"Now then, let us make haste. God knows I have bettering things to then waste my time standing in front of cemetery looking like a grave digger." Ranma said as he walked towards the gate.
"Wait, you aren't going to leave Xian Pu here, are you?" Kasumi asked as she looked around, only to find out that Xian Pu was missing. "What the…."
Ranma smiled slightly "I teleported her to Belldandy while back, she should be up and about in couple hours." Ranma replied as he opened the gates.
Abruptly Ranma took three inch step back, narrowly dodging a vertical slash from great axe, force of the swing ruffling his bangs. "Bad axe." Ranma chided as he lifted his staff above his head. Barrage of arrows rained down upon him only to be incinerated upon contact with invisible wall of force.
Five foot tall lizard wielding a great axe stepped forward, taking a wide arc swing at Ranma. The axe passed through the shield with out meeting any resistance.
Ranma blocked the swing with his staff, but the force of the swing pushed Ranma back good five feet before he skid to stop.
Ryun rushed forward, shift like predator hunting his prey. Drawing his katana at last second, cleaving the lizard in twain before rushing into the cemetery.
Rand rushed after Ryun only to brace for impact as Ryun exited the cemetery, not by his own will and his favored traveling methods. Ryun flew bodily into Rand, knocking both of them down.
"You need to lose some weight." Rand grunted with a cough as he stood, drawing his sword and shield. He looked around his surrounding, only to be awed at the sigh before him.
Two companions watched on as Kasumi danced around her enemies. Her fluid motions weaving in and out of lizards, dodging and countering all their attacks. Lizards would have better luck trying to cut water with bread knife. Her dance came to an end as she sheathed her sword. The sword clicked as the blade locked into the sheath, as if on cue, all the lizards surrounding her dropped like puppets with their strings cut.
Ryun blurred into motion, disappearing from where he stood, appearing in front of Kasumi and drew his word. His katana cut through the descending battle axe, but before he could do anything else, the lizard man's body sprayed blood in pattern of X as it fell to the ground in four pieces.
Standing behind the lizard man was Rand with two katana. His offhand Katana begin to shimmer in many different colors and begin to change shape, into the shield he previously wielded.
Group entered the cemetery with caution, spotting for enemies and traps alike. It didn't take long for them to spot a group of archers, trying to hide behind tombstone, readying their bows for ambush.
Ranma didn't feel like play cat and mouse with bunch of lizards. He was slightly irritated at the moment, for his true plan has fallen apart. This mission was meant to be training for Xian Pu and Kasumi, but two traveling warriors had screwed it up.
Ranma silently lifted his staff taking aim. Seven balls of fire sprang to life all around him, promising pain and devastation to all fools that stood in its path. Fireballs flew true, slamming into each of the lizards and exploding on contact.
"Don't you think that was bit over kill?" Ryun asked as he gawked at the charred remain of barren earth.
"Nah, they had it coming. Besides, I made that up on spot." Ranma replied off handedly, dismising the conversation.
Ryun simply shook his head before slapping his forehead. "Many casters spend weeks on end creating new spells and altering spells, but here is a caster that modifies and creates spell on a whim… I don't know rather to be awed at his display of power or stupidity."
"That is why I'm the lord caster and you are not." Ranma stated mater of factly. "Where is this skeleton you spoke of?"
"In the room with the sword." Ryun replied.
"You make it sound like there is more then one room in this cemetery. Only room in this cemetery is that cabin the high priestess stays in."
Ranma casually walked up to the cabin and opened the door, walking in with out caution. Only to be flung out bodily, followed closely behind was a shadowy figure. Unknown assailant grabbed Ranma by the throat and jumped into the air and threw him down. Before he even had time to bounce from impact, the cloaked figure appeared before him, stepping on his face and using it as spring board to jump away.
Ranma shakily got back to his feet, shaking his head, bit dazed. "Man, today is just not my day."
Good ten feet from Ranma stood the cloaked figure. To his right was the cabin, its entrance blocked by so called invincible skeleton. To his left was the group standing there with their weapons drawn.
With out taking his eyes off of the cloaked figure, Ranma raised his staff at the skeletal monster. "Dispel" Ranma commanded but nothing happened.
With a sigh, Ranma said another command word. "Incinerate" Skeleton burst into cloud of dust. Ranma watched with his peripheral vision the skeleton reshaping it self.
Ranma growled in frustration and anger. "When I tell you to begun or die, I expect you to die!" Ranma shouted as he send pitch black basketball sized orb at the skeleton.
The orb stopped in front of the skeleton, sucking the skeleton into the voids before imploding. Ranma turned back to face the cloaked figure, only to find it gone with out a trace.
"Bah, I can't believe this shit." Ranma's speech was interrupted as he coughed up blood.
He looked down to find a blade jutting out of where his heart should be.
"Thanks for the hard work." Ryun stated with a sneer, kicking Ranma off of his blade. "I must say, that skeleton was not in my calculations."
Ranma looked towards Kasumi, his vision starting to blur. Before him she laid in puddle of her own blood. Surprisingly, he found Rand to be in same fate. What surprised him the most was the cloaked figure kneeling beside them with her hands on their back.
"Where is the sword?" Ryun shouted as he appeared in Ranma's line of sight once more.
"What are you talking about?" Ranma choked out as Ryun shook him violently.
"The sword is missing!" Ryun shouted sheathing in anger, not even wondering why Ranma was still alive.
"By the way, I recommend looking down." Ranma said with a smirk.
Ryun looked down to find Ranma's staff snapped in half, puddle of Ranma's blood was sizzling and bubbling. "Oh, fuc…" Ryun didn't even have time to finish as the staff exploded.
Luckily for the group, Staff exploded with series of wild magic. First spell to go off was massive cure spell. Second spell went off raining daggers from the sky. Third spell went off only to rain fire. Fourth spell to go off was massive fireball spell. Fifth is chain lighting and sixth being true resurrection. Last spell to ignite was a curse that only affected man.
Suddenly, the cloaked figure appeared in front of Ranma, starring at the falling knight. "Forgot about me?" The cloaked figure asked as she stabbed Ryun's throat. Ranma recognized that weapon; after all, he had created it. She was wielding his sword, and that meant only one thing.
Ranma stood up as he looked around his surrounding. Feeling better then he had in long time. Ryun lay dead by his feet and he could see Kasumi and Rand stir.
"Augh, what happened?" Rand said to him self and paused, something was out of place. High pitch scream rang through out the cemetery followed by loud "What the hell!"
"My staff kind of blew up. Luckily for us, it wasn't anything too serious and last two set of spell to go off was healing spell." Ranma replied, his voice was also different.
"Nothing too serious! I'm a woman!" Rand shouted.
"Yea, so am I and everyone else here." Ranma replied.
"They were already woman! I'm a woman now!" Rand shouted once more.
"Is there anything wrong with being a woman?" Cloak figure asked in ever sweet and innocent voice.
"Julia, could you lose the cloak?" Ranma asked.
"Why of course, Ranma Sama." Julia said as she took the hood off. She was beauty beyond description. Her curry blond hair blowing in the light breeze and her piercing blue eyes seems to gaze directly into one's soul. Then rest of her cloaked followed, to say the least Rand was charmed, if his opened mouth drooling was any indication. Julia stood before the group wearing pure white sleeveless robe that hugged her figure.
"Rand, don't dwell too much of the fact that you turned into a woman. We can have you back to normal after our mission is over." Julia's voice sounded like pure rhapsody.
"Julia this is Rand, a defender." Ranma was interrupted before he could continue on.
"I think, real introduction is in order. If I am not mistaken, we are in this together now are we not?" Rand asked staring at Ranma.
Ranma's cocky smirk was answer to Rand's question. "Fine then, allow me to begin." Ranma said dramatically with a bow. "Ranma be me name and magic be me trade, me side job be a boring one me say, disciple and champion of Bahamut, at yar service."
"My name is Julia Serenity, the high priestess of Bahamut, and First daughter of Queen Serenity." Julia stated
"I'm Kasumi Tendo, Master of Tendo School of unarmed combat, daughter of viscount Tendo." Kasumi said with a nod, starring at Julia.
"My name is Rand, I'm a warmage." Rand stated.
"Wow… that was mundane introduction if I ever heard one." Ranma said shaking his head. "What are you doing here Julia and why the hell did you attack me!"
"I was simply following your mother's command lord Ranma." Julia said innocently. "She was bit displeased that you haven't mated with her yet." Julia said as she pointed at Kasumi with her thumb. "She wants to spoil... I mean raise grandchildren before she gets any older."
"SHE WON'T GET ANY OLDER!" Ranma shouted at top of her lungs. "Seriously, why are you here?"
"I was ordered to guard the sword, but that skeleton was giving me more trouble then I assumed. Then the door opened and I…"
"So you attacked thinking more enemy." Ranma said with a sigh.
"Could you tell me what is going on here?" Rand asked, Kasumi simply nodded in agreement.
"Yea, I'm going to go to a tavern and out drink a dwarf that is what's going on here." Ranma said as he created a portal, stepping in.