AN: This fic is along the lines of a romp, originally a side project for when I want to relax and write some fun fight scenes. But boy did I choose the wrong setting for this, ASOIF is crazy complex, far too much research needed to just write a few simple chapters. So this is probably not something I will update often or even regularly. Oh don't own and not beta read.
Moonlight light sparkled in the water as ocean waves broke on a stony shore. Three figures emerge from the rocky edge of the island. In the lead, a heavy set man with a solemn face, his strange foreign tunic stained and soiled, the cuff of his trousers torn and frayed. He stood, tall, confident, and showing no discomfort climbed barefooted upon the jagged rocks. Quickly eyes survey the beach, then turning to face the two smaller figures struggle ashore behind him.
"Ranma, Ryoga! Hurry up. It's going to be dawn soon we need to get off this beach." Following him out of the ocean is a young man with braided black hair and striking blue eyes. Identically dressed as the older man, the blue eyed youth stretches lazily as he clears the water.
"You're the only guy that can lead us from a cave into the ocean, Ryoga." A large heavy pack rises out of the ocean, lifted by Ryoga as he leaves the ocean.
"How the hell was I supposed to know that river in the cave goes straight to the ocean?!" Clad in a dark brown tunic and black trouser tightly bound up the knee, Ryoga effortlessly lifts his pack onto a nearby boat. The wooden boat creaks and groaned against the heavy sack.
"What's with all these boats?" Ryoga glances around. "There are at least a dozen of them."
Ranma looks over the closest ship. Covered in worn wood with faded markings, the ships are thin and long with what appears to be serpent heads at each end. Packs of supplies line the hull, weapons clearly visible.
"Maybe they're getting ready to fish." Ranma shrugs.
"Who fishes with swords and shields?" Ryoga counters.
"Martial arts fishing! Obviously!" Ranma retorts.
"Oh yeah, that makes sense." Ryoga's looks about the ship and its weapon and nods. His thoughts were interrupted by the older man.
"Quiet boys." He hissed still looking off in the distance "Something is off, don't you feel it?" The two younger men look around a moment.
"Feel what pops?" the young man with braided hair asks.
"Ranma how can you shame your father so?" Trembling the older man dramatically raises his fist towards the sky and wails. "After all these years of..."
He suddenly stops and looks beyond the beach. A dozen large men approach. Clad in a patchwork of chains and leather, each warrior is topped with a horned metal cap. Every one of them holds a worn shield with either a polished sword or an axe hung to their side. Several of the men carried torches and comes to a startled stop. They grin viciously after they apprised Genma and the two boys. Slowly they spread out as they approach.
"How did they get so close without us..." Ranma begins, but the older man silences him with a glance. "Not now boy."
As the warriors close into a semi circle, the two boys turn their attention them, with a look of curiosity rather than fear.
"Hey! Hey! Ryoga! They look like Vikings!" Ranma exclaimed. "Vikings like to fight!"
"Yeah, but they don't look very tough though." Disappointment obvious in Ryoga's voice.
The largest of the men approach with his axe drawn and his shield raised. The man comes to a stop a few steps away from Genma. Towering over Genma when and arrogant sneer and bellows something in a foreign tongue. "I am Urras, I am ironborn! You dare to trespass upon our shores. "
"I am Genma Saotome Master of Musabetsu Kakuto Saotome Ryu. We were shipwrecked at sea, we mean you no harm." Genma replies in a loosened up fighting stance. Ranma was surprised at foreign words coming from his father.
"What they say?" Ranma glances at Ryoga standing beside him.
"Something about iron babies... I think, oh and your dad was introducing himself." Ryoga remarks scratching his chin.
"Really? Iron babies?" Ranma gave Ryoga his full attention and a skeptical look.
"My... um... travels took me to Europe a few times, but I can only pick out a few words," Ryoga replies sheepishly.
Before Ranma can ask more questions, Urras walks into the semi circle and bangs on his shield before loudly declaring, "I will kill you and take your children as thralls! That's the penalty for your trespass."
"I don't need ta speak no European to know what that means!" Ranma steps forward smirking.
"No" Genma rebuke sternly.
"What?! I can take him Pops!" Anger flashes across Ranma's face.
"I didn't train you for this Ranma." Genma continued.
"Didn't train me for a dual?! Are you kidding?" Ranma was almost livid.
"I didn't train you to kill," Genma replied. Both boys tensed at his words. After a moment Ranma relents.
"Feh, ya just want to have all the fun," Ranma grumbles.
Genma strode off the rocky beach and into the clear and semi circle of warriors. Soon as Genma stepped into the clearing, Ranma saw it. Urras's shoulder tensed, his arms flexed and his right foot shifted. Unconsciously Ranma's sense expands and his mind kicks into overdrive. Already predicting the fight move by move. As the fight arrives at a conclusion in his mind, Ranma smiles.
Urras raises his shield to his chest and hefts his axe. Genma moves forward in a burst of speed. Urras attempts to keep Genma away with a shield swipe, but it was too late. The swipe arcs over Genma's head as his ducks and swerves left. A loud SNAP is heard when Genma's leg connects against Urras right hip. Urras's massive frame staggers back, his leg jerking upwards as his footing slips on the soft sand.
Surprised, Urras attempts a desperate slash to his right only to find Genma's has a firm grip on his elbow. At the same time, Genma stomps down hard against Urras right knee. A sickening crunch is followed by a howl of pain. Ranma's smile falters, at the viciousness of his father's attack.
"Pops not dueling him" A chill spread down Ranma's back.
"No his gonna kill him," Ryoga replied equally shocked by the sight.
Raising his right arm Genma snaps Urras arm at the elbow. Relieving Urras of his axe, Genma reverses his step and sweeps his leg back while he execute a palm strike at the base of Urras's chin. As Urras's lands on his back, Genma splits Urras skull with his own axe.
All blood drained from the two youth's face, as they see dark liquid stains the sand around Urras. There was a moment of silence, the semi circle warriors just stood there in shock. From the dawning light Ranma saw a much large gathering of warriors than he expected. Realizing many of warriors from the island just saw his father completely dismantle and kill one of their own. Ranma steeled himself for battle and besides him, he saw Ryoga prepare for the worst as well. Then all at once the semi circle of warriors banged on their shields and yelled as loudly as they can.
"Did that just happen?" Ryoga leans towards Ranma and whispers over the cheering. Ranma could not reply, not sure if he meant the cheering or the killing.
The warriors opened up ranks, and a gaunt looking man appeared, flanked by four hulking guards. They wore similar armor as the rest but the difference in quality is noticeable. He approached and frowns at the scene.
"I am Lord Gylbet Farwynd of Lonely Light." He looks over at the prone figure of Urras and back at Genma with suspicion in his eyes." Why have you come to the Iron Isles?"
"I am Genma Saotome. As I have explained before, we are travelers. I am taking my son and my ward on a journey to make them into warriors. We are ship wrecked here, and I hope you would let us rest here briefly before we set out for the mainland." Genma's voice calm and confident. From the tone, you would not think he just viciously and painfully killed a giant axe wielding foreigner, in a duel to the death.
A hooded man with a lean face and a full beard appears from the lines of warriors. He approaches Gylbert and whispers in his ear. Gylbert glances between Genma and the two boys.
"You are fortunate Genma of House Saotome, if this was another time, I would have you killed on the spot and your boys taken as thralls." His guard grips their swords, but Gylbert waves them off.
"I can't spare the men to kill you, and you have two boys to look after." Gylbert continues his eyes still glancing between Genma and the boys. "If you agree to fight for me, then I will pardon your trespass and the slaying of a captain of mine. Your service shall be required for no more than one year. During that time your boys may foster with me. And of course, you must train my men."
Genma folds his arms looking as stoic as ever. Ranma is sure that he is going to decline the offer. Gylbert seems to realize the same thing and quickly adds some incentives.
"You will be well rewarded of course from the spoils." Gylberts eyes held a calculating gleam. Genma's eyes lit up at the word 'spoils'.
"What exactly is my share of the spoils?" Genma questioned.
"Whatever you can take of course... Do we have terms?" Gylbert's face twisted into a wolfish grin. Genma nodded once. The two man approached each other and clasped arms to the cheering of the crowd.
"MY LORD!" the hooded man shouts in alarms "You cannot simply accept any ship wreck fool into your service! They could be spies from the Iron Throne."
"And why would the spies of Iron Throne come here to our poor island as opposed to, say Pyke or Great Wyke ?" Gylbert gave him an annoyed look. He sweeps his arm towards Genma and his boys.
"Have you ever heard of their accents?" Gylbert continues with a scowl. "They don't sound like they're from Westeros or even Essos. Besides I need warriors, the stronger the better. No matter where they're from."
Gylbert looks at the robed man expectantly. When nothing else is said he addresses Genma again.
"Then its settled. Please allow me to extend my welcome to you." Gylbert said smiling and announcing his decision to everyone present.
"We ironborn are renowned warriors! I'm sure you son and ward can learn much from us." He declares to even louder howling and cheering.
"Gelmarr! Show these men to Urras home." A skinny man in rags rushes up and all but kneels in front of Gylbert.
"Consider Urras's possession your first payment. And my master-at-arms shall expect you first thing in the morning." Gylbert says as Gelmarr leads Genma the boys off the beach.
"Pops? Umm... did ya hafta fight that guy like that?" Ranma finally manages to speak up.
"Not now boy," Genma replies without even a backwards glance. Then he stops and looks back at Ranma, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll talk later okay?"
"Okay Pops..." Ranma hesitantly agrees. Genma sailed with Lord Gylbert later that morning.
Both boys stood in front of their hut, in a deep horse stance with iron weights strapped to their body. Genma has been gone for weeks, leaving only instruction to do the very basics of marital. A sheen of sweat covering their toned bodies. With a set rhythm, they both execute a combo of kicks and punches on the training dummies around them, then returning to their original positions. Several young women from the nearby keep gathered nearby, their eyes following the boys in their dance.
"AARRGH!" Ryoga screams. "Why are we back to the basics after all these years?!"
"Well at least these are heavier weights, and the dummies are iron plated now." Ranma offered, tapping a dummy nearby. "Plus don't you feel something is off?"
"Now that you mention it, I do feel more sluggish since we got here." Ryoga stretches after finishing his last set of combos.
"Right? It's like I'm using ki just standing around." Ranma hands a towel to Ryoga. "Pops could be using these basic training to help us deal with the extra ki drain."
"Sometimes I forget that your dad is actually a pretty good martial arts teacher, Ranma," Ryoga said smirking.
Seeing the end of their practice, several of the waiting village girls approach the duo shyly. "Afternoon Ranma, Ryoga, would you two like to join us for dinner?" the oldest among them asked.
"Dinner?! yeah!" Ranma's eye quickly lights up at the mention of food. Suddenly his arm blurs, snatching a bound of fishing net out of the air. Ranma turns to face a scowling Ryoga.
"What the hell?!" Ranma shouted shaking the net in his fist.
"We have to fish, so we can make more rations." Ryoga calmly replied. "And we have night training."
The girls look back and forth between Ranma and Ryoga in confusion.
"Ryoga..." Ranma's voice turns deadly serious. Under Ranma's cold gaze Ryoga take a step back, only to see Ranma dashes toward the ocean yelling, "Last one there is a rotten egg!"
"Ranma you cheater!" Ryoga dashes after Ranma, leaving behind the group of disappointed girls.
Sun had already set when the two boys returned from the sea. Each of them dragged a net full of a variety of fish behind them. A tired woman sat on the porch of their hut. She has her long blond hair in a simple braid and wore a plain dress cover in patches. Beside her sat a large iron pot.
"Yo! Mellara!" Ranma shouted in a heavily accented voice.
Approaching the hut he lifted the large sacks of fish above his head "Look, got fish!" Beside him, Ryoga mimicked his action with a wide smile. Mellara smiles at the boy's enthusiasm. She fills two wooden bowls with fish stew and breaks apart several large loafs of bread. After the boys inhale their dinner. Ryoga left to grab salt from their evaporation pond. While Ranma and Mellara prepared the fishes for preservation. Together the three of them chopped, sliced, and pressed fish late into the night.
Ranma spotted Genma early next morning sitting on the porch of their hut as if he never left. Stealthily ran approached him from behind, creeping close, before snapping a sharp roundhouse toward Genma's head.
"You still have years to go before you can hit me with such a sloppy kick boy!" Ranma shakes his head as he found himself staring at the grinning face of his old man. Swinging his legs Ranma flip back into a down defensive stance and smirked in anticipation.
"Not right now." Genma waved him off. "Get Ryoga and start packing, we are sailing soon."
"Oh," Ranma stood surprised. He glances nervously back toward the hut at Mellara, who has just begun cooking breakfast.
"Come on, go get Ryoga and start packing!" Genma urged. After seen Ranma continues to hesitate he added, "All of us are leaving."
Ranma's face lit up as he dashes off. Genma's gaze followed Ranma for a brief moment before walking into the hut.
AN: Pyke is next, while I have an outline this is not high on my list of fic priorities.
