Wild Horse of Kai

by Montymouse

Naar has just gotten rid of Silent Wolf before he could fufil his destiny. The Goddess Ishir has found a suitable alternative replacement and, the Wild Child has a keen interest in Ishir's chosen one. COMPLETE subject to rework

15. Chapter 12

Ranma/Lone Wolf Crossover Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or the Lone Wolf Series or any other characters. The rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the Lone Wolf Series belong to Joe Dever. This story is created solely for entertainment purposes and no profit as gained from this.

Note.
Kai Names:
* Ranma Stormgard (Saotome) - Wild Horse
* Braxus Stormgard - Swift Blade

Wild Horse of Kai

By Montymouse

' ' - Thought
" " - Speech

Chapter Twelve - A Diplomatic Situation

***

Sommerlund

The entire region of Sommerlund was covered in a light blanket of snow as the winter season started to settle in. The amount of snow fallen on the region was the highest ever recorded, and people were finding it difficult to perform the simplest of tasks due to the knee-deep snow. Practically everyone in Sommerlund was wishing for spring to arrive, except for the children who were currently enjoying the winter period. Luckily, the Sommlending people had already prepared in advance for winter, having gathered and stored enough food for them to survive till spring. Despite the knee-deep snow, the Sommlending people were determined to try their best to continue their daily routines and keep business as normal as possible.

Just outside the capital city, near the main highway that connected all of the towns and villages of Sommerlund, two individuals were travelling toward Holmgard. Along the highway there were people trying to clear the road to allow traders and travellers to move between towns and villages, as some of the narrow roads to the more remote places were snowed in. As the two travellers travelled along the path, they were given many praises and welcomes as the people instantly recognised their Kai cloaks and uniforms.

Just ahead of them, they could see the tall and thin towers of Holmgard.

"Tell me again why we have to travel to Holmgard?" Ranma enquired of his companion.

"Hang on sec."

Braxus pulled out a scroll from his saddlebag and started to unfurl it. Ranma noticed that the scroll had the seal of King Ulnar, marking it as something important. Kalona, Braxus' companion, was flying ahead of them so that they wouldn't get lost; despite Braxus' attempts at using his Tracking skills, he was still trying to perfect them and the weather conditions were making it hard to pinpoint their location.

"Hmm..." Braxus read the scroll twice more to make sure he understood fully its meaning.

"Well... what does it say?" enquired Ranma as he waved to some people working in the fields.

"According to the royal scroll, we are hereby summoned by King Ulnar to attended an important diplomatic meeting at his palace in Holmgard as soon as possible. At the bottom, the scroll is dated and signed by the king himself," Braxus explained, passing the scroll to Ranma.

Ranma quickly read the scroll.

"It says here that the King requests our help in solving an urgent problem of great diplomatic importance. Don't you think it's kinda inappropriate for us to attend this meeting?"

"So? We are obligated to serve Sommerlund and the King in any way possible."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"What did you mean then?" Braxus enquired.

"I mean that we are best suited to the field of war and peacekeeping rather than parleying with foreign envoys and conducting diplomatic situations. Surely the King has enough foreign ambassadors and envoys to sort this out," Ranma explained.

Braxus looked at Ranma in an odd way at his clear explanation.

"Well, I'm surprised at your sense of logic, Ranma," Braxus commented.

Ranma smiled a little at Braxus' encouraging comment.

"And here I thought you were all brute force and no brains. It's good to see you are using your brain for once, little brother," Braxus teased.

"I'm only a year younger than you, it doesn't mean you can... hey wait up!" Ranma realised that Braxus had somehow pulled ahead of him as he had quickly increased his pace.

"Braxus, will you stop that, it's getting a bit annoying now every time you do that!" Ranma said as he caught up with him.

"Now where was I? Oh yes, what do you think about this situation?" Ranma asked.

Braxus shrugged. "It sounds like a harmless request; and besides, it can't be too much trouble."

"Like a walk in a park," Ranma said to liven up the atmosphere.

"Please define your version of a walk in a park as it's definitely not what I imagine it to be!" Braxus enquired.

"What do you mean?" Ranma asked with a look of confusion.

"Well, every time you say that phrase, I first assume it to be a simple and easy; but your version seems to mean something totally different!"

Ranma was totally confused by Braxus' statement.

"Ranma, every time you say that phrase, something strange happens, even on the most straightforward mission, and one thing I notice is that it's never a walk in a park. Usually it involves us dealing with renegade lords, undead sorcerers or people who want us dead. Do you understand what I am saying?" Braxus said.

Ranma was beginning to understand. "Err... yes."

"Good. Now do you remember the incident a few months ago, you know the one where we were meant to recover that important amulet and you dropped me right into the chamber full of snakes?" Braxus replied, trying to jog Ranma's memory.

Ranma thought about it for a minute or so. "Hey, I said I was sorry! It was not entirely my fault!"

"You were supposed to hold on to the rope while I went down to retrieve the amulet. I was damn lucky that I managed to hold on to something!" Braxus reminded his brother as he rubbed his left shoulder, which was still hurting a little. He had managed to dislocate his shoulder as he fell. Ranma had then just managed to grab hold of the rope and had stopped his brother from falling into the pit of poisonous snakes.

"You survived, didn't you? I'd like to see you fend off a dozen fanatic warriors with one arm while holding on to the rope with the other," Ranma said, trying to explain his situation.

"Alright Ranma, I'll let this one slide for now; but the next time, warn me first before you let go of the rope," Braxus sighed.

'At least we retrieved the amulet. Never a dull moment with Ranma,' Braxus thought.

Ranma then had a sudden thought.

"You don't suppose it had something to do with the Ruanon incident last year?" Ranma said.

"Maybe but we won't know until we get to the King's citadel," Braxus said.

"Kalona, how far to go to till we reach Holmgard?" Braxus called out to his feathered companion who was flying high above them.

*Not too far, master; I can just see the tall towers and city walls of the capital,* Kalona communicated telepathically.

"What did it say?" Ranma asked Braxus, still unable to work out the language that Kalona was using despite using his Animal Kinship abilities.

Braxus looked at Ranma with a cross expression.

"Ranma, Kalona is not an IT, but a she, and she is my companion," Braxus said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I will try remember that in the future," Ranma apologised.

Braxus nodded at Ranma's apology.

*Master, what did Lord Ranma say?* asked Kalona as she flew in and perched herself on Braxus' right shoulder.

"Ranma just said he sorry for calling you an it," Braxus replied.

*Oh, that's all right as long as he is sorry,* Kalona communicated back to her master.

"So what did she say?" Ranma asked, sensing some sort of psychic energy or language between the two.

"She said that your apology is accepted and that Holmgard is not too far from here," Braxus said.

"All right then, we'd better get there fast before it starts to snow again," Ranma said as they started to increase the pace.

***

Holmgard

It took Ranma and Braxus about half an hour to get to the city of Holmgard and it took them another few minutes to travel to the centre of the capital where the King's Citadel was located. Just outside the Citadel stood Captain D'Val who was waiting patiently for the two Kai Masters to show up. Seeing the two Kai warriors making their way down the snow-covered street, he greeted them warmly and quickly led them inside as the King was expecting them. Leading them through the royal hall of the citadel, they eventually reached the Grand Hall of the State. Along the way D'Val briefly informed them of the current situation so that by the time they reached the throne room, they would be fully prepared and informed.

Captain D'Val's explanation had confirmed Ranma's assumption that it was indeed something to do with the Ruanon incident a year ago. Apparently the imperial ruler of Vassagonia had realised the implications of Baron Barraka's actions and had sent his most trusted envoy to seek a treaty of peace between the two countries. Upon reaching the Hall of the State, Ranma noticed that the seat next to the King where Price Pelethar sat was empty. D'Val explained that the prince was in Durenor on a royal diplomatic mission. D'Val hinted that it was something more than a simple royal duty, mentioning something about Pelethar's relationship with King Alin's daughter.

During the royal audience, Braxus had to keep poking or nudging Ranma in the ribs as he tried to keep awake, though it seemed that he was fighting a losing battle. The audience between the envoy and the King was really boring in Ranma's opinion: the envoy was constantly speaking as the King listened. Ranma was wondering if the guy was even human as he didn't seem be breathing at all.

"Your majesty, a thousand apologies for the incident in Ruanon, the Zakhan is gravely embarrassed by Barraka's foul treachery," the Envoy said.

Ranma coughed a few times for no apparent reason; Braxus sighed quietly as he was trying to remain calm and composed despite his acute hearing having heard what Ranma was whispering during his coughing. Captain D'Val was smirking a little as he guessed what Ranma was doing; he nodded slightly at Ranma.

'Ranma, will you stop acting like a child.'

Then Braxus noticed that everyone was waiting for Ranma to finish. Braxus gave him another elbow in the ribs to stop it. Seeing that he had finished the envoy continued.

"The Zakhan denies any involvement concerning Baron Barraka. The Zakhan is most anxious that our friendship and trust be restored." The envoy started to grovel and bow in front of the King.

King Ulnar slowly rose up from his throne.

"Tell your Zakhan I will be sending an envoy to Vassagonia to sign the treaty. The matter is now closed; you are dismissed." The King saw the envoy's nervous expression and noted that he wasn't leaving the throne room.

"Is there anything else, envoy?" Ulnar asked, wondering what he was waiting for.

"Your majesty, the Zakhan have stated a condition in the signing of the peace treaty."

Ulnar sat back down and gestured to go on.

"The Zakhan have requested the presence of Kai Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade to sign the treaty of peace with him at the Grand Palace in Barrakeesh," whimpered the Zakhan's emissary as he knelt at the feet of King Ulnar.

Ranma thought he had taken lessons from his former father Genma as he was doing a very good impression of the Saotome technique Möko Rakuchi-sei (fierce tiger falling down forces). Ranma could see the King's look of distaste at the fawning envoy as he tried to conceal it.

Ulnar sat down once more as he considered the envoy's request.

"Before I accept your condition, tell me why your Zakhan requested the presence of our Kai Lords?"

The envoy stopped his groveling and stood up straight.

"The Zakhan wants the best of the best in all of Sommerlund. The presence of two highly respected individuals will boost his public status and reduce the potential embarrassment."

Braxus asked Ranma if he was telling the truth as Ranma had better senses at detecting lies. Ranma nodded.

The King rose up from his seat again and gave his answer. "Very well, Lords Wild Horse and Swift Blade will accompany you to Vassagonia."

"If that is alright with you Kai Masters?" he said to Ranma and Braxus.

They both nodded slightly. The King nodded back. "You are now dismissed, Envoy."

Ulnar then left the Hall of the State and gestured to Ranma and Braxus to follow him to the privacy of his personal chamber. Upon entering the King's chamber, the King asked Ranma to close the door as he sat down in his chair.

"Wild Horse and Swift Blade, there is no need to stand up. Please take a seat," Ulnar asked the two Kai Lords having noticed that Ranma and Braxus were still standing in front of him.

Pulling up a chair each, Ranma and Braxus sat down as Ulnar began to discuss the proposal from the Zakhan's emissary.

"I have no liking for this desert realm, Wild Horse, Swift Blade. But I like the prospect of war even less. Since the defeat of Darklord's forces a couple of years of ago, I have decided that my people deserve peace and a better future for generations to come."

Ulnar then looked towards his window and saw that it was snowing heavily outside. He sighed deeply for a few moments before turning his gaze on Ranma and Braxus.

"The current Zakhan is old and frail, and has no son to claim his throne when he dies. Barraka was but one of the many ruthless nobles who wait like jackals for the chance to seize power, and I fear they grow too impatient to allow the Zakhan to die a natural death," King Ulnar said.

Both Ranma and Braxus nodded at the King's statement in full understanding of the implications of this situation.

"Your majesty, you think that once the Zakhan had passed away, one of the ruthless nobles may take power and announced that he is one of the Darklord's agent and invade Sommerlund," Braxus said.

The King nodded at Braxus' assumption as he confirmed his worst fears.

"You are correct, Swift Blade. We cannot fight against two forces from the west and the south, as we do not have sufficient men or arms to defend our country. I fear that the way he dies will not be a natural death. Our forces have not been at full strength ever since the Darklord's invasion, and this treaty may not guarantee peace with Vassagonia once the Zakhan is dead, but it will at least buy us precious time to strengthen our southern borders," King Ulnar explained to Ranma and Braxus.

The King then rose from his seat and walked over to the window and pointed towards the harbour, barely visible through the falling snow. Wondering what the King was pointing at, Ranma and Braxus got up from where they were sitting and joined the King at the window porch.

There was a Vassagonian galley anchored close to the harbour wall.

"Go to Vassagonia, Wild Horse, Swift Blade. Sign the treaty and return quickly. Even with the promise of peace, I fear the shadow of war will fall upon us before the year is out."

Ranma could sense the sadness in his tone of voice. He, too, didn't want a war to happen in Sommerlund again; not after seeing the destruction caused by the last one. Looking to his left, he saw Braxus nodding as he accepted the King's decision.

Soon after, the King dismissed the two Kai Masters from his chamber, leaving him alone to quietly reflect on the situation. Walking down the lavish corridor furnished with paintings and hangings, Ranma decided to ask his brother a question.

"So what do you think?" Ranma asked.

"I have a bad feeling about this trip to Vassagonia," Braxus replied.

"Oh lighten up! It's only a treaty signing. The good thing is that at least the weather will be a bit warmer than here. It's bloody freezing here!" Ranma said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Braxus started to chuckle a bit at Ranma's humour.

"You never let anything dampen your spirit?" Braxus asked.

"Nope, I take everything as a challenge and the one thing I am good at is that I never lose at a challenge," Ranma proudly said.

"I wish I had your enthusiasm and spirit. Well, the sooner we sign the treaty, the sooner we can return home," Braxus said.

Ranma nodded as Braxus' statement as they continued to walk down the corridor that would lead them outside the citadel and to the Vassagonian vessel anchored in the harbour.

***

Somewhere between Sommerlund and Barrakeesh

For twenty-one days the Vassagonian galley had continued its steady journey towards the Empire of Vassagonia, their destination being the grand port of Barrakeesh. The long sea journey was quite an uneventful and monotonous voyage, which made a change for once as previous sea journeys had always contained some strange or weird happenings for our two Kai Masters. On board the ship was Ranma, leaning against the port side railing as he watched the horizon for any trouble. Braxus was currently talking to the Captain and the Envoy about something. Braxus' companion Kalona was perched high above in the crow's nest. Many of the Vassagonian sailors stared at her with awe and thought that she was some sort of God's messenger. Kalona subsequently decided that it would be best to stay in the crow's nest to avoid further distractions.

To pass the time, Braxus was trying to learn the Vassagonian language, as it was something he could do and it would be helpful for when they arrived in Barrakeesh. So far he had mastered the basic language in a few days and he was currently quite good at it. Ranma, on the other hand, didn't really need to learn the language, as he perfectly understood what they were saying and could speak it quite well due to Ishir's translation spell that she had placed upon him when he had first arrived. Ranma just practised his skills and martial arts abilities to pass the time that and the occasional card game with the sailors.

Braxus had just finished his conversation with the Captain and the Envoy. Seeing Ranma leaning against the railing, he walked over to him to see if he was all right.

"How are things going?" Braxus asked.

"Bored." Ranma shrugged, still watching the sunset on the horizon.

Braxus smiled.

"Well... I got some good news: the Captain says we should reach Barrakeesh first thing in the morning as long as we continue our current course and speed," Braxus said.

Ranma nodded slightly.

"At least the weather here is warm," Ranma said.

"Very true, but I think the weather in Sommerlund will have cleared up by now and I can't wait to return home."

"Same here; I'm starting to get a little homesick."

"Don't worry, Ranma, it's just going to be a simple signing and we'll be home before you know it," Braxus reassured his brother.

Seeing there wasn't much sunlight, Braxus decided it was time to rest now so he would be fully refreshed tomorrow.

"Ranma, are you coming? It's getting dark and we should be ready for anything when we arrive in Barrakeesh," Braxus said halfway down the steps.

Kalona saw that her master was going below decks and silently flew down from her perch and onto Braxus' shoulder.

"I'll be there in moment," Ranma replied. Braxus nodded and went below decks.

Ranma turned around and watched the blue ocean for a while longer. He silently hoped that everything would be as straightforward and as simple as his brother had said, but he knew something bad going to happen. Anyway, Ranma was a Kai Master and he should be able to take care of anything thrown at him considering the level of training he had received.

After that, Ranma went below decks as the ship sailed through the night.

***

The Gulf of Vassagonia - near the Capital of Barrakeesh

First thing in the morning, the breathtaking sight of the desert capital greeted Ranma and Braxus. Normally a telescope would be required to actually see the capital, as they were still quite far away. With his keen eyesight, Ranma could easily see the capital: the golden domes, minarets and green tiled roofs shimmering beneath the desert sun, and the splendour of the Grand Palace, which dominated this magnificent city on the horizon.

Braxus didn't have the keen eyesight of his brother had so he borrow the telescope from the captain and noticed something odd: every golden turret of the palace fluttered a long, black pennant which in his experience usually meant something bad had happened.

Wondering what the black flag actually meant, he asked the envoy who was standing next to him, "What do those flags stand for?"

"Lord Swift Blade, may I borrow the telescope? I don't possess keen eyesight like Lord Wild Horse."

Braxus handed him the captain's telescope.

The envoy looked through the telescope and focused on the Grand Palace. Braxus noticed the horrified expression that appeared on his face as he realised the implications of those black flags.

"By the spirit of the Majhan! He is dead... The Zakhan is dead!" the envoy cried out.

'Just great, the Zakhan is dead. I wonder who his replacement is?' Ranma thought, knowing their task was going to be even more difficult. Now they had to face the newly crowned Zakhan and, if he didn't want peace, then there would be problems.

Braxus prayed that the peace treaty would go smoothly and hoped that it would be honoured by the Zakhan's successor; but judging from the horrified expression of the envoy, probably not. Braxus then told Kalona to hide and use her invisibility veil to avoid detection just in case it turned out to be something ugly.

Finally, after an hour or so, the ship arrived in the harbour of Barrakeesh and the two Kai Masters were treated to an odd sight. Usually at this time and day, the harbour would be full of activity, but today it looked more like a ghost town than a functioning harbour. The harbour was almost completely deserted apart from a handful of citizens, clad in black, ringing the funeral bell. Ranma realised that the city was in mourning as the bell echoed throughout the harbour.

Once the ship was finally anchored in the harbour, the two Kai Masters and the envoy walked down the gangplank. Then they saw a horse-drawn carriage escorted by an armoured cavalry unit of the Palace Guards enter the harbour through the eastern point.

"I guess that's the welcoming company?" Braxus joked.

"At least they're prompt," Ranma replied, but silently he reached for the hilt of his sword. He had a bad feeling about the situation.

The carriage then halted in front of the two Masters and the envoy. The envoy stepped towards the carriage as a dour man dressed in a turquoise robe stepped out of it. He greeted the two Kai Masters. The moment the man stepped out of the carriage, Ranma's Sixth Sense was telling him that the man couldn't be trusted and that he had a more sinister motive. Looking to his left, he saw that his brother was already reaching for the shortsword concealed within his cloak. Braxus nodded slightly to Ranma to indicate that this could be trouble.

The man stopped a few metres in front of the two Kai Masters and bowed.

"A thousand greetings, Wild Horse and Swift Blade. I am Maouk, and I welcome you to our city on behalf of my master, his most sublime magnificence, Zakhan Kimah." Maouk grinned evilly.

The envoy gasped, not in surprise, but in complete shock upon hearing the name of the new Zakhan. Quickly he spun around to warn Ranma and Braxus, his eyes wild with fear, and shouted a warning to them.

"It's a trap! You must... ACK!"

His warning was cut short by the blade of Maouk's dagger imbedded in his back. Ranma and Braxus were already prepared and quickly unsheathed their weapons from beneath their cloaks to demand why he had killed the envoy.

"Why did you have to kill him!" Braxus demanded.

Maouk smirked and snapped his fingers as scores of black clad warriors emerged from the shadows like ninja. They were Vassagonian elite guard, the Sharnazim.

"Take them!" shouted Maouk. 'But I want them both alive."

"So much for a peaceful mission," Braxus said sarcastically.

"There's too many of them, we're surrounded!" Ranma replied as he quickly counted the number of Sharnazim warriors.

"I can see that! What do you suggest we do?" Braxus said.

"Well, I'm not surrendering to those guys; I'm fighting my way out." Ranma leapt towards the nearest Sharnazim warrior.

Braxus nodded and immediately joined the fray.

Ranma and Braxus bolted along the harbour after dispatching a couple of Sharnazim warriors, overturning various objects and stalls to slow down their pursuers. The Sharnazim warriors were still in pursuit, but were finding it very difficult to keep track of them.

Then a Sharnazim decided to take care of them with his bow. Going down to one knee to steady his aim, he took aim at Ranma and released the bowstring. Braxus looked over his shoulder and saw the danger that Ranma was in and immediately leapt into him, pushing him out of the path of the arrow. The arrow missed Ranma but struck Braxus in the left shoulder.

"Arrraaggg!"

Braxus clutched his left shoulder as pain flooded through his body, and blood started to pour out from the wound. Ranma immediately got up and pulled out the arrow, using his Healing skills to mend the wound as cleanly as possible. Maouk walked over to the Sharnazim warrior who fired that arrow and thrust his jagged sword in the warrior's stomach for disobeying his orders. He wanted the two Kai Lords alive.

"Come on, Braxus, we have to go." Ranma tried to help his brother up.

"Ranma, I want you to go. I will take care of them as you make you're escape," Braxus said as he leaned against the cargo boxes for support.

"But Braxus, you're injured, you need medical attention. And besides, I'm not leaving you here," Ranma said as concern and worry flooded across his face.

"Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine and I'm relying on you to get me out of this situation; besides, he wants us alive. Now GO!" Braxus said as he turned around to face the on coming warriors.

Seeing that he had no choice, Ranma immediately sprinted back towards the galley. Looking over his shoulder he could Braxus putting up a brave fight against overwhelming odds despite his injured shoulder. He managed to dispatch six of the elite bodyguards before he was overpowered. He was almost there when the Sharnazim warrior on horseback blocked his path and charged towards Ranma with his spear.

He was easily dispatched by Ranma's martial arts skills as he leapt at him and gave him a swift kick to his head, sending him crashing off his horse. By the time he got up, he could see a dozen more henchmen on his tail from all angles. Thinking quickly, Ranma immediately dived into the deep, murky waters, hoping to escape capture by the Sharnazim. Hopefully he would rescue his brother and find out the intention of the new Zakhan.

Meanwhile...

Braxus was looking quite beaten up as the Sharnazim warriors quickly restrained him. His weapons and equipment were removed before Maouk approached him, cleaning his sword with a cloth. He looked at Braxus and smirked evilly as he stared directly in his eyes.

"You are brave, very brave, but also very foolish, Kai Lord," said Maouk in a mocking tone, "but you will need more than bravery to save you now as our new Zakhan has something special for you and the other Kai Lord."

"Wild Horse will save me," Braxus said.

"Ha, that's a joke! He will soon be captured just like you. What can one man do against an entire empire?" Maouk mocked as he applied pressure on Braxus' wounded shoulder.

Braxus kept a stern face as he tried to keep himself from crying out despite the pain he was feeling.

"You don't know what Ranma is capable of," Braxus managed to whisper as he tried to struggle against his restraints and cope with the pain.

"I had hoped you would have done something better than let yourself be captured so easily," mocked Maouk as he signalled to his henchmen.

Braxus was knocked unconscious by one of his henchman and was roughly pushed into the waiting carriage. Maouk turned towards his captain.

"Find and capture the other Kai Lord, tear up the whole city if you have to, but I want him alive, do you understand?" ordered Maouk.

The captain nodded as the Sharnazim troops went out and searched every inch of the dock, trying to surround the quay and prevent Ranma from escaping from the harbour.

"Back to the palace at once!" commanded Maouk as he climbed aboard and slammed the door. "The Zakhan awaits his prize."

***

Ranma managed to avoid Maouk's henchmen's attempts to trap him in the harbour and was currently hiding behind a covered skiff. Looking around, Ranma could see Maouk's men everywhere, racing along the harbour walls, their eyes searching the water for any sign of the Kai warrior.

He could hear the captain ordering his men to search the entire area and threatening them with death if they allowed Ranma to escape. Ranma could see a narrow alleyway ahead of him, but it was currently full of Maouk's henchmen, searching everything, leaving no stone unturned. Silently wading through the water, Ranma knew he needed some sort of distraction to divert their attention while he bolted across. Looking around, Ranma searched for something.

Picking up a medium stone, Ranma threw it at several earthenware jugs, causing a loud racket. The distant crash could be heard as Maouk's henchmen swarmed to the source of the noise. Seeing an opportunity presented, Ranma bolted across the harbour and down the dark alleyway ran up a flight of stone steps onto the rooftop area and started to roof hopping.

'Almost there.' Ranma was about to leap across the next building. He was less than twenty feet from safety when a cry was heard from below.

"THERE HE IS!"

'Damn!' Ranma thought that he had lost his pursuers.

Ranma was about to leap across the wide gap to the other side when the ledge gave way, sending him falling. Trying to slow his descent, he tried to grab onto anything that could help prevent his fall. Luckily he managed to grab a washing line; unfortunately it snapped, sending him crashing into someone's home.

Boy, weren't the residents shocked at someone crashing thought their roof into their bedroom! Getting up, Ranma immediately apologised for invading their personal space. He then sprinted out of the room, down the passageway and down the stairway that led to the open courtyard.

The sound of hooves clattering on the cobblestones and the shouting of Maouk's henchmen urged Ranma to continue to run from his pursuers. He had to avoid capture for his brother's sake and for Sommerlund.

***

Running down the alleyway, Ranma made the dreaded mistake of turning left at a crossroad, and was led to a dead end. Hearing the sound of Maouk's henchmen approaching, Ranma looked to see if there was a way out. The walls were too smooth to climb so Ranma shoulder barged into the nearest door, which crashed open. Once inside, Ranma immediately slammed the door shut and placed a large metal bar across to secure the door as the Sharnazim tried to break in.

"That will hold them for now." Ranma then looked around to see if there was a way out.

On the far end of the room hung a black robe and, seeing that he needed a disguise, Ranma placed it on, aware that his Kai uniform would instantly be recognised by the Sharnazim warriors. Raising the hood over his head, Ranma walked out into the dark, cool hall and into the large main chamber. The place was furnished with various items and objects and large hanging hung all around the room.

'This must be some sort of temple just my luck. I better get outta here before those henchmen come barging in.'

Ranma carefully walked around the room as people knelt in front of a pulpit where a holy man, dressed in flowing robes of black and gold, read aloud from a gem-encrusted book, using his Kai discipline of Camouflage to blend in the shadows.

Ranma spotted a side door behind a huge tapestry suspended from the roof by huge silken cords bearing the form of the late Zakhan. The congregation was so wrapped up in prayer that no one saw Ranma making his escape. The ceremony soon came to an end as Maouk's men barged in, demanding from the congregation whether they saw a foreign looking man with a pigtail entered the place. The holy man was outraged and ushered them out of the temple.

The side door led to a wide street where vendors competed for space for their stalls beneath the overhanging balconies. The market was crowded with people, all paying their respects to the dead Zakhan.

Ranma could see that each one wore a black sash as a mark of respect to their dead Zakhan, but here, unlike in most of Barrakeesh, business continued as normal. Looking around, Ranma could see Maouk's henchmen barging down the busy streets from the northern, southern and eastern points of the market place. Seeing he had no other choice available, Ranma bolted down the western exit, hoping to lose his pursuers amongst the crowd.

"There he is!" One of Maouk's henchmen spotted him as he saw a glimpse of Ranma's green cloak underneath his disguise.

'I wonder how is my brother is doing? I hope he's having better luck than me!' Ranma suddenly thought as he ran down the street, closely pursued by a dozen of Maouk's henchmen.

***

The Grand Palace Dungeons

Braxus woke up from his unconsciousness in great discomfort; every muscle in his body felt like he had spent twenty rounds with his father, knotted and bruised. It hurt even more when Braxus rose up to a sitting position as his shoulder was aching with pain.

'At least they had the common courteously of bandaging my wound.' He started to use his Kai Healing technique to numb the pain.

A few moments later, Braxus looked around to see where he was currently being held. He realised that he was in some sort of cell, as he was previously lying unconscious on the stone floor.

Over by the far wall, beneath a window criss-crossed with iron bars, was a low wooden bunk covered in filthy rags. Cockroaches, some the size of field mice, scuttled along a foul-smelling gutter that disappeared into the grating in the floor. A thought had come to Braxus' mind, but he dismissed it, as the grating was far too small; and besides, it smelt revolting.

Checking himself, Braxus found that all of his weapons and equipment had been removed. Also he discovered that, while his hands were free, chains, which Braxus discovered the hard way when he tried to move across the room, bound his feet.

A faint draft from the corridor outside provided the only relief from the stifling heat and bad air of the cell he had been placed in. Shuffling across the other end of the cell, Braxus placed his ear against the wooden doorway, hearing footsteps approaching. Then the footsteps halted as a loud voice bellowed out,

"Sleeping on duty, Sefrou? You'll wake on the other side of this door if the captain catches you!"

Another voice was heard along with the noise of a chair scraping against the stone floor.

"Curse you, Hadj! The Zakhan doesn't want the Northlander taken to the Grand Hall until sunset. You've cheated me of two hours sleep," the voice growled.

"Shut up, Sefrou," snarled Hadj, "and listen hard. I've just come from the armoury. Some interesting trinkets were found on the Northlander, worth a great deal of gold I'd say, especially the weapons he had on him. Don't know why he had those beautifully crafted weapons on him, but it could fetch a nice tidy amount of gold. Seems a pity to let go to waste, eh?"

The two guards chuckled greedily and discussed at length the good time they would be able to have in the city once they had sold the weapons. Braxus heard what they were thinking about and there was no way that he going to let them sell his family weapon and his magic sword. Those two weapons could become extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. Thinking quickly, Braxus looked around to see if he could use anything to his advantage.

Suddenly an idea came to Braxus, and he started to implement his plan as he heard footsteps approach near the door.

"I'll take a peek at our friend to see if he's enjoying our hospitality!" said one of the guards.

Sefrou started to laugh.

The spy hole slid open as the guard looked in to see if their prisoner was still there. The guard gasped in shock and fear.

'The Zakhan will have my head for this,' the guard thought. He quickly fumbled with his set of keys to open the cell.

"What wrong, Hadj?" Sefrou quickly rose from his chair.

"He's gone! He's gone! By the Majhan, we'll lose our heads!" Hadj cried out as he eventually found the key to the cell.

"WHAT! That's impossible there no way that Northlander could escape!" Sefrou rushed to the weapon rack to get his spear. He was sweating bullets. If Maouk ever find out about this blunder...

The key clicked in the lock the guards opened the cell door with weapons gripped tight in their hands.

"You don't suppose he's a ghost, Hadj? I heard that these Kai Lords have the ability to act like ghosts or demons," Sefrou whispered.

"Will you stop being superstitious! He's just a Northlander and that's all," Hadj said as he stepped into the cell. He scanned the cell with his eyes, seeing no trace of the Northlander.

Suddenly the cell door slammed shut behind them and was locked from the outside. Braxus slid open the peephole to see the two guards on the other side of the door and smirked. He had somehow managed to trap the two guards in their own cell while he made his escape.

"Enjoy your stay. You'd better come up with a excuse for the Zakhan as to why you are here and not me," Braxus suggested as he slid the peephole back and saw a look of complete fear in their eyes.

'Idiots! They will never learn to look behind them.'

Braxus realised that they couldn't see him so close to the door as the spyhole's field of vision was very limited. By using his Kai discipline of Camouflage, Braxus just stuck to the wall until the guards entered. He then crept past them and slammed the door as the key was still in the lock.

"By the Majhan, let us out!" Sefrou pleaded.

"Curse you Northlander! Wait till I get my hands on you!"

The guards started to bang on the cell door, demanding he open the door, starting to shout and scream for help. Braxus wasn't really worried as this was the deepest dungeon in the Grand Palace and it would take quite a while for someone to come here.

"Now where is that armoury?" Braxus took a spear from weapon rack and a bunch of keys on the table. Using his Kai discipline of Tracking he easily found a route out of the palace dungeons.

***

Running down the street, Ranma entered a nearby building and quickly realised he was in yet another temple as a strong smell of burnt incense filled the entire building. Trying to act casual, Ranma walked down the narrow hallway lined with chairs and then along the central aisle towards a fountain, flanked by a pair of massive orange-red pillars. Sitting down on a chair, Ranma pretended to be praying.

Suddenly a hand was placed on his shoulder. Thinking that it was one of Maouk's henchmen, he spun around as he reached for his sword, but calmed immediately when he saw it was a man dressed from head to toe in black, priest-like robes.

He didn't say a word as he silently pointed to a cellar door. Ranma could hear the sounds of Maouk's men attempting to enter the temple. Ranma silently thanked the man and immediately ran towards the cellar door. Once he was inside the cellar, Ranma placed his ear against the door to see if Maouk's men had entered the temple.

"What are you doing here? This is place of worship. You are not permitted to enter here with weapons. I demand you to leave this place at once," a voice said.

"Shut up, old man, we're looking for a murderer."

'Why that lying bast**d!' Ranma almost said that out loud, but managed to clasp his hand over his mouth before anyone heard him.

Looking around, Ranma realised that he was trapped; there were no signs of a way out.

"Tear this place apart, leave no stone unturned. I can smell that Northlander here," the voice shouted as the priest pleaded for him to leave.

Ranma realised that it would only be a matter of time before they noticed the cellar door. Not wanting to be sitting duck, Ranma quickly scanned the room to see if there was anything he could use to his advantage. Moving a few boxes, Ranma found a large iron grille in the centre of floor.

However, the horrible stench rising from it was revolting and it took all his efforts to keep from throwing up violently. Quickly lifting the iron grille, Ranma peered down the long, dark tunnel.

"'Just a simple signing,' he says. Never mentioned being chased by the entire palace guard or going down some stinking holes," Ranma muttered to himself as he heard footsteps approaching.

"I'm going to regret this when this is all over and done with," Ranma sighed.

"The things I do for Sommerlund and Kai." Ranma gulped a lungful of air, as he climbed the ladder but not before closing the iron grille.

***

A few hours later Ranma was climbing out of a tar-sorkh, a mud geyser, having finally found a way out of the Baga-Darooz. Although he had managed to lose his pursuers in the Barrakeesh sewage system, he had been unlucky enough to contract the disease Limbdeath as he had managed to infect his injured shoulder while trying to avoid Maouk's men. Earlier, one of the Sharnazim warriors had managed to ambush him in the sewers and inflicted a minor cut on Ranma's shoulder. Unfortunately, due to his constant contact with the dirty sewage water, he eventually picked up a deadly bacterial infection that had started to affect his open wound. Not even Ranma's Kai skills could cure limbdeath. According to what his mother had told him when she had decided to teach him in the ways of healing and medicine, the only cure for the disease was to treat the wound with the herb Oede within twenty-four hours. Otherwise, Ranma would be faced with the choice with losing his arm or losing his life.

Once Ranma was back above ground, he started to knead his arm in an effort to massage some life back into it, but found this action to be useless as the disease had made his arm limp and nerveless.

'Well, I should be lucky. It's not my weapon arm; otherwise I would be in trouble. Now where am I?' Ranma thought, knowing that time was running out, as he had to look for the precious Oede in order to cure his arm.

As Ranma looked around, by sheer luck he saw something ahead of him that he desperately needed the most. Walking towards the building, he could see the people around him holding their noses as the smell coming off him was absolutely revolting, and they wondered where the hell he had come from. Entering a large vestibule construction building made of pink and white marble; Ranma looked up to see the sign of water and some writing underneath. The writing on the sign translated into:

*Vassagonia Bathhouse - for the cleansing of body and soul*

Walking up on a few steps, he saw a man in white robes sitting near a door in the far wall, reading a scroll held close to his face. Not wanting to be recognised, Ranma pulled up his hood to cover his face as he pulled out a couple of gold crowns for payment. He didn't seem to notice Ranma entering the building, but was quick to sense his presence.

"By the Majhan!" he cried as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You smell worse than a Baknar!" He then grabbed a towel and hurled it at Ranma as he pointed to a door. Ranma dropped the coins in his palm and followed the man's directions.

"Take my advice, don't get undressed - your clothes need the bath as much as you!" the man whined before he resumed his reading.

"Err... thanks," Ranma said in perfect Vassagonian as he walked down the long corridor. He then breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn't been recognised as a foreigner.

The corridor led to another long hallway, which then led to regular intervals that opened up into smaller open chambers, each one with a sunken bath. Perfumed water constantly splashed into the baths and drained away directly into the Baga-Darooz. Desperately wanting clean himself of the smell, Ranma quickly jumped in, taking the attendant's advice, but not before placing his weapons beside the bath. He wanted them close by just in case more of Maouk's henchmen came barging in. Landing with a massive splash, Ranma immersed himself in the cool water still fully clothed.

"Ahhh, that does the trick." Ranma relaxed completely in the cool water as the stench that had been clinging to him since he had left the sewers was washed away.

Looking around, Ranma could see that he was safe for now. Deciding that this was a rare moment to relax his tense muscles, Ranma leaned back as the cool, perfumed water washed away his troubles momentarily.

***

Somewhere in the Zakhan's Palace

There was a single guard posted at the entrance to the palace armoury; he was trying to keep awake. He was currently wondering when Hadj would come back to relieve him of his duty.

Suddenly he heard a noise from further along the long corridor.

"Hey Hadj, is that you?" the guard said as he went to investigate the sound.

"Hey Hadj, come out, why don't you, you're an hour late," the guard moaned.

The guard looked around, saw nothing and assumed that it was just his imagination. He was about to turn around and resume his guard duty as Maouk would have his head if anyone found out that he had left his post, when he came face to face with a brown-haired stranger that he recognised as the Northlander that they had captured for the Zakhan.

"Oh hello there, I don't suppose you could tell me where the armoury is?" Braxus asked politely.

"By the Majhan, how the hell did you escape!" the guard gasped.

The guard tried to reach for his sword, but wasn't quick enough. Braxus kicked him in the stomach hard, followed by a right uppercut as the guard bent forward after having the wind knocked out of him. His martial arts training with his brother seemed to be paying off as he managed to silence the guard before he could say anything. Seeing the guard unconscious on the carpeted red rug, Braxus looked around to see if the guard had attracted any attention before grabbing both his arms and dragging the unconscious guard out of sight into one of the many rooms of the Grand Palace.

Quickly searching the body, Braxus found the master key to the armoury. Peering out from the door, he could see it was all clear along the lavishly decorated corridor. He quickly started to walk down the corridor towards the armoury.

Inserting the key in the lock, he turned it until he heard a click. He slowly opened the door and slipped into the armoury before shutting the door behind him.

'Now where is it?" Braxus started to search the well-stocked armoury.

He could see many weapons both standard and exotic, but they weren't the items he was looking for. Then he noticed the familiar decorated hilt of a weapon sticking out of a box in the far corner of the room.

He instantly recognised the weapon as his family sword that his father had given to him. Walking over to the corner, Braxus pulled off the cover to reveal that it was indeed his equipment, and most importantly his magical weapon, Excalibur. He breathed a sigh of relief; he had feared that the weapon had fallen into the wrong hands.

Before he left the armoury, Braxus noticed a tray of trinkets and odd pieces of jewellery that the guards had taken from various people. Deciding that it would come in use, he picked up a decorated silver hairbrush for no apparent reason, but felt that someone was telling him subconsciously to take it. Seeing no reason to disagree, Braxus placed the hairbrush in his pouch.

Opening the armoury door a little so that he could observe the hallway, he could see that it was all clear. He reckoned that the hallway should lead him towards the Zakhan's inner sanctum where he would hopefully find some answers; and also beat the living hell out of him for putting him and his brother through this.

***

The Bathhouse

After spending few moments in the relaxing bath, Ranma decided that he should get going, as he needed to find some Oede to cure the disease that was slowly spreading up his arm. Ranma clambered out of the bath and entered a small antechamber. The room was hot and arid like the desert sun and, considering that he was in the bath with his clothes in, he was dry as a bone in no time. Beyond the antechamber, Ranma noticed some ordinary clothing on the bench.

Ranma had an idea and started to borrow a few items of clothing so that he would blend in more with his surroundings and the local population. He was sure that there were guards still out there looking for him. Leaving the hot antechamber, Ranma quickly left the baths of Barrakeesh and went out onto the open streets.

Hurrying down the steps and away from the bathhouse, Ranma entered the 'Saadi-tas-Ouda': the square of the dead. Walking across the square, he noticed there was a really eerie atmosphere to it. The floor was covered in jet-black flagstones, each with a long iron spike set deep into its centre. From where Ranma was standing he could see that the square resembled the back of a massive iron porcupine; but on closer inspection, he realised that the 'Saadi-tas-Ouda' was in fact far more sinister.

Ranma could see that stuck atop each spike was a human skull - all that remained of pirates, murderers, traders and thieves who had been sentenced to death. He realised that this grisly display served as a warning to others never to defy the law of the Zakhan. As he slowly walked across to the far side of the square, he brushed against a spike.

"Oh man, just my luck; and I had this just cleaned, damn birds!" Ranma groaned as something was smeared on his tunic sleeve.

"Wait a minute, this is..." Ranma realised that his tunic was beginning to stain a dark red.

Fearfully, Ranma looked up to see something so terrible that it changed his expression from anger to complete shock.

Impaled upon the sharp iron pole was the head of the Vassagonian envoy. To either side were the heads that Ranma recognised as the galley crew. On each of their foreheads was freshly branded one word - Traitor.

Ranma's heart started to beat at a tremendous rate as fear welled up within him. Quickly scanning the disembodied heads, Ranma breathed a deep sigh of relief that his brother's head was nowhere to be seen in the square. After that, Ranma bolted down the square and ran through the crowded streets of the Mikarum, but not before throwing up violently at the most disgusting display he had ever seen.

Ranma spent a few moments to regain control of his stomach; he looked around and found that he was in a district where the spice and herb merchants lived: he realised that here he could find a cure for his disease. Looking around, Ranma saw a narrow, winding street where he spotted a bright red sign that said:

*Bir Dar Masoun - Herb Mistress*

Hope started to build up in Ranma as he looked at the lifeless arm that hung limply by his side, having had turned bluish hue. He realised that time was against him, and he needed the rare healing herbs that would cure his arm soon.

Ranma shuddered at the prospect of making the decision to lose his arm, but quickly placed it at the back of his mind. Walking through the door, which was a curtain of coloured beads, Ranma entered the shop hoping that she has Oede in stock.

"Err... is anyone here?" Ranma looked around to see various boxes and jars around the small shop. Ranma could instantly recognise some of the potions on the shelves due to his mother's tutoring in herbal medicines.

A woman appeared from the shadows behind the counter.

"Can I help you?" the woman said, causing Ranma to spin around in surprise.

"Ahh...! Don't scare me like that!" Ranma said. He had thought it was one of Sharnazim warriors that had managed to find him.

Ranma saw the woman had piercing green eyes and her red hair was raised, bound round with rings of Jadin. The woman had an amused expression on her face.

"Terribly sorry, stranger," she apologised, "but how may I serve you?"

"I don't suppose you have any Oede?" Ranma asked hesitantly.

Her eyes narrowed at Ranma's limp arm as she realised that this foreigner had contracted limbdeath.

"I cannot help you," she said sorrowfully, "Oede is now a very rare and precious herb. I would have to sell my ship and all my possessions in order to buy just one small pouch of Oede. There is only one man in Barrakeesh rich enough to possess this herb - the Zakhan.

"It is kept in the Grand Palace under lock and key. You can find it in the strong room of the Imperial Apothecary," she added.

'Damn, now I have to go to his place to cure my arm,' Ranma thought.

"I don't suppose you have anything else that could cure limbdeath?" Ranma asked, hoping there was a slim chance of curing limbdeath.

The woman shook her head. "I am sorry sir, but Oede is the only cure for limbdeath."

"I see; well thank you for your assistance," Ranma sadly replied.

The woman bowed. "I sense your despair; I pray you find your cure."

Ranma sighed as he left the shop empty handed and headed towards the Grand Palace.

***

Within the Grand Palace

Braxus was currently trying to access the upper part of the palace where he would find the Zakhan. Using all his abilities, he had so far avoided detection as he moved within the palace. Walking down the carpeted hallway, his Kai Sixth Sense told him of the presence of Sharnazim warriors coming his way. Normally, in this situation Braxus would have taken them on, but due to his injury and the absolute priority of remaining undetected and avoiding the raising of the alarm, he quickly went into the nearest room.

Silently closing the door, he waited until the Sharnazim warriors had passed by. Once the guards had passed by, he was about to leave when he sensed that he wasn't alone in the room.

Turning around he could see that he was in some sort of military room filled with scrolls with strategic maps hanging from the walls that were somewhat familiar to him. Portraits of past Zahkans and generals hung along one side of the room. A bookcase in one corner held hundreds of leather-bound volumes. Ornate drapes were drawn across a large window. A cabinet along one wall held pikes, swords and many exotic weapons of varied and deadly shapes and sizes. In the centre of the room was a model landscape, one that Braxus immediately recognised as southern regions of Sommerlund!

Armies of miniature troops were positioned on the model; Braxus realised that the Zakhan was preparing to invade his home country. Leaning against the model table was the man that Braxus was very familiar with.

He was wearing the same outfit as when he met him in the harbour. His attention was so focused in observing the table that he had failed to notice Braxus entering his personal war room.

"So this must be your hobby?" Braxus quietly unsheathed his shortsword; it was time to get some payback.

The man quickly spun around, instantly recognising the voice.

"Northlander!"

"The one and only," Braxus smirked as he closed the distance between them.

Seeing Braxus armed, he quickly ran towards his weapon rack and took two very sharp looking scimitars.

"Impudent peasant!" he growled. "Do you think you are any match for the great Maouk?" He started to display his skill in the sword by twirling them around and making himself look impressive.

It was meant to intimidate his opponent, but Braxus seems to be unaffected by his display. His father, Jerek could easily outdo Maouk by miles and would make him looked like an amateur.

"So what do you think, Northlander?" Maouk said as he finished his display.

Braxus mocked him by yawing loudly, "Are you finished, or should I pull up a chair?"

"How dare you mock me!" Maouk was infuriated at Braxus' disrespect.

"Are you going to play around or are you going fight me?" Braxus gloated as Maouk took the bait.

"I will take great delight in finishing you off with these weapons. Besides, the Zakhan only wants one of you!" And with those words he leapt towards Braxus, determined to kill him.

The fight between Braxus and Maouk was swift as each one displayed their years of experience in their chosen weapons. Both received numerous cuts and grazes from the close combat. Braxus' injured shoulder was a disadvantage but, in the end, Maouk was laid dead at his feet.

Braxus took a few moments to get his breath back after that deadly confrontation.

'He was good, I admit to that; but I was better." Braxus cleaned his sword with a cloth and sheathed it back within its scabbard.

He then checked his injured shoulder to see if they was any more bleeding as he applied his healing techniques to act as a painkiller. Although he was quite good at healing most common cuts, he was still an amateur when compared to his mother who would easily heal the wound without leaving a scar.

Walking over to the table, Braxus could see that the invasion plans must have taken months of preparation and planning as he could see the familiar landmarks of all of Sommerlund's outposts and defences. If they were to invade his home country, they would have no problem overwhelming the Sommlending defenders.

Thinking about his family in Durenor, Braxus knew what to do.

To make sure Sommerlund would be made safe. Braxus took the drapes from the window and spread them across the table on which his battle plan was laid out. Taking a candle, he started to set fire to the rich curtains and the drapes. He reckoned that in a matter of moments the whole room would be set ablaze.

Quietly slipping out the room, Braxus made his way down the hallway as quickly as possible.

***

Ranma cautiously stepped out of the herb mistress' shop and onto the main street. He could see the huge golden dome of the Grand Palace in the background. Ranma really wanted was to leave this treacherous city and rescue his brother, but first he had to obtain the Oede herb in order to save his arm. Walking down the streets of Barrakeesh, Ranma could see the people were still in the process of mourning for their Zakhan. He lifted his hood as he tried to blend in with the crowd. After a few minutes of wandering the crowded streets, Ranma came across the main entrance of the Grand Palace and what he saw made him think about his options as he slipped down a narrow, shadowy alleyway to avoid being seen.

Ranma ruled out climbing the huge walls, as even if he had the means to do so, he would be seen for miles around, as his dark-coloured clothing would stick out against the white, sun-bleached marble wall.

He even thought about forcing his way in through the main entrance, but he ruled this one out due to the number of heavily armed guards, even though he reckoned he could take them all out.

Ranma was walking up and down the narrow street trying to think of a way into the palace. He wished that Banedon were here; he was the clever one out of the three. Then he noticed that by the northern gate of the palace there seemed to be a side entrance, which, while still heavily guarded, was allowing mounted scouts and couriers in. On closer inspection, Ranma could see they were handing the guards a scroll of parchment before they entered.

"Now, if I could get one of those I could..." Ranma started to think of a bold plan that might get him into the palace.

Looking up, Ranma could see a small archway that was connected between two buildings, and which the couriers had to pass under to continue their journey.

"Hmm, it should take my weight," Ranma thought as he perched himself along the small, narrow ledge, waiting for the right opportunity to come. Hopefully the next courier would be alone, as he had noticed that most of them came with a few bodyguards.

"Jeez, come on! Where are you guys?" Ranma muttered. He had been standing on the ledge for more than an hour. Luckily the street was deserted for now and no one saw him standing on the archway.

Then a black-robed rider entered the street, passing under the archway where Ranma was waiting in ambush. If Ranma mistimed his jump, he would be in big trouble and the chase would start all over again as he predicted that the courier would scream for help.

Ranma timed his jump as he silently counted down, waiting for him to pass below him.

Seeing that the courier had almost passed, Ranma pounced.

The poor guy didn't have a chance to scream for help as Ranma silently took him out with his good arm to the head, knocking the courier unconscious and letting him fall to the ground. Looking around, Ranma could see that no one had seen his successful attempt and wasted little time in dragging his body into the shadows.

"Ah, here it is." Ranma finally found what he was looking for on the body. He then started to take the courier's loose robe and some of his items, wanting to make sure that he looked like a courier. Pocketing the scroll, Ranma started to implement the second stage as his plan as he boldly walked across towards the gate. He hoped that the guards wouldn't recognise him, as he was sure that most of guards were out, tearing up the whole city searching for him.

Ranma handed the scroll to the guard.

"Hmm... we don't get many couriers from southern Magnamund. What business do you have in Barrakeesh?" the guard said, noticing Ranma's oriental features under his hood.

Ranma was surprised that the guard didn't recognise him; he had expected half the palace guards to pounce on him, but the guard didn't seem to be suspicious of him when he asked the question.

Suddenly it dawned on him: Maouk probably said to his men that they were to search and capture a Kai Lord from Sommerlund, and his men would assume that they were looking for a Sommlending or a Northlander, not an oriental person.

Seeing the guard was waiting for his response, Ranma quickly composed himself.

"Listen, I'm carrying important documents for the Zakhan, and my business here is none of your concern," Ranma spoke with authority.

The guard finished his inspection and allowed him through the gate into the palace garden.

***

Somewhere in the Grand Palace, in the Imperial Apothecary

Braxus was wondering how many floors and room this place had. As He had just spent the last half-hour looking for the Zakhan's throne room while trying to avoid the guards patrolling the hallway. He was about to enter open the main double doors, which would hopefully allow him access to the upper parts of palace, when he heard the sound of guards about to open the doors from the other side. Seeing that he had nowhere to hide in the hallway, he immediately opened the door to his left.

It wasn't Braxus' lucky day, as which he would soon find out discover as soon as entered the room.

The room was an elegant bedchamber, plushly decorated with fine lace and a fur carpet. In the centre of the room was a large four poster bed. Sitting up in the bed, evidently awakened by all the commotion, was a beautiful, sylph-like woman with long, dark hair and deep, piercing eyes. To her left and right were her maids, armed to the teeth, but in seductive way, as their uniforms were quite revealing.

"What right have you in here?" the woman screamed at him.

Normally Braxus wouldn't be intimidated by her outcry, but when you see her eyes turned blood red and two jets of liquid fire shot from them directly at him, Braxus knew she demanded respect and attention. Braxus narrowly dodged the fire beams; getting up, he realised that he had to act fast before she had the chance to fire again.

'Just great! Outta of all the rooms I could have entered, I had to choose the one with the psychopathic woman and her warrior maids," Braxus thought as he tried to come up with an excuse for disturbing her.

'Hmm, I wonder how Ranma is coping?'

***

Somewhere in the Grand Palace, in the Imperial Apothecary

"Get back, or you'll regret it! I said get back!" Ranma cried out. His back was against the wall as he tried to fend off a large cat-like creature.

Ranma had found the apothecary and was wondering why it was left unlocked when he heard the sound of purring and a low growl. The reason why it wasn't guarded or locked was that a very large Elix guarded the Apothecary.

The Elix roared and swiped at him with its large, clawed paws.

Currently Ranma was playing the role of a lion tamer with a stool in one hand and the Sommerswerd in the other. Normally Ranma would easily defeat the Elix, but was taking longer than necessary as his cat-fear, which had almost gone, was still there. Ranma was trying to remember his tutor teaching him in remaining calm and collected, but when a two-hundred-pound cat-like creature was trying to claw his eyes out, it was no easy task.

"They could have used poisonous snakes, rabid hounds, killer bees or even giant lizards," Ranma muttered to himself, "but nooooooo... they had to use large cats. I hate cats, I really do." Ranma ducked an incoming swipe as he tried to tackle this problem as quick as possible before anyone heard the commotion.

"Where's a ball of string when you need it the most?"

***

"Well, I'm waiting?" The woman's eyes started to flare up as Braxus was snapped out of his thoughts.

Braxus said something along the lines of, "Oh, my lady, your most humble servant apologises for his rude intrusion!" He bowed low. "But I am here to offer you a gift from my master." He hoped that she would buy it.

She blinked and the jets of fire disappeared. This bought Braxus some time, but left another problem: what would he offer her?

Braxus turned around, searching for a suitable gift; otherwise the woman would roast him on the spot. Sensing her impatience, Braxus found something that he hoped would pleased her.

"My Lady, I offer you this." Braxus showed her the silver hairbrush that he had found in the armoury.

She looked at his offering for a few moments as Braxus sweat bullets. Then her eyes widened.

"Let me see that!" she commanded.

Braxus carefully advanced towards her and held out the brush. She snatched it and spent several moments admiring it.

"This is indeed a work of art," she said, and got out of the bed to try it in front of her mirror. As she brushed her hair with it, she seemed fascinated with his gift, and Braxus realised that it was his chance to leave unnoticed through the door in the far corner while as her two maids guarded her.

Quickly walking through the door, Braxus silently closed it and leaned against it for a few moments.

'Mental note: look before you enter, it will save you a lot of time; and maybe your life.'

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, he was wondering what to do next when he sensed a familiar scent, which he began to home in on.

***

Ranma was completely exhausted both mentally and physically as his battle against the Elix had taken all his strength to combat the creature, but he had managed to contain his fear during the battle. Crouching beside the large creature, Ranma noticed that there was a gold key around the Elix's neck. He quickly discovered that the key opened the steel door of a strongroom at the far end of apothecary. High up on a shelf, just inside the door, Ranma found a small box that contained what he needed the most - the Oede herb.

Within seconds of pressing the beautiful golden leaves to his wounded shoulder, a tingling sensation engulfed Ranma's whole arm and the numbness faded. Ranma started to stretch his arms and, to his relief, found that his arm and shoulder were free of the horrific limbdeath.

Looking at the small box, Ranma could see there was enough for one further application and could proved beneficial to him, as this was a powerful substance that could be used against many deadly diseases which, after his experience with limbdeath, could prove useful.

Dragging the dead Elix into the strongroom, Ranma noticed that there were in fact two doors into the strong room.

"Well, what do we have here?" Ranma inserted the key into the secret door.

The gold key opened the lock of the new door, which led to a narrow staircase beyond, dimly lit by flaring torches in wall brackets. The climb was steep and arduous, just like the time he was led through the secret passageway in the King's Citadel in Holmgard. Ranma realised that these steps were part of a secret route. After some time he came to a dead end.

"Damn!" Ranma cursed, but he then noticed that there was a narrow, bronze door set flush in the wall, plain in appearance except for a tiny keyhole close to the floor.

"Hmm... maybe if I do this?" Ranma thought.

Ranma was about to place the gold key within the bronze door when he felt a presence from behind him. Thinking that it was another of the Zakhan's creatures or henchmen, Ranma span around, unsheathing his sword at the same time.

The mysterious person jumped back, dodging Ranma's sword by inches. Recognition appeared on Ranma's face as soon as he could see his opponent's face in the dim light, but it was too late as he tried to slow the swing of his blade. Luckily, the person's reflex skills and Kai training were good enough to dodge it, but his spear was sliced into two pieces.

"Whoa Ranma! Calm down, it's only me," he said as he placed the two pieces of his spear on the nearby table.

"Braxus, what the hell are you doing here?" Ranma was stunned: he had almost beheaded his own brother by accident.

"Eh... the same thing as you are doing." Braxus grinned as he sat down on the stone steps.

"So, what are doing in here in the Zakhan's palace?" Braxus inquired.
.
"Well, I was supposed to rescue you and find out why the Zakhan wants us prisoners." Ranma crouched down in front of his brother.

"As you can see I was perfectly capable of escaping, but thank for trying."

"You look like you've been through hell and back." Ranma noticed Braxus' torn and dirty Kai uniform; he really needed a good clean shave and a bath.

"Can you really blame me? I've been thrown into the Zakhan's deepest and dirtiest dungeon and I really need a hot bath." Braxus showed the holes and tears in his tunic and cloak to emphasise his point.

"Trust me, I know what you've been though; I had it worse!" Ranma winced at the awful smell as he remembered what had happened.

"What do you mean you had worse? It's not like you've been walking through the city sewage and aqueduct systems," Braxus joked, but his jaw dropped in surprise when Ranma didn't deny it.

"You HAVE been through the sewage system? And I thought I had it worse!" Braxus almost laughed out loud but managed to keep it down to a few chuckles.

Ranma raised his fist against his brother in mock anger.

"You don't say anything to Banedon or Ranko, otherwise I will be giving you the beating of lifetime when we get home," Ranma warned, a serious expression on his face.

"Alright, alright Ranma, I promise not to tell anyone," Braxus swore.

'But I have gut feeling that she already knows?"

***

Somewhere in 'Aon'

Ranko was currently rolling around the floor laughing her head off as she watched the previous events of when Ranma and Braxus had entered into Vassagonia. She was with her two friends and had just watched Ranma when he was forced to wade neck-deep through the sewers.

At one point she was deeply concerned when Ranma picked up the infection, but was then relieved to find out that he managed to find a cure and be reunited with his brother. She was currently trying to stop laughing so much as her sides were beginning to hurt.

Normally, she would aid them in their quest, but on this occasion she had made a promise to Ishir that she wouldn't interfere, which meant that she couldn't do anything to help Ranma or Braxus. Although she did help Braxus just a tiny little bit by placing a subconscious thought in his mind to take the silver hairbrush.

Ishir had told her that this was one of those moments in Magnamund's history where the two fledging Kai Masters would have to prove themselves: a great turning point in the history of the Order of the Kai.

Looking back, it was quite funny now.

"Poor Ranma, I do hope that's he's okay." Ranko wiped away a tear as she tried to regain her composure.

Skuld, who had joined her best friend in laughter, had also stopped laughing, while Tsunami was quietly giggling at the antics of Ranko's supposed boyfriend. Normally Ranko wouldn't be interested in mortals, but she had taken quite a shine towards this pigtailed mortal.

Tsunami was at first a bit confused as to why Ranko liked this mortal so much, until it finally dawned on her that this mortal could eventually become a...

But she dismissed it as it was too early to tell; but it was beginning to make a little sense.

"And I thought that Tenchi had it bad," Tsunami thought quietly.

Skuld finally regained enough composure to stand up.

"So that's your boyfriend?" Skuld teased her friend as she pointed at the still image.

'I must admit he is cute. I think I should keep a close eye on him, as Ranko is my best friend,' Skuld thought as she watched and saw Ranma sneeze through the viewing crystal.

Ranko blushed as bright as her hair colour by the second.

"He's not my boyfriend, he's my friend," Ranko whispered in a low tone as she tried to deny her relationship with the mortal. But her eyes were betraying her and her two friends instantly came to the same conclusion.

'YEAH RIGHT!"

"I see you've taken an interest in Banedon, or was it Braxus?" Ranko hastily replied as she tried to shift the embarrassment from her to Skuld.

It was Skuld's turn to blush as she looked down at her feet.

"Well?" Ranko glared at her.

"Eh... well it's not like that... OH look at the time, I can hear Belldandy calling me, see ya later Ranko, Tsunami." Skuld materialised a cup of water in her hand, poured it on the ground and stepped into the puddle.

Ranko and Tsunami looked at each other and shrugged. They then turned their attention back to the viewing as they continued watching Ranma and Braxus.

"Now, where were we?"

***

Braxus checked his both of his weapons. As he was looking at his sword a sudden thought came to his mind.

"I don't suppose you've seen Kalona?" Concern was shown on his face.

Ranma shook his head. "No brother, I haven't seen her since we arrived in this city." Ranma noticed his brother's sad expression. "Don't worry, Braxus, she's probably around here somewhere; besides, she is a magical creature."

Braxus' expression lightened up as he listened to his brother's encouragement.

"So what do we do next?"

"Well, as I was doing before I almost sliced you into two."

"Yeah, that was a close shave wasn't it." Braxus smirked.

Ranma groaned at the bad joke. "What? It's not that bad!" Braxus said.

Ranma sighed but continued his explanation: "So I was about to open the door... Hey that reminds me: how did you find me so fast?" Ranma asked, sure that no one saw him enters the palace.

"Oh, that's easy. I used my Tracking skills and Sixth Sense to find you by picking up on your scent in the palace atmosphere. You're the only one that has that unique aura," Braxus explained.

"Anyway, my Kai instincts and Tracking told me that bronze door led to the chambers of the upper palace where - if I know these grand palaces - should be the sumptuous private enclave of the Zakhan. So what better place to get answers, but from the Zakhan himself? All we need to do is open that door. So what's your reason for being here?" Braxus asked, wondering what methods Ranma had used, expecting some sort of ancient pathfinding skills.

Ranma scratched behind his head.

"Err... you see I had this key and I thought that I could open that door and... To be honest I was lost and was generally exploring the place until I came across this door," Ranma said. Braxus used all his will to keep from facefaulting on the table.

'I should've expected it from him,' Braxus thought as he rose off the chair. "Come on, Ranma, let's have few words with Mr. Zakhan in there."

"Yeah bro, I'd also like to have a few personal words with him." Ranma started to crack his knuckles, anticipating getting even with him.

Braxus kept a lookout as Ranma examined the bronze door. He inserted the key with a twist while keeping his fingers crossed that the door would open; otherwise they would really be struck. Braxus heard a faint click followed by a soft whirring sound: the bronze door slid open allowing the two Kai masters to go in. Ranma then made sure that no one followed them by shutting the door behind him as softly as he had opened it. The last thing they needed right now was the entire brigade of the Zakhan's elite personal guard swarming in.

Walking upon glistening tiles of opal and platinum, past sculptures and statues of pure gold, Braxus whistled in appreciation at the net worth of the statues and goods. The Zakhan's inner chamber was a breathtaking sight.

"This guy has some expensive tastes," Ranma commented

Braxus nodded. "Probably enough gold here to buy out a small kingdom."

They continued to walk down the corridor until they reached a solid amethyst door. Opening the door, Ranma and Braxus were treated to another unique and startlingly sight of the splendour of this private world. A circular, cathedral-like arena was spread out below Ranma, the green velvet canopy alive with the sound of bird song. Trees of every colour shape and size flourished in the deep, dark soil floor.

Ranma just hoped that there wasn't any cats or Elix protecting this jungle paradise. Walking around the wrought iron balcony encircling the arboretum, they quickly left through a side entrance, which led through a network of lavish corridors and empty, deserted vestibules.

They soon reached a landing where a broad staircase descended to a massive room that occupied most of the lower palace. Ranma was about to descend the stairs when Braxus quickly dragged him behind a column to hide, preventing him from doing something dangerous. Ranma was about to ask him why, but Braxus placed his finger on his lips, silently telling him to be quiet. He then pointed down as a look of fear and dread appeared on his face. Wondering what his brother was pointing to, Ranma turned to look; the sight made Ranma's blood froze with terror.

'WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?' Ranma thought.

Down below was a large chamber carpeted with scarlet furs and on the raised platform in the centre stood the Vassagonian Emperor, Zakhan Kimah. He was robed in gold, but devoid of ornamentation. In his hand was an orb of black metal, and in his eyes Ranma could see an ice-cold cruelty that sent chills down his spine. Zakhan Kimah was not, however, the person that scared Ranma the most; it was his companion to whom he was speaking that brought great fear.

It was someone that Ranma had encountered before...

A DARKLORD OF HELGEDAD

Standing opposite the Zakhan was a man that Ranma and Braxus had never ever expected to meet in Vassagonia. A helm as black as death itself hid his face, but the stench of decay and a hideous sepulchral voice betrayed his identity. Ranma was about to draw his sword, the Sommerswerd, and engage him, but Braxus stopped him; he wanted to know why a Darklord was here in Vassagonia and what his business was with the Zakhan.

Ranma nodded silently and they continued to listen to the conversation between the Darklord and the Zakhan Kimah. For an extra precaution, Ranma started to cast a spell that Banedon had taught him that would hide their auras from psychically sensitive creatures and people.

"Give me the two Kai Masters now, especially the pigtailed one!" His voice was full of authority and evil.

The Zakhan rose to his feet and tried to negotiate with the Darklord. Ranma's Sixth Sense was telling him that the Zakhan was really scared but was hiding it very well under a mask.

"They will be brought to you at sunset in exchange for the Orb of Death as agreed."

"You have the Orb!" His chilling voice echoed around the room. "Now give me Wild Horse and Swift Blade."

"You will get them as agreed at sunset, Lord Haakon," the Zakhan said, trying to control the situation.

Braxus was surprised that the Darklord didn't detect that the Zakhan was lying through his teeth as he felt the Darklord's Mindforce persistently clawing and probing at his mind. Luckily Ranma and Braxus had taken the precaution of using their Kai mental discipline of Mindshield.

"When you tell me why your servants defile the Tomb of the Majhan. You claim to have no need for gold and jewels - why then do you plunder the graves of our ancestors?" his voice was surprisingly not full of anger and rage.

A deadly quiet filled the hall. Only the unnatural hiss of the Darklord's breath disturbed the silence.

Ranma thought that the Darklord sounded like one of those science fiction characters that he had happened to see when he was on his training trip. Ranma was half expecting the Darklord to start beating the crap out of the Zakhan for standing up to him; he knew that the Darklords didn't respect anyone except for their master, Naar.

"This land, this insignificant speck of sand, harbours two small thorns that prick our skin. We seek to remove them both - forever. The two fledgling Kai, Wild Horse and Swift Blade, is the thorn that denies us Sommerlund. The Tomb of Majhan hides the other thorn that threatens us - the accursed Book of the Magnakai."

On the upper floor, Ranma and Braxus looked at each other in shock and realisation of why they were enticed to come here to Vassagonia. They suddenly realised that this wasn't a simple peace treaty, but a deadly trap set by the Darklords themselves, and the sinister truth was finally revealed to them.

'The Book of the Magnakai,' echoed through Braxus' mind as he realised the implications if the Darklords ever get their hands on the legendary book.

Braxus looked at Ranma. "Ranma, we have to get that book before they do!"

"Eh... what's so important about a book? Is it a magic book?" Ranma whispered,

Braxus sighed; it was oblivious that Ranma hadn't learned that particular topic when he was in Storm Hawk's tutorial classes. He assumed - quite rightly - that Ranma was probably asleep at the time.

Braxus decided to give his brother a quick history recap as time was against them; the Darklord's henchmen were already searching for the book.

"Ranma, the Book of the Magnakai contains the wisdom and knowledge of the Kai. It was written by the first Kai Grand Master, Sun Eagle. The book was lost hundreds of years but if it does still exist we could..."

"...Advance on the next level of Kai training," Ranma finished, realising the implications.

The wisdom contained in the book would make Ranma and Braxus become strong, strong enough to reach the ultimate achievement and dream for any Kai Initiate - to become a Kai Grand Master.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get there before they find the book!" Ranma whispered to his brother.

Braxus ignored him, trying to listen in on more of the conversation between the Darklord and the Zakhan to see if he could pick up some clues as to the location of the book.

TBC...

***