Chapter 9: War Of The (Water) Worlds
"Hey, Gobi, something I've been meaning to ask you." Ryu said to the Maniro that evening. The group was camped on the shore near the Dark Dragon Hidden Fortress, which they would be attacking the next day. As he had on the ship, Gobi was cooking dinner; in this case, some fish Ryu had caught using a new rod he had bought in Prima (Gobi had given back the wallet).
"Shoot." Gobi turned the spit that the fish were roasting on.
"What was that thing you did back when we were fighting Morteo?" The Light Dragon inquired. "You know, with all of those green fish?"
"That, my friend, is Water magic." Gobi winked. "When we Maniros are in the ocean, we can call on it to assist us. It's completely useless on dry land, of course, but under the sea, watch out." He examined the fish. "Just a couple minutes more on these, I think."
"Water magic, huh..." Ox chuckled. "Sounds cool, at least. I'm not much for magic, myself... I know a little bit of White magic, but not much. Mostly, I just use this." He indicated his hammer. "Any other White magic users here?"
"I've studied it a lot." Nina nodded. "Between us, we should be able to keep these idiots in one piece."
"I was never much for magic myself..." Bo admitted. "I know SOME Black magic, but only some... never was able to get the hang of the more complicated stuff." He smirked. "And, of course, there's Ryu's Dragon magic."
"Dragon magic?" Ox raised an eyebrow. Gobi shuddered.
"Yeah. They don't call him a Light Dragon for nothing, bud; he'll turn into a flying lizard the instant you take your eyes off him. First time I saw it my scales stood on end, and that's a neat trick."
"I'm just a beginner at that, actually." Ryu shrugged. "It's a cultural thing... if I want to get the real transformations going, I have to find the next Dragon Shrine... and that's at some place called the Builder's Horn, which I have no idea about." Ox blinked.
"The Builder's Horn? That's right around the south side of these mountains!"
"You're serious!" Ryu sprang up, a huge grin on his face. "Can you take us there after the Dark Dragons are vamoosed?"
"Sure, it's no big deal." Ox shrugged. "We can just go there easily once we've got this whole mess cleared up. We'll start from north of this Fortress and go along the west coast to get there."
"Great." Ryu sat back down. "That'll be awesome. Thanks, Ox."
"Do you really have any idea what they're talking about?" Gobi asked Ox.
"Not really." Ox admitted. "Do you?" The Maniro shook his head.
"Nope, but I know these fish are ready. Chow time." Everybody dug in. "What about you, Karn?" The Maniro inquired as he doled out fish. "You know any magic?"
"No, never could..." Karn shook his head. "Tried in my youth, but I could never do it. The old man wasn't surprised, come to think of it... wonder if it has anything to do with me being a Fusion Clanner..."
"Fusion Clan?" Ox raised both eyebrows as he took a big bite. "Those were all but wiped out... you're one of them?"
"Yeah..." Karn sighed. "Wish I could find somebody else, though... maybe then I'd know."
"Heck, there's another Fusion Clanner back in Gant!" Ox chuckled. "He's an old friend of Elder Minos, so when he came here asking for sanctuary, Minos was happy to help. I'm sure he'll be glad to meet you when we go back there." The young thief sprouted a smile that threatened to expand wider than his face.
"All RIGHT! So, we attack the Hidden Fortress at dawn tomorrow?" Karn asked through a mouthful of fish. Ox nodded.
"Yeah... there's a secret way in. It's how I escaped, and when I did I fixed it so that only a Builder Clanner could get back in there again." He clenched his fist. "I hope the Slime Brothers are still hanging around there... I'd LOVE to run into them." There was a clanking noise from nearby. Ryu looked around.
"What was that?"
"Metal Scorpio." Ox shrugged. "Nasty kind of monster that lives in this area. Somebody should probably go kill it before it tries to sneak up on us."
"I'll get it." Bo sighed and walked off.
"Watch out for Blood Slimes." Ox yelled after him. "They like to jump you when you're trying to track down something else."
"The wildlife around your place is charming, Ox." Nina commented. The big Builder Clanner smirked.
"Hey, it could be worse. Up in the northwest they've got screaming disembodied skulls." He shook his head. "Anyways, the Hidden Fortress is really just an outpost. The main Dark Dragon HQ is further north of here... huge castle called Nabal. There won't be any sneaking into THAT place, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we just gotta get everybody out of this one."
"Any idea who's in charge here?" Ryu asked. Ox thought for a moment.
"Might be the Slime Brothers if they're still around. Admiral Cean comes down for visits occasionally, but he never stays long..." He snapped his fingers. "Now I remember. Some new General was coming up... just got promoted from Knight recently. He'll be the one in charge."
"A General, huh." Ryu snorted. "Those are no problem by now."
"You've killed some before?" Ox inquired. He nodded.
"Yup. Two... Folage and Graham. Two Captains as well, and two Knights."
"No, Sir Rabite escaped, remember?" Nina reminded him. "The only Knight was Terrack."
"Right, forgot that Rabite got away." Ryu admitted. "Ah well, some superior of his has probably killed him by now." Bo walked back to the campfire, looking disgusted. His left shoulder was coated in red goo.
"Blood Slime?" Gobi asked. Bo just grunted irritably and kept walking towards the water.
"All right, let's hit the hay if everybody's done eating." Ryu decided. "I'll take first watch, unless Bo wants to when he's done washing that gunk off."
"And in the morning, the Hidden Fortress." Ox grinned without any trace of humor. "Sleep well, friends. We're going to need to be in good shape tomorrow."
"So this is the Hidden Fortress." Ryu frowned. "Bit of a misnomer there. It's hardly hidden." The huge, square building in front of them was completely devoid of any grace or beauty. It was obviously meant for one, grim purpose, sitting right in the middle of the passage between the mountains and blocking the way through. Ox led them over to the mountainside, where a huge boulder rested.
"All right, stand back." Moving to the boulder, he grabbed it and began pushing, grunting with exertion. Huge muscles stood out all over his body as he slowly moved the monolithic rock away, revealing a tunnel. Following it led them into the basement of the Hidden Fortress, and they climbed a set of stairs to get inside the building proper. "Now, we're not in the actual work area yet." Ox told the group. "Before we get there, they've got some defensive corridors we have to find out way through."
"Lovely." Nina rolled her eyes. "Dark Dragon architects are deranged." Ox winked at her.
"Don't worry, I know a shortcut. This wall looks like it's in bad condition." He gestured at the northern wall of the room they were in, which was as crumbly as a moldy cake. "So... I just do THIS!" With lightning speed, he smashed his fist into the wall, and it exploded into rubble. "Noisy, but it works, and since we're attacking..."
"Job well done." Ryu grinned, and they walked on through. Turning a corner, they suddenly found themselves facing a Lancer wearing blue.
"The escaped prisoner! And he's brought hel..." His yell died into a gurgling sigh as Ryu's, Nina's and Karn's blades all went into his chest.
"Nice work." Ox admitted as they shoved the body into a dark dead-end. Ryu shrugged.
"Fairly routine. Shall we go on?" The next Lancer they found, though, was Ox's turn. Before he could even start to yell, the giant sledge fell upon his head and splattered it like an overripe fruit. Nina gagged a little, but Ox just kept walking. Before long, they found a staircase leading down into another basement.
"Right, the working area's down here." Ox hefted his hammer. "So will be the boss of this place. Come on." Below was a long hallway with barred cells lining both walls. Inside each cell were two or three Builder Clan men toiling over forges and workbenches. A single Dark Dragon General was pacing down the hall, his back to the group.
"Come on, cattle! Let's pick the pace up a bit! After all, if we don't fill our quota, who knows what Admiral Cean will do to your families!" He turned around and saw them, and his eyes widened with surprise. So did the group's.
"No way! Rabite!" Ryu croaked. The General quickly recovered.
"That's General Rabite to you now, Ryu." He sneered. "Oh yes, I got a promotion since we last met. And I think I'll be getting yet another now that you're in my clutches." He glanced at Ox. "Hm... and you would be the escaped prisoner. I must admit, you've got guts to come back here. But I'm afraid guts aren't enough."
"Oh, what are you going to do?" Karn laughed. "We kicked your ASS last time, so what makes you think it's not going to happen again?" Rabite grinned viciously as he began to glow.
"Because, little thief, I've learned a few tricks since then along with my promotion!" Ryu saw what he was turning into and groaned.
"Aw, no... not this again!" He readied his sword as the General grew into a heavily muscled, armor-plated purple toad with spiked shoulders and a tuft of blue hair, at least eight feet tall. "An actual one of these things was bad enough!"
"Oh, I'm much, much worse than a real frog demon!" The Toad croaked, tongue-whipping Ryu and sending him flying into a wall. Bellowing, Ox charged, hammer raised and smashed the Toad between the eyes. He looked cross-eyed for a moment, then laughed. "Is that it? Come on! You can do better than that!" He bashed the Builder Clanner away just in time to recieve a faceful of arrows and knives. Growling, he attacked Bo and Karn, and Gobi jabbed at his side. Without even turning, it kicked him away.
"This thing's tough..." Ryu growled as he transformed into the Ice Whelp. "Any ideas?" He ducked as a ball of acidic sludge went flying past his head.
"Ideas are severely frowned upon in this facility, young man!" The Toad laughed, spitting another one. Ryu dodged this one as well.
"Yech! What is WITH you Dark Dragons and doing that?" While his attention was distracted, Nina was powering up Ox's sledge.
"There... he won't be shrugging that off twice!" The princess promised. Ox grinned.
"Thanks. Now, I just have to wait for an opening..." One came a moment later as Bo sent a wave of icy wind slicing at the Toad like a huge sickle. It stepped back, and Ox rushed forward, swinging his hammer sideways. The blow caught the Toad on the side of the head and caved it in as the beast toppled on its side. "Now, guys!" Ryu shrieked and flew up, then swooped down like some fell frigid hawk, delivering a blast of ice that would put out a burning house. The Toad froze, mouth gaping open like a trapdoor, and Gobi moved, ramming his pike through the roof of the Toad's mouth and into its brain. The great beast shuddered convulsively and went limp. Ox took a moment to catch his breath, then began opening the cells.
"Ox! You're alive!" One of the Builder Clansmen yelled with glee. "The Dragons said they'd sunk you!" Ox grinned as they rushed out.
"You know me. It'll take more than a trip to the bottom of the ocean to do me in!" He gestured towards his new friends. "These guys, though... I couldn't have done it without them." Another Builder Clansmen shook his head sadly.
"If you'd only come a day earlier..." Ox froze.
"What... what do you..." He looked around. There were no women or children in the cells, only the men, who nodded.
"Yeah, Ox... they took our familes and the torpedo to Nabal up north..."
"That's their main HQ, right?" Ryu asked. Ox nodded.
"Yeah... and it's guarded incredibly heavily. It'll be almost impossible to get in..."
"Hell, we'll find a way." Ryu smiled. "Come on, we've overcome impossible odds before. I'll tell you what. Tonight at the campfire, I'll tell you about the time I blew up the entire castle of Nanai single-handedly, and then tomorrow we'll hike up and take a look at Nabal. Awright?"
"Yeah... okay..." Ox mumbled dejectedly, walking off. The others all watched him silently. Once he was gone, one of the prisoners spoke up.
"Don't blame Ox for being depressed, guys. His wife's among those still at Nabal." The five heroes did double-takes.
"His... yeah, that would do it." Ryu realized. "All right, we won't bother him."
"Once you're done looking at Nabal, there's something you might want to check out." Another prisoner suggested. "Near Gant... there's an old hermit. Rumor has it he was part of the Dark Dragon army a couple years ago. He might know something." Ryu's eyes went cold, but Nina spoke up first.
"That's a good idea. Thanks." She gave the Light Dragon a look, and he didn't say a thing, but the look in his eyes at hearing "Dark Dragon" spoke louder than words.
A single Dark Dragon ship pulled up to the dock at Nabal. It was a simple, unmarked ship, nothing special, with the Quincunx written on its side. However, it had been built to carry only five people, the crew aside. One of these five people was on board at the moment. He looked out a porthole, amused, as nearly the entire garrison at Nanai turned out to greet him. Smiling, he turned away from the porthole and walked abovedeck. As he jumped over the side, each and every one of the soldiers saluted.
"Lord Jade!"
"Lord Jade!"
"Lord Jade!"
"Lord Jade!" Still smiling, Jade, the Gold Lord, stretched out his arms to the soldiers as if to embrace them.
"Ah, my men... such respect is undeserved by me."
"Nonsense, your highness." Admiral Cean walked out towards the center of the crowd. "You and the rest of the Tiamat Unit are heroes to these men."
"Heroes, yes..." Jade murmured. "I suppose so. However, being adored pales rather quickly. Shall we adjourn to the interior?" Admiral Cean nodded.
"This way, your highness." The soldiers remained in their positions long after their two commanders had left. Once they reached the throne room of Nabal, Jade sat down in the throne without even being invited. Cean took a seat nearby.
"So, how are things, Admiral?" Jade asked as a glass of wine was served to him. Cean coughed.
"Ahem... well, I'm pleased to announce that construction of the torpedo is proceeding right on schedule, your highness. We expect to have it finished in only a week or two more."
"Eh? Oh, yes, the torpedo. Right, very good, Admiral." Jade waved a hand carelessly. "Bomb Prima and all that. Has there been anything else going on recently?"
"Well... rumor has it that Ryu, the Light Dragon terrorist, has been sighted around here..." Jade suddenly sat bolt upright, a blazing smile on his face.
"You don't say. Tell me more, Admiral."
"Well..." Cean thought for a moment. "I assume you already know about the disappearance of the Scylla and the Charybdis. For several days, there was nothing heard from Ryu after that... but only a couple days ago, he and all his companions were reported in Prima."
"I see..." Jade's smile widened. "All his friends? Nina, Princess of Windia? Bo, the Forest Archer? Karn, Prince of Thieves?"
"All accounted for." Cean nodded. "Also, they appear to have been joined by an orange Maniro named Gobi who was actually exiled from Prima because of excessive greed and cheating... by THEIR standards."
"Now that must be something to see." Jade chuckled, shaking his head. "Ryu does gather the strangest fellows into his group, doesn't he?"
"Yes... and this Gobi may also have been seen in Gant, just south of here, recently. That's where our prisoners here usually live." Cean snapped his fingers. "Oh, there's also the matter of the escaped prisoner..."
"A Builder Clanner?" Jade guessed. The Admiral nodded.
"Yes, indeed. The boat he was in sunk near Prima... and when Lord Goda's pet spirit went to try and finish the job, it didn't return. It is possible that the prisoner, Ox, may also have joined Ryu's group, if he still lives."
"Well, aren't we multicultural, Ryu." Jade laughed. "Who's next, the legendry sorceress? I wouldn't be surprised at all."
"Legendary sorceress?" Cean inquired.
"Oh, nothing." Jade shrugged. "Just a bit of ancient history. It doesn't matter." Admiral Cean shrugged.
"As you wish, your highness. That's really all we have going on around here."
"Hm..." Jade stood up and walked over to look at a map of the world that was hanging on the wall. "At the moment, Ryu has four Goddess Keys, correct, Admiral?"
"As far as we know, yes." Admiral Cean confirmed. "We've been unable to get total confirmation on the Light Key and Dark Key, but it certainly looks that way."
"Well, we're zeroing in on the two remaining ones that are up for grabs... and Ryu's nowhere near those, so very shortly we'll almost have him matched." Jade shook his head. "Pity they made an odd number of those and not an even one. Ah well, that's the way it goes."
"Speaking of the Goddess Keys, has Emperor Zog found the seventh person for the ceremony yet?" Admiral Cean asked. He immediately regretted it, but it was too late. The Gold Lord turned around. He was smiling. Admiral Cean begged Ladon to let him survive the next five minutes.
"Why, Cean, are you getting ambitious?"
"No, sir! Not at all!" Cean quickly defended himself. "I'm not like those arrogant underofficers! I know my place, your highness!"
"Excellent, Admiral." Jade turned back to the map. "Just curious, eh? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, we have found a seventh person. It was up in the air until recently, you know. One candidate for it was Manson, the Wizard of Karma, and I think that idiot Knight, Terrack, had some delusional designs on the position as well. But they're both dead now-Manson for the second time-and we've got somebody else. The quota is filled; now all we need is those Goddess Keys."
"If that terrorist dares to come up here, I'll make sure to get them for you, your highness." Admiral Cean promised. Jade turned his head around to stare at him incredulously, then chuckled.
"Ah... yes, you do that, Admiral. You make sure you do that... if you can kill Ryu and his friends and give Emperor Zog those Keys, he'll be very happy. And so will I, my friend. In the meantime, though, I have to plan for the future, whether Prima falls or not." Admiral Cean blinked.
"Whether... your highness, I assure you beyond any doubt that Prima WILL-"
"Yes, yes, Admiral." Jade waved a hand dismissively. "Now, would you mind leaving me alone for a moment? I need to do some thinking... some QUIET thinking." Cean slowly nodded. He saluted, then left the room. The Gold Lord didn't even notice; he just continued looking at the map.
"Ryu... Light Dragon Ryu, where are you now..."
"So that's Nabal Castle." Nina muttered. "I'll say this for those Dark Dragon slime. Their exterior decorator has talent." Nabal, in contrast to the Hidden Fortress, was a marvelous edifice of marble, much like Nanai in the northeast had been. Solid gold flagpoles flew the Dark Dragon symbol from every corner, and each tier had a balcony atop it. The entire structure was surrounded by a wide moat that connected to the ocean behind the castle, where numerous piers waited for arriving ships. A thirty-foot-tall wall surrounded everything. The Castle seemed to have been built for the purpose of declaring the power and glory of the Dark Dragon Empire to the earth itself. It was only marred by the hundreds of guards walking along every balcony, patrolling the rooftops, hiding behind trees and crowding like a mob on the single drawbridge that allowed entry.
"As far as we know, that's Admiral Cean's heaquarters for the entire eastern invasion." Ox informed the others. The group were viewing the Castle from a distance; the GrimFowl Woods, a mile to the south of Nabal, were the closest cover. From there, it was flat grassland with no hope of approaching unobserved. "The torpedoing of Prima... the conquest of my people... the naval strike on Auria... the invasions of the Forest and Wing Clan territories... all of them were planned by Admiral Cean here, based on orders delivered from Emperor Zog in Scande. Over a thousand soldiers are garrisoned in the building alone at all times."
"Well, I'm optimistic about our chances." Ryu muttered, turning away. The others followed him back into the trees. "Damn... no way in hell we can get in there..."
"It's late, let's start a campfire." Nina suggested. "We'll think of something." Bo stared at her as if she was deranged.
"A campfire? HERE? What if it gets to the trees?"
"We'll be careful, Bo." She assured him. "Come on, help me gather loose wood." Grumbling, Bo started picking up sticks while the others got food out of their packs. Soon, there was a small but cheery blaze going.
"I think our only option is to ask that old guy you told us about, Ox." Gobi remarked pensively as he chewed on some nuts. "If he really is a Dark Dragon soldier, he could know a secret way in."
"No." Ryu said firmly. "Not an option. We don't ask Dark Dragons for help. Ever."
"He's probably not an actual Dragon Clanner... just a human who was in the army." Karn argued. "I don't like it either, but if it'll get the job done..."
"No Dark Dragons. No Dark Dragon soldiers." Ryu was adamant.
"Now, that is unkind, young man. Dark Dragons are people too, you know." A friendly voice reprimended him from the trees. All six whirled around. At first, they saw nothing, but then Karn's quick eyes found the source.
"There! On the branch!"
"Well spotted, young Fusion Clanner." The man on the branch leaped down and took a seat next to the campfire without even being asked, to the surprise of the group. He was a tall man, covered head to toe in a long, rich cloak of forest green. It was trimmed with white fur, caught at the throat by a clasp of green stone, and had a hood to obscure his face.
"Who are you?" Ryu managed to finally ask. "And what are you doing here? Are YOU a Dark Dragon?"
"Perhaps... perhaps not." The man lifted his hands to show that he held no weapons. "Does it matter? I am a friend... both to you, and to the other denizens of these Woods, whom I am visiting."
"The other denizens?" Ox blinked. "You mean..."
"Yes, the birds for which these Woods were named. The GrimFowl." The cloaked man held a finger up to his face. "Shh! Here comes one now." From the brush, a humongous bird slowly walked out. The six travelers could only stare. The GrimFowl was taller than Ox, a massive bird with purple feathers on its main body. Its wings and tail boasted much longer pink feathers, as did twin crests on the sides of its head, and a blue horn sprouted from its forehead. However, the evil green eyes, deadly curved beak and thick talons spoke of enormous potential for violence. It was not a pretty bird.
"Always thought they were just a myth..." Ox whispered.
"Oh, no. Not at all." The cloaked man assured him as the GrimFowl hesitantly approached. It lowered its head, which was on a long, ostrichlike neck, and the man began stroking it gently. "Marvelous birds. Incredible fighters, but equally incredibly peaceful. Very friendly and intelligent, and almost fearless. Almost nothing will drive a GrimFowl to violence... except going after their eggs. THAT is an invitation of horrible death."
"I'll bet." Nina shuddered.
"Almost as horrible as attacking yonder castle." The man gave Ryu a direct look. "The Dark Dragons in there are indeed enemies of yours, and would dispatch you without fail. What is it you have against anybody who bears even the slightest trace of the Dark Dragon affiliation?"
"..." Ryu was silent for a moment. "They... burned my home. Took away my sister. For that... I'll kill them all. Every one..."
"Your sister, ah..." The cloaked man seemed surprised for a moment. Both Gobi and Ox grunted, startled as well. "When was this?"
"A few months ago..." Ryu answered through gritted teeth. "Why?"
"Ah, then the old man near Gant should bear none of your malice." The cloaked man explained. "You see, he is an... old friend of mine. He never served under Zog, but rather his father, the previous Emperor... it was Zog's ascencion to the throne that caused the old man to leave the army." He got to his feet. "It is up to you, my friends... but I strongly suggest you be openminded in this case. It is your only hope of toppling that castle." Waving, he leaped back into the trees and was gone. The GrimFowl watched him go sadly, then departed as well. Without a sound, Ryu stood up and walked a distance away, face like stone. Nina rose as well and followed him. Karn started to go, but Bo stopped him.
"Don't, Karn. Leave them alone. Nina's the only one who has a chance of getting through to him... if any of us tried to help we'd just ruin it."
"Did the Dark Dragons really do that?" Gobi demanded. "To his home and his sister, I mean?"
"As far as I know, yeah." Bo nodded. "From what I know, it's a small village out in the middle of nowhere. Apparently, that's where the Light Dragons all went after the Dragon War... but the Dark Dragons found them. That's Ryu's one weakness. Normally, he's a very reasonable guy, but when it comes to Dark Dragons and their minions, he reacts completely with his sword. Nothing else even enters the equation. It's not an attractive thing to see."
"And here I thought I hated Dark Dragons..." Ox muttered, looking away from the campfire. Ryu and Nina were sitting together, backs to the group, talking quietly. Neither of them could be heard. "I suppose it's because I still know where my wife is, and I won't stop until I get her back... but Ryu has no clue to his sister's wherabouts, does he?"
"None whatsoever." Bo shook his head. "To be honest, I'm not sure if she's really alive at all, but I can't tell that to him."
"Who could?" Karn shook his head. Even the energetic thief was sober at the moment. "And who can really blame him? If I had been old enough to really know my parents, and my Clan... I'd probably hate the Dark Dragons just as much as Ryu does."
"Yeah..." Gobi agreed, realizing with some surprise that he was thinking of Prima and the threat of the torpedo.
"Pssst! They're coming back!" Karn warned. Ryu and Nina had stood up, and were approaching the campfire again. Ryu's face was resigned.
"All right, let's hit the hay, everybody. Get a good night's sleep; we've got to get back to Gant as soon as possible so we... so we can talk to that old guy." He looked like he had just eaten a raw lemon. "I'll take first watch." Nobody argued; they all bunked up without a word. Nina was last.
"Ryu..." She said as she was about to drop off. "I'm sorry... I know you never wanted to..."
"It's okay." Ryu forced a smile. "Sometimes we have to do things we don't like, remember? We did them all our lives before we met... we're used to it. Go on, get some sleep, princess. I'm fine." Nina smiled and closed her eyes. Ryu waited until he was certain she was out, then let the smile drop. Turning away from the fire, he fixed his eyes on the night sky through the branches. He knew it would be a long time before he could get to sleep.
"Hello, Ryu." Ladon greeted the young Light Dragon. "It's been a while."
"Yeah... guess it has." Ryu admitted. "I have four Goddess Keys now... only three left."
"Indeed, you do. Very good, Ryu." Ladon congratulated him. "However, the remaining three will be much more difficult to obtain, and it shall be some time before you even approach them. Right now, you have more pressing problems, do you not?"
"The torpedo..." Ryu nodded. "Yeah..."
"Your enemies must be stopped from using that, Ryu." Ladon ordered him. "Technology with that much destructive power must never be allowed to return to this world."
"Dragon War was that bad, eh?" Ryu joked halfheartedly. The Dragon God shook his head.
"Worse. The horrors of the Dragon War shall pale in comparison to the atrocities that will be committed if you fail, Ryu. If Prima falls, the Lands of the East are lost, and you with them. Put aside your search for the Goddess Keys for now and stop the Dark Dragon advance."
"I'll do everything I can." Ryu promised. Ladon clapped his shoulder.
"I know you will, Ryu, though you may dislike those whose aid you must ask. If all else fails, seek out the legendary sorceress, Ryu. Now, go, back to your duty. Your friends are already awake." As usual, the Dragon God faded into bright light that became the morning. Ryu sat up and rubbed his eyes as Karn banged on the door.
"Time to wake up, dozychops! Better get downstairs before I eat your breakfast too!"
"I'll throw you off the closest mountain if you TOUCH my share, Karn!" Ryu yelled back good-humoredly. Dressing quickly, he headed down to the ground floor of the Inn back in Gant. The others were already chowing down.
"Have a seat, Ryu." Nina waved him over. "Karn didn't come near your plate."
"Only because Nina said she'd stick her sword up my nose if I tried." Karn grumbled. Ryu grinned at the Princess.
"THIS is what friends are for."
"That's right, ramming swords up each others' noses." Gobi agreed sarcastically as the Light Dragon dug in. "I'm glad I don't have one. Now then, first we're going to see Karn's Clansman, and then we're going to ask that former Dark Dragon soldier for help."
"That's the gist of it." Ox grunted in agreement. "I'll take you to see the guy as soon as we're done here." He blinked; everybody's plate was clean, even Ryu's. "Huh. That was fast. Well, let's go then."
Minos, the Elder, was reluctant at first, but when he saw that Karn was one of the Fusion Clan as well, he agreed to ask his friend. Effortlessly pushing a huge dresser in the back of the house out of the way revealed a hidden room.
"Minos? What's wrong?" A voice called from the room. Minos sighed heavily.
"You have a visitor, Pardus... one of your clansmen."
"What? One of the others? Why would they come here?" The man who walked out was dark-skinned and somewhat short. His hair and beard were bright orange. He glanced around quickly, with he furtiveness of one who had spent a great deal of his life hiding, but when he saw Karn, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Who... who are you?"
"My name is Karn." The thief stepped forward, unusually serious. "You're one of the Fusion Clan... like me... aren't you?"
"Indeed I am, lad..." Pardus let out a huge breath. "You... surprised me. I thought there were only four survivors of our clan's destruction..."
"There are more?" Karn asked excitedly. "Where are they?"
"Patience, young one." Pardus chuckled. "If you have a map with you, I will mark the locations of another on it; I'm sure he'll be happy to know we have another survivor as well. But first... there is something I must ask. Do you know the Fusion Magic of our Clan?" Karn shook his head.
"Fusion... Magic? No, no I don't..."
"Then you must learn, immediately." Pardus insisted firmly. "Alas, I know only one type of spell, but it will have to do. Come on, back here... you seem bright, so it shouldn't take too long to teach you." Karn hesitated and looked at the others.
"Guys... do you mind going to see that old soldier without me? I think this is really important."
"No problem, Karn." Ryu clapped him on the shoulder. "We understand. We'll come back to pick you up at sunset, so try to be done by then, okay?" Karn nodded and followed Pardus into the hidden room.
"Think he'll be okay?" Bo worried. Ox laughed.
"Aah, the little guy'll be fine. He's a tough one. Come on, let's go." The Builder Clanner led them out of Gant and out of the mountains, past the beach where they usually went to access the Ocean. East of there was a small, tropical area where palm trees grew and the sun was pleasant, but not burning.
"Got to admit, if I was going to retire, this would be a great place to do it." Gobi commented. Ryu grunted noncommitally as they approached the center of the largest palm tree cluster, where a simple white tent was pitched. A tough-looking old human was sitting outside of it, accompanied only by a goat on a leash. He was sharpening a deadly-looking scimitar.
"You'd be the folks that want to get into Nabal, I reckon." He said without looking up. Ryu's face hardened.
"How did you know that?"
"Guy who looked about twice as old as me came by a few days ago." The former soldier explained. "Said his name was Sparks or somethin', and told me you'd be coming. Thought he was a nutjob at first. Do you know 'im?" Bo, Karn and Nina groaned, recognizing the description.
"Yeah... we've met." Ryu admitted. "What else did he tell you?"
"Told me that you folks had seen a Boomerang." The old man grunted, starting to polish the blade. "Kinda V-shaped thingy, flat, made outta wood?"
"Oh yeah, THAT thing!" Bo snapped his fingers. "We saw one of those in Krypt! It was embedded in that boulder, and we couldn't get it out..."
"Well, son, that there's a rare weapon." The old man stood up. "Now, I happen to be a collector of rare weapons. But in my entire life, I've never actually seen a boomerang."
"Let me guess." Ryu snorted. "You want us to get it for you."
"Catch on quick, ya do, Light Dragon." The former soldier agreed. "Not to keep, mind... no, you can do that. I just want to look at it for a bit. Get me a boomerang to see, and I'll tell you a surefire way to topple Nabal. Ol' General Hassan, who I worked under, was always worried that it would happen."
"Krypt is all the way over in Arad!" Ryu exploded. "Do you have any idea how long it will take us to get there? Especially since we don't have a ship now?"
"Actually, Ryu, High Merchant Gartes can probably arrange some fast transportation for us." Gobi interrupted. "If he does, we can get to Arad in less than a day." Ryu sputtered for a bit, then threw his hands up.
"Fine! Don't keel over while we're gone, old man. We'll be back with your junk."
"If I have to live another hundred years, I'll do it to see you come back hauling my 'junk' for me, Light Dragon." The ex-soldier retorted as he began working on an ancient bronze spear. Growling, Ryu led the group back to Gant. Karn was waiting, looking exhausted but jubilant.
"I did it, guys!"
"He's a natural." Pardus beamed. "Mastered it faster than any I've ever seen. Let's try it out, shall we?"
"Ooh, let's." Karn grinned evilly at his friends, who all took a step back. "Come on, it won't hurt... much."
"That's reassuring." Nina rolled her eyes.
"You don't have to worry, miss." Pardus shook his head. "Has to be the same gender... and it doesn't work with Dragon Clanners either, so you're safe too, fella. Now, Karn, remember, for the Shin spell, you want to select for speed and smarts."
"Right." Karn nodded, grabbing Bo and Gobi's arms. "Come over here, guys."
"I think I'm allergic to wierd magic." Bo complained.
"You wouldn't look good in scales, buddy!" Gobi attempted. Karn ignored them both.
"Okay, just stand still. Everybody else, get clear." The others were only too glad to. "Fusios Karn Canus Bo Pisces Gobi! Fusios Shin! Shin!" All three suddenly exploded in blinding light. When the others could see again, only one... creature... was standing there. It was built like Bo and had the Forest Clanner's fur and canine features, but the were also orange scales here and there, and fins protruded from head and arms. Its face was particularly savage.
"Karn? Bo? Gobi?" You guys okay?" Nina asked hesitantly. The... thing's head swiveled to look at her.
"This... is different." He admitted. "By the way, my name's Shin right now, like the spell. Wow. Bizarre." He blinked. "Wow, High Merchant Gartes was right. I AM a greedy slimeball... wait, what?" Now he looked confused.
"It takes a while to get used to it." Pardus admitted. "You'll grow accustomed to it in time."
"Yeah, I guess." Shin lifted a huge longbow that had somehow been formed out of their weapons combined; Ryu saw Gobi's pike as part of the shaft and Karn's daggers on the ends. "I could probably snipe Nabal from a mile off using this thing, you know."
"Nice thought, but the guards might notice when their buddies started falling over with arrows in their heads." Ox chuckled. Shin shrugged.
"It was worth a shot. I should probably turn back now... not really much point to this at the moment. Revertus!" There was another flash, and the three were seperate again, clutching their heads.
"You forgot to mention the hangover, chief." Karn groaned. Bo was muttering something about never laughing at salesmen again, and Gobi kept glancing at trees.
"This could take some getting used to." Nina commented to Ryu, who could only nod. Pardus smiled at Karn.
"Good luck, Karn... and come back sometime after this business of yours is settled, hm?"
"I will." Karn promised sincerely. "I'll come back once you don't have to hide any more... when Emperor Zog's dead. I'll take you back to Bleak... you'll like it there. It's great. Like a twenty-four seven party."
"I can hardly wait." Pardus chuckled and went back inside Minos' house. Karn turned to the rest.
"So, how was your day?"
"We'll tell you about it back at then inn." Ryu answered. "Then you'll have to rest up... we've got a long trip tomorrow."
"So that's the way it is." Gobi finished explaining to High Merchant Gartes. "We need to get to Krypt in the Arad Desert and back fast so that old guy will tell us how to bring down Nabal." Gartes slowly nodded.
"All right... yes, that's a worthy reason. And I am stacking my hopes on you people, so... right, right. You've got your transportation."
"How's it going to be?" Ryu asked. "Boat?" Gartes grinned evilly and shook his head.
"Afraid not, my friend... have you ever traveled by Great Fish before?"
"Is that like the Great Bird of my people?" Nina guesed. Both Maniros nodded. "So, why do we need somebody else's help instead of you doing it, Gobi?"
"Well, ah..." Gobi looked uncomfortable. "You see, it's not that... well, easy. We can't do it by ourselves... we need these special Spheres, that we have blessed by the Dragon God. And mine, well... that is to say..."
"I revoked it along with his Merchant's License." Gartes cut to the chase. "So he can't turn into a Great Fish anymore. I'll ask Trout to take you to Arad; he's your friend, right?" Gobi nodded.
"Yeah, Trout'll be fine. Will he be ready to leave tomorrow?" Gartes nodded in agrement. "All right. We'll be ready too, then."
The next day, they met the Maniro named Trout in the northwest area of Prima, where loading and unloading of goods normally took place. Gobi's friend was a stout, purple-scaled Maniro with a cheery smile.
"Is everybody here? All right, then! Let's get going!" There was a shimmering in the air, and where he had been, there was a gigantic purple fish. Strangely, it still had Trout's friendly face. "Grab the dorsal fin, and let's go!"
"Oh, this isn't too wierd..." Bo muttered as they all took hold. Once they were secure, Trout shot off, blasting through the water like a scaled missile. It was all the group could do to hold on.
Well, we did say we needed to get to Arad fast! Ryu thought ruefully, then winced as they nearly missed hitting the side of the island they had been shipwrecked on. This mode of travel was unconventional, but definately effective; they reached a beach that was right outside a break in the mountains that surrounded the Arad Desert just as night fell, and began their trek the next day. Unfortunately, the journey through the sand land was more arduous the second time around, mostly due to the two Maniros. Gobi and Trout were absolutely miserable in the baking heat and lack of water. The only saving grace was that the actual town of Arad was only three days away from the beach. When it came into view, the two Maniros didn't walk, they ran towards the town promising riches to anybody who gave them shade and a barrel of liquid.
"We probably shouldn't make them come with us to Krypt, you know." Ox advised, wiping some sweat off his face. "We can do this without them, and they'd be much happier just staying here."
"You're probably right." Ryu agreed, watching the Maniros bolt into the inn tent like their rears had been set ablaze by the sun. "Let's rest here for the night, then set off."
"Oh, please do." Was Gobi's reaction when broached with the suggestion of staying in Arad. The Maniro grinned, fanning himself. "As a matter of fact, if you try to make us come out unless it's to return to the ocean, you may get a mutiny."
"We figured as much." Ryu nodded. The other five found Krypt again without much trouble. Ox and Karn were duly impressed by the using of the Fife.
"Man, I wish I knew you could get across that easily with that thing." Karn shook his head. The young thief remembered the layout of Krypt perfectly, and had them in front of the desired Boomerang in less than an hour. "I remember seeing this too and thinking it was neat, but I couldn't get it out either, thanks to this stupid boulder. Wonder who the heck did this."
"Does it matter?" Ox grunted. "It's coming out now!" Winding up, he delivered a massive punch that made the entire room shake. The boulder didn't break so much as it exploded into gravel. The Builder Clanner frowned. "Tougher than I thought... I was going for sand. Oh well, nobody's perfect."
"Remind me to never piss you off, Ox." Ryu said weakly. Picking up the Boomerang from the gravel, he hefted it experimentally. "Hmm... interesting feel on this thing... I kinda like it."
"Maybe that old soldier will show you how to use it?" Nina suggested hesitantly. Ryu frowned, then shrugged.
"Maybe. Come on, let's get going." Persuading Gobi and Trout to leave the tent even to return to Prima took a lot of doing, and the two Maniros complained the entire way back to the beach. Thankfully, once they were back in the water, they were too busy glorying in it to talk any more while they blasted back to Prima on Trout.
"Well, guys, it's been real." Trout smiled as they got off, back at the Maniros' city. "But next time you need a ride... PLEASE, need it for someplace else!" The look on his face was so plaintive, everybody had to laugh.
A day later, the group returned to the ex-soldier's tent. The old man didn't look up from the broadsword he was whetting as they approached.
"Hey, Light Dragon. Tell me you have the boomerang in one piece."
"No, we broke it apart and had it for dinner." Ryu snorted and handed the weapon over. The old man's eyes widened, and he took it almost reverentially.
"This... this is it! It's true! It does exist! The boomerang! It's... perfect!" He held it up, turned to a line of palm trees, and flung it out. The boomerang whirled through the air in an arc, knocking coconuts out of each tree before returning to the ex-solider, who grabbed it again. The others stared.
"How did you do that?" Ryu demanded.
"You just have to throw it the right way." The old man explained. "Its shape is designed to fly in that arc and return to you. You could hit ten enemies at once with this baby." He handed it back to Ryu. "All right, Light Dragon... you've earned this. As for Nabal..." He gave them all direct looks. "You can't just use your weapons in that case. You have to use your head, too. Do you know anything about the GrimFowl?"
"Well, they're normally tame birds..." Bo scratched his head. "Unless you steal their eggs."
"Exactly!" The old man nodded. "Take just one egg, and the entire flock will go berserk! They're horrendously nasty animals to fight. So, if you could figure out some way to use them as weapons against your enemies..." Ox blinked.
"Like... how?"
"Like..." Ryu slowly smiled. It was not a nice smile. "Like throwing the egg over the wall of Nabal..." Ox smiled as well.
"That would be... interesting to watch."
"You'll have to get in there once the soldiers are all distracted with the GrimFowl and make sure the prisoners don't get attacked." The ex-soldier cautioned. "Can you do that?" Ryu nodded.
"Yeah. We'll handle it. And... thanks, old man."
"No problem, young man." The ex-soldier grunted, going back to work on his sword. "Emperor Zog needs to be taught a lesson. I never liked him when he was a Prince, and I like him even less now. Somebody should shut him down smartlike!" Ryu nodded in agreement.
"That's what we're gonna do."
"Hey, cloaked guy!" Ox bellowed into the trees of the GrimFowl Woods. "Cloaked guy, you here?"
"I didn't see him." Karn reported as he dropped out of the foliage.
"Me either." Bo admitted, appearing out from the side of a trunk as if by magic. "He's not here any more... but I did find an egg."
"Good job." Ryu nodded. "Take us to it." The efficient Forest Clanner quickly led the group to a clearing where several nests were lying on the ground. Four GrimFowl were nearby, watching them inquisitively, and a single purple egg, half as large as Ryu's entire body, was sitting in a nest. The Light Dragon took a deep breath.
"Right... I'd better transform first, in case there's trouble."
"Use the Ice Dragon form." Nina advised. "The other two could start a forest fire."
"Don't even say that." Bo shuddered. Ryu nodded.
"Good point. Very good." Transforming into the pale blue reptile, he walked over to the nest and picked up the egg in one claw. Instantly, the GrimFowl changed. Their eyes flashed, and one of them released an angry caw. Instantly, many more charged out of the brush and surrounded the group. Ryu swore; he and Nina could fly away, but there was no way out for the others.
"If you had a plan, now would be a good time to try it, boss." Gobi grinned nervously and tried to look harmless. The GrimFowl didn't appear convinced.
"That cloaked guy said these birds were really intelligent." Ryu remembered. "Let's see if their leader understands this!" Swooping towards the largest GrimFowl, he shrieked angrily. The GrimFowl looked up at him and cawed back. Ryu pointed at himself with his free claw, then pointed at the GrimFowl leader, shrieking again. It seemed to understand; with another caw, the other birds backed away a little, but still surrounded the others. Ryu dropped to the ground in front of the leader. Cawing wildly, the GrimFowl attacked, lashing its head out on the elongated neck to gouge for his eyes. Ryu moved his head left and swiped at its face with his claws. Screeching, the bird drew back and raised its talon to try and gut him. Fortunately, Ryu's scales resisted the slash, and the bird was left open to a savaging of its thigh.
"Use your breath!" Nina cheered. A GrimFowl knocked her flat with its wing. Ryu growled angrily and launched himself at the GrimFowl's neck. The crafty bird dodged, and Ryu only recieved a mouthful of feathers before being knocked away by a hard peck. Realizing that Nina's advice was his only chance, Ryu backed off a bit. The GrimFowl lunged forward with its beak again, and Ryu blew freezing air right into its face. The angry bird turned blue with cold, but still kept moving, forcing its way through the ice. Ryu prepared for another blast, but the GrimFowl struck first; opening its own beak, it hit him with a blast of fire.
"Whoa! I didn't know they could do that!" Karn yelped and was buffeted as Nina had been. Ryu hissed; in this form, being hit with flames was like being inside an active volcano. The GrimFowl cawed triumphantly and opened its beak again, but this time Ryu was ready, and spat another cloud of frost straight into the open beak just as the flames were emerging. A massive cloud of boiling steam blew out of the GrimFowl's ear tufts, and there was a smell of cooking poultry as it slowly fell forward, beak still gaping. Ryu turned and roared at the other GrimFowl, who took a step back. Taking the cue, the rest of the group copied his roar as best they could. The deadly birds fell back, but remained fairly close, still watching the egg.
"Looks like this is only a temporary reprieve, Ryu." Bo frowned. "They'll come after us again in a few minutes if we don't do something."
"Which way is Nabal?" Ryu asked. Bo walked north, and the GrimFowl in his way grudgingly moved. The rest of the group followed him, Ryu in the rear with the Egg. The GrimFowl followed him like dogs on leashes. Within minutes, they were at the edge of the Woods. Ryu grunted and returned to his humanoid form. The GrimFowl began edging closer.
"Sure that was a good move, boss?" Gobi asked, watching them nervously. Ryu nodded.
"Yeah. I WANT them to be ready to fight. Now, Karn, do your fusion."
"Do we have to?" Gobi groaned. Ryu nodded firmly. Sighing, the Maniro moved close to Karn and Bo, and the three performed the Shin spell again.
"What do you need me to do?" Shin asked. Ryu gave him the Egg. The GrimFowl looked a little taken aback at the sight of the fierce Fusion, but they kept keeping closer.
"You're the fastest. Run over to Nabal, and throw that Egg over the walls! Try to get it onto a balcony!" Ryu instructed him. Shin nodded and took off like a streak of lightning. With surprised caws, the GrimFowl gave chase. The sentries at Nabal only had time to blink before Shin was near. With a mighty whoop, the Fusion hurled the GrimFowl Egg like a missile. It smacked into the face of a soldier on a third floor balcony. He was instantly killed, but the Egg was cushioned by his body and remained unharmed. The soldiers stared at it for a moment, then switched their vision back to the front just in time to see death with talons and curved beaks. The GrimFowl swarmed into Nabal like a tidal wave. Shin wisely stood out of the way, then blasted back to the group. "Right, job done. Should I defuse now?"
"Not yet." Ryu shook his head. "We might still need you for whoever's in charge here... might be Admiral Cean." Shin nodded. Ox watched the GrimFowl work with grim satisfaction, the birds now swarming through the door. Screams of agony came from within, but the Builder Clanner only smiled wider.
"We should go... we have to get the prisoners." Ryu nodded.
"Let's move!" They entered Nabal with no resistance; one or two guards were still running around the entryway being pursued by birds, but the rest had all been slain, and the archers on the balcony had their minds too busy on the threat they heard approaching from the stairs to worry about watching. Inside, Nabal was a slaughterhouse. The bodies of dead soldiers were slumped against walls, hanging from chandeliers, sprawled across the floor. Nina covered her mouth, but the other three were unmoved; they simply kept moving, and the Princess followed them after a moment.
"I think the prisons in Nabal are towards the back." Ox guessed, as they turned into a hall that bore no signs of the GrimFowl's passage. The Builder Clanner let loose a huge sigh of relief. "This hall should go that way... looks like the birds didn't go after them." They turned a corner, and found themselves facing a dead end. The wall looked as if it had been hastily erected; it was loose and shabby. Ox stepped up and broke it down with a single punch. Behind it, company was waiting.
"Well done, all of you." The tallest man sneered. He was wearing officer's armor that appeared to have been made out of silver. His clothes under it were deep purple, and his cape was a beautiful turquoise. Above a perfect handlebar mustache, his eyes glinted coldly. "Light Dragon Ryu and friends... trust you to know the only way to successfully attack Nabal. You've done quite well... this castle will fall shortly. My congratulations."
"Admiral Cean, I presume." Ryu greeted him coldly. "Your reputation precedes you... Dark Dragon filth."
"You and your little party have a certain reputation as well... Light Dragon scum." Admiral Cean returned coolly, without an inch of temper. "You've made quite a name for yourself. Unfortunately, I do not have time to dispute with you. Before the Gold Lord left this morning, he ordered me to be gone as well by tonight. Thus, I must regrettably allow my underlings to deal with you. I trust you recognize them, Ox?" For the first time, Ryu noticed the other three Dark Dragons soldiers standing there. They were identical, both in uniform and in face, wearing the same turquoise as Cean's cape. Their eyes were strangely a deep gold.
"Oh, yes." Ox growled, clutching his sledge closer. "The Slime Brothers. I remember you three very well."
"The Builder Clanner remembers us." The first said.
"How smart of him. What did we do again?" The second pretended to forget.
"Oh yes, captured his wife and all the women and children." The third informed him. All three smirked cruelly.
"Stop goofing around and kill them." Cean ordered as he walked away behind them, his cape swirling. "Or if you can't manage that, at least keep them busy until I leave."
"Not to worry, sir." The first scowled angrily.
"They've destroyed our beautiful castle, after all." The second began to glow.
"We'll punish them good and proper!" The third taunted. All three Slime Brothers transformed at once.
"Get ready!" Ox yelled. "This is how they sneaked into our village!" Ryu stared. The Slime Brothers were aptly named. They had become vaguely humanoid figures made of the same acidic blue slime that formed the common monster around his hometown. Unlike the average Slime, however, they had powerful arms and chests rising from their bases. At their tops were the same eerie golden eyes. With burbling howls, the Slime Brothers charged into the fray, lashing out with their fists. Nina flew above one, dodging the blow, and was still blown back by the force of it.
"Strong... hurry up, guys! Don't get into a prolonged fight with these slimeballs!" The Princess yelled, following her usual tactic of powering up the others. Ryu roared and became the Thunder Whelp, then dived on one of the Slime Brothers, belching lightning. Ox took the second one, bashing at it wildly with his sledge. The Slime Brother chuckled and formed its fists together into a similar hammer shape. Ox grunted in surprise as it smashed the appendage into his side, but did not move. The Slime Brother stared at him in shock, and the Builder Clanner chuckled grimly.
"THIS is how you do it, Slime! No charge!" Winding up, he smashed the Slime Brother like a baseball, sending it flying into a wall. The third was sneaking up on him, about to jump him from behind, when three arrows smashed into its back, lodging inside the gooey substance. Shrieking wetly, it turned around. Shin smirked and made a "come-on" motion with his hand.
"Can't take one of us by yourself, wetback?" The Slime Brother dived at him, but Shin easily moved out of the way and shot it again. "You're going to have to do better than that, oozebrain!" While he continued leading it around, Ryu was rolling on the ground with his enemy, pumping repeated jolts into it while recieving punishing blows from the thing's powerful acidic limbs. The Slime Brother moved slower with each hit, but refused to be finished. Angered, Ryu bit into its shoulder and immediately regretted it, spitting out the acid. The Slime Brother chuckled and used the moment of distracton to stun him with a hit between the eyes. It wound up for a following blow to finish him, then gasped as Nina's rapier slammed home into the top of its head. Ryu scrambled out as the thing lost cohesion and dissolved into a blue puddle on the floor. Ryu smiled at Nina gratefully, then turned and blasted Shin's Slime Brother just as the Fusion delivered another arrow storm. Hit by both assaults simultaneously, the Slime Brother collapsed as well. All three turned to see Ox finish his off, pulping it with his hammer.
"Quick, after Cean!" Ryu yelled, but Ox shook his head.
"This isn't over... not yet. Nina, quick, patch us up." Nina nodded and did so without question. Shin raised an eyebrow.
"Whaddaya mean, it's not over, big guy? These stinkers are liquified!"
"That's what we thought." Ox chuckled without a trace of humor. "We thought they were just puddles... but we were wrong, weren't we, boys? Come on back out, already, and let's get this over with!"
"Hee hee hee..."
"Ox is right!"
"Let's go!" The three puddles suddenly moved, swarming together. They mixed, and from the ground, one humongous entity formed. A massive dome of glistening blue goo hovering three feet above the ground, it was larger than any other Dark Dragon transformations they had seen before. Two humongous golden eyes glared down at them.
"We are now... the Slime-X! Prepare to be crushed!"
"Like we haven't heard that before!" Ryu howled, pumping hundreds of volts directly into the Slime-X. The titanic slime just chuckled and shot a blob of itself back. Ryu buckled as it slammed into his chest, but the other three were already on the attack.
"WHY do you Dark Dragons ALWAYS spit slimeballs!" Shin complained, his arms a blur as they fired arrow after arrow into the Slime-X's hide. "It's disgusting! Can't you come up with a new idea, like explosions or something?"
"Don't give them ideas, you three!" Nina chided as she flew near the ceiling. Increasing her own speed and durability, she swooped down and went at the Slime-X with a will, stabbing and dodging. Ox was taking a more direct approach; he was simply hammering madly at the beast's underside, completely ignoring all damage inflicted upon him.
"My wife... my neighbors... my home... you took them all, you disgusting filth!"
"What of it?" The Slime-X laughed contemptuously, firing at all of them. "We are part of the Dark Dragon Empire! This entire world is ours to do with as we please! You think to dictate what we should do to us? What a joke!"
"Pretty sorry joke, since nobody's laughing!" Ryu growled, springing back into the air. Nina and Shin resumed their attacks as well, flying and running around. All three kept on lashing at the Slime-X with speedy, stinging attacks, taunting it into firing on them. Growling, it did so, but they continued dodging, ignoring the glancing blows. Slime-X chuckled grimly; despite their aggravations, the three were doing almost no damage.
"Keep running, little ones... I'll get you eventually... AH!" Gasping in pain, it realized too late that it had forgotten Ox. The Builder Clanner had continued boring into its underside the entire time, not even noticing the earlier attacks dropped on him. Now, he had carved a hole deep into the Slime-X's core, and was still going strong with his sledge, his face a mask of vengeance. Ryu, Nina and Shin stopped attacking; they were needed no longer as distractions. Ox had done the job. The Slime-X moved towards the stairs, attempting to escape, but Ox hit it again in the rear, punching a hole straight through it, and the monster moaned.
"Running away?" The burly Builder Clanner growled, smashing out another section of sludge. "After your talk of the mighty Dark Dragon Empire... after all your taunts and bravado... after everything you've done... you RUN!" Bellowing like some norse god, he blew out one of the Slime-X's eyes, then crushed the other. "You stinking slime! Take your cowardice with you to hell! GO!" The Slime Brothers screamed, long and loud, as Ox pounded each and every piece of their combined form into the ground. When he was done, numerous craters were punched into the floor, each with a tiny puddle of blue sludge in it, none of them moving. Ox turned to his comrades, blowing air through his beard.
"Whoa. Feel better, Ox?" Shin remarked with awe. Ox slowly nodded.
"Yeah... yeah, I do. NOW we chase Admiral Cean!"
"Talking my language, big man!" Ryu grinned as the four of them bolted after the Dark Dragon officer. As they passed a barred cell, Ox screeched to a halt.
"The prisoners... they're in there!" Grabbing the iron bars, he ripped them out with his bare hands. A pretty young woman with horns in a simple purple dress rushed out. "Eika... are you all right?"
"There's no time, Ox!" She pointed down the hall frantically. "Admiral Cean and his remaining men just came past here with the Torpedo! They plan to finish building it themselves at sea, then use it on Prima! You have to stop them!" Ox hesitated. "We're fine, Ox! Go! Hurry and stop them!"
"She's right, Ox!" Nina urged. "We need to move!"
"All right... all right." Growling, the big Builder Clanner tore off down the hall, the other three in pursuit. As they thundered out the back of Nabal onto its docks, they groaned. The ships were already pulling away.
"I see you killed the Slime Brothers!" Admiral Cean called from the deck of the lead ship. "Very good, all of you! But not quite good enough, I'm afraid!" He bowed mockingly. "Light Dragon Ryu, I see now that no underlings, no matter how powerful, can stop you. I'll find you and take care of you myself... AFTER I completely obliterate Prima, that is!" Emotionlessly, Shin fired an arrow at his head. Cean easily caught it in his hand and contemptuously snapped it. Laughing, the Dark Dragon Admiral sailed away, leaving the group on the dock, staring after his wake. The woman named Eika walked up behind them.
"He... got away, didn't he?" She asked. The group slowly nodded.
"Are you... Ox's wife?" Nina asked. Eika nodded.
"Yes... I wish I could get to know you all better, but there's no time!"
"That's right!" Gobi said as Shin reverted. "We need to get back to Prima... High Merchant Gartes might still have an idea!" Ryu slowly nodded.
"All right. We'll head for Prima first thing in the morning." Ox took his wife into his arms.
"Don't worry, Eika... we'll do this. These guys... they're amazing. We're going to save the world... make it a safe place for our children..."
"Six months to go..." The pretty Builder Clanner sighed. "Ox... do you realy think..."
"Yeah. We can. Trust me." Ox kissed her to cut off further discussion.
"Six months... does that mean what I think it does?" Ryu whispered to Nina. She nodded.
"I think so... she's with child. It's not visible yet, but it seems that way." She shook her head. "All the more reason we have to do this."
"I already have all the reasons in the world." Ryu responded grimly, looking out over the ocean where Cean's ships had gone. The calm waters almost seemed to be mocking them as they reflected the moonlight, showing no trace of what had been there only moments before.
