Can Wintertime finish what she's started? Will Martingale Ranch be saved? And why is Mau'Cha'Kai helping her anyways?

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Dying Days

By Justice

Disclaimer: Monster Rancher is ) to whoever owns it. I didn't make it up. Don't sue me, all I hope to gain from this is a few compliments or criticizm.

2nd Disclaimer: If you recognise some of the names from such books as Tailchaser's Song and from the 6 part animated series Bastard, that is because I couldn't come up with any good names myself so I ripped these. Thus, most of the names herein are not mine, they are ) to someone else.

Characters: The monster design is ) Monster Rancher. However, character design is ) Justice, 2000.

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Chapter 6: Payment

Mau'Cha'Kai stood amid the cheering crowd as if he weren't a part of it. From the look on his face, he could have been alone in a field somewhere, or on a silent mountaintop. The only hint that the crowd was affecting him was the darkening spots beneath his arms and she shadow spreading across his chest. The body heat from being so close to so many people was causing his blue silk shirt to stick to his chest with sweat.

Still, his cold, cold eyes showed nothing.

The scarred outlander swayed slighlty as the crowd around him jostled foreward, trying to get a better view of the fight. Taking a deep breath, Mau'Cha'Kai glared across the arena to the young trainer whose monster Wintertime was in the middle of thrashing. It was a huge Stinger named Flarrm Fyn, and she was barely holding her own against the battered Tiger. Even so, Wintertime wasn't cutting the strong but slow Naga-like creature any slack.

Mau'Cha'Kai closed his eyes, loving the fight but hating the crowd he was pressed into. He detached himself, so to speak; the sound and feel of the people around him blurred away as he simply chose to ignore them. In the distance, he could hear the Stinger hiss and whine in pain as blow after blow was landed. At least once he heard the popping, crackling soumnd of Wintertime's Bolt attack, and several times he heard the whistling sound of snow flowing from the experienced Tiger's lungs... it was either a Blizzard attack or an Ice attack. Mau'Cha'Kai rolled his shoulders, trying to relax. He hated people, especially crowds.

A loud bark of suprise and a sharp, piercing yelp of pain made his pale blue eyes snap open. Squinting, he tried to see over the heads of the people who had swarmed in front of him. Disgusted with every single spectator, he roughly elbowed his way to the front. Before he could even see the combatants, the announcer shouted.

Victory to Flarrm Fyn. Wintertime had been injured... badly.

[A sort time later, in a local Laboratory]

Laonas Silver Coat stood with several other trainers who had come to dislike and mistrust the scarred, dead eyed Mau'Cha'Kai. There was no sympathy or politeness in their visit, merely a grim curiosity and a morbid sense of justice.

Mau'Cha'Kai ignored them as he had the crowd, shoving through them as if they didn't matter. More accurately, he shoved through them as if they weren't there. Some young trainer-in-training asked him something, but his thoughts were ringing in his ears and he didn't have the patience or mindset to aknowledge the young man.

The past month had been stressing but successful; there was nearly enough money to save the ranch. Still, they needed at least two thousand gold more than they had. Mau'Cha'Kai swore under his breath. Wintertime was dying. There was no way the lame Tiger would recover, and her winning any more money was out of the question.

Mau'Cha'Kai stared into a mirror, as if searching his own face for answers. Finally, he shook his head and glared at his own reflection, malice causing the scar on his cheek to wrinkle a bit. "Time to take things into my own hands."

[One week later, at the Copper Hearth Inn]

Mayor Darawan sat at the best table in the far corner of the inn, sipping ale and flipping through the few legal documents that needed his attention. The town of Mukri rarely had any disputes or legalities that required his attention, but once in a great while there was one or two problems that couldn't be solved in any other way. Today alone, Mayor Darawan had ruled this way or that on three disputes, two of which involved the sale and ownership of valuable monsters. The third dispute had been over a wedding. All that was left was the ruling on the Martingale Ranch.

The Mayor frowned at the documents about the case. Final payments had been due the day before... but Wintertime was frozen in a lab, and no one had seen her strange partner, Mau'Cha'Kai, for days. Sad, really, the Mayor thought. It was a nice ranch. Too bad it would soon be an auction site and livery stable.

Laonas was at his usual station at the bar, allowing people to buy him drinks. AS much as he disliked Mau'Cha'Kai, he had to admit that the scarred outlander had made him popular and well liked among fellow trainers. They had been drawn to Laonas in mutual disgust of the Dead Eyed One, and since Laonas was the most outspoken against him, he was now the town's hero of sorts. And Faisha's injuries had made the other trainers very sympathetic to him.

"Yep," Laonas continued lazily, "drove the bastard right out of town. Won't see him again, I'll tell you that. Good thing, too." Laonas winked at the smiling barmaid and wrapped one arm around her before continuing to brag. "'Cause if he ever did show that cut-up face around here again, I'd have to teach him a lesson!"

The heavy wooden doors of the tavern were thrown open as Mau'Cha'Kai stormed in, mud caked to his silk clothes, his expensive leather boots torn and broken. His hair was tangled and one of his pale blue eyes was encircled by a swelling bruise; he literally looked as if he'd been to hell and back. Blood had dried at the corner of his mouth, and he reeked of sweat and grime. The tavern went silent, the only sounds were of Mau'Cha'Kai's heavy breathing, and the soft dripping of dirt and water trickling off the battered man.

Very slowly and deliberately, Mau'Cha'Kai strode across the room to Mayor Darawan. The Mayor watched in disgust as a few drops of mud and sweat landed on his table. He quickly moved his tankard so none of the filth would taint his ale. He looked up, meeting the emotionless eyes set in Mau'Cha'Kai's skull. "Yes? May I... help you?"

"Your money. For the ranch." Mau'Cha'Kai pulled a satchel from inside his shirt, and handed it to the Mayor. There were only a few murmurs of suprise from the patrons 0of the bar as the Mayor counted the money. After several minutes, Darawna nodded, opened his mouth, closed it, and nodded again. "Yes," he reluctantly admitted, "it's all here."

"Thank you," Mau'Cha'Kai said, the words flat and monotone. "I'll take the deed."

Laonas leapt to his feet, the ale making him forget how very much afraid of the Dead Eyed one he was. "Hold on there, you! The ranch belongs to Wintertime, not to some outlander!" Several voices chimed in, agreeing. Mau'Cha'Kai continued to stare at the Mayor, ignoring the others in the room. He pulled a small piece of paper from out of his pocket and handed it to the Mayor. "Here... contract entitling me to the ranch, should the debt be paind and if Wintertime is incapable of accepting the deed or incapacitated. The contract should be in order. Is it not?"

"No," Mayor Darawan said, voice still a bit shaky, "It's all legal. Here, then. Thank you." Mau'Cha'Kai folded the deed to the ranch and turned toward the door. Laonas stopped him, grabbing his shoulder and turning him to face him. Mau'Cha'Kai's face was blank, totally neutral. So was his voice. "Yes, Mr. Silver Coat?"

"N-nothing. Nothing." Laonas let go, and Mau'Cha'Kai headed for the lab with some extra money he'd picked up.

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Next Chapter SPOILER: The Ranch is safe, but what about Wintertime? And is Mau'Cha'Kai really helping her, or himself? And what about Laonas? Will he and Mau'Cha'Kai clash again?

-- Justice (No_Soul@sociopath.zzn.com), August 30, 2000