Chapter: 2
Preparations
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you may have quessed, very few of the characters in this story belong to me. They are Ouji, Jade, Dark Wing, Fang and Claw, and their pets. The rest are owned by Glen Cook and Akira Toriama. They are used without permission in a way that is not meant to make any money. This story may only be reproduced if no profit is made, and all the text is left intact.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outside the City of Gyrdon, a large black
coach, with no hitch, and a man are waiting.
'Where the hell are they?' I thought to myself, 'Oh, here they come.'
"Hey guys, what took you so long?"
One of the two short men decided to speak.
"Keep your cloak on kid. Just because you're the youngest doesn't mean that you're the smartest." That was Fang's spite. He's full of it, spite, that is.
"Alright guys, let's get our shit together. Night Wing, go ahead and relax, we'll be on the road for a while, and tell those birds of yours to stay on their perches this time." Last time this happened, those two birdbrains had flown off to attack just as we left. By the time we stopped, they were two days behind.
With that, the large man in black fell to his hands and knees. His body contorted in what seemed to great agony. His cloak began to form to his body as a long, thin tail grew from his back. Finally, his head changed until he was completely in the form of a large black panther.
"Alright, Cat, you and Jade will be inside with me," he didn't like being called that, but he put up with it. He was more comfortable in his panther form, and we were the only people who didn't run away or try to kill him. I aimed my palm at the crest on the side of the coach.
As the crest lifted to show the coach door, there was a sounding of horns coming from within the city. "Let's go guys. It looks like their going to try to screw us over after all. Fang, Claw, get those creatures of yours hitched up, fast!" Night Wing followed Jade into the coach.
The two short men levitated up to the driver's bench of the coach. Claw went first. He touched the lizard medallion that he wore around his neck, and then he threw his hands forward. With that, a large komodo dragon sprang forth from the medallion and landed in front of the coach.
Then Fang followed in suit. He touched his snake medallion and flung his hands forward. Upon doing so, two large black cobras flew from his chest and hovered in front of the coach. Then in a flash, a hitch appeared. I entered the coach, and, with a jolt, we were off. After this, our final betrayal by an employer, we had decided to return to the plain and seek the guidance of Croaker.
As we sped away from Gyrdon, we looked back to see the Royal Guard of the Baron of Gyrdon in hot pursuit. They were still back there, and that meant that Fang and Claw had something cooked up.
During our service to the baron, he unknowingly financed the construction of a sizable fortress around the Shadow Gate to the Plain of Glittering Stone. This fortress was impenetrable except by brothers of the Black Company, even when left unmanned. This was so because of who watched over the fortress. The eyes of a thousand crows, which give this fortress the name "The Fortress of Ravens," allowed the now immortal Croaker to watch over it. He decided who entered the fortress, and who went through the Shadow Gate.
It was well past dark when The Fortress of Ravens first came into view. What I saw then confirmed my suspicions. Fang and Claw were up to something. Along the top of the wall of the fortress, were over a thousand men armed with the bamboo fire-ball-launchers. Even though the entire fortress was surrounded in light as bright as day, the walls seemed to seethe with a dark shadow. This was clear evidence that the walls were covered with the unknown shadows of The Great Tobo.
At the sight of the heavily protected fortress, the chase was off. The Baron's Royal Guard scattered and fled for life and limb. Which was fortunate for us, because only the fortress itself was real. The shadows and the snipers were all well crafted illusions. As we neared the immense fortress, the doors swung open and we made our way inside.
As I stepped out of the coach, a large white crow landed on my shoulder and spoke into my ear.
"Fang. Claw. Croaker is very proud. That was a classic Goblin-One-Eye-illusion. Good job."
I could have sworn that those two almost smiled at that one. You wouldn't know it from looking at them, but they were proud. It wasn't every day that Croaker even noticed stuff like that.
We stayed at the fortress, collecting supplies, for a few days. When Fang and Claw weren't expressly given duties, you could always find them dueling in the courtyard. After they had destroyed three carts, I had had enough.
"Fang! Claw! That's enough!" My outburst was promptly met with blank stares.
"I want you two to figure out how to get the coach across the plain. And no more games!"
Four peaceful days later, Fang and Claw came to me with the solution. They showed up with what looked like one of the original badges from the old crew's service with Soul Catcher. I was a little disappointed, but what I saw next made me very happy.
"Alright boss, here's how we'll get the coach across the plain."
"What's this, a badge? What good will that do us?"
"It's not just a badge, it's the coach. Here." With that, Fang pinned the badge to my shirt, just under the corner of my cape, so that it was hidden from view.
"Now, pull the front of the badge off the back, and throw it over there." I removed the front of the badge, and threw it towards the middle of the courtyard. When the badge landed, it exploded. When the smoke cleared, standing in the place where the badge landed, was the coach.
"Now look at the center of the crest. You see the badge in the middle? Take it." I reached forward and grabbed the badge off the crest. When it broke contact, the coach disappeared in a cloud of smoke. I placed the badge back on the pin on my chest, and turned to Fang and Claw.
"Just tell me one thing boys, where did you get the idea?"
"It was Croaker's idea, actually."
Preparations
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you may have quessed, very few of the characters in this story belong to me. They are Ouji, Jade, Dark Wing, Fang and Claw, and their pets. The rest are owned by Glen Cook and Akira Toriama. They are used without permission in a way that is not meant to make any money. This story may only be reproduced if no profit is made, and all the text is left intact.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outside the City of Gyrdon, a large black
coach, with no hitch, and a man are waiting.
'Where the hell are they?' I thought to myself, 'Oh, here they come.'
"Hey guys, what took you so long?"
One of the two short men decided to speak.
"Keep your cloak on kid. Just because you're the youngest doesn't mean that you're the smartest." That was Fang's spite. He's full of it, spite, that is.
"Alright guys, let's get our shit together. Night Wing, go ahead and relax, we'll be on the road for a while, and tell those birds of yours to stay on their perches this time." Last time this happened, those two birdbrains had flown off to attack just as we left. By the time we stopped, they were two days behind.
With that, the large man in black fell to his hands and knees. His body contorted in what seemed to great agony. His cloak began to form to his body as a long, thin tail grew from his back. Finally, his head changed until he was completely in the form of a large black panther.
"Alright, Cat, you and Jade will be inside with me," he didn't like being called that, but he put up with it. He was more comfortable in his panther form, and we were the only people who didn't run away or try to kill him. I aimed my palm at the crest on the side of the coach.
As the crest lifted to show the coach door, there was a sounding of horns coming from within the city. "Let's go guys. It looks like their going to try to screw us over after all. Fang, Claw, get those creatures of yours hitched up, fast!" Night Wing followed Jade into the coach.
The two short men levitated up to the driver's bench of the coach. Claw went first. He touched the lizard medallion that he wore around his neck, and then he threw his hands forward. With that, a large komodo dragon sprang forth from the medallion and landed in front of the coach.
Then Fang followed in suit. He touched his snake medallion and flung his hands forward. Upon doing so, two large black cobras flew from his chest and hovered in front of the coach. Then in a flash, a hitch appeared. I entered the coach, and, with a jolt, we were off. After this, our final betrayal by an employer, we had decided to return to the plain and seek the guidance of Croaker.
As we sped away from Gyrdon, we looked back to see the Royal Guard of the Baron of Gyrdon in hot pursuit. They were still back there, and that meant that Fang and Claw had something cooked up.
During our service to the baron, he unknowingly financed the construction of a sizable fortress around the Shadow Gate to the Plain of Glittering Stone. This fortress was impenetrable except by brothers of the Black Company, even when left unmanned. This was so because of who watched over the fortress. The eyes of a thousand crows, which give this fortress the name "The Fortress of Ravens," allowed the now immortal Croaker to watch over it. He decided who entered the fortress, and who went through the Shadow Gate.
It was well past dark when The Fortress of Ravens first came into view. What I saw then confirmed my suspicions. Fang and Claw were up to something. Along the top of the wall of the fortress, were over a thousand men armed with the bamboo fire-ball-launchers. Even though the entire fortress was surrounded in light as bright as day, the walls seemed to seethe with a dark shadow. This was clear evidence that the walls were covered with the unknown shadows of The Great Tobo.
At the sight of the heavily protected fortress, the chase was off. The Baron's Royal Guard scattered and fled for life and limb. Which was fortunate for us, because only the fortress itself was real. The shadows and the snipers were all well crafted illusions. As we neared the immense fortress, the doors swung open and we made our way inside.
As I stepped out of the coach, a large white crow landed on my shoulder and spoke into my ear.
"Fang. Claw. Croaker is very proud. That was a classic Goblin-One-Eye-illusion. Good job."
I could have sworn that those two almost smiled at that one. You wouldn't know it from looking at them, but they were proud. It wasn't every day that Croaker even noticed stuff like that.
We stayed at the fortress, collecting supplies, for a few days. When Fang and Claw weren't expressly given duties, you could always find them dueling in the courtyard. After they had destroyed three carts, I had had enough.
"Fang! Claw! That's enough!" My outburst was promptly met with blank stares.
"I want you two to figure out how to get the coach across the plain. And no more games!"
Four peaceful days later, Fang and Claw came to me with the solution. They showed up with what looked like one of the original badges from the old crew's service with Soul Catcher. I was a little disappointed, but what I saw next made me very happy.
"Alright boss, here's how we'll get the coach across the plain."
"What's this, a badge? What good will that do us?"
"It's not just a badge, it's the coach. Here." With that, Fang pinned the badge to my shirt, just under the corner of my cape, so that it was hidden from view.
"Now, pull the front of the badge off the back, and throw it over there." I removed the front of the badge, and threw it towards the middle of the courtyard. When the badge landed, it exploded. When the smoke cleared, standing in the place where the badge landed, was the coach.
"Now look at the center of the crest. You see the badge in the middle? Take it." I reached forward and grabbed the badge off the crest. When it broke contact, the coach disappeared in a cloud of smoke. I placed the badge back on the pin on my chest, and turned to Fang and Claw.
"Just tell me one thing boys, where did you get the idea?"
"It was Croaker's idea, actually."