Chapter 6

The Legend of the Five Warrior Tribes

Pirotess sat uncomfortably across from her father in the large dining area for the council. Food was stacked a mile high. She watched him eat slowly while she barely touched her meal or anything else. The older dark elf frowned at his daughter sipping his wine. He sighed heavily, the last time she had been this way towards him was the time after her mother's death. Biting into some meat he quietly chewed, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Looking up from her meal she noticed her father was staring at her with annoyance, "What does this human have over you that makes you look like this daughter?" he snorted softly.

Leaning forward slightly she stirred her soup looking completely distracted and then decided to explain the details of her last trip to the surface. "You may recall Emperor Beld's request for aide, father."

The High Chancellor smiled slightly, "But of course, Beld and I often agreed on a lot of things, and he was one of the few humans I allied with during the last war. When he asked for aide against Valis I was too happy to give him what he sought."

"I went with those that you sent, and met an intriguing man among those in Beld's inner court, his name was Prince Ashram, Beld's heir," Pirotess stated softly.

The Chancellor nodded, "I knew Ashram, colder than the deep Northern Mountains but his skill in battle was like none I've ever seen. Befriended him did you?" he asked.

Pirotess blushed slightly, "More like became smitten with him. You know father very few have earned my respect and fewer still earned my interest. He did both during the course of the war, after Beld was killed he took me aside when the sides retreated. Ashram offered me a spot beside him in Marmo," she said softly.

The Chancellor had been drinking his wine when he heard this he spat out the all over his food, "A human asked you to become his consort?" he asked wiping his mouth of the wine that he spat out.

She nodded, "I was mulling it over when we entered Shooting Star's den. Apparently King Kashue had problems with Shooting Star in the past and was coming into the den to kill the dragon. Our forces fought, and during this course I had made my decision," she said softly, "I jumped in front of Dragon fire to save my beloved," she said softly.

The High Chancellor steeple his fingers, "Then how is it that you are here and not in the belly of the dragon's den a charred husk?"

Pirotess looked down at the plate spooning some soup and sipping it to calm her nerves a bit. Her father had taken it rather well when she had explained that she loved one human. "King Kashue and those that followed him slew the dragon as I lay burned in Ashram's arms. The floor collapsed and I knew little that followed," she explained. "When next I woke, I was in a valley at the base of Shooting Star's den having been healed by a gentle naive young man," she said a small smile appearing upon her face.

With a few blinks of confusion the Councilor spoke up, "How did this young man rescue you from the pits of the dragon's den if the cavern walls had no ledges?

"I do not know, he claims it's because of something called ki that allows him to enhance his muscle strength, speed, and agility," Pirotess looked up at the ceiling, "It was this ki he used to heal my wounded body."

"This ki smells like a form of magic," the Chancellor stated getting up from the table and walked to the window that looked out over the village. "Please continue, this young man you speak of sounds very intriguing."

Pirotess went on to discuss the many things Ranma explained he could do or she'd seen. She also explained the katas he did every morning in detail. She hadn't realized how long they had traveled together before now, outside the little side trip to villages to buy supplies and such. They had traveled at first by foot or rather Ranma traveled by foot carrying her, then by horse going at a rather leisurely pace. To travel as long as they did at such pacing, she could safely estimate that they had been traveling together for almost six months. During that time the link that had formed had grown greatly, images in their sleep would drift back and forth, as well as their emotions. Yet they still couldn't communicate through the mind yet.

As she continued to ponder these things, her father noticed how his daughter seemed to trail off as she explained her dealings with the young man she had been traveling with. He was only slightly angry at his daughter for killing one of her own, he hadn't known Seth being from a southern tribe but one of his council would demand punishment for it. He was actually shocked that the troll wasn't with them because of a life debt or some other means of honor. The troll was with his daughter and the human out of friendship. If his daughter spoke the truth of the young man's fighting ability he was only down in the cages because of his loyalty to Pirotess. Maybe I should speak to this boy, he thought. Something in the way his daughter looked when he asked for more information about the young man gave him signs to worry. He had been shocked and appalled that she had fallen for Beld's heir, but it looked like she was falling for this young human as well.

Pirotess mulled over why she couldn't use her mind to speak with Ranma and even tried it a couple of times. As she did, she felt a resistance like something was blocking the ability, she wondered what could be left that could hinder something that would make them fully bonded. Now that she had accepted her feelings for the young pig tailed martial artist she wanted to communicate with him on such an intimate level. She frowned slightly thinking and her eyes widen slightly. "Could it be that simple?" she asked aloud.

The Chancellor was brought out of his own musings hearing his daughter speak, "What did you say my princess?" he asked with a smile

Blushing heavily Pirotess waved her hand dismissively, "Nothing father I was thinking aloud, my apologies."

Not liking his daughter's response, he returned to looking at his meal, which was pretty much ruined. He decided to go and speak to the young man. "Your room should be ready my daughter, I have something to do, I'll see you in morning."

Pirotess nodded watching as he left, she quietly got up not feeling really hungry only intensely worried for Ranma. As she looked out the window she felt a wave of comfort wash over her, feeling Ranma's gentle emotional caress trying to reassure her that everything would be fine. She had lost Ashram and yet found no tears to mourn him, this brought to the surface how she use to feel. Much like Ashram she had buried her emotions to a point that nothing except contempt and hatred for many humans had risen to the surface.

Her feelings toward Ranma when she first met him could be a prime example. She only stayed with him to repay the act of mercy. But as time grew and the days pass, Ranma's naiveté and constant chatter had slowly changed her. Now she was like the way she was before meeting Ashram, before coming to the surface world, before meeting the darker world of humans. It was the world that her beloved pigtailed knight had shown her. The very world she wanted to walk side by side with him, to see.

The Chancellor hadn't been known to travel into the dungeon area, two guards flanked him but if what Pirotess told him was true they'd be of little help with the young man. As they neared his cell, he heard the young man and his massive friend speak.

"Hey, I don't like it either but that was Pirotess' pops and I am not going to do nothin' unless she says so, k?" Ranma asked.

"How can you possibly know she can be trust worthy, she probably led us here to be rid of us," Granite stated coolly.

Ranma simply shrugged, "Don't know, she probably could do that, but I trust her."

"Be wary of who you can and cannot trust Sir Ranma, not everyone is worth it," Granite added trying to give him some advice from his perspective of dealing with other races like the Dark Elves.

Ranma sat down Indian style crossing his arms, since arriving in this new world that looked like that one movie he and Akane had gone to see, 'Lord of the Rings.' He liked it because of all the cool fight scenes in it, plus the romantic stuff made Akane happy. So far he earned a nickname thanks to Pirotess, helping people out only to have it blow up in his face. All the stuff Pirotess explained to him had been confusing and made his head hurt. 'I didn't think stuff like this was so complicated but it makes a lot of sense.' He went into deeper thoughts when he heard someone clearing their throat. Looking up he saw Pirotess' father flanked by two guards looking at him. "Your Pirotess' pops, um going to let us go now?" he asked cheerfully.

The Chancellor's eye twitched he never heard such blatant disregard of respect before. If his daughter hadn't explained the reasons why he would of slew the boy outright. "So it seems Pirotess tells the truth your upbringing had been severely stunted. I would like to ask you a few questions before making my decision as to set you free or not."

Ranma nodded the smile still on his face, "Sure, go ahead."

The smile was a bit unnerving to the Dark Elf. Rarely any being locked up would smile case in point the huge Troll behind the Human that was glaring at them. The Chancellor held up Ranma's sword, "This sword, according to my daughter, 'YOU' constructed using a fireplace, an anvil, and a few metalwork tools you borrowed. Such weapons made in such a fashion are brittle and easily breakable, yet when we tested this sword it cut through some of the strongest stones, wood, and metals we had...How?"

Ranma simply shrugged, "Forged it using my ki, no big deal really. See I got these scrolls while my pops and I were on our training trip," he paused and received a nod from the Dark Elf, indicating his daughter had told him about Ranma's adventures. "See, the blacksmith I helped with his work for awhile, guess it was to help with my endurance, pops never explained. He let me have these scrolls on how to use ki to turn any fire no matter how small into a blast furnace so I could forge things with it. At the time I didn't have any ki to speak of but he let me take the scrolls as payment for my work," he paused thinking. "Guess that's what pops wanted till he saw them, then he probably thought it was useless. I also had a scroll how to form a samurai style sword without using the folding technique."

The Chancellor, his guards, and Granite looked utterly lost, so Ranma recounted what the folding technique was. After he finished he continued explaining how he made his sword, he took a deep and waiting for the next question(s). The Chancellor blinked filing everything that was explained to him in the back of his mind, the folding technique would be useful in future sword constructions. "Very well, what of this ki? My daughter wasn't very clear on how you used it."

Ranma smirked a bit before going into a long and detailed explanation of Ki and the different sort of things he could do. He demonstrated it by holding out his hand and summoning a small ball of ki which caused all those gathered to look on in awe.

"Some form of magic?" one guard whispered the other nodded in agreement.

Ranma just snorted, "Ain't no magic, this is energy you get by combining your own natural energies and bringing them out, magic works on that Mana stuff Pirotess told me about," with that he snuffed out the ki ball watching the Chancellor.

The Chancellor backed away to think, he had made his decision but he knew the council would disagree on it violently. At the most the young man would be put to slave labor while the troll would be put to the sword. He also had a feeling that if he allowed the young man to be executed or worse his daughter may rebel or join him. Pursing his lips out a bit, he told Ranma what will happen next, "Tomorrow you'll be brought before the council and judged, I will help if I can. Things though do not look well for you however."

Ranma simply shrugged his shoulders and was leaning against the wall. "Never have before why change my luck now."

The Chancellor winced and nodded, "So I've heard."

Deedlit, Parn, Slain, and Leylia had arrived at the village that Ranma and Pirotess had liberated following the rumors of the Red Armored Knight. Once in the village, they booked rooms at the Inn and began asking questions. They talked with most of the travelers that had come from the North, and most said they hadn't seen Ranma or Pirotess. But a young couple, which lived in the forest regions far to the Northwest, mentioned seeing them.

"Can you tell us what they look like?" Parn asked softly.

The young woman smiled nervously, receiving a glare from Deedlit. "Yes, we spotted them three days ago, heading for the Northern Mountains, you know the ones that blocks the Valley of the Dead." the foursome nodded so she continued. "The young man, wasn't very tall for his age, he was slightly shorter than you sir knight. He wore red armor that had a dragon painted on it, rode an all black horse except for a streak of white on its nose. He carried a single bladed sword, at least judging from the hilt. Also had two traveling companions, a female Dark Elf and a huge Mountain Troll." The foursome paid for the young couples drink and sat down.

Parn notice Slain and Deedlit wore grim faces, "What is it?"

Deedlit used to explaining things to her beloved spoke up, Leylia looking just as interested. "There is an old legend, not as old as the War of the Gods, but had a ring of truth to it," Deedlit began. "It is said a warrior clad in red, would unite the Five Warrior Tribes of Lodoss, on the eve of a Great War."

Parn looked confused, "Five Warrior Tribes, what does this got to do with this red armored knight?"

"Parn at the time of this legend all that lived were Tribes. In reality it meant five races four of men and one of fair folk. So the five Warrior tribes would be the Trolls, Gnomes, Dwarves, Men, and Elves."

With a cool realization Parn sat back eyes pained as the implications flooded through him, "A man in red with a Troll and a Dark Elf as traveling companions, two races who normally would stay far away from each other," he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It could just all be a coincidence Deed?"

"Have you known many coincidences to pan out just like that, Parn?" Slain spoke up sipping his ale and staring down into the cup. "Deedlit and I have been feeling the lands in the North becoming restless and the gods of the forest are whispering a nameless fear. Something is stirring, something very evil."

Karla watched the crystal ball no longer could she/he see the back walls of the cavern through the endless mass of animated corpses. She/He lost count three sunsets ago on how many were now in formation, which hadn't moved since forming. The figures just stood there for days on end staring into space, many faces she/he had recognized, including Parn's father. Beld had taken up the Commander's position at the head of formation sitting astride a horse with red eyes, which was clearly demonic.

Brona walked around observing. "Another few days and they'll be ready to march, soon all of Lodoss will be one crimson carpet laid out for the God of Darkness, to walk upon."

Karla said nothing His/her arguments already spent to deter the man from his madness, his/her only hope now lay among those who were already battle worn and exhausted. For the millionth time he/she cursed herself/himself for not having this foreseen, and had taken steps to prevent, but madness is rarely something anyone could foresee. 'I pray to whatever god that would hear me, prevent your brother from being resurrected.'.