Chapter 8: Something Fishy
"Ah, this is the life." Karn grinned cheekily. The young thief was relaxing on the deck of the ship without a care in the world. "Sun, surf, sailing..."
"Seaweed..." Bo added, dropping a large lump of the slimy plant on Karn's head. "Get up, lazybones. You need to adjust the sail again."
"Me? Why me?" Karn demanded, brushing off his unwanted hat.
"Well, let's see..." Bo ticked the reasons off on his fingers as he spoke. "Captain Role's steering. Ryu's still going through the cabins. Nina's on lookout. Gobi's fixing dinner. That leaves you and me. I have a fear of heights, while you scamper around high places like a monkey."
"All merely circumstantial, my friend." Karn waved his hand nonchalantly. Bo glared.
"I can throw you up there if I have to. How's that?"
"All right, all right, don't get excited." Muttering to himself, the nimble thief scaled the mainmast.
"Bo, if you're not doing anything, the bilges need pumping!" Captain Role yelled from the wheel. Karn snickered. The Forest Clanner gave him another glare, then stomped down belowdecks. Ryu, who had been watching all of this, chuckled as he added more potentially useful things he had found in the cabins to the pile.
"Having fun, Karn?"
"Aren't I always?" The irrepressable thief called back. Despite his complaining to Bo, Karn had taken to nautical life like a fish. Captain Role had taught him how to set the rigging and he was instantly an expert, looking for all the world like he had been working with sails and ropes his entire life. Chuckling, Ryu walked over to Captain Role.
"So, where exactly are we headed, Captain?"
"Well, you want to go to the western lands, correct?" Role asked. Ryu nodded. "Well then, the best place to dock would probably be Gust. That's about as far away from Scande as we're likely to get, so it'll be the easiest place to unload you and your friends without getting spotted by the Dark Dragons. And Gobi, of course."
"Yeah..." Ryu shifted uncomfortably. "Captain, what do you think of Gobi? I mean, why do you think he needed to leave Auria so suddenly by boat? I know he and Nuzi had a falling-out, but why couldn't he just go back to Prima where most of his Clan are?"
"Who knows, my friend?" Role shrugged. "That's really his business, not ours. He's been a good crewman so far, and as long as he stays that way, I don't care what his rationale is."
"Dark Dragons ho!" Nina suddenly yelled from the lookout. "Three ships, approaching head on! About ten minutes away!"
"Shit!" Ryu cursed. He thought for a moment. "All right, this isn't hopeless. Role, Karn, over here. Nina, get belowdeck with Bo and Gobi. Tell them what's going on, and the three of you stay down there!" Nina nodded and flew down. Karn jumped down from the rigging.
"What's the plan, boss?"
"Disguise." Reaching into the pile of things from the cabins, Ryu pulled out a breastplate of Dark Dragon armor and tossed it to Karn. "This should be your size. Put it on."
"You're not serious!" Karn exclaimed. Ryu didn't even look at him.
"Deadly serious. Look for more your size when you've got that on, then get up to the crow's nest. You might not be normal Dark Dragon soldier material, but you'll pass for human if they don't get a good look at you, since you don't have wings, fur or scales. Now get moving!"
Several minutes later, the Dark Dragon ship Charybdis approached the Scylla, with two lesser ships alongside. Captain Calim frowned as he looked his brother's ship over. "Strange... only three men abovedecks. Hey, you!" The soldier who was scrubbing the decks looked up. "Yeah, you! Where's everybody else?"
"They're all sleeping it off, sir!" The soldier called back. "Things got a little rowdy before we left Auria yesterday!"
"I'll bet!" Calim laughed. "Where's that lazy brother of mine, then?"
"Captain Suish?" The scrawny-looking soldier on lookout responded. "He drank more than any of the others! He'll be out of it all day!"
"That's my brother, all right, the lazy fool!" Calim howled. "Well, when he wakes up, tell him we made the exchange! I'll be heading to Auria now, and you can follow these two back to the rest of the fleet! Admiral Cean will be arriving soon, so give him my regards, too!" Ryu sighed under his breath; it was working. Unfortunately, it was at that exact moment that their luck betrayed them.
"What the-Captain Calim, look!" One of the soldiers on the Charybdis pointed to the Scylla's portholes. Calim stared.
"A Maniro!" Ryu groaned and made a mental note to flatten Gobi if they made it out alive. Calim was no longer looking amused. "What's going on here? Stop this vessel right now, scalawags!"
"Um... I don't suppose we can talk this over?" Karn suggested as he swung down to the main deck and Captain Role joined them. Calim, however, looked in no mood for talk; the other two boats were swinging around to the Scylla's sides.
"All right, everybody get up here! Especially you, Gobi!" Ryu yelled. The other three were on the deck in a flash. Gobi chuckled nervously.
"Um... uh-oh? Why do I get the feeling I chose the wrong ship to hitch a ride on?"
"Yeah, you did." Ryu growled. "We'll deal with you later. For now, anybody have any ideas?"
"Attack, is about all I can think of." Karn suggested.
"There's too many!" Captain Role argued. "We can't take them all on! We should retreat..."
"No... we can't! Didn't you hear them? He's heading for Auria!" Nina reminded the Captain. "We can't match three boatloads, but if we can kill the Dark Dragon Captain, the others might run."
"Besides, it's not like we can retreat with them surrounding us like this." Bo reminded them. "We're just lucky they haven't used their cannons yet. It looks like the Captain wants to deal with us personally..."
"Hold it!" Gobi exclaimed. Everybody turned to glare at him, but the Maniro was smiling. "Everybody, remember? This is a war ship... so there's plenty of gun powder on here! If we blow it up, it'll take all these guys out and we can escape!"
"And then we'll drown triumphantly." Karn shook his head. "You've been sticking your head in the cannons, haven't you?"
"I'm a Maniro, remember?" Gobi grinned. "The ocean is my turf. I'll make sure you all come out fine!"
"I don't think we're going to get a better idea." Nina reluctantly agreed. Ryu growled, then gave in.
"Fine. But I think we have a problem to deal with first!" The Dark Dragon Captain was boarding.
"Me and Gobi will get to the gun powder." Captain Role decided. "You four, hold him off!"
"Right!" Bo drew his weapon.
"Before we fight, one question." Calim spoke calmly as he approached, but inwardly he was seething. "What did you do with my brother, Suish?"
"He attacked us. We killed him." Ryu shrugged. "Fortunes of war, Captain."
"I see." Calim nodded slowly. "Then you won't take offense when I rip you all into tiny pieces and throw you to the fish. Fortunes of war, after all."
"Not at all... if you can." Ryu grinned at him. "Come on, Captain!"
"The name is Calim... and you must be Ryu, the Light Dragon rebel!" Calim realized as he began glowing. "You're quite famous! I'll present the Goddess Keys to Emperor Zog in my brother's name... after I pry them from your severed fingers!"
"He's transforming! Go, go, go!" Ryu yelled at Gobi and Role, who bolted as the Light Dragon began his own transformation. The other three took up positions around Calim as he, like his brother, slowly became a humongous mollusk. Calim, however, was blood red, at least half again as large as Suish had been, and resembled an octopus more than a squid.
"Gee, I wonder which one was the older brother." Karn muttered. Shrieking, the Octo lashed out at them with a tentacle each, remaining upright on the other four. Ryu shrieked back, now a Thunder Whelp, and fried his tentacle with a blast of lightning. Nina easily flew out of reach and began raining enhancing spells on the group. Bo and Karn, however, were in trouble; as they attacked, they took numerous heavy blows. Breaking off his attack on the tentacle, which was black and crispy, Ryu went for the head.
"Oh, no you don't!" The Octo gave vent to a bubbly scream, and spat a glob of some vile slime from the mouth above his eyes right into Ryu's face. The ooze was acidic, and Ryu went down, clawing it off. Breaking off from the others, the Octo began brutally slamming him with every tentacle available, using them like hundred-pound whips. He ignored the blasts and stabs from the other three, madly slashing at Ryu until blood was pouring from a dozen openings in the Light Dragon's scales. Screaming, Ryu tried to rise, but each time, the Octo smashed him back down.
"Let him GO!" Nina yelled, ramming her rapier into the fleshy top of the mollusk over and over, but the Octo ignored her.
"DIE, Light Dragon!" He howled, actually crying with rage. "Die, like my brother! Die like the beaten dog you are! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"He's completely snapped!" Karn yelled to his comrades. "He won't stop until he's dead or Ryu is!"
"Then we'll have to accelerate that first option!" Bo told him. "You two, stick your weapons into that mouth! Make sure the handles are pointing up! Go!" Nodding, Karn hopped onto the Octo's head and rammed both his daggers in. Nina followed with her rapier. The Octo didn't even notice; he just continued wailing around them. Bo nodded. "Get off! NOW!" As they scrambled to safety, he summoned forth every scrap of magical power he had. From the sky, a lightning bolt wider than the Forest Clanner's body blasted down with two thinner bolts rotating it. All three smashed into the weapons, and from there straight into the Octo's innards. The stench of over-cooked fish filled the air, and the light was blinding. When they could look again, the heroes saw the Octo still standing upright, although his skin was a charred black. Ryu was lying in front of him, turning back into his humanoid form. The Octo slowly raised a tentacle.
"If I die... you're going to hell with... me..." But he tentacle would not move. "What... no, I... Brother... I'm... sorry..." The tentacle lowered. The Octo slumped to the deck, and his eyes dimmed. Ryu slowly got to his feet.
"Damn..."
"What's wrong?" Nina flew over to support him. "We got him, right?"
"Yeah... and some more soldiers got below deck!" Ryu hissed. The other three whirled around to stare at the door, which was gaping widely. "I saw... but I couldn't stop them..."
"And we were too busy concentrating on Calim!" Bo cursed and ran for the door, but something came flying back out. It was a Dark Dragon soldier, and it appeared to have been impaled through the chest. A moment later, it was followed by Gobi, who was wielding a long pike.
"Come on, move! The ship's about to blow!" He hurled himself at them, rushing them towards the rail. Even as they leaped, they heard a tremendous noise beneath their feet. "If this doesn't work, don't blame me!" The Maniro yelled. Before any of them could reply, something behind them propelled them forward, they hit the water, and everything went dark.
"Ugh..." Ryu slowly regained consciousness. The sun was blazing right into his eyes. Covering them, he peered around.
"About time you woke up!" Nina greeted him. The others were lying nearby, save Gobi, who was doing something to some kind of brown, hairy nut. "We were starting to think you were going to sleep until next year."
"We're all fine, by the way." Karn informed him. "Well, as fine as one can be when they're stuck on a tiny desert island in the middle of the ocean with no boat, anyways."
"Be glad there was an island at all." Bo grunted. "Think about where he would have dumped us if there wasn't."
"Is that any way to talk about the guy who saved your lives?" Gobi asked cheerfully as he joined them. The nut he held was bigger than his head and looked harder than a rock. "Here, Ryu. Drink from this." He indicated a hole in the side. Ryu stared.
"You're serious."
"It's coconut milk." Gobi informed him. "It's not fine wine, I know, but it's all that's here... unless you'd like to drink ocean water."
"I'll pass on that option." Ryu reluctantly drank deeply from the nut. It actually didn't taste too bad.
"Sorry about the rough stuff, by the way." Gobi continued. "I didn't expect that explosion to be so big. We were lucky to escape with our lives..." The fins on the sides of his head drooped. "Well... most of us..."
"Most...?" Ryu blinked, then looked around again. "Hey... where's Captain Role?" Nina, Bo and Karn all looked away.
"He... didn't make it, Ryu." Gobi sighed finally. "When... the Dark Dragons came down below, he ordered me to run up and get you all out alive while he took care of the gunpowder. He was still near ground zero when the whole place exploded. If it didn't kill him... I couldn't find him in the water."
"Damn..." Ryu pounded the ground. "Another friend killed by the Dark Dragons... another piece to take out of Emperor Zog's hide..." Gobi nodded.
"Yeah... wait, what!" The Maniro stared at him. "Did you say... Zog? You're going after Emperor Zog!"
"You got it." Nina agreed. "We're going to bring down the Dark Dragon Empire or die trying." Gobi shook his head, whistling.
"Wow. I really picked a winner on that boat." He shrugged. "Well, it's not really my business anymore... it's been nice, folks. Maybe we'll meet again someday."
"Huh?" Karn suddenly jumped to his feet. "Wait a second! You're not just leaving us here, are you?"
"What else can I do?" Gobi shook his head. "We're too far away from land for me to bring you guys there. And it's not like you can breathe underwater." Bo stared at him.
"So we just stay here for the rest of our lives? Come on, Gobi! There's got to be something!"
"Well..." Gobi scratched his chin. "Wait. There is. The artificial Gills."
"I've heard of those!" Nina exclaimed. "They have those in Prima, home city of the Maniros!"
"And by some marvelous coincidence, I can go to Prima!" Gobi smiled. "However, there is a matter of the cost..." Ryu groaned.
"Why am I not surprised by this."
"Hey, those things are expensive!" Gobi defended himself. "AND, there's the fact that going into Prima is, well... dangerous for me..."
"And what does THAT mean?" Bo demanded. Gobi muttered something. "What was that?"
"I said... I'm an outlaw." Gobi repeated. "I got my merchant's license revoked... I'm not even supposed to set foot in the city."
"The Maniros revoked one of their own kind's merchant license? What did you DO?" Karn yelled. The Maniro clan were known the world over for their greed and love of commerce. Every Maniro in the world was working for the Merchant's Guild of Prima in some way or another. It was not entirely a joke to say that the species worshipped money more than they did Ladon. For them to forbid one of their own from practicing was akin to an excommunication.
"I... was selling fake Happiness Jars." Gobi groaned. "Open the jar, make a wish, and in a few years it'll be granted. The genie-in-a-bottle thing, made realistic and profitable."
"And, of course, it was complete bull." Bo shook his head. "How do we know you won't take OUR money and give us nothing?" Gobi looked offended.
"I have learned much in the years of my exile! When my cousin Nuzi agreed to let me help him run his shop, I picked up a great deal from him! A changed Maniro am I, I assure you!"
"Yeah, and I'm a Mole Clanner." Bo shook his head. "Ryu, are we really going to do this?"
"Don't have much choice, Bo." Ryu glumly nodded. "Not like the money would do us much good here. Get to the point, Gobi. How much do you want?" Gobi's eyes glinted.
"Oh, I'd say... one million Zenny should cover it..."
"EXCUSE ME?" The four heroes' eyes looked like they were about to bug out of their heads.
"You heard me." Gobi smiled. "Like I said, very expensive and very risky for me. This, I'm not accepting any bargaining on. Take it or leave it."
"We don't HAVE a million Zenny, you fishy fool!" Karn yelled. "How the hell WOULD we?"
"Oh, I'll be happy to take what you have now and loan you the rest. I don't expect payment on delivery... I trust you guys." Gobi's smile widened. "I know you'll make good on it." Ryu looked like he was going to argue more, but then he sighed and slumped back to the sand.
"A million, Gobi?"
"A million, Ryu." Gobi insisted. The Light Dragon waved his hand in surrender and tossed the Maniro his wallet.
"All right, get going. Move. You've got a deal, just as long as you get us four sets of artificial Gills so we can get off this island." Gobi bowed deeply.
"A deal it is then, my friends. And as a bonus, when I return, I'll even teach you how to walk on the ocean floor and bring you to Prima. Until I come back, enjoy the sun. It really is a nice little island." Grabbing his pike from the beach, he dived into the water and was gone.
"Ugh..." Gobi slowly regained consciousness. He was lying on the floor of the Temple of Ladon back in Prima. Everything was still blurry, but somebody was standing over him. He squinted. It was the statue of Ladon, except it was moving. And smiling. Gobi shook his head. "All right, I'm still unconscious." Even back before his exile, Gobi had rarely visited this temple. He was not at all a religious Maniro. Therefore, he considered it highly improbable that God was appearing personally before him now. He closed his eyes and reopened them. Ladon was still there.
"Got in trouble, didn't you, buddy?" The Dragon God smiled. Gobi gave in and decided to play along.
"Well... yeah. Last thing I remember was bolting for here with a pack of Dogfish snapping at my heels. It's been too long since I was under the ocean. I'm rusty with fighting off the monsters."
"Well, you'll pick that back up over time." Ladon encouraged him. "Good thing we were nearby, though, or you'd be fish food. We rescued you and brought you back here. You feeling okay now?"
"I guess..." Gobi held his forehead. "Still a little woozy, though." Ladon nodded, and then his smile vanished.
"Good, Gobi. Now, be about your duty and return to Ryu. You are one of those destined to accompany Ryu, and another is close to you even now. Find him, and return, Gobi, lest the world fall into eternal darkness."
"Huh...?" Gobi closed his eyes again. This time, when he opened them, Ladon was gone and another Maniro was there, with purple scales.
"I said, if you're feeling fine, you should go see the High Merchant. Everybody who comes in or out of Prima has to okay it with him these days."
"Right..." Gobi shook his head. "Sorry 'bout that, bud... head's still wierd. Thanks for saving me from those Dogfish." The Maniro grinned.
"Hey, no problem. Good luck, buddy." Gobi started to leave, then stopped.
"Oh... what was with that thing you said about 'destined to accompany'?" The Maniro blinked, nonplussed.
"Huh? I didn't say anything like that. You sure you're feeling all right?"
"Ah, it's nothing." Gobi shrugged, waved, and walked out.
Prima was unchanged, much to Gobi's relief. Straight roads between tall buildings in an orderly pattern, all made out of coral, were filled with hundreds of Maniros and other people rushing back and forth, yelling, haggling, bargaining, buying, selling, trading, and generally engaging in commerce. Gobi sighed blissfully.
"Ah, home again." He took a moment more to relax, then got moving. Shops and stands on the sides of the road screamed for his attention, but Gobi had not been away from Prima so long as to allow himself to be sidetracked. He made a beeline for the coral building with a teacup carved above its door; a bar, run by an old friend of his. "He'll know who I am, of course, but maybe he won't turn me in." Gobi muttered to himself as he entered.
"Just a second, bud." The bartender called, his back turned to the door. "Take a seat." Gobi did so, smiling. After a moment, the bartender looked at him. "All right, what'll you... ha... ve..."
"Hey, Trout! Been a while!" Gobi grinned. "Get me the usual, will you?" Trout slowly nodded. He poured two mugs and walked over, sitting down next to Gobi.
"Gobi, what are you doing here?" He whispered as the exiled Maniro took a drink. "You know what'll happen if the High Merchant catches you?"
"Risk I have to take, Trout." Gobi explained. "Some of my friends are stranded on a desert island. They need the artificial Gills, or they'll never get offa there." Trout snorted into his drink.
"Hoo! Good luck with THAT, bud! These days, the only one allowed to sell those Gills is High Merchant Gartes himself!" Gobi said something rude and pounded the countertop.
"Why the hell is THAT?"
"Dark Dragons, my friend." Trout shook his head gloomily. "Most of 'em aren't equipped for underwater fighting, so they can't attack Prima directly, but they've been cutting off our transport lines." Gobi gritted his teeth.
"Bastards..."
"Yeah." Trout agreed. "It's no secret that they want us under their fists, so the High Merchant's been forced to really crack down on who can get here... Gill sale is for him only, and everybody entering or leaving the city has to check with him... how'd you get past that, anyways?"
"I was attacked by Dogfish and dragged into the city unconscious." Gobi explained sardonically. Trout smirked.
"Yeah, that'd do it. But you'll still have to go to Gartes if you want Gills." Gobi shook his head glumly.
"That's going to be unpleasant, but I've got no choice. Thanks for warning me, anyways, bud. I'll see you around sometime if they don't stick me on my own pike and label me a kabob." Flipping a few Zenny onto the counter, Gobi left and morosely headed for the largest building in town, which had a Maniro's head sculpture sticking out above it. The Maniro at the desk did a double-take as he walked in.
"Gobi! What are YOU doing here? You were exiled!"
"I'm back." Gobi sighed heavily. "Listen, I need to talk to the High Merchant. It's important."
"Must be, for you to risk your neck like this." The desk Maniro turned to a back room. "Hey, boss! You got a visitor!"
"Send him on back!" Another voice yelled. The desk Maniro shrugged, and Gobi walked on. As he entered, the Maniro in the back room turned and jumped.
"GOBI! Give me one good reason I shouldn't put you in chains for coming back here!" High Merchant Gartes was a stupendously fat Maniro with deep blue scales and bright red lips. "And here I hoped that losing your license had taught you a lesson! What on earth could drive you to come back here and show your face right in my office?"
"I need some artificial Gills, my lord." Gobi explained nervously. "Friends of mine... stranded on a desert island... no other way off." Gartes' eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You came here on behalf of friends? You, Gobi? Hmph... well, it doesn't matter. We don't have 'em. We're all out."
"What!" Gobi was stunned. "All out!" Gartes nodded.
"Yeah, and we can't get the parts to make any more because the Ladon-damned Dark Dragons are cutting off our transport lines! If you really need 'em, though, you could try Gant. We sent a big shipment off there before this started. They might still have some." Gobi nodded.
"Thank you, my lord. I'll be off, then."
"Just a moment." Gartes continued. Gobi halted instantly. "Gobi... if you're really doing this for somebody besides yourself... be careful in Gant. That's Dark Dragon territory now... just surrendered last month." Gobi slowly nodded.
"Thanks... boss."
"Admiral Cean!" A soldier ran into the throne room of Nabal Castle. The man on the throne looked at him coldly.
"Soldier, what is so important that you would interrupt our strategic planning? Keep in mind that if I don't like your answer, you may be thrown from the top of the castle." The soldier gulped.
"Sir... uh... one of the prisoners has escaped!"
"WHAT!" Cean pounded both arms of his throne. "Escaped? How?"
"We don't know, sir!" The soldier babbled. "The only ways out are the main gates and that abandoned escape tunnel, but that's blocked off by a boulder!"
"IDIOT!" Cean yelled. "A boulder? If he's from the Builder Clan, of COURSE he can move a boulder! Don't let any of the other prisoners NEAR it, do you understand me? Keep them strictly under control!" The terrified soldier nodded. "Good. Now, go!" The soldier ran off. Cean sighed. "It's so hard to find good help these days..."
"You should have killed him, Admiral." A heavy, guttural voice advised. Cean glanced around sharply, recognizing it. A moment later, a huge figure walked out of the shadows. Nine feet tall and built like a bodybuilder on steroids, the bald man's skin was strangely blood red. He wore an incredibly heavy-looking suit of grey and green armor that not even a member of the Builder Clan would have been comfortable in. Cean bowed deeply. There were only six people in the world Admiral Cean, commander of the entire Dark Dragon millitary, bowed to, and this was one of them.
"My lord Goda, we did not expect you." Goda, the Black Warrior of the Tiamat Unit, nodded slowly.
"That's right, Admiral. You didn't. I don't like being expected. Much more fun to surprise people... make sure they're on their toes." He grinned, showing teeth that had been filed to points. "Now, then. How are things going here?"
"We've got the entire Clan completely under control." Cean assured him. "They know what will happen if they refuse to work for us, and none of them dare to try our bluff." He smiled humorlessly. "Which is lucky for them, since I never bluff. The torpedo should be ready in a matter of weeks."
"So, why didn't you kill that soldier?" Goda asked, flopping down on a nearby couch. Cean stood and offered him the throne, but the Black Warrior declined. "He screwed up. If that prisoner gets away, it could cause a lot of trouble... and worse, high morale among the other prisoners. Mistakes like that shouldn't be tolerated... it'll make them careless."
"Oh, it won't be." Cean assured him. "But you see, if I simply killed him, it would LOWER morale among the other soldiers. My men like me, Lord Goda. If I started offing them, they wouldn't like me so much anymore. Instead of killing him, I'll just ship him out to the Eastern frontline." Cean shrugged. "Not my fault if he gets killed out there, is it?"
"Admiral, there IS no Eastern frontline any more." Goda growled. The Admiral didn't move.
"Lord Goda... did you say that..."
"That there is no Eastern frontline. Yes, I did." Goda's eyes blazed. "You've heard of Ryu the Light Dragon, I take it."
"That terrorist? Oh, yes." Cean assured his superior. "Him and his friends Princess Nina and Bo the Archer are quite infamous."
"They've just become even moreso." Goda growled. "They were spotted in Auria, along with a thief named Karn. One of the Fusion Clan... and here I thought we stamped them all out. But he's not the point. The point is, soon after that, all of our the ships sent down there, including both the Scylla and the Charybdis, disappeared. Captains Calim and Suish are presumed dead, and incidentally, Ryu and his friends aren't in Auria any longer." By this point, Admiral Cean had begun pillaging extinct languages for curse words. "I must admit I had a similar reaction. White's was even worse. She wanted to go down there herself and kill everybody in Auria, but Emperor Zog put his foot down; the Lands of the East appear to be uniting against us, and we can't face that just yet."
"Not until we deal with Prima." Admiral Cean realized. Goda nodded.
"Exactly. Even when we get there, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that both the Light and Dark Keys are already gone. Ryu the Light Dragon has certainly made a career out of screwing up everything we do." He gave Admiral Cean a direct look. It took the Admiral a moment to catch the meaning of it.
"Wait... do you think he's going to be coming HERE?"
"What do you think, Admiral?" Goda responded rhetorically. "You're the biggest spot of Dark Dragon activity right now, and it's not really that far from Auria to here by ship. If you see anybody like them in the area, show no mercy and make no mistakes. You're a very important man in these armies, Admiral. None of us want you to make the same errors as your underlings."
"I won't, Lord Goda." Cean saluted. "If this Light Dragon Ryu shows one scale in my territory, I'll make him wish he'd never been whelped."
"That's the spirit." Goda grinned again. "Now, about that prisoner. Surely, you're not going to just allow him to get away."
"Of course not." Admiral Cean sniffed. "I'll dispatch people right away. He'll be dead within days."
"Would you mind if I helped?" Goda asked. Cean blinked.
"Yourself, Lord Goda?"
"No, not exactly..." The Black Warrior shook his head. "Blue and Red recently gave me a pet... a soul-hunting spirit. If you don't mind, I'll send him after the prisoner in addition to your men. It's a bit overkill, but sometimes that can be fun." Admiral Cean nodded quickly.
"Of course, Lord Goda. I'll tell my men not to worry about or interfere with, ah... a soul-hunting spirit."
"Very well, then." Goda got back to his feet. "I'll leave you alone now then, Admiral. I'm afraid your strategy will require quite a bit of rewriting with the loss of Auria." He waved, then slowly faded away into the air. Cean sighed and picked up a paper, then jumped as Goda reappeared.
"My lord?"
"Almost forgot something." The Black Warrior actually looked embarrassed. "The Gold Lord will be coming down here personally from Scande soon. He wants to take a look at the conquest of Prima personally." Admiral Cean paled a little.
"Lord Jade... coming here? Very well, we shall prepare for his arrival!" Goda nodded.
"I'd suggest it, Admiral. Well, goodbye again." Once again he disappeared. Admiral Cean waited for a few moments; then, sure that the Black Warrior was really gone, began going over his strategy once more with red ink to make revisions. A lot of revisions, he thought angrily, thanks to Ryu the Light Dragon. Wherever that maniac was, Admiral Cean offered a quick prayer to Ladon for a thousand damnations upon his hide.
Gant was a town that was located in the deep south of the world, high in the mountains. The only convenient access to it was a single beach to its east. Onto that beach, a single, orange-scaled Maniro flopped.
"Whew... well, at least I didn't get knocked out this time." Pulling a Sea Cactus spine out of one arm, Gobi immediately made for Gant. As he entered, there was a commotion going on. Two Dark Dragon soldiers were unceremoniously hauling a Builder Clan man out of his house. Gobi's eyes narrowed at the sight of the soldiers, but he stood aside so they could pass. The two soldiers glanced at him, then looked back at their captive, uninterested. As they took him out of town, Gobi heard them talking.
"That was easier than I thought it would be!" One of them sniggered.
"We've got their families. What are they gonna do?" The other one laughed, then looked at Gobi again. "Who are you, bub?"
"Just a merchant." Gobi flashed his best salesman's smile. "Care to buy some rope?"
"What do you THINK, moron?" The soldier kicked him in the side, and Gobi fell over. "Be more respectful when addressing a soldier in the Dark Dragon Empire next time!" Laughing, the soldiers left with their still-struggling captive. Gobi got back to his feet and muttered a few rancid epithets after the soldiers, then looked around the town. Gant was obviously a town of metalworking. The houses themselves were made of metal, and strange apparatus were connected to each one by pipes. There was something strange about it, however. Walking up to the Elder's house, Gobi realized what it was; nobody was there. The town was empty, save for one or two unfriendly-looking very old men on the porches. Reaching the largest house in town, he knocked on the door. Unsurprisingly, the beard of the Gantman who answered was completely white.
"Yeah, whaddaya want? If you're a door-to-door saleman, I'm gonna take my boot and-"
"No, no, no." Gobi waved his hands frantically. "Not at all. I'm from Prima; we sent a large shipment of artificial Gills here a while back. If you've got them, I need four sets." The old Gantman frowned.
"You're from Prima, eh? I'm Minos, the Elder. Did the High Merchant send you?"
"Yes?" Gobi guessed. "Why, do you want me to deliver something to him?" Minos' eyes narrowed.
"Maybe. What's the High Merchant's name, and what color are his scales?"
"His name is Gartes, and his scales are blue. And I'm Gobi, by the way." The Maniro answered. Minos grunted.
"All right, he did send you. Listen, Gobi, I'm sure you already know the Dark Dragons conquered our territory. What you probably don't know is how. It wasn't in a fair fight, oh no. They captured our wives and children!"
"What!" Gobi was stunned. Minos nodded grimly.
"Oh, yes. Three of the scum calling themselves the Slime Brothers somehow slipped into town one night and hauled them all off. With them as hostages, all the men under seventy have to work for the Dragons and make their filthy weapons." Minos shook his head sadly. "But enough talk. Here..." He handed Gobi a small crate with "Prima Goods" stamped on it. "Take this to Prima, and DON'T get cut off. It's got a report with all the details inside it. Oh, here..." He took a package off the shelf and slipped it inside the crate. "There's all the artificial Gills we've got left. Now get going, young man!" Gobi nodded without saying anything and left.
Fortunately, Prima wasn't really that far from Gant, and again Gobi made it to his destination in one piece. He entered the Guild Center and wordlessly placed the Goods crate in front of the High Merchant. Gartes smiled.
"Ah, good! You brought these." Opening the crate, he handed over four sets of Gills. "These are yours, Gobi, and since you did me this service, I won't even charge you for them. Take them with my thanks." Gobi grinned.
"Glad to be of service, boss."
"Now, let's see here..." Gartes began reading a letter. As his eyes traveled down its length, he began to swear vociferously.
"What's wrong, boss?" Gobi asked. Gartes pounded his desk.
"The men of the Builder Clan are being forced to build a secret weapon. They're working in a fortress on the western side of the mountains."
"Secret weapon? That doesn't sound good..." Gobi frowned. The High Merchant shook his head, his face dark.
"It's not. At all. They're talking about forbidden technology... a weapon from the War of the Dragons!" Gobi turned white.
"Boss, the weapons they used then... they could wipe out Prima!"
"Exactly! We have to stop this right now!" Gartes started to rise, then stopped himself. "But... how? Prima isn't a millitary city... we don't even have a police force! What can we do?" Gobi was about to respond, but his words were drowned out by a series of explosions from above the city. Both of them stared at the ceiling. "What IS that racket!" They ran for the exit, but another Maniro met them there.
"Boss, it's a small boat! The Dark Dragons attacked and sank it!"
"Any survivors?" Gartes asked quickly. The Maniro nodded.
"One... but he's in bad shape!"
"Bring him in here, quickly! And get a pair of these Gills on him!" The High Merchant commanded. Several more Maniros brought the survivor in, and Gobi stared. It was a Builder Clanner who looked to be in his early thirties. He was unconscious. The Maniros hauled him up to the top floor of the Guild Center and placed him on a bed. "Get a doctor! Immediately!" Gartes yelled. "This man may have vital information on the Dark Dragon army! His survival is essential!"
"Too late, too late for that..." A disembodied voice hissed. All the Maniros in the room stared as, out of thin air, a skeletal figure in a purple cloak materialized, holding a large scythe. The Builder Clanner began moaning, and the ghoul's eye sockets flashed. "This one's soul is mine... I will take him to Hell..."
"C... cancel that doctor." Gartes mumbled. "Nobody... nobody can do anything about THAT..." Gobi's eyes lit up.
"Maybe... but I think I know a guy who would be willing to try!" Gartes whirled around to face him.
"Are you serious? Who? We can't lose this man, Gobi! We can't!"
"His name's Ryu." Gobi explained. "Him and his friends are the ones I'm getting the Gills for. They're..."
"Wait. Ryu! The Light Dragon Ryu?" Gartes demanded. Gobi nodded.
"Yeah... how did you know?"
"That guy's been tearing up the Dark Dragons left and right in the Lands of the East!" Gartes yelled. "If you can get him here..." Gobi saluted.
"Consider it done, boss! Once I tell him this is to screw the Dark Dragons, he'll be here like greased lightning!"
"He'd better..." Gartes muttered as the orange Maniro dashed for the door. "I don't know how long this guy can last..."
"Not long, not long at all..." The spirit crooned.
"This sun is unbearable." Karn groaned. "Look at it. It's trying to set us on fire, I just know it."
"I knew I should have bought some of that lotion they use in Arad..." Nina agreed. Bo just shook his head.
"Complaining won't help, you two. And I'm the one wearing fur. If I can stand it, you can. We just have to wait for Gobi..."
"Look, there he is!" Ryu exclaimed, pointing to the edge of the island where there was a commotion befitting a beached whale. They all ran down to find the orange Maniro beating a huge, ugly green fish with massive jaws off. Once it was gone, he turned to face them, dripping and grinning.
"Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late, but there was trouble... Dark Dragon trouble."
"Dark Dragons?" Ryu's hand went to his sword. "What's going on, Gobi?"
"To be concise, they've conquered the lands of the Builder Clan and are making moves on Prima. A Builder Clanner is back in Prima, probably with vital information on the Dark Dragons, but he's unconscious, beat up really bad, and apparently dying. There's even a spirit who came to take him off, and you guys are the only ones who can get rid of him!"
"Gets right to the point, doesn't he?" Bo chuckled. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but we should probably help him out."
"Anything to screw the Dark Dragons!" Karn grinned. Nina and Ryu nodded as well.
"Show us how to use the Gills and let's get going."
"Right, then..." Gobi pulled one of the apparatus out and held it up. "It's simple, really. You put this part..." He indicated one end. "In your mouth. It goes back around your head. These parts..." He indicated the other end. "Filter oxygen out of the water for you to breathe. Your lungs will appreciate it, trust me."
"Whatever works is cool." Nina shrugged, taking it from him and putting it on. The other three did as well. "Can we speak with these things on? Yeah, we can! Cool."
"We're very proud of them." Gobi bowed. "Now come, let's go! That guy could die at any moment!" He dived into the ocean, and the others followed. "Now, breathe out deeply. Completely empty your lungs of air." They did so, and promptly sank to the bottom. "Good. Now just keep breathing evenly and you won't go back up. Prima's this way." They followed him, looking around at the underwater world with awe.
"It's beautiful." Karn whispered. Nina pointed at the large Dogfish headed their way.
"That, however, is not."
"Gonna have to try this sometime..." Shrugging, Bo loosed a couple arrows. To his surprise, they flew perfectly and killed the fish before it got close. "Huh. Must be something in the fletching."
"Look, there's Prima!" Karn pointed. Ryu raised an eyebrow as he saw all the activity.
"It's as hectic as I imagined it. You'll have to clear us a path, Gobi. Hope you brought a machete."
"Very funny." Gobi led them through the crowds to the Guild Center. As they entered the room at the top, High Merchant Gartes turned.
"Gobi! And are you Ryu? There's not a moment to spare! He's almost done for!" He gestured to the Builder Clanner, who indeed had turned an unhealthy greyish color. The specter was hovering over him. Nina chuckled.
"No problem, my lord. I recognize that kind of thing. That thing's no specter of death... my guess is the Dark Dragons sent it to finish the job on that guy."
"You recognize it?" Ryu asked with surprise. Nina nodded.
"Yeah. Manson, the Wizard of Karma, had a couple of these things working for him named Morte and Mortea. I'm guessing Cort, the Blue Alchemist, got a hold of how to make them and created this guy here... possibly with the help of the Red Dreammaster, Mote. Hey, bonebag! What's your name?" The specter turned to stare at them.
"I am Morteo... and you will not stop me from taking this one's soul!" Ryu rolled his eyes.
"Brother. Not very smart guy... every other Dark Dragon flunky in the world probably knows my face by now from the Wanted posters." He smiled at the ghoul. "Okay, Morteo. What would happen if we did, in fact, attempt to stop you?" Silently, Morteo lifted his scythe and brought it down on Ryu's head. The Light Dragon met it with his sword and thrust it away even as his scales began to form. The Maniros watched in awe as he became the Fire Whelp and attacked. Morteo never stood a chance as he bathed its entire body in flames that became boiling water instantly. The skeletal specter collapsed like a burning house, not even a scream issuing forth from its mouth. Ryu turned around to revert.
"Wait, Ryu! Look out!" Gobi yelled. Ryu spun around to see the burning wreck of Morteo swing his scythe at the Light Dragon's unprotected neck. Before it could strike, however, a window exploded as a school of savage litle green fish burst in. They smashed into Morteo at full speed and sent him flying into a wall, losing stray bones from everywhere. Hissing, Ryu charged Morteo again, this time following the blast of boiling water with a brutal rending using claws and teeth. When he reverted and bowed to Gartes, all that was left of Morteo was a small heap of ashes.
"I don't believe we've been properly introduced, my Lord. My name is Ryu of the Light Dragons." Gartes stared at him for a moment, and then his eyes tilted back in his head as he fell to the ground. The other Maniros looked almost on the verge of doing the same.
"This might take a while." Karn muttered to Bo. The Forest Clanner could only nod.
"Mmm... where am I?" Ryu, Nina, Bo, Karn and all the Maniros turned and watched breathlessly as the Builder Clanner's eyes slowly opened. "My name is Ox... what happened?"
"Your ship was sunk." Gartes answered him, quickly getting back up. "You're safe in Prima now, Ox... but why were the Dark Dragons after you?"
"The Dark Dragons!" Ox's eyes lit up. "Prima! I'm in Prima! I was coming here to give you a message!"
"Is it about the secret weapon?" Gartes asked. Ox nodded.
"Yeah... yeah it is! The Dark Dragons... they knew how skilled we of the Builder Clan were at making weapons, among other things..." His fist was trembling with rage. "We tried to fight, but three of their men, the Slime Brothers, captured our families... we had no choice!" He looked directly at Gartes. "If that weapon is completed, you'll have no chance... it's a torpedo!" Gartes and Nina went white.
"...That's bad, isn't it?" Ryu asked.
"Worse than bad..." Nina whispered. "A torpedo is an underwater explosive... it could be fired from a ship ten miles away and blow Prima to bits!"
"The Wing Clan girl's right." Ox slowly sat up. "That's why I've got to get back there... stop them!"
"In your condition?" Gartes blinked. "Impossi-" He broke off as Ox stood up and stretched, not faltering in the least. He was at least eight feet tall, and every inch of his body was packed with muscles. From behind, he could be mistaken for a tan, furry boulder... well, a boulder with hooves and horns. The Builder Clanner smiled at Gartes through his heavy brown beard.
"Thanks, friend, but I'm fine. I'm a tough guy... and I've got a job to do."
"Not by yourself, you don't." Ryu decided. "We're coming with you, Ox." Ox shook his head.
"No, no... thanks for the offer, but..." He stopped, and his eyes narrowed. "Wait. Blue hair... are you...?"
"A Light Dragon." Ryu confirmed. "I'm Ryu. This is Nina, princess of Windia. The Forest Clanner is Bo, their greatest archer. And the little guy is Karn, protege of Khel, the Lord of Thieves."
"Ryu's sworn to kill Emperor Zog, and we follow him." Nina continued. "If it involves messing up the Dark Dragons, Ox, you can count on us. The four of us are with you, and that's that."
"Ahem... I believe you forgot somebody." Gobi reminded them.
"Huh?" Ryu was startled. "Gobi, you..."
"Did you actually thing I was just going to stay here while you guys got yourselves killed out there without me?" Gobi grinned. "Come on. I think by now I've earned a spot on your team."
"Maybe if it wasn't for the million-Zenny debt you charged us for..." Karn muttered. Nina kicked his shin as Ryu shook Gobi's hand.
"If you still want to come along, Gobi, we'll be glad to have you. You've proven yourself."
If I help them, I may be able to get my license back! Gobi thought to himself. Aloud, he continued speaking. "Besides... me, let my home town be blown up by a torpedo? Not on my watch! If you're ready to go, Ox, the FIVE of us are with you." Ox grinned.
"How can I turn down an offer like that? All right, you guys. Oh..." He turned back to Gartes, who was watching Gobi suspiciously. "Did you recover my hammer from my boat, my Lord?"
"Ehwhat? Oh, yes. It's right over there." Gartes gestured to where a massive sledge was lying in a corner. Ox walked over and picked it up. The head of the hammer was bigger than his skull, but he hefted it easily.
"All right... I've got what I need. Let's go pound on the Dark Dragons' door!"
