Salty and Cara – Purple Peak 4

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Love and crime in a world of fruits and vegetables – A delicious fable (Third Story – Fourth Episode): The mixed trio is after Gio and his companions. Very high up and in a pretty draughty place.

What is this all about? [Overview and Table of Contents]

When the Winds Rise

The High Leader had ordered an elite group of fighters to accompany them in the morning. But Hanano did not want to wait, so they left at nightfall.

“My informant was very specific about the time factor. I do not want to let this little crook get away again.”

‘Well, little is not exactly how I would describe Gio’, Salty thought as he remembered the large hooded figure that made his escape from the warehouse in New Valley. But he agreed with Hanano that there was no time to waste when it came to ending this dangerous situation.

They had been hurrying up a steep slope for some time, the cucumber wondering again how the old banana was so quick and agile in his movements, when they finally caught sight of a small group ahead of them. Hanano took a short break to regain his focus. Then he motioned for them to stay hidden behind a ledge while he ventured further up to the campsite of Gio and his companions.

Salty looked at Jo, who sat down as comfortably as possible next to him on the ground, and started to inspect the nutrients they had brought.

“There are about nine or ten fighters to one. Aren’t you going to help him? I thought you were a fighting specialist!”

“Well, actually the ratio is eight to one. I doubt that Gio himself will enter the fight. He does not bring all the enforcements to play the hero. Just not that kind.”

“But…”

“Okay, if it makes you feel better, I’ll ask Hanano if he prefers to be assisted in this little tete-a-tete.” And he turned towards the combat area up the path that was just about to be transformed into a battle scene: “Master, would you like me to assist you?”

“Are you kidding? No way are you going to take any of the fun away from me here. Besides, I need to practice once in a while.”

“Why did you call him ‘Master’?” wondered Salty.

“Because he taught me everything I know. He trained me. As my former superior in Her Majesty’s Secret Service, that was one of his duties.”

“He is back in the service now. Doesn’t that mean he is your superior again and you have to help him as part of your job?”

“No, I am retired. The only reason I am on this mission is out of loyalty to an old friend. I am also returning one of the countless favors I owe him. Not to mention the many times he saved my life.”

“But they are heavily armed. Won’t they use their swirlers on him?”

“Well, if they did, what good would it do if I got shot too? That’s what Hanano would say when he had to make a difficult choice in a no-win situation. He also asked me to make sure that you get back home safely if anything goes wrong.”

“So you are here to protect me, not him?”

“Exactly. Besides, these are members of an elite fighting force with a very high standard of ethics. Drawing an automated weapon in hand-to-hand combat against a single opponent … that is an impossible scenario in their world of honor.”

Hanano was just warming up. He jumped around and avoided single blows. Most of the fighters had not even entered the fight yet. They stood aside, obviously very sure about the outcome of the match.

“Really? That’s all you got? Come on! Give me something to work with. I’m straining my ankle just jumping up and down like a toy.”

Then he yelled something at the other fighters in the same language Salty had heard up in the mountains when they were rescued from the ambush. Immediately, the faces of the bystanders changed. Now they all approached the banana from different sides, grim faces documenting their determination to end this one way or another.

Hanano smiled, then reached back and pulled out a long object that shimmered and glowed in the late evening light.

“Finally,” Jo commented the move, “now watch closely. There are very rare occasions when you get to see what’s about to happen.”

It started with a small whistling sound, like a wind coming up and blowing through a whole in the wall. Then it increased to an almost symphonic sound as the long crystal blades accelerated into more and more elaborate patterns. Then a ball of light closed around Hanano, and the sound rose to a thunderous roar. The elite fighters stared in disbelief at the water-like phenomenon flowing around the banana, growing larger by the second.

“Let’s take cover,” Jo suggested with an urgent undertone, and they both crawled into a closed niche in the mountain range where they could still see, but a thick slab of stone would protect them from any brute force or flying objects.

Hanano shouted something at the top of his voice to be heard over the devastating growl of the round shield he was now effortlessly wielding with one hand as he pulled a second object from behind him and set it into a different pattern of movement.

“It can’t be! This technique has hardly been performed for ages!” one of the fighters uttered in awe, “No one knows how to work the Ball of Sighs anymore. There are practically no Vegetarian Masters left.”

“Well, you better believe there still is one,” Jo muttered.

And then something happened that took Salty completely by surprise. The fighters bowed, turned and left.

Gio started to scream: “Hey, you can’t leave! You promised to help me out of this! It’s just a glittering orb. You can still use the swirlers.”

And he took his swirler and pointed it at a Hanano, ready to fire.

One of the fighters turned around and said in a calm voice, “I would not do that if I were you. You will create a storm of stones and metal that will tear you to pieces. This is a sonic weapon. Also, if you had told us that you were going to fight a Vegetarian Master, we would have refused to go with you. The fact that he is involved means that his cause is just. And it also means that you have not told us the whole story. Then he followed his comrades.

“Drop the swirler! Then take off your coat and turn it inside out so I can see all the contents.”

This was an order from Jo now. In one smooth movement, he made his way over to Gio and stood behind him. The tall eggplant was completely stunned by the surprise and complied.

The thunder turned into a symphony and then into the howling of the wind until it faded into the gentle murmur of a spring breeze.

“‘Now that was refreshing,” Hanano grinned.

It only took Gio a moment to adjust to the new situation. Now, he negotiated.

“I’m sure we can work something out here. You know what my people will do to me if they got me. And I could still be of use to you if …”.

“Down!”, Jo shouted and even Hanano followed the command.

It had only been a small swishing sound from an opening in the stone walls behind them. Then came another series of swishes. The first one had cut Gio’s speech short, the rest had made sure that he would never recover to continue his talkativeness. He was dead.

“That’s another way to end it,” Hanano commented the scene as he finally got up some time after the swirlers had ceased flying. “I guess we’d better be heading back.”

“But he is back in the service now. Doesn’t that mean he is your superior again and you have to help him as part of your job?”

“No, I am retired now. The only reason I am on this mission is out of loyalty to an old friend. Besides, I am returning one of the many favors I owe him. Not to mention the many times he saved my life.”

Side Notes:

Needless to say, the stories about Salty and Cara are pure figments of my imagination. No resemblance to any person or place – present or past – is intended. But I am sure you have already figured that out 😉