Concealment of Evil: Danger Arrives
Author's Notes: Whoa. I never thought that I'd get so much inspiration at a given time. I feel like I'm having the opposite of a writer's block. Oo; (Murphy: Looks like someone been eating paint chips again!) Don't question motivation when you run into it!
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By the afternoon, the heavy morning rains have ceased, revealing warm sunlight and cloudy skies. However, no one in Menhir Hills bothered to notice the beauty as they approached the large fort that guarded Morphina's secret weapon; Bane, the demon who had to be locked in a separate dungeon away from the Cave of Bad Dreams. The large army of Commanders and slaves stood, still dripping wet from the quick summer rains but otherwise okay. As Morphina urged the large legion on a frightened follower of Striker came running up to her.
"Your Majesty, Striker is nowhere to be seen!" The corsair human shouted. Morphina didn't even bother to turn around. "He's not here at the moment; I sent him along with some chosen Commanders and horses to meet an old 'friend' of his in Bluddwiek." The pirate, a large tough male with scars running down his face, looked very surprised.
"Old friend? Who?" Morphina led the army on; she was getting a little testy of people questioning her authority. "Okay, my dimwitted friend. I'll only explain this. When Striker had signed up for me, he mentioned a Lord Wyrm somewhere during the promotions. What a lucky break for me; Freya was spawned from the same slave driver that Striker had escaped so many years ago. I ordered him to bring back Agent B.R. He can do anything he wants with Freya, but Agent B.R. must be brought back to me alive. I'm sure that softhearted fool will surely oblige after Striker slices and dices Freya into ribbons!"
No one bothered to talk to Morphina about anything beyond the repeating of complicated instructions. She was positive that this siege will work; just like all the other attacks before. Bane will soon be in her control.
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"Ha ha. So this is where Freya works..." Striker the silver fox dismounted his black stallion with a solid movement of his lithe body. Unlike Freya, his body was covered in battle scars, including a hideous scar that replaced his right eye. He pulled out his most prized weapon out of his holster; a large battle-axe with a sturdy wooden hilt stained with blood. He swung it around in the air to test it off and smiled, sharp canines glinting in the afternoon sun. "What do we do, Sir Striker?" Sure enough, Morphina ordered Striker to bring her most worthless Commanders with him; Pondscum the failure and his partner Keri. The two Commanders stood, surveying the boardinghouse that a messenger described to them.
"You come in with me. Two 'well-bodied' creatures like yourselves could help defend me." The two failures quickly filed beside Striker, guarding his left and right sides. Perfect; in case of a hidden ambush the two weakest links will be riddled full of arrows. Not best to take chances. They walked into the boardinghouse without some much as a second word between them. At that time, Freya had returned to her post and was once again serving people. Bad-Rayman sat at the counter, spending his daily salary by pleasuring himself with ale. Striker recognized him, the description fitting perfectly. He swung his axe down into the counter just inches from Bad-Rayman's right hand, burying it into the crafted wood.
"You'll have to pay for that, fox." Bad-Rayman said emotionlessly as he downed his glass of ale.
"Don't play games with me! Where's the wolf, Agent B.R.?" Striker hissed. The boardinghouse became deathly silent. Bad-Rayman eyed both the axe and his owner, knowing that only Morphina's Commanders still recognized his old false name. Geez, either Morphina is back or her thugs have formed some kind of gang to take revenge, he thought. He pointed towards the kitchen; inwardly knowing that Freya was well seasoned for these kinds of situations. Immediately, Striker hurried into the kitchen and escorted Freya out of the middle of preparing a chicken meal; she still clutched a butcher knife. "Ah, so this is how much ten years have done to us since the last time we saw each other. I am a bloodthirsty killer, and you are a chef for a tourist's boardinghouse." He pulled his axe out of the wood with one strong pull. "You make me sick, mongrel."
Freya put away the butcher knife and whistled a shrill note. The call seemed to vibrate off the quiet wooden walls. Suddenly, Donnia and Rex ran out of their reserved room and came to her aide, weapons at hand. Just like they arranged; when Donnia and Rex received their rooms they secretly made a pact that they will arrive armed in case of a fight. Rex passed Freya her old hunting dagger, still clean even when she hadn't used it in six months. The four fighters all stood poised and ready for battle. Striker laughed heartily at this.
"Pondscum, do you see that? The puppy-dog made some friends along the way!" His tone changed from light to serious. "Listen, you runaways! This is a duel is between Freya and me. You even try to help her in any way and Keri will finish the match with a well-placed arrow." Keri demonstrated by throwing an orange into the air and shooting it three times before it fell to the ground with a squish. "We will fight outside this very boardinghouse; I can't afford to pay for the damages." He said the last part with a sneer, obviously a threat directed towards Bad-Rayman. "I hope you said goodbye to your odd group of friends, because I'm not going to spare even a long-lost friend."
The gray fox left the boardinghouse; Keri and Pondscum close behind. Freya walked after him, her face sullen and expressionless. Her friends followed after her. Outside was no different; the civilians cleared the way for the fighters, duels being common in Bluddwiek to settle arguments. The two fighters made the duel official by shaking hands then backing up from each other ten steps. Finally, Striker turned to face Freya; wolf against fox. Striker raised his axe in a dramatic arch until it was raised high above his head. The sun made it glitter like a beautiful trinket. Freya immediately felt fear strike her heart like a knife, but kept it concealed with a mask of confidence and determination. Striker fought to the death all his life, and she hasn't used her dagger for killing others ever since she entered Bluddwiek. "This will teach you not to mess with Morphina!" Striker shouted.
The battle was on! Freya sidestepped the quick axe swipe from Striker. While Striker threw axe after axe attacks at her, she dodged and jumped with the swiftness of a prowling cat. The first blood was shed when Striker did an uppercut as she tried to attack his exposed stomach. She managed to roll out of the way but the tip of the axe's blade sliced her right leg, creating a large deep gash running from her knee to her foot. Freya flinched but didn't lose her grace as her wound poured life-giving blood onto the pavement. She leapt onto a street lamp, balancing all her weight on her good leg. "You were always such the sore loser, Striker!"
"That may be true, but you were always such the weakling, mongrel!" Striker jumped after her, axe raised high above his head. Freya dodged and actually got a hit in by creating a long dagger wound against Striker's unprotected side. On the ground, the crowd had a hard time following the combatants; their fighting mostly involved jumping from building to building. Everyone involved in the fight, including Donnia, Rex, and Bad-Rayman, had to race through the town as the two skilled jumpers brought the fight to the tops of the buildings. The battle lasted exactly ten minutes; by that time, both fighters were at the very edge of the town. They both crouched, catching their breath and ready for the other to make their move. Striker moved first, charging towards Freya in a lightning-fast pace. Freya also attacked, blocking Striker's attack with a charge of her own. The two canines were locked hand-by-hand, weapons clattering unused by their feet. Each one tried to push the other one off the building. Striker tried to take advantage of Freya by insulting her.
"You make me sick, mongrel. You were always the wussiest child in Lord Wyrm's manor. A real hunter would've made the others respect him, but you made friends with the fellow slaves. What's the point of friendship if you have power at your side? You're completely worthless!" Freya's eyes met Striker's, both fighters having intense amber eyes.
"You know what, Striker? You may have the power, but what's the use if you don't have anybody that respects you as a friend? You're no better than Mister Dark, Razorbeard, or Morphina." Freya shot back. Unbeknownst to Striker, Freya was gradually pushing Striker off the edge of the large building. Striker may have been a corsair, but Freya had lived an abused life. She smiled at him, a cruel smile that would always come after a sick joke.
"One more thing. Don't call me mongrel again!" Freya gave a final hefty push and Striker lost his footing. The gray fox plunged from the building, only to break his fall with the town's border fence. However, since the fence had pointed ends...
Freya jumped down from the building and greeted the cheering crowd. She gave a final look at the corpse of her long-lost friend, then ignored it as soldiers removed it. Instantly after she met the ground, she rushed towards Pondscum and Keri. She picked up Pondscum with both hands, strangling the frog.
"Okay, filter feeder! Talk!" Pondscum whimpered as he felt Donnia's sword brush his back. Instantly, he shouted out everything he knew. (Which wasn't much, sadly.) "Ack! Morphina sent us to come with Striker! She wanted Agent B.R. to be back so she could spellbind him! We were just distractions for you two because she led an attack on Menhir Fort! Just don't kill me; I'll be good! Honest!" Freya dropped the pathetic crying figure. Her face was grim. "An attack on Menhir Fort! We have to go!"
She ran towards the main gate, but she couldn't move thanks to Bad-Rayman pulling her tail. "We're not going anywhere, Freya. What good will it do if you went running over there? Look at yourself; you got into a fight with one Commander and you're covering in wounds and bruises. Imagine an army of fighters of *his* talent, all led by Morphina?" He pointed towards the body of Striker, a twisted horror with shock and terror still frozen in his lifeless eyes. "You'd be crushed like a bug before you could even unsheathe your dagger. The only chance we'll have is if we bring Ivy Thorn back from the Marshes of Awakening!"
Freya shot a pleading glance towards Bad-Rayman. "But what about the fort? It'll take forever to go the Marshes and back before Morphina destroys the fort." Rex Skyler placed a solid hand on her shoulder. "It's too late now; Morphina can destroy entire countries, and a fort will be a piece of cake for her. The least we could do is head for the Marshes of Awakening, get Ivy, and follow Morphina's tracks." The wolf-furry looked defeated, but she nodded. "You're right. We'll use both Morphina's horses and some Bluddwiek horses. Pondscum and Keri can do our jobs until we get back. Isn't that right?" Neither of the exiled Commanders made an effort to answer as they stood awkwardly at spear-point.
The decision was settled then. Donnia, Rex, Bad-Rayman, and Freya all rode out towards the Marshes of Awakening, riding on horseback. Meanwhile, Pondscum and Keri would get their first lessons of being on the good side; cooking and serving orders. Horseback will get them to the Marshes before nightfall.
Let's just hope they aren't too late...
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The sun was still high in the sky when the four horse-bound warriors arrived in the Marshes of Awakening, now a swampy haven covered in mist caused by the rain. Fortunately, Menhir Hills was not filled with any obscuring obstacles as the horses sprinted through the wilderness. There was not another moment to spare; the horses were quickly bound to a sturdy tree as the environment became too slippery to ride through. Freya, Donnia, Rex, and Bad-Rayman raced through the marshes at the fastest speed possible towards the Entrance to the Cave of Bad Dreams. Reeds were brushed aside, sinkholes were avoided, and shortcuts were used as they all stumbled across the marshes. The mist made their sight very limited, but seasoned trackers like themselves knew where the Cave of Bad Dreams was. Sure enough, the entrance suddenly appeared out of the swamp mist just before they ran out of breath. Ivy, just finishing the final training course for the day, ran up to the four friends she hasn't seen since the War of the Souls.
"Wow! I didn't see you four for a while! What's going on?" Ivy exclaimed as the four tired companions caught their breath. Davis stood by his sister silently, almost bursting with joy in seeing old acquaintances. Rex was the first to catch his breath. "Ivy, we need you to come with us to Menhir Hills! Morphina has returned and she's attacking Menhir Fort!" The look on the Thorn siblings' faces was priceless.
"Morphina? But, she's dead!" Davis pressed. Ivy was about to say the same thing, but then again, she knew that the four friends that sat wheezing before her wouldn't run for their lives just to ask her to attend a birthday party. Immediately, she ran to get her gear necessary for tracking through dangerous lands, a gift given by both her teacher Jano and her father Pierce. As she prepared herself for the journey, Davis tried to talk his way into this trip. "Ivy, this is the chance you mentioned earlier, the chance we've been waiting for! We can see the world beyond the marshes! Can you take me too?" Davis pleaded. Instantly, Ivy brushed him off.
"I'm sorry, Davis. If Morphina's involved, then this journey can be dangerous to everyone who comes with me, and I can't afford to lose you like I lost Mom. Besides, what if she heads back here to take revenge on the Cave of Bad Dreams? We need at least one zombie-tamer here guarding the entrance from any demon attacks!" She slipped on her leather boots, designed for romping through dangerous lands. Davis was appalled. "Why me? Jano's capable of taking care of himself! Let me go, please!" Ivy found her weapons beside a tree, and slipped them into their holsters; a dagger, a slingshot, and a bow. Freya or Donnia could provide the arrows.
"Listen to your sister, Davis. We wouldn't want to have to drag any extra weight." Bad-Rayman replied as he rested. "What? I can take care of myself just as well as any of you can!" Davis shouted. "Davis, you don't even know how to cast the Tamer's Light yet. How are you going to defend yourself against a demon like Morphina?" Ivy answered as she added the finishing touches to her gear. When Ivy was finished dressing in battle-gear, the resting group rose from their sitting positions to lead her to their mounts. Before Davis could shout out another comeback, the five heroes swiftly disappeared into the mist.
Davis didn't want to be left behind at his one chance of seeing the world. Disgruntled, he quickly grabbed the dagger he received for his birthday last week and ran after them. However, since Davis didn't know exactly which direction they chose...
It wasn't long before Davis became completely lost within the swamplands.
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Now with Ivy in tow, the five heroes rode off towards the Menhir Fort, where they will most likely find Morphina and her thugs. Or, what was left of the fight. Ivy was at first phased at the intensity of the sun's rays compared to the subtle lighting in the swamplands, but soon her sensitive eyes became used to the new lighting. She held on to the horse in silence, absorbing the splendor of the world beyond the murky swamps she called home. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. However, this sense of peace changed as Donnia, Rex, Bad-Rayman, and Freya led the horses towards Menhir Fort. They were appalled at what they saw.
The five heroes stared dumbstruck at the damaged land that was surrounded by the beautiful lands of Menhir Hills. The ground was barren and scorched to a dark brown. The blackened remains of trees were twisted and broken in awkward angles, as if a giant hand had squeezed the very life from their branches. Ivy Thorn looked closer at the lands, and realized that the ground wasn't barren, but covered in the bodies of fallen soldiers and beasts of burden that had died from the same thing that turned the grasslands into a poisoned wasteland. What could've done all of this? Morphina would've been at least crippled from the conflict they had together! Immediately, Ivy and her four battle-ready friends dismounted their obedient horses and ran down the slope to search for any clues of the cause of all this death.
When the came closer to the battlefields, they saw that the ground was bubbling unnaturally like boiling water in certain spots. The air that hung above the death trap had a biting acid smell to it; the same smell that Ivy encountered when Morphina spat venom at her during her final stand. " Demon spew...There were demons here, Ivy." Rex Skyler said seriously. Demons? Morphina was dead, right? Ivy suddenly realized that her thoughts were empty false hopes. Ivy shook away her thoughts as she examined a fallen tree. " I can see that, but the question is that what caused all of this..." She swept her hand towards the horizon, indicating the damage.
"Hey! There's someone breathing over here!" The group heard Donnia cry in the midst of the damage. They all raced over to see her discovery, and nearly lost all hope when they saw what happened to Donnia's survivor. It was a man, covered with chain mail from head to toe to protect him from attacks. However, a large smoking hole in the middle of the man's chest indicated where he was mortally wounded. Blood bubbling unnaturally from the mix of demon venom poured out of the mortal wound. Ivy heard her friends gasp as she saw the Bluddwiek Badge of Honor shine right above where the man had been attacked. Donnia kept his head steady as the others gingerly lay the man on his side. "What happened here?" The man gasped, blood trickling from his mouth. "A snakebeast....we had thousands battling it...so many deaths...oh please let me die...." Donnia shook the man gently, pressing him on.
"Tell us what this thing did to you!?! Please don't die now!" The man gasped, and then hoarsely replied to the group. " ...it sprayed venom...killed everything in sight...I was hit in the chest and-" The warrior shuddered and lay still, his head becoming limp in Donnia's hand. Rex shook his head. "There's nothing we can do for him anymore. At least he told us what it was..." The group gazed out towards the horizon, surrounded by the wreck that was once a serene land full of peace. Everyone knew what it meant, what the man was telling them.
Morphina has returned, and their stand against her may be their last. "This looks bad..." Bad-Rayman's voice ran across the silent barren wasteland, his first words since the Marshes of Awakening. Thorn nodded, but she couldn't reply. She found that at the sight of the dying soldier it became very hard to talk. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a choked sob. I never saw so many dead people before, Ivy thought. I never knew that Morphina could do so much damage...
"Oh no...Look at the fort..." Ivy turned her head, and realized the voice belonged to Freya. She was standing a good distance away from the rest of the group; obviously searching the damage as the others confronted the dying soldier. She stood right in the middle of an outline of fallen rocks, the ruins of a once tall stone fortress. The group of friends had to scramble above the rubble to get to where Freya was standing. She held in her hands tendrils of long chains, each one glittering different colors with contained magic. Ivy lightly touched the chains with one finger, and jerked it back when the magic shocked her. " It's the same magic that spellbinds creatures against their will. Morphina doesn't know how to break a spellbinding; she can only create them."
"Remember what Globox said about what happened to Davis when he was spellbound and was hit by a Silver Lum?" Rex recalled. "Morphina could've used a bunch of Silver Lums to shatter the magic of these chains." Freya shook her head in disbelief. "But, only Rayman-" Freya soon cut herself off, knowing that it didn't matter anyways. All that mattered was that the chains were the same that once restrained Bane, a strong demon that could very well be as strong as Morphina. Now, Bane was free and following Morphina in her march of death.
With Bane by her side, Morphina was virtually unstoppable.
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"Hello? Anybody there?" Davis Thorn cried hopelessly threw the mist. He couldn't recognize the swamps he was currently walking through. The cold bit at his bones like a serpent waiting for him to breathe his final breath. He held out his hands for support; he hoped that it wouldn't be long before he felt the warm touch of his house or maybe even the gnarled roots that guarded the Entrance to the Cave of Bad Dreams. He bumped into something, but he realized it was only a tree. He threw his hands up in desperation.
"Great. I'm lost in the same place I've been living in all my life. Why do I have to be so ignorant?" As he sat in a middle of a mud puddle, brooding heavily, the mist began to clear. Suddenly, a dark shape appeared in the mist. "Hey, a house! I'm home again!" Sadly, the house was too big to be considered Davis's house. As the mist cleared, the house revealed itself to be a grand mansion right in the middle of the marshes. Lights were shining through giant glass windows, meaning that somebody was home. Without bothering himself to examine the house any further, Davis ran into the house like a stranded islander that just found an oasis.
As he crossed the threshold of the house, Davis realized that the house was too quiet for comfort. To calm his nerves, he unsheathed his dagger as he searched the walls for any life. The manor was filled with grand paintings and statues, but instead of portraying scenes and famous figures they were all designed after the same guy. Davis felt a shiver run up his spine, he had a bad feeling about this. He approached the grand staircase that greeted the entrance, hoping to find the owner of the manor upstairs. Click! Davis turned his head to the source of the sound. He immediately felt his courage drain from him.
"What are you doing in my house, you little sneak?" The same guy who was in the paintings and was crafted in the statues stood in a hallway, pointing a powerful shotgun right at Davis's head. It was a tall and lithe creature that was humanoid in shape but surely wasn't a human. He had lime-green skin that seemed to glow under the bright lights of his manor. His fancy hunting clothes and hat were bright red in color and reminded Davis of blood. His accented voice was strangely high-pitched but it didn't matter to Davis. He swallowed, trying to get rid of his dry mouth. He had unknowingly entered the lair of Count Razoff the hunter. Davis also knew that shotguns weren't commonly used by zombie-tamers, being very hard to cast the Tamer's Light on them so they could rightfully puncture a demon. Davis tried to reason with the sharpshooter.
"I lost my way in the mist. I was wondering if I could say for a little while, so I can return to my home later." Davis replied. Count Razoff didn't buy it. "Yeah right. If I let you stay here under my hospitality, you'd slit my throat when my guard is down and steal this mansion for yourself. I know exactly how your mind works, thief." Davis felt his blood turn to ice. It was one thing to be trapped in the same house as a skilled sharpshooter, it was another to have the skilled sharpshooter believe that you were here to steal his belongings.
Davis flinched, not knowing what else to do. Quickly, he ran for the exit. Davis didn't reach the door. He fell to the ground, a dart filled with tranquilizer sticking out of his neck. Without a second thought, Count Razoff lifted Davis and flung him across his shoulder like one would carry a sack of potatoes.
"If you want hospitality, you'll get hospitality. How does a sleepover in the catacombs sound?" Completely unaware, Davis slept peacefully under the effects of the drug. He had now become a captive of Count Razoff, all because he had shown an act of disobedience against Ivy and her friends.
Davis's future looked very bleak.
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End of Chapter 2
I bet you are all wondering where Rayman and his friends went. Believe me, Chapter three will reveal what happened to Rayman, but it won't be delightful. ;)
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is amazing! It turns out that the rumors of Rayman turning into a frog were true, but it only happened during one mini-boss battle involving a witch and her magic brew. Sadly, Ly the fairy was missing in action. The cutscenes were very funny, and the voices fit the characters perfectly.
Review! It's the least you could do after I used up my free time typing this chapter up!
Author's Notes: Whoa. I never thought that I'd get so much inspiration at a given time. I feel like I'm having the opposite of a writer's block. Oo; (Murphy: Looks like someone been eating paint chips again!) Don't question motivation when you run into it!
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By the afternoon, the heavy morning rains have ceased, revealing warm sunlight and cloudy skies. However, no one in Menhir Hills bothered to notice the beauty as they approached the large fort that guarded Morphina's secret weapon; Bane, the demon who had to be locked in a separate dungeon away from the Cave of Bad Dreams. The large army of Commanders and slaves stood, still dripping wet from the quick summer rains but otherwise okay. As Morphina urged the large legion on a frightened follower of Striker came running up to her.
"Your Majesty, Striker is nowhere to be seen!" The corsair human shouted. Morphina didn't even bother to turn around. "He's not here at the moment; I sent him along with some chosen Commanders and horses to meet an old 'friend' of his in Bluddwiek." The pirate, a large tough male with scars running down his face, looked very surprised.
"Old friend? Who?" Morphina led the army on; she was getting a little testy of people questioning her authority. "Okay, my dimwitted friend. I'll only explain this. When Striker had signed up for me, he mentioned a Lord Wyrm somewhere during the promotions. What a lucky break for me; Freya was spawned from the same slave driver that Striker had escaped so many years ago. I ordered him to bring back Agent B.R. He can do anything he wants with Freya, but Agent B.R. must be brought back to me alive. I'm sure that softhearted fool will surely oblige after Striker slices and dices Freya into ribbons!"
No one bothered to talk to Morphina about anything beyond the repeating of complicated instructions. She was positive that this siege will work; just like all the other attacks before. Bane will soon be in her control.
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"Ha ha. So this is where Freya works..." Striker the silver fox dismounted his black stallion with a solid movement of his lithe body. Unlike Freya, his body was covered in battle scars, including a hideous scar that replaced his right eye. He pulled out his most prized weapon out of his holster; a large battle-axe with a sturdy wooden hilt stained with blood. He swung it around in the air to test it off and smiled, sharp canines glinting in the afternoon sun. "What do we do, Sir Striker?" Sure enough, Morphina ordered Striker to bring her most worthless Commanders with him; Pondscum the failure and his partner Keri. The two Commanders stood, surveying the boardinghouse that a messenger described to them.
"You come in with me. Two 'well-bodied' creatures like yourselves could help defend me." The two failures quickly filed beside Striker, guarding his left and right sides. Perfect; in case of a hidden ambush the two weakest links will be riddled full of arrows. Not best to take chances. They walked into the boardinghouse without some much as a second word between them. At that time, Freya had returned to her post and was once again serving people. Bad-Rayman sat at the counter, spending his daily salary by pleasuring himself with ale. Striker recognized him, the description fitting perfectly. He swung his axe down into the counter just inches from Bad-Rayman's right hand, burying it into the crafted wood.
"You'll have to pay for that, fox." Bad-Rayman said emotionlessly as he downed his glass of ale.
"Don't play games with me! Where's the wolf, Agent B.R.?" Striker hissed. The boardinghouse became deathly silent. Bad-Rayman eyed both the axe and his owner, knowing that only Morphina's Commanders still recognized his old false name. Geez, either Morphina is back or her thugs have formed some kind of gang to take revenge, he thought. He pointed towards the kitchen; inwardly knowing that Freya was well seasoned for these kinds of situations. Immediately, Striker hurried into the kitchen and escorted Freya out of the middle of preparing a chicken meal; she still clutched a butcher knife. "Ah, so this is how much ten years have done to us since the last time we saw each other. I am a bloodthirsty killer, and you are a chef for a tourist's boardinghouse." He pulled his axe out of the wood with one strong pull. "You make me sick, mongrel."
Freya put away the butcher knife and whistled a shrill note. The call seemed to vibrate off the quiet wooden walls. Suddenly, Donnia and Rex ran out of their reserved room and came to her aide, weapons at hand. Just like they arranged; when Donnia and Rex received their rooms they secretly made a pact that they will arrive armed in case of a fight. Rex passed Freya her old hunting dagger, still clean even when she hadn't used it in six months. The four fighters all stood poised and ready for battle. Striker laughed heartily at this.
"Pondscum, do you see that? The puppy-dog made some friends along the way!" His tone changed from light to serious. "Listen, you runaways! This is a duel is between Freya and me. You even try to help her in any way and Keri will finish the match with a well-placed arrow." Keri demonstrated by throwing an orange into the air and shooting it three times before it fell to the ground with a squish. "We will fight outside this very boardinghouse; I can't afford to pay for the damages." He said the last part with a sneer, obviously a threat directed towards Bad-Rayman. "I hope you said goodbye to your odd group of friends, because I'm not going to spare even a long-lost friend."
The gray fox left the boardinghouse; Keri and Pondscum close behind. Freya walked after him, her face sullen and expressionless. Her friends followed after her. Outside was no different; the civilians cleared the way for the fighters, duels being common in Bluddwiek to settle arguments. The two fighters made the duel official by shaking hands then backing up from each other ten steps. Finally, Striker turned to face Freya; wolf against fox. Striker raised his axe in a dramatic arch until it was raised high above his head. The sun made it glitter like a beautiful trinket. Freya immediately felt fear strike her heart like a knife, but kept it concealed with a mask of confidence and determination. Striker fought to the death all his life, and she hasn't used her dagger for killing others ever since she entered Bluddwiek. "This will teach you not to mess with Morphina!" Striker shouted.
The battle was on! Freya sidestepped the quick axe swipe from Striker. While Striker threw axe after axe attacks at her, she dodged and jumped with the swiftness of a prowling cat. The first blood was shed when Striker did an uppercut as she tried to attack his exposed stomach. She managed to roll out of the way but the tip of the axe's blade sliced her right leg, creating a large deep gash running from her knee to her foot. Freya flinched but didn't lose her grace as her wound poured life-giving blood onto the pavement. She leapt onto a street lamp, balancing all her weight on her good leg. "You were always such the sore loser, Striker!"
"That may be true, but you were always such the weakling, mongrel!" Striker jumped after her, axe raised high above his head. Freya dodged and actually got a hit in by creating a long dagger wound against Striker's unprotected side. On the ground, the crowd had a hard time following the combatants; their fighting mostly involved jumping from building to building. Everyone involved in the fight, including Donnia, Rex, and Bad-Rayman, had to race through the town as the two skilled jumpers brought the fight to the tops of the buildings. The battle lasted exactly ten minutes; by that time, both fighters were at the very edge of the town. They both crouched, catching their breath and ready for the other to make their move. Striker moved first, charging towards Freya in a lightning-fast pace. Freya also attacked, blocking Striker's attack with a charge of her own. The two canines were locked hand-by-hand, weapons clattering unused by their feet. Each one tried to push the other one off the building. Striker tried to take advantage of Freya by insulting her.
"You make me sick, mongrel. You were always the wussiest child in Lord Wyrm's manor. A real hunter would've made the others respect him, but you made friends with the fellow slaves. What's the point of friendship if you have power at your side? You're completely worthless!" Freya's eyes met Striker's, both fighters having intense amber eyes.
"You know what, Striker? You may have the power, but what's the use if you don't have anybody that respects you as a friend? You're no better than Mister Dark, Razorbeard, or Morphina." Freya shot back. Unbeknownst to Striker, Freya was gradually pushing Striker off the edge of the large building. Striker may have been a corsair, but Freya had lived an abused life. She smiled at him, a cruel smile that would always come after a sick joke.
"One more thing. Don't call me mongrel again!" Freya gave a final hefty push and Striker lost his footing. The gray fox plunged from the building, only to break his fall with the town's border fence. However, since the fence had pointed ends...
Freya jumped down from the building and greeted the cheering crowd. She gave a final look at the corpse of her long-lost friend, then ignored it as soldiers removed it. Instantly after she met the ground, she rushed towards Pondscum and Keri. She picked up Pondscum with both hands, strangling the frog.
"Okay, filter feeder! Talk!" Pondscum whimpered as he felt Donnia's sword brush his back. Instantly, he shouted out everything he knew. (Which wasn't much, sadly.) "Ack! Morphina sent us to come with Striker! She wanted Agent B.R. to be back so she could spellbind him! We were just distractions for you two because she led an attack on Menhir Fort! Just don't kill me; I'll be good! Honest!" Freya dropped the pathetic crying figure. Her face was grim. "An attack on Menhir Fort! We have to go!"
She ran towards the main gate, but she couldn't move thanks to Bad-Rayman pulling her tail. "We're not going anywhere, Freya. What good will it do if you went running over there? Look at yourself; you got into a fight with one Commander and you're covering in wounds and bruises. Imagine an army of fighters of *his* talent, all led by Morphina?" He pointed towards the body of Striker, a twisted horror with shock and terror still frozen in his lifeless eyes. "You'd be crushed like a bug before you could even unsheathe your dagger. The only chance we'll have is if we bring Ivy Thorn back from the Marshes of Awakening!"
Freya shot a pleading glance towards Bad-Rayman. "But what about the fort? It'll take forever to go the Marshes and back before Morphina destroys the fort." Rex Skyler placed a solid hand on her shoulder. "It's too late now; Morphina can destroy entire countries, and a fort will be a piece of cake for her. The least we could do is head for the Marshes of Awakening, get Ivy, and follow Morphina's tracks." The wolf-furry looked defeated, but she nodded. "You're right. We'll use both Morphina's horses and some Bluddwiek horses. Pondscum and Keri can do our jobs until we get back. Isn't that right?" Neither of the exiled Commanders made an effort to answer as they stood awkwardly at spear-point.
The decision was settled then. Donnia, Rex, Bad-Rayman, and Freya all rode out towards the Marshes of Awakening, riding on horseback. Meanwhile, Pondscum and Keri would get their first lessons of being on the good side; cooking and serving orders. Horseback will get them to the Marshes before nightfall.
Let's just hope they aren't too late...
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The sun was still high in the sky when the four horse-bound warriors arrived in the Marshes of Awakening, now a swampy haven covered in mist caused by the rain. Fortunately, Menhir Hills was not filled with any obscuring obstacles as the horses sprinted through the wilderness. There was not another moment to spare; the horses were quickly bound to a sturdy tree as the environment became too slippery to ride through. Freya, Donnia, Rex, and Bad-Rayman raced through the marshes at the fastest speed possible towards the Entrance to the Cave of Bad Dreams. Reeds were brushed aside, sinkholes were avoided, and shortcuts were used as they all stumbled across the marshes. The mist made their sight very limited, but seasoned trackers like themselves knew where the Cave of Bad Dreams was. Sure enough, the entrance suddenly appeared out of the swamp mist just before they ran out of breath. Ivy, just finishing the final training course for the day, ran up to the four friends she hasn't seen since the War of the Souls.
"Wow! I didn't see you four for a while! What's going on?" Ivy exclaimed as the four tired companions caught their breath. Davis stood by his sister silently, almost bursting with joy in seeing old acquaintances. Rex was the first to catch his breath. "Ivy, we need you to come with us to Menhir Hills! Morphina has returned and she's attacking Menhir Fort!" The look on the Thorn siblings' faces was priceless.
"Morphina? But, she's dead!" Davis pressed. Ivy was about to say the same thing, but then again, she knew that the four friends that sat wheezing before her wouldn't run for their lives just to ask her to attend a birthday party. Immediately, she ran to get her gear necessary for tracking through dangerous lands, a gift given by both her teacher Jano and her father Pierce. As she prepared herself for the journey, Davis tried to talk his way into this trip. "Ivy, this is the chance you mentioned earlier, the chance we've been waiting for! We can see the world beyond the marshes! Can you take me too?" Davis pleaded. Instantly, Ivy brushed him off.
"I'm sorry, Davis. If Morphina's involved, then this journey can be dangerous to everyone who comes with me, and I can't afford to lose you like I lost Mom. Besides, what if she heads back here to take revenge on the Cave of Bad Dreams? We need at least one zombie-tamer here guarding the entrance from any demon attacks!" She slipped on her leather boots, designed for romping through dangerous lands. Davis was appalled. "Why me? Jano's capable of taking care of himself! Let me go, please!" Ivy found her weapons beside a tree, and slipped them into their holsters; a dagger, a slingshot, and a bow. Freya or Donnia could provide the arrows.
"Listen to your sister, Davis. We wouldn't want to have to drag any extra weight." Bad-Rayman replied as he rested. "What? I can take care of myself just as well as any of you can!" Davis shouted. "Davis, you don't even know how to cast the Tamer's Light yet. How are you going to defend yourself against a demon like Morphina?" Ivy answered as she added the finishing touches to her gear. When Ivy was finished dressing in battle-gear, the resting group rose from their sitting positions to lead her to their mounts. Before Davis could shout out another comeback, the five heroes swiftly disappeared into the mist.
Davis didn't want to be left behind at his one chance of seeing the world. Disgruntled, he quickly grabbed the dagger he received for his birthday last week and ran after them. However, since Davis didn't know exactly which direction they chose...
It wasn't long before Davis became completely lost within the swamplands.
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Now with Ivy in tow, the five heroes rode off towards the Menhir Fort, where they will most likely find Morphina and her thugs. Or, what was left of the fight. Ivy was at first phased at the intensity of the sun's rays compared to the subtle lighting in the swamplands, but soon her sensitive eyes became used to the new lighting. She held on to the horse in silence, absorbing the splendor of the world beyond the murky swamps she called home. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. However, this sense of peace changed as Donnia, Rex, Bad-Rayman, and Freya led the horses towards Menhir Fort. They were appalled at what they saw.
The five heroes stared dumbstruck at the damaged land that was surrounded by the beautiful lands of Menhir Hills. The ground was barren and scorched to a dark brown. The blackened remains of trees were twisted and broken in awkward angles, as if a giant hand had squeezed the very life from their branches. Ivy Thorn looked closer at the lands, and realized that the ground wasn't barren, but covered in the bodies of fallen soldiers and beasts of burden that had died from the same thing that turned the grasslands into a poisoned wasteland. What could've done all of this? Morphina would've been at least crippled from the conflict they had together! Immediately, Ivy and her four battle-ready friends dismounted their obedient horses and ran down the slope to search for any clues of the cause of all this death.
When the came closer to the battlefields, they saw that the ground was bubbling unnaturally like boiling water in certain spots. The air that hung above the death trap had a biting acid smell to it; the same smell that Ivy encountered when Morphina spat venom at her during her final stand. " Demon spew...There were demons here, Ivy." Rex Skyler said seriously. Demons? Morphina was dead, right? Ivy suddenly realized that her thoughts were empty false hopes. Ivy shook away her thoughts as she examined a fallen tree. " I can see that, but the question is that what caused all of this..." She swept her hand towards the horizon, indicating the damage.
"Hey! There's someone breathing over here!" The group heard Donnia cry in the midst of the damage. They all raced over to see her discovery, and nearly lost all hope when they saw what happened to Donnia's survivor. It was a man, covered with chain mail from head to toe to protect him from attacks. However, a large smoking hole in the middle of the man's chest indicated where he was mortally wounded. Blood bubbling unnaturally from the mix of demon venom poured out of the mortal wound. Ivy heard her friends gasp as she saw the Bluddwiek Badge of Honor shine right above where the man had been attacked. Donnia kept his head steady as the others gingerly lay the man on his side. "What happened here?" The man gasped, blood trickling from his mouth. "A snakebeast....we had thousands battling it...so many deaths...oh please let me die...." Donnia shook the man gently, pressing him on.
"Tell us what this thing did to you!?! Please don't die now!" The man gasped, and then hoarsely replied to the group. " ...it sprayed venom...killed everything in sight...I was hit in the chest and-" The warrior shuddered and lay still, his head becoming limp in Donnia's hand. Rex shook his head. "There's nothing we can do for him anymore. At least he told us what it was..." The group gazed out towards the horizon, surrounded by the wreck that was once a serene land full of peace. Everyone knew what it meant, what the man was telling them.
Morphina has returned, and their stand against her may be their last. "This looks bad..." Bad-Rayman's voice ran across the silent barren wasteland, his first words since the Marshes of Awakening. Thorn nodded, but she couldn't reply. She found that at the sight of the dying soldier it became very hard to talk. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a choked sob. I never saw so many dead people before, Ivy thought. I never knew that Morphina could do so much damage...
"Oh no...Look at the fort..." Ivy turned her head, and realized the voice belonged to Freya. She was standing a good distance away from the rest of the group; obviously searching the damage as the others confronted the dying soldier. She stood right in the middle of an outline of fallen rocks, the ruins of a once tall stone fortress. The group of friends had to scramble above the rubble to get to where Freya was standing. She held in her hands tendrils of long chains, each one glittering different colors with contained magic. Ivy lightly touched the chains with one finger, and jerked it back when the magic shocked her. " It's the same magic that spellbinds creatures against their will. Morphina doesn't know how to break a spellbinding; she can only create them."
"Remember what Globox said about what happened to Davis when he was spellbound and was hit by a Silver Lum?" Rex recalled. "Morphina could've used a bunch of Silver Lums to shatter the magic of these chains." Freya shook her head in disbelief. "But, only Rayman-" Freya soon cut herself off, knowing that it didn't matter anyways. All that mattered was that the chains were the same that once restrained Bane, a strong demon that could very well be as strong as Morphina. Now, Bane was free and following Morphina in her march of death.
With Bane by her side, Morphina was virtually unstoppable.
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"Hello? Anybody there?" Davis Thorn cried hopelessly threw the mist. He couldn't recognize the swamps he was currently walking through. The cold bit at his bones like a serpent waiting for him to breathe his final breath. He held out his hands for support; he hoped that it wouldn't be long before he felt the warm touch of his house or maybe even the gnarled roots that guarded the Entrance to the Cave of Bad Dreams. He bumped into something, but he realized it was only a tree. He threw his hands up in desperation.
"Great. I'm lost in the same place I've been living in all my life. Why do I have to be so ignorant?" As he sat in a middle of a mud puddle, brooding heavily, the mist began to clear. Suddenly, a dark shape appeared in the mist. "Hey, a house! I'm home again!" Sadly, the house was too big to be considered Davis's house. As the mist cleared, the house revealed itself to be a grand mansion right in the middle of the marshes. Lights were shining through giant glass windows, meaning that somebody was home. Without bothering himself to examine the house any further, Davis ran into the house like a stranded islander that just found an oasis.
As he crossed the threshold of the house, Davis realized that the house was too quiet for comfort. To calm his nerves, he unsheathed his dagger as he searched the walls for any life. The manor was filled with grand paintings and statues, but instead of portraying scenes and famous figures they were all designed after the same guy. Davis felt a shiver run up his spine, he had a bad feeling about this. He approached the grand staircase that greeted the entrance, hoping to find the owner of the manor upstairs. Click! Davis turned his head to the source of the sound. He immediately felt his courage drain from him.
"What are you doing in my house, you little sneak?" The same guy who was in the paintings and was crafted in the statues stood in a hallway, pointing a powerful shotgun right at Davis's head. It was a tall and lithe creature that was humanoid in shape but surely wasn't a human. He had lime-green skin that seemed to glow under the bright lights of his manor. His fancy hunting clothes and hat were bright red in color and reminded Davis of blood. His accented voice was strangely high-pitched but it didn't matter to Davis. He swallowed, trying to get rid of his dry mouth. He had unknowingly entered the lair of Count Razoff the hunter. Davis also knew that shotguns weren't commonly used by zombie-tamers, being very hard to cast the Tamer's Light on them so they could rightfully puncture a demon. Davis tried to reason with the sharpshooter.
"I lost my way in the mist. I was wondering if I could say for a little while, so I can return to my home later." Davis replied. Count Razoff didn't buy it. "Yeah right. If I let you stay here under my hospitality, you'd slit my throat when my guard is down and steal this mansion for yourself. I know exactly how your mind works, thief." Davis felt his blood turn to ice. It was one thing to be trapped in the same house as a skilled sharpshooter, it was another to have the skilled sharpshooter believe that you were here to steal his belongings.
Davis flinched, not knowing what else to do. Quickly, he ran for the exit. Davis didn't reach the door. He fell to the ground, a dart filled with tranquilizer sticking out of his neck. Without a second thought, Count Razoff lifted Davis and flung him across his shoulder like one would carry a sack of potatoes.
"If you want hospitality, you'll get hospitality. How does a sleepover in the catacombs sound?" Completely unaware, Davis slept peacefully under the effects of the drug. He had now become a captive of Count Razoff, all because he had shown an act of disobedience against Ivy and her friends.
Davis's future looked very bleak.
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End of Chapter 2
I bet you are all wondering where Rayman and his friends went. Believe me, Chapter three will reveal what happened to Rayman, but it won't be delightful. ;)
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is amazing! It turns out that the rumors of Rayman turning into a frog were true, but it only happened during one mini-boss battle involving a witch and her magic brew. Sadly, Ly the fairy was missing in action. The cutscenes were very funny, and the voices fit the characters perfectly.
Review! It's the least you could do after I used up my free time typing this chapter up!
