Timeless Bond

Part 1.

*Writers Note* This is the original version of this work. If you want to skip ahead and read the new version, please feel free! This version was originally published on April 7th 2022

     I step into the small town of Ginwell. I could tell in a instant this place was definitely in the middle of bat shit nowhere. Every villager I passed was staring at me as if I was glowing like a pile of gold. "Guess they don't get many visitors." I mutter under my breath. "Or their whore mothers didn't teach them any manners!" I say a bit louder.

Every person staring quickly turned back to their own tasks fearfully. I caught a few stealing glances at the 6 inch dagger at my hip. I ignore them finding my way to the tavern.

   Walking in town it takes me a moment before I find it, a old building with a hanging sign. "The Frothing Horn? A bit on the nose. But it'll help." I enter through the old wooden door. The whole place seemed old but in good enough condition.

The inside of the tavern is rather busy. I catch a few looks upon my entry, most returning to their alcohol. I spot a rather fat man behind the counter of the bar cleaning glasses.

Hopefully somebody here can give me a bounty. I don't want to have made my way out here for nothing. Smells like shit and dead fish. I think to myself. I step up to the counter and slam my fist down. "Oi! Tavern keeper!" I shout at the short fat man behind the counter.

He raises an eyebrow. "We don't serve your kind here white hair. Piss off." He spits at my boots and returns to cleaning glasses for the bar.

I feel my pulse jump in anger. "Care to say that again?" I say to him through clenched teeth. I'm absolutely seething.

"I can see you were born with cheese in your ears boy so let me make it clear." He says getting right in my face. "We don't serve your kind here. Piss off 'fore I call the guards." He spits in my face which drives me beyond over the edge.

I grab him by the collar of his shirt and sling him over the bar to my side. I toss him roughly to the ground and crack my knuckles loudly. "Wrong answer fatty." I rear my right leg back and send one swift kick into his gut. The air bursting out in one big rush.

He laid gasping for breath and raised an arm to try and stop me. "Oh? You think I'm going to take pity on a little piggy like you?"

I kneel down and whisper to him. "I will cause you enough pain that the gods themselves will feel it."

I send a quick left jab straight to his mouth breaking out a tooth. I'm about to loose another when somebody shouts. "Let go of Tonpa jackass!"

I turn towards the voice of a tall burly man. He tugs a cheese knife out of the table and grips the handle tight ready for a fight. I laugh at him. "You think you can take me on with a blade as dull as that?"

I stand facing him. "Seems like more than enough to handle a little twig like you. I should feel bad for you. You don't even have a weap..on..." He hesitates as I ignore him and take a small throwing knife off of my belt.

He's about to say something when I throw it into his foot where it sticks. He screams out in a high pitched screech! "Oh I'm sorrryyy." I taunt. "Did that hurt the big baaaaby?"

He growls at me and reaches down to pull the knife free. I spot my opening and lunge at him throwing all my weight into my left knee driving it into his face. I can feel his nose crunch on my knee, or maybe it was his jaw. He then falls with a large thud shaking the cups on the table. He was unconscious. Still bleeding from his foot. I take my knife back from his hand wiping the blood off on his pants before sheathing it again.

"Now then. Back to the matter at hand." I turn back to the barkeep who had tried to crawl away to the cellar to hide. "And where do you think you are going?" I grab him by his foot causing him to yelp as I drag him out.

"All I wanted was to ask a question. This bloodshed could have been avoided." He stares at me with fear in his eyes. I swiftly draw out my dagger and hold it to his throat. "I'm going to ask this once. And only once. If you don't answer you won't sell so much as a mug of ale ever again. Understand?"

He quickly nods. "Good. Now, where can I go to find any sort of bounty board. Maybe a guild hall of any kind?"

  "I-if you take a right out of here then h-head to the pier, there is a large building that has what you are looking for." He stutters out fearfully.

   I smile and sheath my dagger. "Now was that so hard?" I stand and turn to leave. I pinch a copper coin out of my pouch and flick it over to the terrified man.

   I can feel all eyes on me as I exit the tavern. Great way to make first impressions Killua. I think rubbing the back of my head. At least I got what I wanted.

  I turn right and make my way down the cobblestone path to the pier. I look around the town. It's quiet and small. The kind of place that everyone seems to know each other. Nothing notable about the place at all. A couple of small shops. A black smith at the center of it all. I turn a corner and spot two things of interest.

   The first being the pier with the building I assume to be the guild hall. The second being a small island in the water that holds a castle like structure.

   A place this far out with a castle? What in the name of the five gods is it doing out here? I ponder. I shrug it off for now and make my way to the building on the pier.

   I open the door to see people talking and chatting at several tables. Some with armor and weapons, others only in simple clothing. A bar maid walks up to me with a smile on her face. She's about a head shorter than me. Short brown hair that comes just below her ears. Her eyes a distractingly pretty emerald green. "Hi! I haven't seen you here before. My name is Livian. Just call me Liv. Welcome to the Ginwell Hunters Guild!"

   I look around the old rickety building. "Place seems like its on its last legs don't ya think?" I ask. "I'll admit she needs some work done but she serves us well." Liv answers.

    "I don't believe I caught your name sir?" She asks cheerily.

"Killua. Killua Zoldyck."

   With that her face drops. Replaced with what seems to be a look of fear. "Y-you? You're the Sapphire Assassin?"

   With that one sentence all sound in the building ceases. All eyes on me again. That's really starting to piss me off. "Yes? What of it?"

   "We...we never thought we would see such a high ranking mercenary walk into our guild hall..." her tone hints at both fear and awe.

   "Please sit! I will have someone fetch the best quests on our board for you!" She scurries off hurriedly. Noise resumed in the hall but quieter and more tense as whispers were thrown about.

    With every passing moment I regret coming out here. Guess this is what choosing this life gets ya.

(Authors Comments) Welcome to Ginwell! I teased this story a while back. In tilted axis I think but anyway, with having finished DbF this is my next story. As usual TA will take time because of research reasons. This one might be faster with updates we will see. This story is all from the perspective of our favorite white hair Killua. I hope you will enjoy!