry."

"Good, now empty your pockets. I think she deserves some compensation for what you've put her through tonight. And you owe me a drink."

"Ok ok." He said emptying his pockets of all his money.

Ikezu took a few Zenni and paid the bartender, enough for the two drinks and an extra which he gave to the leader.

“Here, swallow your pride.” Ikezu said.

" Now, You three as well." Ikezu ordered. The three remaining saiyan men scrambled to empty their pockets of all the contents.

"Now all of you, grab a mob and bucket and clean up this man's tavern. All of it."

"Yes sir." They said obediently.

"Are you ok, miss?" Ikezu said grabbing the black jacket from one of the thugs and giving it to her to cover up with.

"Why did you help me? Your not a saiyan."

"I know, but I am a soldier. I can't stand by and allow injustice of any kind."

"Thank you. Maybe there's something else you could help me with."

"Sure what is it?"

“Well, it’s my husband. He said he heard rumors of this old mine, long forgotten in the deserts. He says it used to supply iron and gold to the world. He said that if he could find it, than he could re-open it for the empire, and sell the rights. He’d said we’d be rich. But it’s been a month, and I haven’t heard from him. I fear the worse, and I want you to find him for me. Whatever you find, just tell me. And while you’re out, If you do find him, can you help him find the mine? I’m sure he’ll give you a cut of the profits.”

“Ok. I’ll help you find your husband, and if he’s alive, I’ll help him find the mine. Do you have a picture, and a belonging of his?” Ikezu said, turning to make sure the hoodlums were doing their jobs, which they were.

“Yes, I have this.” She said holding out a work rag which smelled like sweat. “This is his lucky rag, he said that it smells like hard work, and this is his picture. What’s your name anyways?”

“My name is Ikezu, and I’ll be back when I find anything. Where can I find you?”

“Here’s my address.”

With that Ikezu left for the desert. Smelling the rag, and sniffing out for anything that smelled similar using his cat senses to his advantage.

[tsukare]

The desert flew beneath Ikezu as he smelled for the scent on the rag. Finally he got a whiff and darted towards it. A moment later he was there, a saiyan man cowering in a cave. Outside was giant wolf, four times the size of a normal man, and accompanied by 4 others. Ikezu darted as fast as he could, ramming one wolf killing it with force, and throwing it at two others. He threw a ki ball at two others killing both. The two remaining circled Ikezu, and as one lunged he stuck his hand down it’s throat, and swung him like an oversized boxing glove at the last one. The first to lunge died leaving only one more alive. As it lunged Ikezu juked it spinning around and allowing it to pass yelling “HA!” and releasing his white tiger flame as he threw his hands to the side, “Doooo!” He said forcing the flames into his hand as he formed it into a ball.

“KEN!” He yelled hurling a white tiger blast at the wolf, incinerating it and leaving only a crispy skeleton and a few clumps of burnt flesh.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes, who are you?”

“You’re wife sent me. My name is Ikezu, I’m a soldier. She said you’re looking for an old mine. Maybe I can help you.”

“I’d appreciate that. If you do, I’ll pay you 10% of what I make from it.”

“Ok, where is it supposed to be?”

“It’s supposed to be north of an old desert town. It used to be a resting spot for caravans from Saru City across the sands.”

“Ok, I think I know who we can ask about it. Can you fly?”

“No. I never learned.”

“That’s ok, come with me.” He said grabbing the man’s arm and flying away with him.

Soon they touched down in the village which needed help with the Cabbage Heads, and Ikezu asked the elder if he knew of any old mines on the way to Saru City.

“Yes, you’ll see a plateau which should look like the tip of a man’s thumb. Go above that and look east. You’ll see it without a doubt from there. It looks like a ring of mountains.”

“Thank you.”

Ikezu and the man were off again, and within about an hour they made their way to the plateau. Ikezu soared above it and looked east and immediately spotted the mountains. “There!”

The two jetted down to the spot and sure enough. It was an old mine. Unfortunately it was not over run with Wolves.

“Damn it. I’m putting you up on that plateau. I’ll clear out the mines and get you.”

Ikezu took the Saiyan to the thumb plateau and placed him on top where he wouldn’t be harmed and flew back to deal with the wolves.

“WhooooooooWIP!” He said giving out a short Inaurian Hunting Yell, used for getting the attention of prey, or in this case, predators. A flow of wolves came rushing out like a river of fur. Ikezu counted 20 in total, and soon he was surrounded. The wolves howled and collectively attacked. Ikezu twisted kicking, punching, grabbing, throwing, breaking, choking, and clawing at everything he could. The wolves flew around like ragdolls, dying left and right. Soon there was only 6 left, Ikezu shot two with a ki ball. Smashed one’s head while it pounced, grabbed the fourth and flipped it over onto his knee breaking it’s spine. Two left and Ikezu kicked one in the skull breaking its neck as it lunged at him, and grabbed the last one by the throat as it lunged as well. He slammed the last one to the ground and tore out its trachea, blood splattering everywhere, as he blasted its face open with a weak ki blast.

Finished with his job he retrieved the Saiyan and brought him back. The mine was old and needed repairs. However the man would find that the Zenni left by the hoodlums from earlier would be enough to cover costs. Remarkably they had left 10,000 zenni.

He looked inside and found what he was looking for, gold and iron ore. He chipped off a small piece, and returned to his wife.

A week later he had bought the land which the mine was on, and claimed the mine as a discovery. The mine was opened and once repairs were done, he would turn around and sell the deed to the mine to the empire for ten times what he paid for it. Giving Ikezu 15% of what he made from selling it, along with the deed to give to the emperor.

“You said 10%”

“I’d be dead without you. I owe you the extra 5.”

“I can’t accept it.”

“You have too. My wife’ll kill me if you don’t.”

“Hahaha, very well. You have my thanks.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it.”

OOC: Zenni please.

[Rensou Hiruen]

Pretty awesome quest, well written, tons of hardship~

1,100 zeni.