A very injured man in tattered robe was struggling to walk along the pathway that would eventually lead to the Kerajaan Syurga's Castle, the bastion of the proud Blessbringer Clan. Blessbringer Clan. A proud clan whose name was whispered throughout the world because of the clan's powerful magic users. They were so dominant that no nations dare to challenge or try to subjugate them. It was said that the clan's beginning magic user would be enough to defeat an army of five thousands warriors. Despite having the power to control and change the world, the clan maintained its neutrality; instead preferring to devote its resources towards researching the secrets of the arcane. Indeed, to belong to the Blessbringer would mean being one of the most elite and the most talented magic users in the world.
But it was not with pride the man was struggling through the track; and neither with dignity nor with strength. Rather, it was with shame and fear that the man hobbled along the seemingly impossible tasks. However, despite that he continued on, as he had to warn of them of the impending threat. Ignoring the sharp pain at his side and the sensation of his life oozing out from that area, he focused on what he had witnessed an hour before.
The Blessbringer Council has received a report of a commotion taking place at Parit Lama, a small village that was under the clan's protection. Thinking that it was some brigands harassing the villagers, the Elders sent a party of five sorcerers including him, to investigate the matter. They were not very far away from the village when they found a cloaked stranger obstructing their way. It turned out that the report about the unrest at the village was a ruse to get the Blessbringer to send their men to the place.
At first, five very experienced Blessbringer sorcerers against a single stranger seemed unfair. Unfortunately, it was, due to the stranger's strength and power. The stranger quickly moved in front of the group's leader and crushed the leader's jaw while the later was in midst of an incantation. Quickly understanding that the enemy was trying to prevent anyone from casting a high level spell, the five sorcerers quickly regroup and revised their strategy. Three of them cast spells that didn't need any incantation to buy some time for the other two to casts their high level spells. But it didn't go as planned. Even though they managed to distract the cloaked figure enough for the two spells to be cast, their enemy did something really unexpected.
It copied the two high level spells cast without needing to read the incantations.
After defeating their spells, the stranger brought out a Japanese style sword with a dark red blade and quickly attacked all of them. In less than few seconds, the rest of his companion were killed while he suffered a very heavy injury. Thinking that it had killed all of them, the stranger merely shrugged and left the place. Only after waiting a few minutes did he got up to return to the Kerajaan Syurga's Castle.
The injured sorcerer felt shiver course through his vein at the thought of the stranger's power. If a creature with such power attack, there would be no telling what would happen to the Clan. Even as he thought about the stranger's prowess, the sorcerer found his thought straying to the stranger's katana-like sword. Somehow, he felt as if he had seen the sword earlier, but where? While thinking about it, he had finally arrived at a small hill. He muttered an incantation and Kerajaan Syurga slowly appeared into view not very far from the spot, bathed in its splendour. The sorcerer took a few steps toward the Castle.
Then he feel down as his feet gave way and he fell face fist into the cold hard ground. The fall tore open his injury even further. He tried to get up but found himself without energy to do so. Even so, he managed to crawl a few more steps toward the hill slope. In his slow labored breathing, the sorcerer came to a conclusion that he was dying. Despair filled him as he still had to warn the Blessbringer Clan.
"Are you okay, sir?" a female voice asked from behind him.
The sorcerer tried to turn his body to look at the newcomer but was unsuccessful. After trying again, he finally felt his body slowly turning in the face-up position. It was then he saw a girl with a pair of hazelnut eyes kneeling by his side, looking at him with pity. He tried to tell the girl to warn his clan, but his words came out as weak croaks. Undaunted as his hope of informing the clan has come with the arrival of the girl, he used his hand to point toward the castle.
The girl looked at the castle and then back at his battered body. "You want me to carry you there?"
He weakly shook his head and formed the word 'tell' using his lips.
The girl nodded, as if understanding what he meant and said, "You want me to tell the people in the castle about what happened to you"
Happy that she has gotten the message, the sorcerer nodded again.
"Very well. I will relay the news to them," she said as she got up.
Despite having his eyesight becoming fuzzy from the loss of blood, the sorcerer maintained his gaze on her.
"By the way, sir?" the woman said as she turned toward the castle. "Wouldn't it be better if I just warned them about your murderer is coming to attack them?"
"That would be better" the sorcerer thought as he looked at the girl moving toward the castle. Then a thought struck him. "Wait. How did she knew?" As if knowing the unasked question, the girl turned toward him and raised her right hand at her shoulder level, palm facing down. A whirlpool of light began to appear under the palm. To his horror, when the whirlpool of light disappeared, he was looking at the blade that killed his companion in the girl's hand. "Couldn't be…" he wailed in his mind.
The girl nodded, a soft smile on her lips. "Thanks to you, I've finally located the Clan's hideout. So, a token of my gratitude, I'll tell them that it was you who revealed to me this place's location"
"NO!" the sorcerer wailed in his mind before unconsciousness claimed him.
"Don't worry," the girl said cheerily, "you would have plenty opportunities to grovel for their forgiveness. I'm planning to send them after you"
Three hours later, amidst the burning castle, the girl looked around her surrounding, pleased with her work. She walked along a desolated road, unaffected by the smell of the burning flesh and stench of the blood she had spilled. She finally stopped in front of the only building that was still standing. The heptagon-shaped building was pearly white in color and had numerous magic stones embedded on its walls, telling the invading girl that it was enchanted. To test what she suspected, the girl took a stone next to her and threw it at the building, smirking as the stone disintegrated before it touched. "A very intricately designed barrier that prevents time, space and dimensional invasion," she said. "Interesting"
She slashed at the building's entrance with her sword and it collapsed, granting her entrance. "But not good enough to stop my Mimei Ketsurui which have the essence of my soul inside it. As she walked inside the building, there was a lot of magical staff being aimed at her, with their owners prepared to cast their spells at any time. "Oh, my," she said, feigning surprise. "What a grand reception for me. I'm touched"
An elderly woman took a step forward. From her calm demeanor, she seemed to be the clan's leader. "What are you doing here, murderer?"
"I'm disappointed. Here I come from a faraway place to pay all of you a visit and you compare me to thieves, mercenaries and their likes?"
"Oh? And what do you call someone who comes in and started to kill indiscriminately, our uninvited guest? Or should I refer to you by your real name, Kencana?"
The girl named Kencana grinned. "Ah, so you do know me," she said while holding her sword in a reverse position, as if wanting to give it to someone. "Of course, you do know that I'm here to let you have a chance to take my sword, just like you always wanted," she said. Then Kencana's expression changed into a scowl. "However, you have to pry it from my hand"
"I'll take it, but with your life as well"
"I want to see you try"
The Blessbringer's clan leader put her hands together, making a small clapping sound. She then put her hands on the ground. Instantly a circle of magic began to appear beneath the two of them. Kencana merely had enough time to look downward before she was electrocuted by the current appearing from the ground. "It's over"
Kencana made a swiping motion and the circle disappeared. Putting her hand on her neck, she said, "You know, I prefer message to electric currents treatment to loosen up my tired muscles. Come on, Gramps, you know that it would take a lot to defeat me" Kencana put a forefinger under her chin, striking a thoughtful pose. "I'm quite surprise that you're able to skip the incantation to a spell as a complicated like that. I can see why you're the head of the Blessbringer Clan"
"Unfortunately I don't care for compliments from you," the clan head said as she and all of the Blessbringer Clan members raised their staffs.
"Rahmat syurga menyelubungi alam, (The heaven's grace that permeates throughout the world)
Tanda kuasa dan kemegahanNya, (The sign of His power and grace)
Ya tuhan yang maha kuasa, (O' He who is the most powerful)
Bantu kami menentang si jahanam, (Help us in our fight against the Damned)
Lindungi kami dari anaiya, (Protect us from its attacks)
Dan musnahkan musuh ini dengan penuh seksa!" (And inflict a torturous death on this enemy!)
A slow rumbling appeared from behind Kencana and before she could react, she found herself being crucified on a giant cross made from light. Signs of surprise on what happened were evident on her face.
The elderly sorceress walked toward the cross and raised her head toward Kencana. "Actually, we have foreseen your eventual arrival and have been prepared"
"Well, I'm certainly cross with all of you now," Kencana said before breaking into a laugh.
"Silence! Don't you know that your life is in grave danger?"
"If you think that you'll be able to kill me with this spell, let me tell you something: you're making a very big mistake"
"Of course not," the clan head said as a light halo appeared on top of Kencana.
"It's big mistake," Kencana insisted.
"We don't think so"
"Sinar subuh menyuci kalbu, (O' the Dawn's light that cleanses thy soul,
Menusuk ke dalam seluruh diri, (And pierce thy whole body)
Dengan rahmat dan kekuasaan Mu, (With Your grace and power)
Biar menyinari pendosa ini" (Let it shine on this sinner)
Starting from the halo, a pillar of light appeared and engulfed Kencana, along with the cross.
"Is it enough to kill her?" one of the sorcerers asked as he and his brethren maintained the spell.
"Don't worry. The Pillar of Holiness would continue to burn until everything is consumed in its flame"
After a few minutes, the Pillar began recede. To everyone's shock, Kencana was still standing on the floor, seemingly unharmed by the spell. "I told you that you're making a big mistake,"
Kencana said while flicking her hair
"Impossible…" her adversary uttered with disbelief.
"I must commend you for coming out with a spell that draws the energy from victim to perpetuate its attack, but you forgot that the spell can only be used to a darkness-based being. Oh you can fry a devil or it, but it wouldn't affect angels"
"You're a light being?" the clan head asked.
Kencana shook her head while smiling. "I'm similar to you" She then raised her left hand. "Let's see, what should I do now? Ah, I know! How about I show all of you an improve version of the Pillar of Holiness?"
Dengan kuasa penjaga kekacauan, (By the power of the of Avatar of Chaos)
Yang merosak dan membina segalanya, (That destroys and rebuilds everything)
Timbullah! si Tiang Kerosakan, (Appear! The Pillar of Chaos)
Belengguilah dan ikatlah nyawa mereka! (Bind and trap their life!)
A pillar made out light and shadow began to appear on each sorcerers and sorceress around her. After everyone was engulfed in their respective pillars, Kencana began to walk away. "Unlike Pillar of Holiness and Pillar of Hell, the Pillar of Chaos will destroy both the light and darkness beings" She smirked. "The best part is that it does its job slowly. Revel in your demise, Blessbringer!"
1
Author's note (11 November 2006)
1. This is not an original fiction and cannot be posted at Fictionpress as it will contravene the site's rules and regulation. Wait. Come to think of it, this is an original story and seems like it doesn't have any tie-in with any copyrighted story. This is true… until I upload the first chapter (this is the prologue). So, it belongs to the fanfiction rather than fictionpress.
2. Strangely enough, this story is a planned sequel for my other Ranma story, Ever Stay Chaotic. While the ending of the former doesn't tally with this story, it would be clearer once the first chapter is written (probably starting early next year). This chapter serves as a prologue for this series. However, reading Ever Stay Chaotic is not required to understand this story as I'll try to make it as clear as possible.
3. Posting this chapter also to let me test the formatting and writing style that I would like to use for this story. For example, the spells are marked with bold lettering and italics would denote self talk or emphasis. And unlike its predecessor, in this story (or at least this chapter), I'm using a more narrative writing style (opposed to 'conversationalist' used in Ever Stay Chaotic). I would appreciate any feedback, comments and criticism about this chapter.
4. As with its prequel, this story will also feature Nabiki its main protagonist (Ranma will be the main character in the third installment... I think). However, unlike Ever Stay Chaotic, Ever Stay Alone would feature fewer COs and have a more serious storyline.