The Wanderer

Part two: Secrets revealed.

By

Lance the Flamesniper

In a dark Labyrinth he sits. Tall with greying black hair, his body still posesses a great deal of vitality even though he's nearing his late fifties. His eyes are a baleful green making them stand out over his severe nose and thin lips. He is the current leader of the Conclave. He has control of it's men and if magic. He is Father Rasputin Serpen and tonight he is forging a new weapon in the quest of the Book of Destiny.

In his labratory is strapped a young man barely into his twenties. The boy's name is of no consequense to Father Serpen. The Boy's father had been a theif for the Conclave. He'd died in service to the Order at the hands of one of many families that may have held a clue to the location of Elric the Wanderer, but the boy didn't know that. All he knew was that his father died for the cause. Loyalty to that is what brought the young boy to be strapped to the lab table.

Not a word is said as Father Serpen walked to the stand by the table. The forging of weapons was a solemn task, one that removed humanity from the recipient in exchange for power. The forging required a mystic animal part and a willing human to be fused together. With that in mind Serpen looked over the items on the table. Harpy feathers from Greece. Hydra fangs from same. Dragon's teeth from various cultures. The horns of black unicorns. The scales of a sea serpent. The Fangs of the Wendigoes. So many choices. Serpen looked them all over before selecting a horn from a black unicorn.

Black unicorns are quite simply a unicorn who's been corrupted by evil. It's a difficult task to corrupt a unicorn, but hardly impossible. Where a normal unicorn can remove taints, black unicorn can poison with a touch. The black unicorn horn in question was about three feet long and a gleeming onyx black in color. It was twisted like all unicorn horns and it pulsed with dark intent. Serpen smiled under his cowl. This was going to be pleasant....for him.

Serpen looked at the boy. While this was a solemn event some words had to be said. "My child are you sure that this is what you want? Once it's done it cannot be undone."

The boy only nodded. Serpen then placed the horn point up upon the boy's brow. "In the name of he who grants us power for our quest, mighty lord Chaos! Let the forging commence!"

So enpowered the horn began to fuse itself to the boy's body, cause him to scream out in agony. Once the horn had imbedded itself though the transformation began. The boy's boy grew in size from just under six feet to closer to seven and a half feet tall. Black fur covered his body and his fingers formed bony coverings similar to horse hooves.

When the transformation was done the boy was no more. All that was left was a weapon.

Serpen smiled coldly. "Go an await further command. We will find our enemy soon and then he shall fall to you."

Elric frowned as he walked off the boat in Kyoto. A week at sea hadn't seemed as fun as it used to be. Then again with all the "modern conviences" of sailing vessels there was no need for the things he knew how to do. There were no oars, no steady cadence of a drum, nor were there sails to raise or lower. He'd almost hoped they'd have run into pirates. However, there were other reasons why he frowned. Kyoto was not a place he happily remembered.

The last time he was here it was cutting down Shinsengumi warriors. Actually, he's cut down warriors from other units too, but those warriors were the ones he remembered best. Idly he wondered what became of some of the others from the Meiji Restoration as it was now called. He'd had friends amoung some clans involved in other places at that time. The Himura Clan, the Meioh Clan, and of course the Hino Clan. He'd have to look into them.

"Well here we are," he said to himself and to the book. Over the years he'd mastered the skills that the book was allowed to teach. The most impressive was the fireblade, but the most useful ones were the spell destiny's path and the glamour spell; a trick that allows one to make people see what you want them to believe. Only the Hino Clan had ever seen through the glamour. Elric stopped using the glamour save to muddle the memories of his travels over
the last century or so.

Kyoto was known for being the place where women came to become geisha. While geisha were lovely, Elric was not interested in their art or their practice. There was another reason to leave Kyoto though. Quite simply he'd stand out there too much. With that in mind he set a path for the biggest city he could think of: Tokyo.

Raye Hino glared at the lawyer sitting across from her. Didn't this fool realize she didn't want to speak to him at the moment? She didn't want to speak to anyone. She just wanted to curl up and die herself. Still this lawyerclaimed when he called that there was some minor point to her Grandfather's estate that she simply had to deliver to her right away.

The lawyer for his part didn't want to be near Miss Hino. Looking at her he could imagine that if she could she would make him burst into flames with just her smoldering gaze. Still, he had specific orders that she needed to recived this item. It was letter that had been enclosed in her grandfather's will and was not to be opened by anyone but Raye Hino or her decendants.

"As you can see Miss Hino, his instructions are very specific," The lawyer sputtered out.

"Was there anything else you needed?" Raye asked coldly.

"Uhm, n-no," The lawyer began.

"Then go away!" She snapped.

The lawyer started to protest, but one look into the firey violet eyes of the young woman was enough to make him run. He wanted no further part of the Hino family or it's dragon-like heiress.

Once the attourney was gone, she opened the letter.

Raye,

If you're reading this letter it means I have died without telling you the family secret. I sincerely hope that you keep this secret as well as I have kept yours...Sailor Mars. It was quite the surprise to me when I discovered that the senshi of fire happens to also be a girl who can't even light a stove. Still I've kept this secret from others.

I'm sure you've noticed that our family enjoys a great deal of psychic power. It was because of this that our clan discoved a secret that has been guarded for over a century. During the civil war that began the Meiji Era our clan fought with the Imperialists. In the battle there was a Gaijin warrior of great skill. A manslayer named Elric Nobleman. Our ancestor was friends with this man, despite his being gaijin. One day our Ancestor discovered that Elric had a secret.

Elric Nobleman, when confronted, allowed our ancestor to know his truth if it was promised that it would remain a secret, sworn to our care on our clan's honor.

Elric Nobleman it turned out was an alias. Elric it turned out was actually several centuries old. Cursed by an ancient tome to be young and vital until the day he left this world. To my best knowledge he still lives. Though most likely he has changed his name. He is a chased man. It was and remains our duty to guard his secret and aid him as needed. As part of this end you shall find an item he placed in our clan's care in the storeroom. I have no description of him save for that when our family sees him, we will know him.

When he first arrived here, I assumed that Chad was this wanderer. Thus the reason I happily took him in. By the time I realized he was not, I had taken a liking to him anyway. It did my heart no end of joy to see you and he begin to feel love for each other. It was a delight to see you finally find friends and someone to love, as you always seemed to be so lonely and combative at times.

In a way granddaughter I am glad that you are Sailor Mars. The magic granted from that post will be of great use, should Ruroni Elric come to the temple. From what our ancestor was told, his enemies are dire ones. Part of me wants to doubt that this story is truth, but that part of me would also have doubted that you are Sailor Mars. There are too many things in this world that cannot be explained to doubt such as this.

Be strong Granddaughter. And if strength fails you, look to friends to lend it to you. Remember always that I love you and will be looking out for you.

Yours forever,

Grandfather

Raye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew. All this time he knew and didn't say a word. And now, she is to be on the look for a Ruroni: a wanderer. And even better a Ruroni who is both immortal and that she has no description of. She didn't have time for this though. She was a college student and had a cram session to attend to soon.

Elric smiled at the young woman who answered the door of the dojo. Judging by her facial features and the way she moved she would most definitely have to be a relative of his old friend. Internally he had to chuckle about that. With him "old friend" took on a decidedly new meaning.

"Excuse me sir?" The redheaded woman responded. "Are you here for some classes?"

"No Himura-san," Elric responded, all the while wondering if he remembered the proper honorific. "You must forgive me if I say things wrong, it has been a very long time since I spoke this language. Might I come in? I have something I must discuss with the head of the Himura family and have traveled a long way to do so."

"I am sorry to hear that sir," the young woman responded. "I am the current head of the Himura clan and master of the Kamiya Kashin style."

"Kamiya Kashin style? I've heard of that," Elric responded. "I do not practice it myself. But I've learned of it."

"I see," the young woman responded. "Forgive me now sir. You know more about me than I know of you. Perhaps you can tell me your name."

"Fairness is a two way street Himura-san. I know your clan but you have yet to introduce yourself," Elric responded. "But I am Elric Blademan. I have come because an ancestor of mine left something in your clan's care."

"Elric Blademan? I do not know of that clan and certainly have nothing belonging to such a clan," the young woman snapped.

"Blademan is only a recent change to my clan's name. My ancestor was Elric Nobleman Himura-san. And he most certainly left a trunk in the care of an ancestor named Kenshin."

"Oh. You must forgive me then," She answered with a bow. "I sometimes have trouble with my temper. It is something from the Kamiya clan. A fierce tiger that is hard to keep caged. My name is Kumiko Himura by the way."

"Pleasure to meet you," Elric responded as Kumiko allowed him in her door.

Across the street a man in a black sedan began dialing his phone. He'd sighted the Wandereder now it was time to claim what was the Conclave's.

TBC