Chapter 29
Dark clouds were rolling in from ahead, darkening the sky over the ship that tossed about in the dark waves of the sea. Tasuki had hidden himself inside, not daring to go out and face the torrent of waves. Caitlin sat by his side, suddenly concerned about his fear, and trying to reassure him that everything would be alright. He was starting to feel ill at the stomach, and Caitlin took his flaming red head and laid it on her lap, stroking his hair, and trying to calm him down.
Mitsukake was healing those with sea sickness - mainly Tasuki and Chiriko, who had to stop looking at the maps with Chichiri to lay down and keep him self from throwing up over the pieces of parchment. Right now, Kristin was sitting in a room talking to Chichiri while Nuriko and Tamahome slept near by.
"I have a fear," Kristin said, as the waves crashed against the hull of the ship, "that the Seiryu are going to being striking soon."
"What makes you say that?" Chichiri asked.
"Well," Kristin said, trying to be logical, "now that the Tubas have retreated from Kutou, they're going to try and get the Shinzaho, too, since Ashitare has left their number. So, the Seiryu are finally going to intervene."
"I see," Chichiri replied, thinking this all over in his mind.
Just then, a loud bang was heard outside the room, and a shudder went through the ship. Tasuki gave a manly scream, fearing of being thrown from the ship. Nuriko and Tamahome snapped awake, and soon, everyone had ran out onto the deck, to see that lightening had struck one of the masts.
"Soi," Caitlin whispered under her breath.
"Sauce," Kristin whispered back.
Everyone watched in horror as another crack of lightening issued from the storm above them, and Chichiri cried, "We're being blown off-course by this storm!"
Then, Chiriko cried out, "Look!"
A figure seemed to fall from the sky, and suddenly, a cloaked person was floating above their heads, a low woman's voice laughing at the Suzaku Seishi.
"How pathetic!" she cried. "My powers are far too great for you out here in the storm of the sea!"
(No, that's not what she says, but how am I supposed to remember every little detail?)
"Who are you?!" Tamahome cried.
The cloaked figure stared at Tamahome for a while before shaking her head and crying out, "I am Soi, of the Seiryu Seven! Beware my wrath!" She shouted out a few nonsense words, and a great bolt of lightening crashed down on the ship again.
"Why don't you fight me like a . . . woman," Kristin cried, gritting her teeth.
Soi smirked. "So, you're the Priestess of Suzaku?" Soi asked, sneering. "A pity the Priestess of Seiryu forbids your death. I would have taken that honor with much pleasure. But as for the rest of you Seishi." Soi put her arms up, and got ready a super blast of lightening.
Just then, a foul voice was heard in the wind. It carried over to the ship, and a different source of lightening flashed down, and Kristin heard the voice scream,
"LONE WOLF WARRIOR . . . and friends."
From the lightening there appeared the figure of the Lone Wolf Warrior, barring his teeth. Besides him on either side was Phil the Tuba Master and Katie the Flute Witch. She smiled an evil smile, and squeaked out, "I'm a bad guy now!"
Kristin and Caitlin were in shock. This was different.
"So," Tasuki growled, stepping forward with Tamahome and Nuriko, "You've finally got your little band of morans all together this time, haven't you?"
The Lone Wolf Warrior gave a smile at Tasuki -- an evil smile. He picked up his lighter and pointed towards the Seishi.
"Oh, here we go again," Tasuki muttered as the Lone Wolf Warrior brandished his tiny flame at the three.
"You're all mine this time, Lone Wolf Warrior!" Tamahome cried.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Soi cried. "This is MY moment! Don't you realize that each of the Seiryu get a chance of showing off their stuff, and you're ruining MY moment!"
Her eyes blazed with anger, and she put up her hands to emit a great ball of lightening at the Lone Wolf Warrior, but just on que, Phil blew into his Tuba, creating such a horrible sound, that Soi was flung over board and lost in the waves of the sea.
"This is our fight now," the Lone Wolf Warrior muttered. "Unfortunately, my comrade Ashitare can't stand the water, so you'll be left to the wrath of the three of us!"
He grinned at the Seishi, and turned to Phil and Katie. "I've got Fang boy; Phil, you take the queer, and Katie, you take Ogre boy. Let's go!" They put their right hands in a circle, and shouted, "LONE WOLF WARRIOR . . . and friends," releasing their hands up into the air as they did so.
"How gay," Nuriko muttered, which made a few Seishi sweat drop at his comment.
The Lone Wolf Warrior brandished his flame at Tasuki, flying on top of him. Tasuki took out his fan and screamed, "REKKA SHINEN!!" Soon, the two of them were rolling around on the deck floor, flinging punches at each other, while they were heavily on fire.
Phil stood blinking at Nuriko. Nuriko lunged himself at the Tuba Master, but Phil was surprisingly quick and blasted him away with a blast on his tuba. Nuriko fell amid the waves of the sea, joining a very mad Soi.
"They took my moment!" Soi sobbed in anger.
"They take everyone's moment," Nuriko growled.
Katie stood staring at Tamahome. He would not budge. "Katie, please," he begged, "come back to us. You may not be the Priestess, but you're still my lover."
"I'm sorry," Katie cried. "But I'm under strict orders of the Lone Wolf Warrior."
"Katie!" Tamahome cried, and was soon down on his knees, pushing his fingers in his ears to keep the sound of the terrible flute from killing him.
The fire caused by Tasuki and the Lone Wolf Warrior began to spread.
"Caitlin!" Tasuki cried.
"Right!" Caitlin cried. She swooshed out her fan and gave a mighty yell.
"WATER SLAP!!"
The water slapped both Tasuki and the Lone Wolf Warrior, dousing the fire on the wooden boards of the deck. Unfortunately, her slap was too hard, and the two were flung into the sea along with Nuriko and Soi.
Tasuki began to scream.
"I can't SWIM!!! AHHH!"
"Aguh!" Caitlin screamed. "My Tasuki!"
The Lone Wolf Warrior laughed at this, and began to push the Seishi's head down beneath the waves of the water. Caitlin growled. She stood up on the railing of the ship, and dived in. Surprisingly, her water powers turned her into a beautiful mermaid when she hit the sea, and she swam over to the Lone Wolf Warrior, her mind crying in anger.
"You're going to pay for this, Lone Wolf Warrior!" she screamed, then whacked him over the head with her fan. She wouldn't stop whacking, and finally, he let go of the bandit's head, letting him bob up to the surface. Caitlin grabbed the Bandit as Nuriko came over and gave such a punch at the Lone Wolf Warrior that his body went soaring over the waves and back on to the ship.
Caitlin gripped her Tasuki tightly.
Kristin found herself facing the Lone Wolf Warrior.
"My Priestess," he muttered, and got to his feet. He screamed out his name, and turned into his wolf form. Kristin changed into hers as well, and the two began to fight it out in a terrible battle.
Everything was in chaos. Tamahome couldn't move because Katie's song had pinned him to the ground. Nuriko, Tasuki, Caitlin and Soi had all started a big fight within the waves of the sea. Chichiri was trying to throw down rope to them, but they didn't seem to want to give in just yet. Mitsukake decided to retreat inside and care for Chiriko who was too afraid of the fighting going on outside. And Kristin was battle against the Lone Wolf Warrior, her precious snow white hair being etched in blood every time the Lone Wolf Warrior clawed at her. Chichiri tried to help, but realized this was a battle of the wolves, and he couldn't seem to get the attention of any one in the water. Katie's flute playing combined with Phil's tuba were far too dangerous for his ears, so he couldn't get close to poor Tamahome who was getting the worst of the music.
It was then that Nuriko punched Soi heavily out of the water, sending her back to the boat. Enraged, as Soi came tumbling through the air, she set up a lightening bolt and struck the Lone Wolf Warrior.
She landed on the deck, breathing hard.
"No one DARES to take away MY moment!" she screamed, kicking the burnt Wolf away. He coughed, and signaled to Phil and Katie that it was time to go. They vanished, and Katie took the paralyzed Tamahome with her.
"Now, to get rid of you for good," Soi said, narrowing her eyes on the remaining Seishi.
Luckily for the Suzaku Seishi, a real, natural bolt of lightening cracked the mast above Soi's head, and the great chunk of wood came tumbling down upon her. She fell to unconscious on the deck of the ship, and Kristin turned back into her human form, panting from the battle. She was a bit scratched and bruised, but other than that, she was alright. She and Chichiri ran over to the side of the ship, and called out to the Seishi being blown away.
"We'll meet up with you on the North land," Caitlin called.
"Are you sure?" Kristin called.
Caitlin smiled, and flashed her tail at the Priestess. "I'm a mermaid!"
"Well," Chichiri mused, "it only makes sense. She has the power of Water, no da."
"I guess," Kristin said, watching as Caitlin gripped her trembling Tasuki tight and swam for the North land with Nuriko at her side.
The storm subsided, and the ship became quiet. Mitsukake and Chiriko stepped out of hiding.
"Where did you two go?" Kristin asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"I was scared," Chiriko whined.
"I, uh . . . went to get medicine," Mitsukake stammered.
"Medicine?"
"For your wounds, Kristin-sama."
He lead Kristin into a room, and made her lay down as he dressed her wounds, red in the face. Chichiri came over, watching. "Kristin-sama," he finally asked. "What should we do with Soi?"
Kristin looked up at the ceiling above her head, and then, a smile came over her. "We'll keep her."
"Keep her?" Chiriko squeaked. "But she's scary."
"Why on earth would you want to keep her?" Chichiri asked.
Kristin smiled. "I have my reasons." And in her mind, she thought, Well, Martha, I've stopped your obstacle. Go get your general.
Dark clouds were rolling in from ahead, darkening the sky over the ship that tossed about in the dark waves of the sea. Tasuki had hidden himself inside, not daring to go out and face the torrent of waves. Caitlin sat by his side, suddenly concerned about his fear, and trying to reassure him that everything would be alright. He was starting to feel ill at the stomach, and Caitlin took his flaming red head and laid it on her lap, stroking his hair, and trying to calm him down.
Mitsukake was healing those with sea sickness - mainly Tasuki and Chiriko, who had to stop looking at the maps with Chichiri to lay down and keep him self from throwing up over the pieces of parchment. Right now, Kristin was sitting in a room talking to Chichiri while Nuriko and Tamahome slept near by.
"I have a fear," Kristin said, as the waves crashed against the hull of the ship, "that the Seiryu are going to being striking soon."
"What makes you say that?" Chichiri asked.
"Well," Kristin said, trying to be logical, "now that the Tubas have retreated from Kutou, they're going to try and get the Shinzaho, too, since Ashitare has left their number. So, the Seiryu are finally going to intervene."
"I see," Chichiri replied, thinking this all over in his mind.
Just then, a loud bang was heard outside the room, and a shudder went through the ship. Tasuki gave a manly scream, fearing of being thrown from the ship. Nuriko and Tamahome snapped awake, and soon, everyone had ran out onto the deck, to see that lightening had struck one of the masts.
"Soi," Caitlin whispered under her breath.
"Sauce," Kristin whispered back.
Everyone watched in horror as another crack of lightening issued from the storm above them, and Chichiri cried, "We're being blown off-course by this storm!"
Then, Chiriko cried out, "Look!"
A figure seemed to fall from the sky, and suddenly, a cloaked person was floating above their heads, a low woman's voice laughing at the Suzaku Seishi.
"How pathetic!" she cried. "My powers are far too great for you out here in the storm of the sea!"
(No, that's not what she says, but how am I supposed to remember every little detail?)
"Who are you?!" Tamahome cried.
The cloaked figure stared at Tamahome for a while before shaking her head and crying out, "I am Soi, of the Seiryu Seven! Beware my wrath!" She shouted out a few nonsense words, and a great bolt of lightening crashed down on the ship again.
"Why don't you fight me like a . . . woman," Kristin cried, gritting her teeth.
Soi smirked. "So, you're the Priestess of Suzaku?" Soi asked, sneering. "A pity the Priestess of Seiryu forbids your death. I would have taken that honor with much pleasure. But as for the rest of you Seishi." Soi put her arms up, and got ready a super blast of lightening.
Just then, a foul voice was heard in the wind. It carried over to the ship, and a different source of lightening flashed down, and Kristin heard the voice scream,
"LONE WOLF WARRIOR . . . and friends."
From the lightening there appeared the figure of the Lone Wolf Warrior, barring his teeth. Besides him on either side was Phil the Tuba Master and Katie the Flute Witch. She smiled an evil smile, and squeaked out, "I'm a bad guy now!"
Kristin and Caitlin were in shock. This was different.
"So," Tasuki growled, stepping forward with Tamahome and Nuriko, "You've finally got your little band of morans all together this time, haven't you?"
The Lone Wolf Warrior gave a smile at Tasuki -- an evil smile. He picked up his lighter and pointed towards the Seishi.
"Oh, here we go again," Tasuki muttered as the Lone Wolf Warrior brandished his tiny flame at the three.
"You're all mine this time, Lone Wolf Warrior!" Tamahome cried.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Soi cried. "This is MY moment! Don't you realize that each of the Seiryu get a chance of showing off their stuff, and you're ruining MY moment!"
Her eyes blazed with anger, and she put up her hands to emit a great ball of lightening at the Lone Wolf Warrior, but just on que, Phil blew into his Tuba, creating such a horrible sound, that Soi was flung over board and lost in the waves of the sea.
"This is our fight now," the Lone Wolf Warrior muttered. "Unfortunately, my comrade Ashitare can't stand the water, so you'll be left to the wrath of the three of us!"
He grinned at the Seishi, and turned to Phil and Katie. "I've got Fang boy; Phil, you take the queer, and Katie, you take Ogre boy. Let's go!" They put their right hands in a circle, and shouted, "LONE WOLF WARRIOR . . . and friends," releasing their hands up into the air as they did so.
"How gay," Nuriko muttered, which made a few Seishi sweat drop at his comment.
The Lone Wolf Warrior brandished his flame at Tasuki, flying on top of him. Tasuki took out his fan and screamed, "REKKA SHINEN!!" Soon, the two of them were rolling around on the deck floor, flinging punches at each other, while they were heavily on fire.
Phil stood blinking at Nuriko. Nuriko lunged himself at the Tuba Master, but Phil was surprisingly quick and blasted him away with a blast on his tuba. Nuriko fell amid the waves of the sea, joining a very mad Soi.
"They took my moment!" Soi sobbed in anger.
"They take everyone's moment," Nuriko growled.
Katie stood staring at Tamahome. He would not budge. "Katie, please," he begged, "come back to us. You may not be the Priestess, but you're still my lover."
"I'm sorry," Katie cried. "But I'm under strict orders of the Lone Wolf Warrior."
"Katie!" Tamahome cried, and was soon down on his knees, pushing his fingers in his ears to keep the sound of the terrible flute from killing him.
The fire caused by Tasuki and the Lone Wolf Warrior began to spread.
"Caitlin!" Tasuki cried.
"Right!" Caitlin cried. She swooshed out her fan and gave a mighty yell.
"WATER SLAP!!"
The water slapped both Tasuki and the Lone Wolf Warrior, dousing the fire on the wooden boards of the deck. Unfortunately, her slap was too hard, and the two were flung into the sea along with Nuriko and Soi.
Tasuki began to scream.
"I can't SWIM!!! AHHH!"
"Aguh!" Caitlin screamed. "My Tasuki!"
The Lone Wolf Warrior laughed at this, and began to push the Seishi's head down beneath the waves of the water. Caitlin growled. She stood up on the railing of the ship, and dived in. Surprisingly, her water powers turned her into a beautiful mermaid when she hit the sea, and she swam over to the Lone Wolf Warrior, her mind crying in anger.
"You're going to pay for this, Lone Wolf Warrior!" she screamed, then whacked him over the head with her fan. She wouldn't stop whacking, and finally, he let go of the bandit's head, letting him bob up to the surface. Caitlin grabbed the Bandit as Nuriko came over and gave such a punch at the Lone Wolf Warrior that his body went soaring over the waves and back on to the ship.
Caitlin gripped her Tasuki tightly.
Kristin found herself facing the Lone Wolf Warrior.
"My Priestess," he muttered, and got to his feet. He screamed out his name, and turned into his wolf form. Kristin changed into hers as well, and the two began to fight it out in a terrible battle.
Everything was in chaos. Tamahome couldn't move because Katie's song had pinned him to the ground. Nuriko, Tasuki, Caitlin and Soi had all started a big fight within the waves of the sea. Chichiri was trying to throw down rope to them, but they didn't seem to want to give in just yet. Mitsukake decided to retreat inside and care for Chiriko who was too afraid of the fighting going on outside. And Kristin was battle against the Lone Wolf Warrior, her precious snow white hair being etched in blood every time the Lone Wolf Warrior clawed at her. Chichiri tried to help, but realized this was a battle of the wolves, and he couldn't seem to get the attention of any one in the water. Katie's flute playing combined with Phil's tuba were far too dangerous for his ears, so he couldn't get close to poor Tamahome who was getting the worst of the music.
It was then that Nuriko punched Soi heavily out of the water, sending her back to the boat. Enraged, as Soi came tumbling through the air, she set up a lightening bolt and struck the Lone Wolf Warrior.
She landed on the deck, breathing hard.
"No one DARES to take away MY moment!" she screamed, kicking the burnt Wolf away. He coughed, and signaled to Phil and Katie that it was time to go. They vanished, and Katie took the paralyzed Tamahome with her.
"Now, to get rid of you for good," Soi said, narrowing her eyes on the remaining Seishi.
Luckily for the Suzaku Seishi, a real, natural bolt of lightening cracked the mast above Soi's head, and the great chunk of wood came tumbling down upon her. She fell to unconscious on the deck of the ship, and Kristin turned back into her human form, panting from the battle. She was a bit scratched and bruised, but other than that, she was alright. She and Chichiri ran over to the side of the ship, and called out to the Seishi being blown away.
"We'll meet up with you on the North land," Caitlin called.
"Are you sure?" Kristin called.
Caitlin smiled, and flashed her tail at the Priestess. "I'm a mermaid!"
"Well," Chichiri mused, "it only makes sense. She has the power of Water, no da."
"I guess," Kristin said, watching as Caitlin gripped her trembling Tasuki tight and swam for the North land with Nuriko at her side.
The storm subsided, and the ship became quiet. Mitsukake and Chiriko stepped out of hiding.
"Where did you two go?" Kristin asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"I was scared," Chiriko whined.
"I, uh . . . went to get medicine," Mitsukake stammered.
"Medicine?"
"For your wounds, Kristin-sama."
He lead Kristin into a room, and made her lay down as he dressed her wounds, red in the face. Chichiri came over, watching. "Kristin-sama," he finally asked. "What should we do with Soi?"
Kristin looked up at the ceiling above her head, and then, a smile came over her. "We'll keep her."
"Keep her?" Chiriko squeaked. "But she's scary."
"Why on earth would you want to keep her?" Chichiri asked.
Kristin smiled. "I have my reasons." And in her mind, she thought, Well, Martha, I've stopped your obstacle. Go get your general.