CHAPTER 3: THE GIFT pt.1
With hope, time, and land running out like water through a sift, the time for a leader to emerge from the ranks of Team Tendo was overdue. Feeling the lava slowly closing in for the proverbial kill, Akane saw a few meters ahead what looked like a drainage ditch. It appeared to be about a meter and a half wide.
Figuring that it was the girls only hope for escape. Realizing this macabre fact, Akane yelled to the girls running behind her closely," There's a ditch up ahead! We'll have to jump it! We'll hopefully be safe on the other side!".
The group replied," OKAY!". Reaching deep inside each of their souls to find something that would give them to run a bit faster towards the possible safe spot on the other side.
Suddenly, each one of them felt something like a light switch click on as they to a bit faster. The distance between them and the lava grew slowly, but steadily.
Severely out of breath, not one person could actually remember jumping the narrow ditch as they watched the lava be successfully contained by the crevice. Akane looked at the lava and thought to herself," That was WAY too close for anyone' comfort.", pausing for a moment as she looked back at the other girls," Come to think of it! I could've sworn that the guys were with us when we were all struck by that lightning bolt. I hope that their okay where ever they are at.".
Akane asked the still slightly winded girls,'" Is everyone okay??". Ran-Chan replied," As good as we can be!", gasping occasionally," Especially considering what we just went through. What I'd like to know though is just exactly how did we get onto the side of that stinking volcano in the first place?!?". The same question and sentiment was shared by each member of the group with no apparent answer. One thing was for sure. They weren't in Nermia anymore.
Trying to get their bearings, Ukyo, Akane, Ran-Chan, Nabiki, and Shampoo each scanned a portion of the surrounding countryside for any signs of life. After a few moments of searching, Ran-Chan saw some type of village on the other side of a thick patch of forest just a few meters away.
Pointing out her findings to the rest of the group, Ran-Chan slowly started walking towards the hidden village. That is until Akane yanked her back by her shirt collar. "What did you do that for, Akane?!?". shrieked Ran-Chan.
"We don't need to go off half cocked, Ran-Chan! Call it what you will, but I have a very bad feeling about those woods that I can't really describe in words.", pausing to take another look at the woods," Let's walk together into the woods, but be ready for anything. Okay?!?". Knowing that Akane was making sense, Shampoo and company hesitantly went along with Akane' plan. Even Akane' sister Nabiki had slight doubts about her little sister's plan, but along with it anyway.
Ran-Chan ran point with Ukyo bringing up the rear as Team Tendo moved towards the dark forest with a certain degree of unease that they could feel in their stomachs.
The dark skies of the night outside of the forest was gloomy enough, but the inside of the evil forest was like a black hole as the moonlight couldn't breakthrough the tightly woven canopy. Not even a sound could be heard in the pitch black abyss as Ran-Chan carefully ventured forward. Unfortunately, Team Tendo wasn't the only creatures in the dismal grove as they were being stalked by an unknown predator with the evilest of intentions towards the still juiced up girls.
About halfway through the sinister brush, shafts of moonlight slowly started peaking through the canopy and piercing the darkness like hunting spears into their prey. As the darkness slowly withdrew, Ran-Chan could clearly see that they were getting closer to the secret village. Unfortunately, their mysterious stalker made his presence known as he jumped out from his hiding place and stood at the entrance to the village.
Ran-Chan was first to scream as she saw the menacing warrior' shape just about cover the entire opening to the village. This over 7' tall tin man from hell appeared to armored from head to toe in an ancient style of armor that was only rumored to have existed. The only other thing visible was the long sword he carried and also the eyes on this guy would make anyone' blood run cold.
As Ran-Chan checked over the armored foot soldier, she thought to herself," I have no idea why this guy has a beef with us. I have a sneaky feeling though that it isn't a good thing for us.".
Ran-Chan patiently waited for the soldier' first move with her chestnut fist attack ready when the soldier finally spoke in a eerie voice," So. These are the legendary Ladies of the 13TH Dragon," pausing," Not really much to look at right now. The Master will reward well for dispensing with you pests and bringing your heads to him as my proof.".
The metallic behemoth' words puzzled Team Tendo as they tried to figure what the soldier was talking about. Had it with being nice for the moment, Akane cried," Look, pal! I don't know exactly who or what you are! If you don't move your tin ass out of our way, then we'll just have to move it for ya!!!!". Akane' words shocked her companions for a moment as they couldn't believe what she just said, but they agreed whole heartedly with her meaning.
The Soldier replied," You weak humans couldn't do it! You aren't that much of a threat!", pausing before confidentially saying," I dare you to try it!!!!".
That was the straw that broke the camel' back as Akane replied," YOU ASKED FOR IT, BUDDY!!!! C'MON GIRLS!!!!". Instantly, Akane and Ukyo started attacking the soldier' lower body as Ran-Chan and Shampoo attacked from above with a vengeance. Predictably, Nabiki stood in the rear and watched the whole scene play out.
Unfortunately, the high and low attack that had worked many times before failed miserably. Ukyo and Akane were stopped in mid attack with a front back kick that doubled up both of them as the soldier simultaneously blocked Ran-Chan and Shampoo' aerial strike with a simple high block that hit them like a grenade going off.
The sheer impact of the kick and block from the soldier was enough to send the 4 attackers flying back several meters where they came to rest at the feet of Nabiki Tendo. And Nabiki was standing almost 10 meters away from the armored foot soldier.
Seeing her friends lying on the ground in pain and barely conscious, Nabiki knew that she couldn't just stand by and see her loved ones get hurt. Reaching deep down in her soul again, Nabiki channeled her anger into a place that she never thought she would ever have to use.
Slowly as her battle aura started building, Nabiki slowly tuned out the groans of her traveling companions until they were silent and she could only hear the beating of her own heart. At that moment. Nabiki began running headlong towards the soldier with a fire like the one that she out ran from the volcano. About halfway to the soldier, Nabiki leaped and cried out towards the heavens," GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!!!!!!". Nabiki delivered a western (wrestling) lariat with such force that she literally knocked the soldier backwards enough to put him down to one knee as he tried to block the move.
The metal man wasn't the only one that was surprised by Nabiki' attack. Akane and Ran-Chan slowly came around at the same moment of the impact between Nabiki and the roadblock. They were stunned to see the usually money hungry Nabiki doing something from her heart. And the fact that she was using an attack shocked the heirs to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts.
Akane asked," Are you okay, Nabiki?!?". Nabiki didn't reply as she looked over her left shoulder at the rest of the recovering group. Akane could tell that Nabiki' adrenaline was still pumping heavily. There was also something else different about Nabiki.
A blue light seemed to light up on Nabiki' forehead as a Japanese character symbol started flashing. The group saw that it was the symbol for "Trust". As the rest of the gang started stumbling up to their feet, everyone could see that Nabiki wasn't the only that was sporting a flashing character on her forehead.
Nabiki rose from her kneeling position as the rest of Team Tendo rose to their feet and stood side by side with a still jazzed up Nabiki. They now turned their focused attention towards the stubborn roadblock, who was also getting back up to his feet.
The soldier stood ready for the girls as he told them," Not bad, little one! I am surprised that you did that. Too bad it won't happen again , Nabiki Tendo! Prepare to be sent to the next dimension, girls!!!".
Team Tendo just let those comments roll off their backs like water on a duck as they charged in unison towards the soldier with hell burning in their eyes. But a kibosh was put on that plan by an event that no one in that forest could have ever predicted.
The charge of the lady brigade was halted by the sudden appearance of a staff. It landed exactly halfway between the soldier and the girls. But the girls knew instinctively that this wasn't any ordinary staff.
Akane and the girls could sense some type of magick flow throughout the staff. It flowed from the ornamental top of gold to the simple wooden point that was lodged firmly into the ground. The ornamental top consisted of a golden pair wings held in place by a golden sphere on top with 2 curves in each side of the top that held 3 golden rings in place. As the 6 golden rings clanged and clattered wildly, a golden light was given off that drove the armored goon absolutely insane.
"THAT STAFF!!!! It belongs to only one person!", pausing to frantically search the surrounding foliage for his new target," SHOW YOURSELF, MONK!!!!", cried out the obviously disturbed soldier. Suddenly a voice came from over head," I am here, Dynasty slave.".
The soldier bellowed out again," SHOW YOURSELF, COWARDLY MONK!!!! I WILL MAKE YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE NEXT DIMENSION A REAL PAINFUL ONE!!!!". The mysterious voice replied," I am right front of you.".
In an instant, an ancient Shao-lin monk appeared right next to the staff. Ran-Chan thought to herself," RAYDEN LIVES! RAYDEN LIVES!".
The Ancient One cut right to the chase as he told the soldier," Go tell your Dark Empire Master that the prophecy of the 13th Dragon has been set into motion and that there is nothing that he can do to upset that prophecy." The soldier quickly disappeared after hearing the message as Ukyo thought to herself," He talked without moving his lips the whole time.".
The girls of Team Tendo knew that their lives as they knew it were about to be drastically changed.
TO BE CONTINUED.........