Author's Note: Sorry to keep you all waiting for this next chapter, but I decided to go take a 3-week holiday on the beaches of Vancouver Island. I'm back now, with a bunch of new chapters and new stories. I just have to type them all out but keep checking my bio for them cause I'm hoping that you'll want to read them. Enjoy this chapter for now and remember to REVIEW, please!! For me!! J Enjoy!
Chapter 6 – Ventures into the Unknown or (Evil Rears It's Ugly Head, and has a lovely assistant as well)
When Steph awoke her head was throbbing. As her eyes adjusted she found herself in a dark room. Through the dim light she could see the carved stone walls with damp mildew growing between the cracks. The whole room smelled like rotting meat and looked quite old.
Steph tried to rub the bruise on her head only to discover that she couldn't move her arms. They had been chained above her head to the wall and she was left hanging a few inches off the floor. Looking to her left, Steph saw that Hiro was chained up in the same manner. He started to wake up.
"Oh my head." He moaned and looked around seeing the condition they were in, "Where are we?"
"Beats me." replied Steph.
At that moment a door opened on the side wall. In walked two guards followed by a beautiful woman. The women had long, sapphire blue hair with deep, jade eyes. She was about the same build as Steph and looked about as old. Hiro and Steph looked up.
"I see you've awaked," she said, "Good, he wants to see you."
"Who wants to see us? Who are you? Where are we?" Steph asked.
The mysterious girl didn't answer. She turned to the guards and said, "Take them down and bring them to the main chamber."
She then walked out the door to let the guards do their job. The guards walked over to the two friends and took them down but left the chains still attached to their wrists. They were then walked through a number of hallways until they came upon a large room. It was bright with elegant tapestries on the walls and a long red carpet running up to a large carved out wooden chair. A large, tall man in a gray trench coat sat in the chair. He had pale gray hair in a crew cut and pale yellow eyes that pierced through his two guests. He arose as they entered.
"So," he said with a smirk on his face, "These are the two trouble makers? Ha ha ha," his face suddenly turned cold, "You two brats have been getting in my way and somehow been one step ahead of me." His face returned to the grim smirk, "Oh, but please do excuse me, you don't even know who I am. My name is Jakan and I see you've already met my second-in-command, the lovely Razel. It is a shame you can't stay to chat, you see, I need those ra-serus on your arms. They are very important piece to my plan and you seem to have been able to recover them before my minions were able to. So if you don't mind, I'll be taking them now."
Jakan turned to the guards and said, "Take them away and remove those ra-serus by any means necessary. Then kill the, unless…you hand over your ra-serus to me peacefully now. I'll spare your lives and allow you to join my army. Your abilities would be quite useful to me."
"Never!" shouted Hiro.
He broke free from the guards and ran up to Jakan, his hands still chained behind him. He kicked high, aiming for Jakan's head only to have Jakan grab his foot in mid-air.
"Insolence!" Jakan yelled, "You cannot understand my power!"
With that he threw Hiro into the nearby stone wall.
"Take them away!" ordered Jakan as he left in a hurry, leaving everyone just starring on.
"You heard what he said. Now do it!" exclaimed Razel and she left as well.
The guards picked up the half conscious Hiro and took him and Steph away down another corridor.
"Ow," Hiro mumbled, "Two hits in one day."
The two guards dragged the two friends down the hallway, another two guards with boxes came down from the other direction.
"What's going to happen to them?" one of the box-carrying guards asked motioning toward Steph and Hiro.
"Extraction and termination." Another guard answered.
"Then they won't be needing their things." the other box-caring guard replied and opened the box to reveal the possessions they had taken, "We could sell these and fetch a high price."
As the guards became distracted by looking over the belongings with comments about quality and prices, Steph nudged Hiro. Hiro winked back to show he was thinking the same thing. Together they sprung into action.
Steph quickly wrapped the chains on arm around the first guard's neck and chocked him until he was knocked out. Hiro put his hands together and did a double fist smash to his guard. Before the other guards could react, Steph kicked the box containing her staff into the air and landed behind guards. She twirled around with the staff in her hands and knocked the last two guards to the ground out cold.
Steph and Hiro checked the guards for the keys and unlocked the chains from their wrists. Picking up the rest of their stuff they ran away before anyone encountered the unconscious guards. After many twisting hallways and dead ends, the duo found a door leading to sunshine and fresh air.
"Oh ya," Hiro exclaimed, taking in a fresh breath, "It feels good to get out of there."
"Ya," Steph replied, "but where do we go from here?"
"I'm feeling the presence of another ra-seru. Do you feel it to Meta?" Jedo asked.
"Yes, I can." Meta answered, "It is not too far from here."
"Then let's get out of here," Hiro said, "Lead the way."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A guard entered the dusty, old library and whispered something to Razel. She nodded and walked over to Jakan who was pouring over some ancient writings and old maps.
"They have escaped," she said quietly, "Do you want us to pursue them?"
"No," he answered deeply, "Let them go for now, I have a better plan."
He stood there studying for the moment, not moving at all. His eyes shifted from the writings to the map and back. Then without warning he pulled out a dagger and stabbed the map.
"I have found the next one," he said, "I will take some troops and go personally to this one."
He then pulled out another map with a marking on it and handed it to Razel.
"Those two will be heading here. Stop and distract them while I recover this one." He said and pointed on the maps.
"Yes, my lord." She answered and prepared to leave.
"One more thing," Jakan added, "Try to find their other friend as well and bring him to me. If I am correct about him, he could be very useful."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kamui had come to a small village similar to his home village.
"Here we are," a voice said in his head, "Test out you new power and destroy the village."
Kamui grinned and nodded. He pulled out his katanas as he approached the village.
'Excellent,' Rouge thought to himself as he searched the distracted Kamui's mind, 'Hmmm, now what can you tell me?'
Who is the next ra-seru that Steph and Hiro will find? Now that we know who Jakan is, what is his plan? And where is he going? And what's going to happen to Kamui? What has rouge done to him?
Guess you'll have to wait till the Next Chapter – Answers to Questions
As you may have probably noticed, my name contest is over.
The winners (as you have already seen) are:
- Jakan – from Anjali Enlios- actually gave me the name Jacan but I just thought I'd change the c to k (hope you don't mind, you still win though). He tells me Jacan means trouble.
- Razel – from UyoniRaze X –she sent me so many names for this contest, you wouldn't believe how many!
Thanks to everyone else who sent in entries, and believe me IT WAS A HARD DECISION!
For the winners, go to your windows, open them up and breathe in that fresh air. You deserve it! And don't forget to practice your freedom of speech on your neighbour while the suns still shining. If you don't have a window, then try the door. If you can't get the window open, send me $10 and I'll send you in return, a brick to throw through your window. AS for your trip to nowhere, you could take along a certain fan fic writer who got you the trip… Once again, thanks to everyone who tried and keep your eyes peeled incase I ever need you help again.
Quiet Storm out.