CHAPTER 6
----------
Taken aback by the creature's sudden attack, Conan drew his magical sword with a quick
flick of his wrist and leapt out of its way, the blade missing its mark by a little more than an
inch. Anu'bin howled in anger and frustration as its blade harmlessly dug into the soil; it had
never before encountered any living being capable of avoiding its swift and deadly attacks, and
Conan's unexpected survival suddenly made it feel anxious and unsure. Seizing this chance,
Ayumi swiftly positioned herself in a battle position, her spear aimed directly at Anu'bin's
skull-like head. As if it sensed the danger Ayumi's weapon posed, it narrowed its dark eyes and
swayed from side to side. Heiji attempted to subdue Anu'bin with sleeping spells, but to his
dismay they had no effect on the creature.
Se'ath let loose a sudden, mocking laugh. "Fool! Do you mortals think that you can
dispose of Anu'bin so easily? Do not forget... the champion Tekkitie belongs to the swiftest
of all, the great Se'ath! Go, my pet... feast upon their worthless bodies, spare no one!"
Before Anu'bin could launch another attack, the heroes were already prepared for it.
Confused and agitated, Anu'bin slashed away randomly at the party, but this time it did not
hit anything, for confusion had made its combat skills sharply drop. The heroes attacked from all
sides, nearly overwhelming the giant Tekkitie. But alas; Anu'bin soon recovered its senses and
flung them away. Unfortunately, Conan didn't react quickly enough to evade a crushing blow from
its deadly blade.
Seeing that Conan had been struck, Anu'bin's grotesque jaw twisted into the semblance of
a wicked smile. Screeching maniacally, it began to slash repeatedly at Conan, Leaving gaping
wounds on his face and body. Then, all of a sudden, Se'ath started flailing the air with his
blade-like arms. "Noooooo! Stop, Anu'bin... spare the boy! The Dark One wants him alive... bring
him to me, and I shall present my capture to the Master!"
"Rrrrrghh..."
As Anu'bin opened its jaw to attempt to lift Conan, his eyes suddenly snapped open. But
they were no longer a brilliant blue; instead they radiated an eerie yellow light. Then a
spectacular transformation took place; There was a blinding flash of light. Conan's body was
lifted into the air, light enveloping his body and assuming the form of a supernatural being.
The light faded away, leaving behind a creature like no human eye had ever seen before. It had
the head of a wolf, its crimson-haired hide burning with spirit-fire. It stood upright like a
human, and upon is back was a pair of demon-like wings. But among these features there was some-
thing all the others recognized.
On its left shoulder was the holy symbol of the Kai.
"Hold, fell demon! I am Jantoor, worthy guardian of the Kai. Beyond death the powers of
the mighty Lord grant me revenge upon the Dark Lord. Minions of the Dark One shall roam the
lands no more, for I, Jantoor, shall be your executioner... so perish all spawn of evil!!"
Anu'bin whimpered and jumped back, terrified of the winged wolf that stood towering over
it. Convinced that the Tekkitie was no longer a threat, Jantoor turned to face Se'ath, whose
face was a look of abject terror. Jantoor's mouth opened, allowing sparks of energy to gather.
Tiny balls of blue light merged together into a large ball of blue lightning - and in an instant
it was released and it came roaring towards Se'ath. But even his swift reactions were insuffi-
cient to save him from death. The sphere of energy struck his abdomen, causing a flash and, in
a split second, all that remained of Se'ath was a pile of glowing black cinders, with a dull grey
gem resting upon the mound. Soul bodies were released from the gem, and they floated into the
infinities of space. Among the mass of souls, Heiji recognized the face of Baron Gwayndel. But
it was no longer a face of pain; it was calm and relaxed. Heiji watched as the Baron's soul moved
on to the afterlife.
The body of Jantoor slowly dissipated, leaving a tired Conan in its place. He was
puzzled. Why had Se'ath spared his life? What was the strange force that took over his body? Who
was this 'master' they all obeyed? Ran was in grave danger. He could sense it.
Meanwhile, Genta was enjoying himself, kicking away at a frightened Anu'bin. The Tekkitie
whimpered and whined, as if the loss of its master has made it as weak and helpless as a chick.
"Haha! Now you're nothing but an insect! And I, the mighty Genta, shall treat you like
one!"
Heiji stepped forward and playfully gave Genta a rap on the head with his quarterstaff.
"Now, now, Barbarian - don't just kill him yet. I know that he has wounded your friend, but he
may be of some use to us." Turning toward Anu'bin, he reached out and removed a tiny black gem
embedded in its forehead. "There. Se'ath used this to control you, Anu'bin. You're rid of him
now."
There was a sudden, striking change in Anu'bin's appearance. The Tekkitie shrank
slightly, and its once razor-sharp blades were now blunt spikes. Two tiny blue spots of light
appeared in its eye-sockets. Instead of emitting a shriek, its call was now a curious gurgling
sound. Genta laughed nervously. "Heiji... I think it likes you."
Heiji raised an eyebrow. "So? we all have a new ally. I don't think Skull Eye likes him,
though. Oh, well. It's getting late now - the vortex will only open when the sun is bright. We
shall set up camp here tonight. Ayumi, take care of Conan."
~*~
A soft breeze blew across the barren landscape of Khalei-Rund that night, the night sky
littered with clusters of stars which formed the twelve constellations of Omegnar. Anu'bin slept
beneath the stars, while the heroes slept soundly in their tents which surrounded a small bonfire.
But Ayumi, Heiji and Mitsuhiko remained awake. Teary-eyed after crying for some time,
Ayumi was quite reluctant to speak.
"...Why did Conan turn into such a terrible creature? I just don't understand..."
Mitsuhiko put a comforting hand on her shoulder. For a moment there was an uneasy
silence, then he finally spoke. "Heiji, is there any explanation for Conan's transformation?"
Heiji lowered his head and let out a long sigh. "Yes... what we have witnessed was a
rare phenomenon... a spirit guardian has shown himself. Legend has it that only the Chosen Ones
can possess such powers. The ancient Magans call it... The Beast Within."
Mitsuhiko and Ayumi exchanged nervous glances.
"The Beast Within only happens when the anger of a Chosen One's anger has reached its
limit, his spirit-fire ignites and the Guardian shows itself. In Conan's case, well... the spirit
of the bat-wolf Jantoor resides in his soul. It is almost midnight - we might as well sleep now."
Still restless, Ayumi returned to her tent to check on Conan. She sat down beside him,
thoughts swirling in her mind. Why was he cursed with such powers? Why, most of all, did he
like Ran instead of her? She let out a sigh. No use thinking about it, she thought. Might as well
sleep it out...
Then, Conan stirred, feebly opening his eyes. "...Ayumi...? Where... am I?"
"Se'ath has fallen, Sir Conan. He was slain by your hand."
"...What?"
Ayumi slowly explained, event by event, about the spirit of Jantoor, the fall of Se'ath
and finally about how Anu'bin became an ally. Conan nodded. "So the legend of the Guardians was
true... Jantoor lives in me..."
"You must get some rest. It is past midnight."
"All right, I will. Thank you for helping me heal my wounds."
"... you're welcome, Sir Conan."
Giggling to herself, she lay down beside Conan and both of them fell asleep moments
later.
~*~
The next morning, Conan woke up, still bruised and sore from his wounds. He jerked Ayumi
up, slipped on his suit of armour and emerged from the tent. He took a deep breath. Ahh, what a
great feeling it is to be able to feel the chilly morning air. Genta and Mitsuhiko were still
asleep. Sitting beside a pile of ashes that had once been the bonfire the night before, his
thoughts drifted to Jantoor. He still remembered the dream he had long ago, back when after he
was found wounded and unconscious in the wilderness outside the kingdom of Northfield...
"...Wake up, hero."
(What...? Hero?)
"I am the Lord Kai. Awaken now, Chosen One."
(...Chosen One? What crazy dream is this...?)
"You are one of the few mortal guardians that can save your world from the evil that
roams free. Go now, hero. You need not fear, for Jantoor is by your side."
(Jantoor? Evil? What's going on?)
Conan shook his head, trying to shake off the bits and pieces of scattered memories that
surrounded his mind. He had no past, no memory of his childhood years. All he remembered was the
dream. And his foster parents, Kudo Yukiko and Kudo Yuusaku, died a mysterious death. Leaving
behind nothing but his house, a journal, and a strange gold coin embossed with the picture of a
dragon.
"No... no time to think about that now... oh, darn... I can think of nothing..."
Ayumi climed out from the tent, only to find Conan lost in thought near the remains of
the fire. She placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Conan jerked his head up.
"Ayumi! Up so early?"
Ayumi smiled. "YOU woke me up. Therefore you are to blame."
"Ha...fine, suit yourself. I'll go wake the others."
He peeked inside Genta's tent and found his barbarian friend fast asleep, with Mitsuhiko
lying upon his gigantic belly. Conan kicked them with his armoured boot. "Oy! It's morning
already! Get up now, lazybones! On the double!"
Mitsuhiko awoke with a start, hastily putting on his sorcerer's hat and clutching his
staff. "Huh? Wha... oh, Conan! Listen! I have bad news... the Lord's messenger spirits have told
me that the village of Voryenne has been attacked by minions of the Dark One... and a serpent
terrorizes the waters! We must hurry!"
Conan raised an eyebrow. "I know that, Mitsuhiko. I'm in a hurry to save Ran myself. But
what about Genta here? Even Anu'bin is up. We can't leave him here, can we?"
"Oh! I know how... this should do it!"
Mitsuhiko pointed his staff at Genta. A crackle of electricity arced from the tip of the
staff to hit Genta on the backside. Waking up with a jolt, Genta frantically bolted out of the
tent, screaming in pain.
"OWWWWWWWOWOOOOWWWW! MY BOTTOM! HOT!! AIEEEE!"
The others giggled as they watched their comrade run around comically. Clutching his
aching belly, Conan tried to stop laughing. "Okay, that's enough...*ha ha* we must go now...
I smell serpent stew!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTE
--------------
Woot! Finally finished typing chapter 6... say, if you readers out there have any suggestions,
feel free to e-mail me! (Stay tuned for the next exciting episode! And now a word from our
sponsors...) =^_^=
----------
Taken aback by the creature's sudden attack, Conan drew his magical sword with a quick
flick of his wrist and leapt out of its way, the blade missing its mark by a little more than an
inch. Anu'bin howled in anger and frustration as its blade harmlessly dug into the soil; it had
never before encountered any living being capable of avoiding its swift and deadly attacks, and
Conan's unexpected survival suddenly made it feel anxious and unsure. Seizing this chance,
Ayumi swiftly positioned herself in a battle position, her spear aimed directly at Anu'bin's
skull-like head. As if it sensed the danger Ayumi's weapon posed, it narrowed its dark eyes and
swayed from side to side. Heiji attempted to subdue Anu'bin with sleeping spells, but to his
dismay they had no effect on the creature.
Se'ath let loose a sudden, mocking laugh. "Fool! Do you mortals think that you can
dispose of Anu'bin so easily? Do not forget... the champion Tekkitie belongs to the swiftest
of all, the great Se'ath! Go, my pet... feast upon their worthless bodies, spare no one!"
Before Anu'bin could launch another attack, the heroes were already prepared for it.
Confused and agitated, Anu'bin slashed away randomly at the party, but this time it did not
hit anything, for confusion had made its combat skills sharply drop. The heroes attacked from all
sides, nearly overwhelming the giant Tekkitie. But alas; Anu'bin soon recovered its senses and
flung them away. Unfortunately, Conan didn't react quickly enough to evade a crushing blow from
its deadly blade.
Seeing that Conan had been struck, Anu'bin's grotesque jaw twisted into the semblance of
a wicked smile. Screeching maniacally, it began to slash repeatedly at Conan, Leaving gaping
wounds on his face and body. Then, all of a sudden, Se'ath started flailing the air with his
blade-like arms. "Noooooo! Stop, Anu'bin... spare the boy! The Dark One wants him alive... bring
him to me, and I shall present my capture to the Master!"
"Rrrrrghh..."
As Anu'bin opened its jaw to attempt to lift Conan, his eyes suddenly snapped open. But
they were no longer a brilliant blue; instead they radiated an eerie yellow light. Then a
spectacular transformation took place; There was a blinding flash of light. Conan's body was
lifted into the air, light enveloping his body and assuming the form of a supernatural being.
The light faded away, leaving behind a creature like no human eye had ever seen before. It had
the head of a wolf, its crimson-haired hide burning with spirit-fire. It stood upright like a
human, and upon is back was a pair of demon-like wings. But among these features there was some-
thing all the others recognized.
On its left shoulder was the holy symbol of the Kai.
"Hold, fell demon! I am Jantoor, worthy guardian of the Kai. Beyond death the powers of
the mighty Lord grant me revenge upon the Dark Lord. Minions of the Dark One shall roam the
lands no more, for I, Jantoor, shall be your executioner... so perish all spawn of evil!!"
Anu'bin whimpered and jumped back, terrified of the winged wolf that stood towering over
it. Convinced that the Tekkitie was no longer a threat, Jantoor turned to face Se'ath, whose
face was a look of abject terror. Jantoor's mouth opened, allowing sparks of energy to gather.
Tiny balls of blue light merged together into a large ball of blue lightning - and in an instant
it was released and it came roaring towards Se'ath. But even his swift reactions were insuffi-
cient to save him from death. The sphere of energy struck his abdomen, causing a flash and, in
a split second, all that remained of Se'ath was a pile of glowing black cinders, with a dull grey
gem resting upon the mound. Soul bodies were released from the gem, and they floated into the
infinities of space. Among the mass of souls, Heiji recognized the face of Baron Gwayndel. But
it was no longer a face of pain; it was calm and relaxed. Heiji watched as the Baron's soul moved
on to the afterlife.
The body of Jantoor slowly dissipated, leaving a tired Conan in its place. He was
puzzled. Why had Se'ath spared his life? What was the strange force that took over his body? Who
was this 'master' they all obeyed? Ran was in grave danger. He could sense it.
Meanwhile, Genta was enjoying himself, kicking away at a frightened Anu'bin. The Tekkitie
whimpered and whined, as if the loss of its master has made it as weak and helpless as a chick.
"Haha! Now you're nothing but an insect! And I, the mighty Genta, shall treat you like
one!"
Heiji stepped forward and playfully gave Genta a rap on the head with his quarterstaff.
"Now, now, Barbarian - don't just kill him yet. I know that he has wounded your friend, but he
may be of some use to us." Turning toward Anu'bin, he reached out and removed a tiny black gem
embedded in its forehead. "There. Se'ath used this to control you, Anu'bin. You're rid of him
now."
There was a sudden, striking change in Anu'bin's appearance. The Tekkitie shrank
slightly, and its once razor-sharp blades were now blunt spikes. Two tiny blue spots of light
appeared in its eye-sockets. Instead of emitting a shriek, its call was now a curious gurgling
sound. Genta laughed nervously. "Heiji... I think it likes you."
Heiji raised an eyebrow. "So? we all have a new ally. I don't think Skull Eye likes him,
though. Oh, well. It's getting late now - the vortex will only open when the sun is bright. We
shall set up camp here tonight. Ayumi, take care of Conan."
~*~
A soft breeze blew across the barren landscape of Khalei-Rund that night, the night sky
littered with clusters of stars which formed the twelve constellations of Omegnar. Anu'bin slept
beneath the stars, while the heroes slept soundly in their tents which surrounded a small bonfire.
But Ayumi, Heiji and Mitsuhiko remained awake. Teary-eyed after crying for some time,
Ayumi was quite reluctant to speak.
"...Why did Conan turn into such a terrible creature? I just don't understand..."
Mitsuhiko put a comforting hand on her shoulder. For a moment there was an uneasy
silence, then he finally spoke. "Heiji, is there any explanation for Conan's transformation?"
Heiji lowered his head and let out a long sigh. "Yes... what we have witnessed was a
rare phenomenon... a spirit guardian has shown himself. Legend has it that only the Chosen Ones
can possess such powers. The ancient Magans call it... The Beast Within."
Mitsuhiko and Ayumi exchanged nervous glances.
"The Beast Within only happens when the anger of a Chosen One's anger has reached its
limit, his spirit-fire ignites and the Guardian shows itself. In Conan's case, well... the spirit
of the bat-wolf Jantoor resides in his soul. It is almost midnight - we might as well sleep now."
Still restless, Ayumi returned to her tent to check on Conan. She sat down beside him,
thoughts swirling in her mind. Why was he cursed with such powers? Why, most of all, did he
like Ran instead of her? She let out a sigh. No use thinking about it, she thought. Might as well
sleep it out...
Then, Conan stirred, feebly opening his eyes. "...Ayumi...? Where... am I?"
"Se'ath has fallen, Sir Conan. He was slain by your hand."
"...What?"
Ayumi slowly explained, event by event, about the spirit of Jantoor, the fall of Se'ath
and finally about how Anu'bin became an ally. Conan nodded. "So the legend of the Guardians was
true... Jantoor lives in me..."
"You must get some rest. It is past midnight."
"All right, I will. Thank you for helping me heal my wounds."
"... you're welcome, Sir Conan."
Giggling to herself, she lay down beside Conan and both of them fell asleep moments
later.
~*~
The next morning, Conan woke up, still bruised and sore from his wounds. He jerked Ayumi
up, slipped on his suit of armour and emerged from the tent. He took a deep breath. Ahh, what a
great feeling it is to be able to feel the chilly morning air. Genta and Mitsuhiko were still
asleep. Sitting beside a pile of ashes that had once been the bonfire the night before, his
thoughts drifted to Jantoor. He still remembered the dream he had long ago, back when after he
was found wounded and unconscious in the wilderness outside the kingdom of Northfield...
"...Wake up, hero."
(What...? Hero?)
"I am the Lord Kai. Awaken now, Chosen One."
(...Chosen One? What crazy dream is this...?)
"You are one of the few mortal guardians that can save your world from the evil that
roams free. Go now, hero. You need not fear, for Jantoor is by your side."
(Jantoor? Evil? What's going on?)
Conan shook his head, trying to shake off the bits and pieces of scattered memories that
surrounded his mind. He had no past, no memory of his childhood years. All he remembered was the
dream. And his foster parents, Kudo Yukiko and Kudo Yuusaku, died a mysterious death. Leaving
behind nothing but his house, a journal, and a strange gold coin embossed with the picture of a
dragon.
"No... no time to think about that now... oh, darn... I can think of nothing..."
Ayumi climed out from the tent, only to find Conan lost in thought near the remains of
the fire. She placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Conan jerked his head up.
"Ayumi! Up so early?"
Ayumi smiled. "YOU woke me up. Therefore you are to blame."
"Ha...fine, suit yourself. I'll go wake the others."
He peeked inside Genta's tent and found his barbarian friend fast asleep, with Mitsuhiko
lying upon his gigantic belly. Conan kicked them with his armoured boot. "Oy! It's morning
already! Get up now, lazybones! On the double!"
Mitsuhiko awoke with a start, hastily putting on his sorcerer's hat and clutching his
staff. "Huh? Wha... oh, Conan! Listen! I have bad news... the Lord's messenger spirits have told
me that the village of Voryenne has been attacked by minions of the Dark One... and a serpent
terrorizes the waters! We must hurry!"
Conan raised an eyebrow. "I know that, Mitsuhiko. I'm in a hurry to save Ran myself. But
what about Genta here? Even Anu'bin is up. We can't leave him here, can we?"
"Oh! I know how... this should do it!"
Mitsuhiko pointed his staff at Genta. A crackle of electricity arced from the tip of the
staff to hit Genta on the backside. Waking up with a jolt, Genta frantically bolted out of the
tent, screaming in pain.
"OWWWWWWWOWOOOOWWWW! MY BOTTOM! HOT!! AIEEEE!"
The others giggled as they watched their comrade run around comically. Clutching his
aching belly, Conan tried to stop laughing. "Okay, that's enough...*ha ha* we must go now...
I smell serpent stew!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTE
--------------
Woot! Finally finished typing chapter 6... say, if you readers out there have any suggestions,
feel free to e-mail me! (Stay tuned for the next exciting episode! And now a word from our
sponsors...) =^_^=