Chapter 1: The Musk
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--7 years later--
Ranma was currently laying in a cave in the mountains of china, eating a rather large boar. He had grown quite large through the years and was now the size of an adult tiger, and although his lizard like attributes set him apart from an actual tiger, he still looked enough like one to pass for such at great distances. Over time, he had gotten control over several things that accompanied his new body, one being his ability to produce flames, and oddly enough, control flames that he wasn't responsible for. Camp fires and forest fires were under his control as well, and it came in quite handy for when he wanted to take the food from campers, they always had the greatest foods, but he knew, somehow that he should not be seen. He was also fortunate enough to be able to put out his own flames, walking around constantly on fire drew far too much attention to himself and also usualy burnt down things in the general area. That didnt' even begin to touch the trouble with bathing. One of the biggest problems he'd found, was that cold water when he was on fire, burned horribly, although never left a mark.
Snap!
Ranma was brought out of his stupor when he heard the noise of people walking through the forest, If there was one thing Ranma hated it was Humans, having completely forgotten he was once human himself. The tiger-dragon let out a growl of hatred before leaving the cave and preparing to attack, Human meat didn't have a very good taste to it, but for all the senselessness and stupidity he'd seen from them, he would kill them for encrouching on his territory. And he,
unlike the humans, would not let the food go to waste.
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("Lord Herb, what beast do you plan on taking for your bride?") A young boy with slited eyes and what appeared to be wolf ears was standing beside a tall man wearing scale armor with black and white hair.
("Only the finest creature could posibly be worthy of royalty. We need a creature that is strong, fast, and intelligent. An ape may do...") Herb turned towards a nearby tree where a small monkey with a flower in its fur was chewing on some fruit when he was suddenly startled by a loud roar of a fierce beast. Turning to look, he came face to face with a flaming creature that didn't seem to be very happy with him.
(" What in Kami's name...") The rest of his sentence was cut off as he was met with a face full of flames at point blank range, The Musk Prince was hurled into a nearby tree by the sheer force of the blast while the boy looked at the creature in horror.
("Lord Herb!!") The boy turned to the massive flaming beast and began to move at blurring speeds, hurling knives at the creature. Unfortunatly Ranma was too fast for the boy and lept out of the way of the barrage, rebounding off a tree trunk and pining the boy to the ground with his great weight, the flames on his paws were burning holes in his clothing while the young boy was sweating from the intense heat, Ranma was inches from tearing off a piece of the boy's
face when a chi bolt sent him flying back into a tree.
("Mint, are you alright?") Herb pulled the dog boy to his feet while he was clutching the paw shaped burn marks on his chest in pain and staring at the dazed tiger hatefully.
("Those flames, they aren't natural. What is that thing!?") Ranma had managed to get to his feet but still had blurly vision.
Herb had grabbed Mint and dashed behind a tree.
("That creature, it has a power that could rival that of the great dragons! It is perfect to be my bride.") Mint looked quite shocked and spared a look to the still dazed ranma who was trying to walk straight.
("But lord Herb! That thing is male, females are much more coopertive after the change and will accept our people as mates, a male would sooner rip your head off on most occasions, they don't take the suddenly female body well.") Ranma had finally gotten his vision back and was now looking for where the two annoying humans were hiding, catching their scent, he moved in on his prey.
("I do not care, the chances of finding another creature like that, let alone a female are almost non existant. With its powers over flames I do not think we can take it down alone, We will need Lime and maybe even Basil before we can bring it to Jusenkyo.") The tree suddenly errupted in flames sending Herb and Mint scrambling out of the way, The musk prince sent another chi bolt at Ranma before grabbing Mint's arm and dashing into the forest.
("Come, a retreat is the best tactic right now.") Before Ranma could recover from the blast the two musk warriors were no where in sight, The giant tiger beast let his flames die down before returning to his cave to lick his wounds and think about what just happened. Those humans, had been unlike any he'd encountered before. They felt more familiar to him, yet very wrong at the same time. They were like beasts, but with the taint of humanity.
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("Are you sure you saw that?!") Herb and Mint were standing infront of a man who looked like a cross between a man and an elephant, Lemon, the General of the Musk Army.
("Are you calling me a liar, Lemon?") The man began to sweat at the tone in the princes voice, he wasn't one to be questioned, after all.
("I'm sorry Lord Herb, but the creature you described sounds a little far fetched.") Mint stared at the man before ripping a small hole in his shirt.
("You want proof, General?") The dog eared boy ripped away most of the cloth on his right shoulder and revealed a scar shaped like a tiger's paw right below his arm.
("Mind explaining how I could get a mark like this from a figment of our imagination? let alone four?") Mint then showed the other mark on this opposite shoulder and pulled up the legs of his pants to reveal two more on his shins, the general and nearby warriors gasped in amazement by the marks before Herb continued.
(" I need one of your warriors to help me catch this beast, Lime has already agreed but I will need Basil's skills to keep the beast from turning us into ash.")
The general nodded before walking away to be replaced by a man that looked to be more Falcon than man.
("You called for me, my lord?")
("Are you still skilled in the bow, Basil? Its been a long time since we've been at war?") Herb asked, challengingly, already knowing the answer
("Of course, I am the best archer in the kingdom Prince Herb!") Herb smiled at this and nodded his head.
("Good, then bring your bow and arrows and come with me, I have a job for you.") Basil bowed before grabbing his weapons and following Prince Herb back to Ranma's den, joined by Lime a little later.
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Ranma couldn't understand it.
Humans shouldn't be able to do those things, The blasts of energy that one man fired from his palms was simular to his fire, but different in many ways while that boy had a speed that was unheard of in the human world. That shouldn't be possible! Only beasts had the right to those abilities, the humans were nothing but cowards that resorted to those tools of theirs to survive.
("Come on, it was over here.")
Ranma instantly recognised that voice and let his flames come alive, standing on all fours and exiting his den to spot the intruders.
So the humans wanted more did they? That was fine with him.
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("This is where that monster attacked us, its den should be around here somewhere.") Mint was looking around for Ranma's cave while Basil readied his bow.
Lime and Herb were standing ready for Ranma's attack.
And that's when it happened.
All present turned their heads towards a small cliff where Ranma was standing, flames dancing across his body with an intensity and heat of an active volcano. Basil pulled back on the bow string with his arrow in place and let loose the wooden shaft at the flaming beast. the shaft was instantly burned to cinders by Ranma's flames while the arrowhead continued on its path and pierced Ranma's hide right above his back leg. The massive beast roared in pain
while Lime and Mint ran up the cliff side in an attempt to flank the injured tiger.
Unfortunatly they never came close.
Both warriors were sent flying away by pillars of flame that burst from the ground infront of them, the arrowhead had been reduced to nothingness and the wound was already healing as Ranma jumped down to pounce on Basil.
("Not today!!") The bird man lept into the sky and dodged ranma's pounce while pulling back on his bow string, he was reaching insane heights of nearly 70 feet when he let loose another arrow aimed at Ranma's back. The warrior had some how powered up the wooden dart and that strange boost plus the effects of gravity nearly caused the bolt to break the sound barrier as it dug deap into Ranma's back, nearly passing straight through him.
("Now! Get him while he's recovering!") Herb charged up some chi while Mint began to let loose a barrage of knives, Basil landed and pulled back on his bow string once more, preparing to criple the beast before him. As he held his bow, he was concentrating on the tip of the arrow, and it started to glow a light blue.
But Ranma wouldn't have that.
Basil had to stop in his fusing chi into the arrow when Ranma was suddenly surrounded by several pillars of blistering heat, the pillars began circling him and everyone stopped and watched in awe for a second before realising what he was doing.
("He's preparing to fire an attack! Stop him!!") Fire began to form in Ranma's jaws as the pillars began to spin faster, Mint once again began hurling blades but each one was burned, and warped, fallng well short of Ranma when they passed through the heat of the pillars. oddly enough even Herb's chi bolts where being deflected or absorbed by the rotating pillars as the ball of fire in Ranma's jaws became roughly the size of a basket ball. The pillars all stopped and converged
on a single location in front of Ranma just as he let go of the fireball, the flames collided with the heat sending a massive arrow of fire flying at the shocked archer. Basil was instantly engulfed in flames and let out a scream of agony before falling to the ground in serious pain.
("You're mine...") Herb let loose a huge chi bolt that collided with Ranma and sent him flying into the mountain side, he smashed into it creating a massive spider web crack before slumping to the ground in uncoinciousness. His flames died out as Herb smirked before heading to Jusenkyo, Mint carrying Basil and Lime dragging Ranma.