"Come on!  Keep up."  Kenshin yells behind him. 

                "Kenshin, aren't you forgetting something?"  Iris asks him.

                "Am I?"  Kenshin asks.

                "You forgot to cast a disguise spell over Kasin and Chibi."  Gabriel reminds him.

                "So I did."  Kenshin says.  He puts his hands on the wolves and casts the spell.  The appears of the wolves changes.  They now appear to be Huskies.

                "All right let's go."  Sen says.

                "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but," Gabriel begins.  "We're running a little on money."

                "How low?"  Iris asks.

                "We've got enough to eat, then we're broke."  Gabriel says as he holds out a few copper and silver pieces.

                "It looks like we'll have to find some work."  Sen says.

                "All right."  Kenshin thinks for a second then continues.  "After eating let's split up and find work in our own special fields.  Then we'll meet up where ever we end up eating at around 7.  Is that all right?"  He asks.  They all agree and head off to eat.  After eating they do split up and try to find work.  They leave their horses in front of their meeting place with the wolves there as guards.

                Iris finds work at a small farm outside the village.  "After you finish milking the cows, the pigs need to be fed."  An old hick farmer tells her.

                "All right."  She says.  She continues milking the cows.  "Damn it."  She thinks.  "I'm not used to milking cows.  I only worked in the fields."  She gets lost in thought and pulls on one of the cows too hard.  It retaliates by kicking her across the barn.  "Dammit."  She says as she gets up.  "I have to be careful."  She tells herself.  She settles back to the task at hand.  "After all money is money."  She tells herself.

                Gabriel stayed in the town to find work.  He lied to a bar owner and got a job pouring drinks.  He told the owner that he had experience with that kind of work, but in truth he had no idea what he was doing.  After a few screw ups and broken glasses the owner was about to fire him.  That was until Gabriel quickly dealt with an unruley customer.  The owner quickly saw potential and made him a bodyguard/bouncer.

                Kenshin didn't look for work.  Instead he did the only thing he could think of.  He got his guitar out, sat down in a populated area, and played.  Every once and a while a passer-by would throw him a copper piece, but he didn't make much.  He was just sitting on the edge of a fountain playing when Sen reappeared.  He sat down next to Kenshin and listened to him play for a few minutes before finally speaking.  "So, how are you making out?"  He asks.

                Kenshin stops playing.  "Sorry, I didn't notice that you had sat down."  He looks down at the small pile of money.  "It doesn't look Iike I'm doing that good."  He says.

                "Well, I've just found out something interesting."

                "Something...interesting?"  Kenshin asks.  "What do you mean?"

                "Well let's just say we can kill two birds with one stone.  Come on."  He says as he gets up.  Kenshin follows after a second.  Sen leads him to a run down part of town.  The buildings are old and some look as though they will collapse at any moment. 

                "Sensai, what are we doing here?"  Kenshin asks.

                "Trust me."  He says.  They continue on until they simply run out of room.  When they reach the wall Sen turns into a large run down old warehouse.  "In here?"  Kenshin asks.

                "Yeah.  This used to be a warehouse for a trading organization.  But now," Sen says as he opens the door.  Inside there is a makeshift barrick, armor, everything one would need for a war.  "It's the base for those for are angry at the current government."  Sen leads Kenshin to a group of men standing around a table.  "Here he is."  Sen tells the men.

                "This kid?"  One of the asks.  "He doesn't look that powerful."

                "He was a student of the great sorcerer Daniel."  Sen says.  "And he defeated a bunch of Black Knights a few days ago, single handedly."  The men in the room go silent.

                "Excuse me."  Kenshin says.  "Will you please tell me what is going on?"

                "Not long ago some Black Knights appeared in the village.  They said that they had orders from the King, and everything they would do was under his orders.  They began to heavily tax civilians and businesses.  The village's economic situation has detiriated rapidly.  Most of the people here have been affected by these taxes.  They have either lost their jobs and/or their businesses.  But the Black Knights are terrible.  They are abusing their positions and are abusing the people of this town."

                "Just like they did back in that other town."  Kenshin says.

                "We would like for you to take them out."

                "They will of course pay you."  Sen says.

                Kenshin thinks for a second.  "I don't want any money."  He says.

                "What do you mean?"  One of the men asks.

                "If your situation is really that bad then you can't afford to pay me."  He says.

                "Don't worry about that."  One of the men says.  "We have the backing of some major businessmen in the village.  Plus the Black Knights have taken some money and valuables from the town.  After you take out the Black Knights we can pay you with some of the stuff they took."

                Kenshin again thinks.  "We do need the money."  Sen says.  "If we're going to get to the Frozen Deaths we going to have to stay in a bunch inns."

                "Fine.  I'll do it."  The men around him begin to celebrate.  "But,"  Kenshin yells out.  Everyone goes quiet.  "I do it my way."  He says as he gets up and begins to leave.

                "Hey!  Do you want someone to show you where they are?"  One of the men asks.

                "No.  I know where they are."  He says as he leaves.

                "Wait up."  Sen says as he runs outside.

                They walk away from the building.  Kenshin stops a few feet from the building and concentrates.  He tries to focus in on the Black Knights, but their armor is still covering the auras.  So he increases his concentration until he can sense everyone in a four mile radius.  He then focuses in on a dead area.  "There they are."  He says.

                "Where?"  Sen asks.

                "They're about a mile to the west of here near the bottom of the mountains."  He says as he floats into the air.  "Are you coming?"  He asks.

                "I guess."  Sen says as he joins Kenshin in the air.

                "Please sensai, let me fight them alone."  Kenshin says.

                "I figured you'd say something like that."  Sen says.  "I know you want to get stronger, and you don't think you're anywhere near Argo.  So I'll stay back."

                "Thank you."  Kenshin says.

                "But do me a favor."

                "What's that?"  Kenshin asks.

                "Don't hold back."  Sen says.  "You held back when you fought those Black Knights a couple of days ago.  Remember what I taught you, show no mercy to your enemies."

                "I know.  But...But you know about me.  About my race."

                "I know.  But you can't redeem your entire race with a few good deeds.  And even the greatest race wouldn't let their enemies live.  Sometimes killing is inevitable."  Sen says.  Kenshin hangs his head low.  "Come on!"  Sen says.  "You need to cheer up."

                "I guess so."  Kenshin says as they fly off towards the area where Kenshin sensed the Black Knights.

                Hours later Gabriel and Iris have just arrived outside the place where they ate earlier.  "So how did you make out?"  Gabriel asks.

                "Not too good."  Iris says as she holds out five copper pieces.  "I got a job at a farm.  But I pulled too hard on a few of the cows and hurt them.  Plus I broke a few eggs.  How about you?"

                "I made out all right, I guess."  He says as he holds out ten silver pieces.  "I got a job at bar.  But I broke a few glasses."

                "Ten silver pieces can pay for a desent inn."  Iris says.

                "Yeah.  And your five copper pieces can buy some food.  So we didn't do too bad."

                Iris looks around.  "Where are Kenshin, Sen, and the wolves?"  She asks Gabriel.

                "I haven't seen them."  Gabriel says.

                "How about you two?"  Iris asks the wolves.  They bark and make a few others sounds.

                "Have they seen them?"  Gabriel asks.

                "No.  They said that Kenshin took his guitar with him when we went to find work, but they haven't seen them since."  Iris interprets.

                "I didn't even know he could play."

                "He's actually pretty good."  Iris stops talking and looks down the street.  "There they are."  She says with a smile.  Gabriel looks and sure enough Kenshin and Sen are walking towards the two of them.  Kenshin is carrying his guitar, and Sen is carrying a rather large bag.

                "Hey!"  Kenshin says as he walks towards Iris and Gabriel.  He walks to his horse and puts his guitar up.

                "How did you two make out?"  Sen asks.

                "Five copper pieces."  Iris says.

                "Ten silver pieces."  Gabriel says.  "How about you too?"

                "Let's see."  Kenshin puts his hands in his pocket and pulls out, "Two copper pieces."

                Iris laughs.  "That's it?  What did you do, sit and play your guitar all day?"

                "No.  I played for maybe an hour."  He says.

                "What did you do for the other nine hours?"  Iris asks.

                "That's a secret."  Kenshin says with a wink.  "How much did we end up making sensai?"  Kenshin asks.

                "Let's see."  Sen says as he rumages through the bag.  "We've got about 50 gold pieces, 175 silver pieces, 300 copper pieces, a few precious stones, and a few nice looking knives.  I think we could sell the stones for 25 gold pieces each, or more, and we could probably sell the knives for," He thinks for a second.  "Actually the price would depend on whether or not we could find a collector."

                Iris and Gabriel are shocked, to say the least.  They are standing with their mouths wide open and look total doubtfounded.  "How did you two make all that money?"  Gabriel asks.

                "You didn't rob a bank did you?"  Iris asks.

                "Of course not!"  Kenshin yells.  "We could have gotten even more money if we would have robbed a bank.  But like I said, the how is unimportant.  Let's eat.  I'm hungry."  He says as he rubs his stomach.  They all enter the restaurant and eat.  Afterwards they begin to walk to an inn.

                But they are stopped by one of the men from the old warehouse.  "You two did a great job!"  He says to Kenshin and Sen.  He hugs them and shakes their hands.  "Where are you headed next?"  He asks.

                "We'll keep going north."  Kenshin says.  "We're headed to the Frozen Deaths."

                "The Frozen Deaths?"  The man asks in shock.  "I don't know what business you could have there.  But," He pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Sen.  "These are instructions.  There are others in other villages that will pay you the same to do the same job.  Please help them."

                "Don't worry."  Sen says.

                "We'll do what we can."  Kenshin says.

                "Again I thank you."  He says with a bow.  Kenshin and Sen return his bow.  He runs off in a big hurry.

                "What was that about?"  Iris asks.

                "What job did you two do?"  Gabriel asks.

                "We'll tell you tomorrow."  Kenshin says with a yawn.  They head to an inn.  After a few hours Kenshin opens his window and flies off.  He keeps his speed and ki low so that the others can't sense him.  "I think I'm far enough now."  He thinks.  He powers up some as his gray aura flares up around him.  He speeds off.  After he has flown about 20 miles he stops and lands.  "This should be good enough."  He looks around.  There is nothing around him.  He is in an open field with some high grass.  The closest house is about four miles away.  He places his sunglasses about thirty feet from him.  "Let's see how strong I've gotten."  Kenshin says to himself.  He gets in a ready position, then unleases his ki.  His gray aura reappears around him as he powers up.  The ground around him cracks and his uprooted.  It takes Kenshin about 30 seconds to completely power up.  Normally he could do it almost instantaniously, but this time he wanted to make sure that he got to his maximum.  After reaching his maximum Kenshin stopped.  He retreaved his sunglasses and sat down on the crator he created.  He put his sunglasses back on and put them into scouter mode.  "Let's see."  He says.  "Power level 25,000."  He says with a hint of disappointment in his voice.  "Dammit!"  He says outloud.  "That's it!"  He screams out.  "No more screwing around!  I have to get stronger!  I'm still no where near Argo!  I have to use every ounze of ki, magic, and time."  He calms down and thinks for a second.  "Computer, go to voice mode."  He says.  The pointer disappears from the computer.  "Find the spell for Split Form."  He says.  Kenshin's gray aura flares up as he heads back to the inn.  All the way to the inn he is watching the image of Daniel explain the spell of Split Form.  "Split Form is a spell that can make one person two."  Kenshin thinks.  "If I can master that spell I can fight someone equal to me.  Then I can get even stronger."  He thinks as a smile appears on his face.