The Dragon and The Ghost.
Part 11
Escape from the Mountain Palace.
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Ryu Kumon paused in the shadows with his grip firmly on the young girl's wrist. They had yet to move away from the shadows, and were walking down the darkened hallways silently together.
She pulled at him for a moment and gasped. "Wait! Where are we going?"
Ryu frowned and glanced back at her for a moment. He still hadn't gotten a good look at her face. "Shut up and follow me. We'll leave soon enough."
She made an unpleasant grumble, but remained quiet otherwise as he pulled at her arm.
Ryu paused as a pale blue light appeared down the hallway. He frowned and moved towards it slowly. "What is that?" It was a steady light and did not flicker.
"We shouldn't go any closer," warned the woman carefully.
"Why not? Do you know what it is?" asked Ryu.
"No, but I feel an evil presence." He could feel her pull away from his grip slightly.
"You aren't going anywhere without me kid. I still don't trust you," he snapped as he pulled her behind him and moved in closer.
She whimpered slightly and allowed herself to be pulled along.
The light was coming from a slightly opened door at the end of the hallway. It was large and ornately decorated carvings of men and women floating on clouds. It appeared to be made of gold, but closer inspection revealed it was only a painted heavy wood. Ryu pressed himself against the wall and crept up slowly, his arm was pushed across the woman's chest holding her down as he slowly approached the doorway.
"What the hell is this?" he whispered as he peered inside the crack.
It was an almost empty room; there was nothing but a large crystal of some kind. There were no guards, and nothing that looked like a trap of any kind. He slowly pushed at the door and entered carefully. His eyes went wide with horror at what he found inside. The woman pressed herself against his back and glanced around nervously.
He turned to look at her in the light for a moment and pushed her off of him gently. She was beautiful, long white hair flowed down her back, and she was dressed in expensive looking clothes with a long cape flowing down her back. His gaze shifted back at the massive crystal in the center of the room.
Inside was a young woman of about his age, with long black hair. A look of pain was frozen on her face and she looked like she was trying to escape her prison. "What the hell?" he muttered as he stared at her for a moment.
"Dark sorcery," muttered the woman with him carefully.
"Is it that obvious?" he snapped back at her.
"Done quite skillfully," muttered the woman with an odd look in her eyes.
The crystal seemed to sparkle as he moved around it, if not for the richly dressed woman inside, it would have been quite beautiful. "Why would it take this much to imprison one woman?" muttered Ryu as he rubbed the surface of the crystal. Spells like this were familiar to him; they were usually used to imprison powerful sorcerers. She didn't even look like a minor witch.
"We should go," pressed the woman urgently.
"You're right," grumbled Ryu as he glanced at the woman one last time. This was something he really didn't need to deal with. He paused at the door and glanced back at her one more time. "Damn."
"What is it?" said the woman nervously.
"Look, on her neck," he said pointing towards something in her grip.
"What is it?" the woman looked towards the figure and saw an odd looking necklace. "That's..."
"I don't want you telling anyone of what we saw here," said Ryu as he turned towards her with a frown on his face.
"Why would I do that? Who would I tell?" said the woman as she turned away from him.
Ryu smirked at her. "Goodbye lady." He slowly drew his sword.
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Ukyo stepped back with her sword in her hands, Ryoga growled and stood his ground with his battle-axe in his hands.
"What is it?" snapped the dwarf as he eyed the slowly uncoiling mass of black in front of him. A hissing sound answered him and he had to stop himself from taking a step back.
"A serpent," replied Ukyo quietly. Her hands were shaking with fear, but she forced herself to stand her ground. The rooms around them were empty, but there was no where for them to run. The thing was between them and the hallway. Only a window that led to the outside of the castle and a vertical drop of about two thousand feet was behind them.
The moonlight shone in as the thing moved forward. It was still hidden in the shadows, but the outline of its body could be seen rising from the floor. It was easily a foot in diameter, and three heads could be seen weaving back and fourth in the silhouette. It reared itself up to its full height and almost reached the ceiling, a long body vanished into the darkness behind it.
"Great," grumbled Ryoga as he recognized the thing as it came into the light that shone behind them. "It's a young hydra."
The thing hissed menacingly. It looked almost like a giant three-headed snake; each head had two large yellow eyes that glared at the pair. The thing's heads looked almost bird like, with two long fangs protruding from the top and bottom jaws of each mouth.
"We can't run," said Ukyo nervously.
"You know any fire magic?" snapped the dwarf as he swiped at it with his axe. The thing jumped back and snapped at him angrily.
"No. All the magic I ever needed was in my spear, and my armor," replied the girl as she moved up beside him and slashed with her sword. It stayed just ahead of the blades and snapped at them angrily.
"We're in trouble then," replied the dwarf as he glanced around. There were no torches on the walls, not even unlit ones.
"What do we do?" asked Ukyo carefully.
"We've got to get by it," snarled the dwarf as he jumped and hacked down on one of the heads. A long cut appeared on its neck and blood splattered on the floor. The stone began to hiss angrily as the blood boiled on the ground where it landed. A foul smelling vapor rose from the ground where the liquid had fallen. "Don't get any of that on ye," said the dwarf.
"Poisonous?" said Ukyo with a small nod.
"And venomous," confirmed Ryoga with a small nod.
"Great," muttered the knight. She stepped forward and slashed at the thing, forcing it back slightly. She was forced to jump back as two of the heads countered back at her.
Ryoga grit his teeth and snarled angrily. "Damn you Ranma! I can't die like this! This is all your fault!"
"Shut up and fight you jackass!" snapped the knight as she stepped forward offensively again.
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Akane stepped into the room with the two elves and smirked. "Well, an elf who knows my style? How unusual. Tell me how you learned of it, before I kill you."
"Fat chance," replied the redhead as she tensed her body up in anticipation.
"I suppose I'll just have to beat it out of you then," snapped the black knight in retort. She pulled the mask down from her helmet and placed it over her face. It was as black as the rest of it. Even the horn that protruded from the samurai helmet was made of black iron.
"Not gold," muttered Ranma as she eyed her opponent carefully.
"Pardon?" said Akane as she drew her sword.
"You'll find out soon enough!" snapped Ranma as she rushed forward.
Akane gasped as the elf appeared in front of her face. "What?" She sliced through the air with her massive blade, only to find the young girl was gone. "So fast!"
"You're going to tell me everything I want to know," said a voice from the shadows. Akane found herself spinning in place as she searched for her opponent.
"What sort of demon are you?" she screamed in rage.
"I'm no demon, I am a ghost of the past," said the voice ominously.
"Damn you! Coward! Show yourself! Fight me!"
"If that's the way you want it," said Ranma as she appeared just behind her. "I won't disappear again, but you'll wish I had."
Akane swung her sword in a wide arc, only to find the elf had skillfully jumped over the blade. She had only a fraction of a second to brace herself as the elf's foot slammed into her mask.
Ranma landed lightly on the still steaming ground and frowned as she put her fists up. The black knight landed on her back roughly, her sword flew from her hand and skittered across the stone wall, finally coming to rest against the metal bars of the cells turned tombs. "Who is the man who wears armor like yours, but with a golden mask?"
"What?" grumbled Akane as she slowly staggered to her feet. "I've never seen armor like that."
"I don't believe you," said Ranma angrily.
Akane stared the girl down and glanced over to her sword. She looked back at the elf once again and began to tear her armor off of her body. She threw the pieces against the wall, leaving only her gauntlets and boots on. The clothing underneath was a black silk dogi. She snarled and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Now, you'll regret not dying quietly."
Ranma snorted and put her fists up. "Come on then."
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"What?" snapped the girl as Ryu stalked up to her with his sword drawn.
"I thought as much. You're trying to find out if I'm here with anyone else."
The girl seemed to cringe in fear under his gaze. "I-I..."
"Shut up," snarled the boy as he raised his blade over his head.
"No!" screamed the girl as she thrust her hand forward. Ryu saw a tiny light form there, and was then thrown against the far wall roughly.
He staggered to his feet and shook his head. The girl seemed to by crying as she leaned against the wall. He frowned as he realized that he was wrong. She was laughing.
"I never was one for patience, guess I rushed things a bit," said the woman as she faced him with a vicious smirk on her face. He put her hand up towards him and Ryu screamed in pain as he was forced back into the wall again. "I was hoping you'd lead me to your partner. I have business to discuss with him, or should I say... her?"
"Bitch! I knew I should have killed you in that cage!"
"Fool, do you really think I would have allowed that?" retorted the woman with her smile growing wider.
Ryu staggered forward as the power let up and released him. "That was a mistake," he growled, a trickle of blood ran down his chin and he coughed. There was an imprint of his body in the wall behind him as he staggered forward.
"Perhaps, but I've still got some questions for you," said the woman coldly.
"Who are you?" snapped Ryu.
"That would be telling. I do have some questions for you though, I hope you'll answer honestly. This could get quite messy otherwise."
Ryu staggered forward and leaned on the crystal in the center of the room. He bent down and picked up his sword from the ground and stood in a shaky offensive stance. "Fuck you."
"Oh, let's be nice about this," replied the woman as she raised her hand again.
Ryu screamed in pain as energy crackled through his body. He fell to his knees and fell to the ground face first.
The woman smiled as she stepped back and lowered her hand again. "Now, let's begin." Ryu looked up at her just in time to see her hand thrust forward again. He was lifted from the ground and pressed against the crystal with his back against it. He snarled angrily as he felt every part of his body begin to buckle against the surface.
"Damn you!" screamed the boy as he managed to lift his arms up and point the sword forward. The woman smiled darkly, but it quickly faded as the boy slowly turned the blade towards himself.
"What is he?" she managed as she pushed him against the crystal harder.
Ryu smirked at her with a wild rage in his eyes. He had begun to mutter something under his breath. "Dispel!" he cried out in triumph as he stabbed downward.
"No!" screamed the woman as the blade of the sword struck the surface of the crystal.
Lines of cracks began to appear along the surface. A bright light started to shine from inside the prison enveloping the entire room.
As the light cleared, Ryu stood in the center of the room with a wide grin on his face. The woman trapped inside the crystal was lying on the ground, still unconscious. The boy's sword was back in its sheath and he looked like he was quite unharmed, despite what the woman had done.
"What?"
"I've been playing weak, get it?" snapped Ryu as he glared at her.
"Hmm, I wasn't expecting a thief to be a real fighter," said the woman with a dark smile forming on her face. "I guess I don't have to hold back anymore."
Ryu's smile fell slightly at this, but he remained firm. "You don't know what you're dealing with."
"On the contrary, I know exactly what I'm dealing with," said the woman sharply. "It is you, who doesn't realize what's happening."
"Come on then!" snarled Ryu angrily as he put up his fists.
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Ryoga jumped back and snarled angrily as the threw his cloak on the ground. The fur had begun to melt away as on of the creature's neck sprayed it's blood into the hall. Ukyo was pressed against the wall near the window and growled as the dwarf appeared beside her.
"What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped.
"You shut up! That thing was gonna eat me!" he retorted. The serpent had moved back and was hidden in the shadows once again. The two remaining heads began to scream in pain as it writhed on the ground for a moment.
Another spray of blood appeared on the ground in front of the pair and they edged back against the wall nervously.
"Now what?" snapped Ukyo angrily.
"We're no worse off than we were before!" snapped the dwarf.
"We've got to get out of here!" cried Ukyo as the Hydra approached again. This time, there were four heads glaring at them angrily.
"I don't want to die!" cried the dwarf in despair.
"Shut up! We aren't going to die!" snapped Ukyo as she stepped forward into the puddle of blood.
"Yes we are, there's no way we can win," muttered the dwarf as he let his axe touch the ground in front of them. "Ukyo, cut off all the heads," he said suddenly.
"What?" she screamed.
"Just do it," he replied. He seemed to be struggling with something.
Ukyo looked at him, his eyes told everything. He just wanted it to be over quickly.
"We aren't going to survive if I do," she commented.
"It doesn't matter. Just make sure this thing remembers us," he replied quietly. Tears were running down his face as he said this. "It's all over for us. I'm not so foolish as to think otherwise."
Ukyo nodded at him and got and turned to glare at the beast. She held her sword in front of her horizontally. One hand on the hilt, and the other along the blade. "Come on you bastard! Eat this!" She rushed forward suddenly. The hydra snapped at her and she rolled underneath its strikes slashing at the base of the neck. Her sword went through smoothly and a spray of the blood shot out towards her, she braced herself for the horrible death and closed her eyes.
"SHI SHI HOUKOU DAN!"
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Ranma smirked as she punched the girl in the face, sending her staggering back under the force of the blow.
"Damn you!" muttered Akane angrily as she swung again and again, putting everything she had into her assault. The red-haired girl danced around the blows almost mockingly. "I will not fail!"
"You already have, you were supposed to be guarding the Kajakan, weren't you?" replied the elf in reply.
"What?" snapped Akane as she realized something was wrong. She stopped her attack and glanced around the room. "Where?" The other elf was gone.
"Boy, are you gonna get it now," said the elf girl mockingly.
"I'll kill you!" screamed Akane in rage. She charged forward and punched out at her opponent again. She missed and shattered the stone wall behind the redhead.
"Not today!" snapped the elf girl as she appeared behind her with her knee in her neck. Akane slumped to the ground, out cold.
"Damn! I still don't know who that damn armor belongs too! Wake up!" cried the elf girl as she pulled the fallen knight up by her collar and slapped her repeatedly across her face. "Shit!" she cried in frustration.
"Ranma! Leave her! It's time to go!" said Shampoo as she rushed down the stairs with the Kajakan in her hand.
"What the hell are you still doing here? Get out of the castle!" snarled the redhead angrily. "You know the way!"
"I won't leave you behind," insisted the violet haired elf as she started back up the stairs again.
"Damn it!" snarled Ranma in frustration as she glared down at the black knight.
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Ryu glared at the woman angrily. "Get out of my way."
"You're not going anywhere, until I find out exactly what I want to know!" replied the sorceress with a dark look in her eyes.
"DON'T MOVE!" cried Ryu as he rushed towards her suddenly.
"Bah! Pathetic!" snarled the woman as she shoved her hand forward again and sent Ryu sprawling across the ground. The boy landed on top of the girl who was trapped inside the crystal and she gave a small whimpering cry.
"Damn it," thought the boy as he glared at the woman who stood between himself and freedom. He glanced down at the girl underneath him and frowned.
The woman had started to walk towards him with a dark smile on her face. He stood up and lifted the dark haired girl up in his arms. "Move!" screamed Ryu as he rushed forward.
The sorceress put her hand up again and thrust it towards the boy. Her eyes went wide at what he did next. He pushed the girl up in front of himself, using her as a shield. "What?"
All of a sudden, Ryu was next to her, still holding the girl in front of his body. The sorceress shifted her weight to dodge the strike that came next, but it was too late. An impossibly powerful blow struck her in the chest. She was thrown across the room and slammed into the wall, causing a crater in the stone. She jerked upright, holding her chest and attempted to get her breath back desperately. Finally, she fell to her knees coughing violently. After a moment she managed to regain control of herself.
"He tried to tear my heart out with his bare hands! If I hadn't moved in time..." Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the room and found him long gone. "Damn! I didn't count on him being so ruthless." She stalked forward towards the hall and threw open the doors with a powerful aura surrounding her body. "I will kill him!"
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Ukyo Kuonji stood without a shirt on and leaned against the wall breathing harshly. The only thing covering her chest was the tight bindings she used to hold her breast down. Her right arm was bandaged as well, just below her shoulder. She glared at the dwarf angrily. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you could do that?"
"It's an old mining technique among dwarves. We used it to clear away rubble from cave-ins and rockslides. It's very dangerous to use, and you must have a sense of complete despair for it to work. If I had even considered for a moment that I might use it to beat that monster, it would not have worked." Ryoga was leaning over the body of the hydra. He lifted a jar up in his hands and closed it carefully before placing it in the bag that hung from his side. The four necks were sealed shut by the heat from the shi shi houkou dan. The remains of five heads lined the hallway where the battle had taken place.
"Come on, let's get the hell out of here," snapped the woman angrily as she moved towards an intersection of halls. There were four, and they each went in a different direction.
"Fine! Don't thank me then!" retorted the dwarf as he caught up. "Eh? What's that noise?"
Ukyo paused and glanced down the hall, she drew her sword once again at the sound of distant explosions. "That's coming from inside the castle!"
"D'ya hear someone shouting?" said Ryoga as he cocked his head.
"Ryu?" said Ukyo as she started to turn away and jog down the hall opposite the one where the sounds were coming from.
Ryu appeared from around a corner just behind her, he appeared to be carrying someone on his back and was running down the hall with a panicked look on his face.
"Move it! She's pissed!" he screamed as he started to catch up.
"What the hell did you do?" cried Ukyo angrily.
The familiar clatter of soldiers rushing up behind them started to fill the hallway behind her.
She glanced back and saw men starting to fill the halls behind her, all of them armed. She rushed up to Ryu and screamed angrily. "What kind of thief are you? You woke up the whole damn castle!"
"The noisy one!" retorted the boy as he pulled ahead of her.
Ukyo blinked as she noticed the young girl draped over his back. She had a somewhat worn look about her, and was dressed in the remains of an expensive looking gown. She was also smoking slightly, as if she had been blasted from behind several times.
"I'll kill you!" screamed an angry feminine voice from behind them. Ryoga glanced over his shoulder and saw a woman with long white hair floating over the crowd of soldiers. Throwing blasts of energy indiscriminately at anyone who got in front of her. Men were thrown aside by the dozens as she shot her way down the hallway with an angry snarl on her face.
"What the hell did ya do?" he screamed as he rushed up to Ukyo and Ryu as fast as he could.
"There it is!" screamed Ryu as he pointed to the room where they had entered the castle from. He rushed inside and put on two gloves over his hands. The sounds of explosions grew ever closer and he jumped out the widow grabbing the rope. "Don't just stand there! Move!" he screamed at Ryoga and Ukyo.
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Ranma glared at the stares Shampoo was giving her. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm taking her with me! She's got some questions to answer!" retorted the redhead angrily as she shoved the elf girl aside and carried the unconscious knight over her shoulder.
"Are you out of your mind?" snapped Shampoo as she rushed up beside her.
"I'll get rid of her later. I have to know, I've come to far to give up now. Besides, we don't have time to interrogate her here!" snapped Ranma in retort as she pushed by.
"You idiot!" retorted the elf angrily as she followed behind him. "You'll get us all killed!"
"I got that stupid staff for you didn't I? Quit complaining!" replied the pigtailed elf as she jumped down into the tunnels that would lead them outside.
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The sorceress burst into the room and screamed in rage as she blasted everything inside to dust. She floated around for a moment looking through the burned remains for any signs of her prey. The soldiers who survived the chase through the hallways, wisely chose to search elsewhere.
She glared around and frowned as she saw a glint of metal hanging from the window. She rushed over and peered outside, only to find a long empty rope hanging there. "Nooooooo!" she screamed in rage.
Lime and Mint rushed into the room with panicked looks on their faces. "Lord Herb! What is happening?"
"Damn them! You two idiots get me some hot water! Right now!" snapped the woman as she turned to face them.
"Yessir!" the chimed nervously, before rushing away. They stumbled over one another as they attempted to squeeze through the door at the same time.
"No one makes a fool out of me!" she snarled as she punched the wall, creating another window. "Damn them!" She paused as a realization came to her suddenly. She rushed out into the hallway and grabbed two men who had been walking by in their search for the intruders. "You two! Gather as many men as you can and go to the dungeon! At once!"
"Yes at once... Uh, who are you?" said one of the men nervously.
"Shut up and do it or I'll burn you alive!" snapped the angry woman. Her eyes became two small slits as she glared at them.
"Yes Ma'am! Right away!" agreed the other as he elbowed his companion in the ribs.
After they left, Herb smirked to herself. "Perhaps this is not the disaster it seems to be. The Kajakan could be gone, if that is so..." She chuckled darkly and turned towards her chambers.
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Nabiki Tendo stood in front of her mirror at the Imperial Palace. She chuckled to herself and watched the scene unfold before her. "Yes, soon it will be time for you to fulfill your destiny Herb darling. I can't wait." A cold smile slowly crept onto her face as the image faded away. "Soon, very soon indeed." Her laughter echoed through the hallways of the palace long into the night.
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Soun sighed as he placed his teacup down on the small table next to his personal throne. "There she goes again. I honestly wonder about my daughter some times."
His wife looked over at him coolly. "As do I. I wonder what could have caused this?"
He flashed a small glare at her and shook his head. "I'm tired."
"I'll remember that tonight husband," said the woman as she turned away from him.
Kasumi appeared with another tray of tea and walked up to them. "Oh my. Nabiki seems so cheerful lately." She began to serve her parents tea full of blissful ignorance.
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Ryu smirked as he took off his gloves and watched his companions blowing on their hands desperately. They had slid down the rope rather quickly at his insistence. "Well, that's that. Let's get out of here before they start combing the place for us." He stood up and started to walk away.
"Wait! What about her?" said Ukyo as she pointed towards the unconscious girl. Ryu had left her lying on the ground.
"Right. Bring her if you want," said the boy with a shrug.
Ukyo sighed and lifted her up in her arms with a wince of pain. Her hands would take a while to heal on their own. Luckily, she had some healing magic in with her things back at the meeting place.
"Do you think Ranma got away?" whispered the Knight timidly.
"Only one way to find out," replied Ryu. "Come on, we'll wait at the meeting place."
Ukyo smirked slightly as she caught him taking quick glances at the castle as they left.
"When I get my hands on Ranma, I'll ring his neck for making me go through all this!" snapped the dwarf angrily.
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TBC...
Next Time: Ranma and The Black Knight.
Part 11
Escape from the Mountain Palace.
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Ryu Kumon paused in the shadows with his grip firmly on the young girl's wrist. They had yet to move away from the shadows, and were walking down the darkened hallways silently together.
She pulled at him for a moment and gasped. "Wait! Where are we going?"
Ryu frowned and glanced back at her for a moment. He still hadn't gotten a good look at her face. "Shut up and follow me. We'll leave soon enough."
She made an unpleasant grumble, but remained quiet otherwise as he pulled at her arm.
Ryu paused as a pale blue light appeared down the hallway. He frowned and moved towards it slowly. "What is that?" It was a steady light and did not flicker.
"We shouldn't go any closer," warned the woman carefully.
"Why not? Do you know what it is?" asked Ryu.
"No, but I feel an evil presence." He could feel her pull away from his grip slightly.
"You aren't going anywhere without me kid. I still don't trust you," he snapped as he pulled her behind him and moved in closer.
She whimpered slightly and allowed herself to be pulled along.
The light was coming from a slightly opened door at the end of the hallway. It was large and ornately decorated carvings of men and women floating on clouds. It appeared to be made of gold, but closer inspection revealed it was only a painted heavy wood. Ryu pressed himself against the wall and crept up slowly, his arm was pushed across the woman's chest holding her down as he slowly approached the doorway.
"What the hell is this?" he whispered as he peered inside the crack.
It was an almost empty room; there was nothing but a large crystal of some kind. There were no guards, and nothing that looked like a trap of any kind. He slowly pushed at the door and entered carefully. His eyes went wide with horror at what he found inside. The woman pressed herself against his back and glanced around nervously.
He turned to look at her in the light for a moment and pushed her off of him gently. She was beautiful, long white hair flowed down her back, and she was dressed in expensive looking clothes with a long cape flowing down her back. His gaze shifted back at the massive crystal in the center of the room.
Inside was a young woman of about his age, with long black hair. A look of pain was frozen on her face and she looked like she was trying to escape her prison. "What the hell?" he muttered as he stared at her for a moment.
"Dark sorcery," muttered the woman with him carefully.
"Is it that obvious?" he snapped back at her.
"Done quite skillfully," muttered the woman with an odd look in her eyes.
The crystal seemed to sparkle as he moved around it, if not for the richly dressed woman inside, it would have been quite beautiful. "Why would it take this much to imprison one woman?" muttered Ryu as he rubbed the surface of the crystal. Spells like this were familiar to him; they were usually used to imprison powerful sorcerers. She didn't even look like a minor witch.
"We should go," pressed the woman urgently.
"You're right," grumbled Ryu as he glanced at the woman one last time. This was something he really didn't need to deal with. He paused at the door and glanced back at her one more time. "Damn."
"What is it?" said the woman nervously.
"Look, on her neck," he said pointing towards something in her grip.
"What is it?" the woman looked towards the figure and saw an odd looking necklace. "That's..."
"I don't want you telling anyone of what we saw here," said Ryu as he turned towards her with a frown on his face.
"Why would I do that? Who would I tell?" said the woman as she turned away from him.
Ryu smirked at her. "Goodbye lady." He slowly drew his sword.
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Ukyo stepped back with her sword in her hands, Ryoga growled and stood his ground with his battle-axe in his hands.
"What is it?" snapped the dwarf as he eyed the slowly uncoiling mass of black in front of him. A hissing sound answered him and he had to stop himself from taking a step back.
"A serpent," replied Ukyo quietly. Her hands were shaking with fear, but she forced herself to stand her ground. The rooms around them were empty, but there was no where for them to run. The thing was between them and the hallway. Only a window that led to the outside of the castle and a vertical drop of about two thousand feet was behind them.
The moonlight shone in as the thing moved forward. It was still hidden in the shadows, but the outline of its body could be seen rising from the floor. It was easily a foot in diameter, and three heads could be seen weaving back and fourth in the silhouette. It reared itself up to its full height and almost reached the ceiling, a long body vanished into the darkness behind it.
"Great," grumbled Ryoga as he recognized the thing as it came into the light that shone behind them. "It's a young hydra."
The thing hissed menacingly. It looked almost like a giant three-headed snake; each head had two large yellow eyes that glared at the pair. The thing's heads looked almost bird like, with two long fangs protruding from the top and bottom jaws of each mouth.
"We can't run," said Ukyo nervously.
"You know any fire magic?" snapped the dwarf as he swiped at it with his axe. The thing jumped back and snapped at him angrily.
"No. All the magic I ever needed was in my spear, and my armor," replied the girl as she moved up beside him and slashed with her sword. It stayed just ahead of the blades and snapped at them angrily.
"We're in trouble then," replied the dwarf as he glanced around. There were no torches on the walls, not even unlit ones.
"What do we do?" asked Ukyo carefully.
"We've got to get by it," snarled the dwarf as he jumped and hacked down on one of the heads. A long cut appeared on its neck and blood splattered on the floor. The stone began to hiss angrily as the blood boiled on the ground where it landed. A foul smelling vapor rose from the ground where the liquid had fallen. "Don't get any of that on ye," said the dwarf.
"Poisonous?" said Ukyo with a small nod.
"And venomous," confirmed Ryoga with a small nod.
"Great," muttered the knight. She stepped forward and slashed at the thing, forcing it back slightly. She was forced to jump back as two of the heads countered back at her.
Ryoga grit his teeth and snarled angrily. "Damn you Ranma! I can't die like this! This is all your fault!"
"Shut up and fight you jackass!" snapped the knight as she stepped forward offensively again.
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Akane stepped into the room with the two elves and smirked. "Well, an elf who knows my style? How unusual. Tell me how you learned of it, before I kill you."
"Fat chance," replied the redhead as she tensed her body up in anticipation.
"I suppose I'll just have to beat it out of you then," snapped the black knight in retort. She pulled the mask down from her helmet and placed it over her face. It was as black as the rest of it. Even the horn that protruded from the samurai helmet was made of black iron.
"Not gold," muttered Ranma as she eyed her opponent carefully.
"Pardon?" said Akane as she drew her sword.
"You'll find out soon enough!" snapped Ranma as she rushed forward.
Akane gasped as the elf appeared in front of her face. "What?" She sliced through the air with her massive blade, only to find the young girl was gone. "So fast!"
"You're going to tell me everything I want to know," said a voice from the shadows. Akane found herself spinning in place as she searched for her opponent.
"What sort of demon are you?" she screamed in rage.
"I'm no demon, I am a ghost of the past," said the voice ominously.
"Damn you! Coward! Show yourself! Fight me!"
"If that's the way you want it," said Ranma as she appeared just behind her. "I won't disappear again, but you'll wish I had."
Akane swung her sword in a wide arc, only to find the elf had skillfully jumped over the blade. She had only a fraction of a second to brace herself as the elf's foot slammed into her mask.
Ranma landed lightly on the still steaming ground and frowned as she put her fists up. The black knight landed on her back roughly, her sword flew from her hand and skittered across the stone wall, finally coming to rest against the metal bars of the cells turned tombs. "Who is the man who wears armor like yours, but with a golden mask?"
"What?" grumbled Akane as she slowly staggered to her feet. "I've never seen armor like that."
"I don't believe you," said Ranma angrily.
Akane stared the girl down and glanced over to her sword. She looked back at the elf once again and began to tear her armor off of her body. She threw the pieces against the wall, leaving only her gauntlets and boots on. The clothing underneath was a black silk dogi. She snarled and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Now, you'll regret not dying quietly."
Ranma snorted and put her fists up. "Come on then."
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"What?" snapped the girl as Ryu stalked up to her with his sword drawn.
"I thought as much. You're trying to find out if I'm here with anyone else."
The girl seemed to cringe in fear under his gaze. "I-I..."
"Shut up," snarled the boy as he raised his blade over his head.
"No!" screamed the girl as she thrust her hand forward. Ryu saw a tiny light form there, and was then thrown against the far wall roughly.
He staggered to his feet and shook his head. The girl seemed to by crying as she leaned against the wall. He frowned as he realized that he was wrong. She was laughing.
"I never was one for patience, guess I rushed things a bit," said the woman as she faced him with a vicious smirk on her face. He put her hand up towards him and Ryu screamed in pain as he was forced back into the wall again. "I was hoping you'd lead me to your partner. I have business to discuss with him, or should I say... her?"
"Bitch! I knew I should have killed you in that cage!"
"Fool, do you really think I would have allowed that?" retorted the woman with her smile growing wider.
Ryu staggered forward as the power let up and released him. "That was a mistake," he growled, a trickle of blood ran down his chin and he coughed. There was an imprint of his body in the wall behind him as he staggered forward.
"Perhaps, but I've still got some questions for you," said the woman coldly.
"Who are you?" snapped Ryu.
"That would be telling. I do have some questions for you though, I hope you'll answer honestly. This could get quite messy otherwise."
Ryu staggered forward and leaned on the crystal in the center of the room. He bent down and picked up his sword from the ground and stood in a shaky offensive stance. "Fuck you."
"Oh, let's be nice about this," replied the woman as she raised her hand again.
Ryu screamed in pain as energy crackled through his body. He fell to his knees and fell to the ground face first.
The woman smiled as she stepped back and lowered her hand again. "Now, let's begin." Ryu looked up at her just in time to see her hand thrust forward again. He was lifted from the ground and pressed against the crystal with his back against it. He snarled angrily as he felt every part of his body begin to buckle against the surface.
"Damn you!" screamed the boy as he managed to lift his arms up and point the sword forward. The woman smiled darkly, but it quickly faded as the boy slowly turned the blade towards himself.
"What is he?" she managed as she pushed him against the crystal harder.
Ryu smirked at her with a wild rage in his eyes. He had begun to mutter something under his breath. "Dispel!" he cried out in triumph as he stabbed downward.
"No!" screamed the woman as the blade of the sword struck the surface of the crystal.
Lines of cracks began to appear along the surface. A bright light started to shine from inside the prison enveloping the entire room.
As the light cleared, Ryu stood in the center of the room with a wide grin on his face. The woman trapped inside the crystal was lying on the ground, still unconscious. The boy's sword was back in its sheath and he looked like he was quite unharmed, despite what the woman had done.
"What?"
"I've been playing weak, get it?" snapped Ryu as he glared at her.
"Hmm, I wasn't expecting a thief to be a real fighter," said the woman with a dark smile forming on her face. "I guess I don't have to hold back anymore."
Ryu's smile fell slightly at this, but he remained firm. "You don't know what you're dealing with."
"On the contrary, I know exactly what I'm dealing with," said the woman sharply. "It is you, who doesn't realize what's happening."
"Come on then!" snarled Ryu angrily as he put up his fists.
++++++++++++
Ryoga jumped back and snarled angrily as the threw his cloak on the ground. The fur had begun to melt away as on of the creature's neck sprayed it's blood into the hall. Ukyo was pressed against the wall near the window and growled as the dwarf appeared beside her.
"What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped.
"You shut up! That thing was gonna eat me!" he retorted. The serpent had moved back and was hidden in the shadows once again. The two remaining heads began to scream in pain as it writhed on the ground for a moment.
Another spray of blood appeared on the ground in front of the pair and they edged back against the wall nervously.
"Now what?" snapped Ukyo angrily.
"We're no worse off than we were before!" snapped the dwarf.
"We've got to get out of here!" cried Ukyo as the Hydra approached again. This time, there were four heads glaring at them angrily.
"I don't want to die!" cried the dwarf in despair.
"Shut up! We aren't going to die!" snapped Ukyo as she stepped forward into the puddle of blood.
"Yes we are, there's no way we can win," muttered the dwarf as he let his axe touch the ground in front of them. "Ukyo, cut off all the heads," he said suddenly.
"What?" she screamed.
"Just do it," he replied. He seemed to be struggling with something.
Ukyo looked at him, his eyes told everything. He just wanted it to be over quickly.
"We aren't going to survive if I do," she commented.
"It doesn't matter. Just make sure this thing remembers us," he replied quietly. Tears were running down his face as he said this. "It's all over for us. I'm not so foolish as to think otherwise."
Ukyo nodded at him and got and turned to glare at the beast. She held her sword in front of her horizontally. One hand on the hilt, and the other along the blade. "Come on you bastard! Eat this!" She rushed forward suddenly. The hydra snapped at her and she rolled underneath its strikes slashing at the base of the neck. Her sword went through smoothly and a spray of the blood shot out towards her, she braced herself for the horrible death and closed her eyes.
"SHI SHI HOUKOU DAN!"
++++++++++++
Ranma smirked as she punched the girl in the face, sending her staggering back under the force of the blow.
"Damn you!" muttered Akane angrily as she swung again and again, putting everything she had into her assault. The red-haired girl danced around the blows almost mockingly. "I will not fail!"
"You already have, you were supposed to be guarding the Kajakan, weren't you?" replied the elf in reply.
"What?" snapped Akane as she realized something was wrong. She stopped her attack and glanced around the room. "Where?" The other elf was gone.
"Boy, are you gonna get it now," said the elf girl mockingly.
"I'll kill you!" screamed Akane in rage. She charged forward and punched out at her opponent again. She missed and shattered the stone wall behind the redhead.
"Not today!" snapped the elf girl as she appeared behind her with her knee in her neck. Akane slumped to the ground, out cold.
"Damn! I still don't know who that damn armor belongs too! Wake up!" cried the elf girl as she pulled the fallen knight up by her collar and slapped her repeatedly across her face. "Shit!" she cried in frustration.
"Ranma! Leave her! It's time to go!" said Shampoo as she rushed down the stairs with the Kajakan in her hand.
"What the hell are you still doing here? Get out of the castle!" snarled the redhead angrily. "You know the way!"
"I won't leave you behind," insisted the violet haired elf as she started back up the stairs again.
"Damn it!" snarled Ranma in frustration as she glared down at the black knight.
++++++++
Ryu glared at the woman angrily. "Get out of my way."
"You're not going anywhere, until I find out exactly what I want to know!" replied the sorceress with a dark look in her eyes.
"DON'T MOVE!" cried Ryu as he rushed towards her suddenly.
"Bah! Pathetic!" snarled the woman as she shoved her hand forward again and sent Ryu sprawling across the ground. The boy landed on top of the girl who was trapped inside the crystal and she gave a small whimpering cry.
"Damn it," thought the boy as he glared at the woman who stood between himself and freedom. He glanced down at the girl underneath him and frowned.
The woman had started to walk towards him with a dark smile on her face. He stood up and lifted the dark haired girl up in his arms. "Move!" screamed Ryu as he rushed forward.
The sorceress put her hand up again and thrust it towards the boy. Her eyes went wide at what he did next. He pushed the girl up in front of himself, using her as a shield. "What?"
All of a sudden, Ryu was next to her, still holding the girl in front of his body. The sorceress shifted her weight to dodge the strike that came next, but it was too late. An impossibly powerful blow struck her in the chest. She was thrown across the room and slammed into the wall, causing a crater in the stone. She jerked upright, holding her chest and attempted to get her breath back desperately. Finally, she fell to her knees coughing violently. After a moment she managed to regain control of herself.
"He tried to tear my heart out with his bare hands! If I hadn't moved in time..." Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the room and found him long gone. "Damn! I didn't count on him being so ruthless." She stalked forward towards the hall and threw open the doors with a powerful aura surrounding her body. "I will kill him!"
++++++++++++++
Ukyo Kuonji stood without a shirt on and leaned against the wall breathing harshly. The only thing covering her chest was the tight bindings she used to hold her breast down. Her right arm was bandaged as well, just below her shoulder. She glared at the dwarf angrily. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you could do that?"
"It's an old mining technique among dwarves. We used it to clear away rubble from cave-ins and rockslides. It's very dangerous to use, and you must have a sense of complete despair for it to work. If I had even considered for a moment that I might use it to beat that monster, it would not have worked." Ryoga was leaning over the body of the hydra. He lifted a jar up in his hands and closed it carefully before placing it in the bag that hung from his side. The four necks were sealed shut by the heat from the shi shi houkou dan. The remains of five heads lined the hallway where the battle had taken place.
"Come on, let's get the hell out of here," snapped the woman angrily as she moved towards an intersection of halls. There were four, and they each went in a different direction.
"Fine! Don't thank me then!" retorted the dwarf as he caught up. "Eh? What's that noise?"
Ukyo paused and glanced down the hall, she drew her sword once again at the sound of distant explosions. "That's coming from inside the castle!"
"D'ya hear someone shouting?" said Ryoga as he cocked his head.
"Ryu?" said Ukyo as she started to turn away and jog down the hall opposite the one where the sounds were coming from.
Ryu appeared from around a corner just behind her, he appeared to be carrying someone on his back and was running down the hall with a panicked look on his face.
"Move it! She's pissed!" he screamed as he started to catch up.
"What the hell did you do?" cried Ukyo angrily.
The familiar clatter of soldiers rushing up behind them started to fill the hallway behind her.
She glanced back and saw men starting to fill the halls behind her, all of them armed. She rushed up to Ryu and screamed angrily. "What kind of thief are you? You woke up the whole damn castle!"
"The noisy one!" retorted the boy as he pulled ahead of her.
Ukyo blinked as she noticed the young girl draped over his back. She had a somewhat worn look about her, and was dressed in the remains of an expensive looking gown. She was also smoking slightly, as if she had been blasted from behind several times.
"I'll kill you!" screamed an angry feminine voice from behind them. Ryoga glanced over his shoulder and saw a woman with long white hair floating over the crowd of soldiers. Throwing blasts of energy indiscriminately at anyone who got in front of her. Men were thrown aside by the dozens as she shot her way down the hallway with an angry snarl on her face.
"What the hell did ya do?" he screamed as he rushed up to Ukyo and Ryu as fast as he could.
"There it is!" screamed Ryu as he pointed to the room where they had entered the castle from. He rushed inside and put on two gloves over his hands. The sounds of explosions grew ever closer and he jumped out the widow grabbing the rope. "Don't just stand there! Move!" he screamed at Ryoga and Ukyo.
+++++++++++++
Ranma glared at the stares Shampoo was giving her. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm taking her with me! She's got some questions to answer!" retorted the redhead angrily as she shoved the elf girl aside and carried the unconscious knight over her shoulder.
"Are you out of your mind?" snapped Shampoo as she rushed up beside her.
"I'll get rid of her later. I have to know, I've come to far to give up now. Besides, we don't have time to interrogate her here!" snapped Ranma in retort as she pushed by.
"You idiot!" retorted the elf angrily as she followed behind him. "You'll get us all killed!"
"I got that stupid staff for you didn't I? Quit complaining!" replied the pigtailed elf as she jumped down into the tunnels that would lead them outside.
++++++++++++
The sorceress burst into the room and screamed in rage as she blasted everything inside to dust. She floated around for a moment looking through the burned remains for any signs of her prey. The soldiers who survived the chase through the hallways, wisely chose to search elsewhere.
She glared around and frowned as she saw a glint of metal hanging from the window. She rushed over and peered outside, only to find a long empty rope hanging there. "Nooooooo!" she screamed in rage.
Lime and Mint rushed into the room with panicked looks on their faces. "Lord Herb! What is happening?"
"Damn them! You two idiots get me some hot water! Right now!" snapped the woman as she turned to face them.
"Yessir!" the chimed nervously, before rushing away. They stumbled over one another as they attempted to squeeze through the door at the same time.
"No one makes a fool out of me!" she snarled as she punched the wall, creating another window. "Damn them!" She paused as a realization came to her suddenly. She rushed out into the hallway and grabbed two men who had been walking by in their search for the intruders. "You two! Gather as many men as you can and go to the dungeon! At once!"
"Yes at once... Uh, who are you?" said one of the men nervously.
"Shut up and do it or I'll burn you alive!" snapped the angry woman. Her eyes became two small slits as she glared at them.
"Yes Ma'am! Right away!" agreed the other as he elbowed his companion in the ribs.
After they left, Herb smirked to herself. "Perhaps this is not the disaster it seems to be. The Kajakan could be gone, if that is so..." She chuckled darkly and turned towards her chambers.
+++++++++
Nabiki Tendo stood in front of her mirror at the Imperial Palace. She chuckled to herself and watched the scene unfold before her. "Yes, soon it will be time for you to fulfill your destiny Herb darling. I can't wait." A cold smile slowly crept onto her face as the image faded away. "Soon, very soon indeed." Her laughter echoed through the hallways of the palace long into the night.
+++++++++
Soun sighed as he placed his teacup down on the small table next to his personal throne. "There she goes again. I honestly wonder about my daughter some times."
His wife looked over at him coolly. "As do I. I wonder what could have caused this?"
He flashed a small glare at her and shook his head. "I'm tired."
"I'll remember that tonight husband," said the woman as she turned away from him.
Kasumi appeared with another tray of tea and walked up to them. "Oh my. Nabiki seems so cheerful lately." She began to serve her parents tea full of blissful ignorance.
+++++++++
Ryu smirked as he took off his gloves and watched his companions blowing on their hands desperately. They had slid down the rope rather quickly at his insistence. "Well, that's that. Let's get out of here before they start combing the place for us." He stood up and started to walk away.
"Wait! What about her?" said Ukyo as she pointed towards the unconscious girl. Ryu had left her lying on the ground.
"Right. Bring her if you want," said the boy with a shrug.
Ukyo sighed and lifted her up in her arms with a wince of pain. Her hands would take a while to heal on their own. Luckily, she had some healing magic in with her things back at the meeting place.
"Do you think Ranma got away?" whispered the Knight timidly.
"Only one way to find out," replied Ryu. "Come on, we'll wait at the meeting place."
Ukyo smirked slightly as she caught him taking quick glances at the castle as they left.
"When I get my hands on Ranma, I'll ring his neck for making me go through all this!" snapped the dwarf angrily.
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TBC...
Next Time: Ranma and The Black Knight.