Chapter 10 – I really have to figure out a new way to travel…

In the wild forests of China, a group of people could be seen. Leading them was an older, slightly round man, shoving different plants out of the way, as they made their way throw the wild. Following him were three different men. The one next in line was a round man too, but he was wearing classes and a training gi. It was actually the two men following them that caught the interest of the village women.

Fragrance was in guard duty, when she heard noises from conditioners part of the forest. Conditioner was old woman that only did forest duty because it was said that it made her feel young again. She just had an odd habit of falling asleep on duty, which was exactly why Fragrance was making her way to her sector. It would be an insult to the older woman, but it would not do to have enemies to penetrate their woods.

Fragrance personally hoped that the intruders would be that of the Mitsu-clan. The clan was a group of farmers, who collected the honey of the bees, and made a living out of it. The residents of that village had been in forest before, trying to collect the honey of the wild bees. They had gotten off with a warning, which Fragrance thought was outrageous; all intruders should be killed, to show who was I charge.

And the matriarch had had the nerve to call her rebellious. Fragrance threw her orange hair over her shoulder angrily. If the intruders were from the Mitsu-clan, she would kill them; punish them for entering the woods that had been in the care of the noble amazons for centuries. If the intruders weren't from Mitsu-clan… She would kill them anyway, Fragrance thought as she shrugged. Not like they would be missed. Anyone crazy enough to penetrate the Amazon woods was insane.

Fragrance pulled up her pants, before climbing into the tree, to watch out for the intruders. She cursed silently in her mind as she had to tighten the pants one more time around her lanky frame. She stood in proud 5'5 foot tall, something that many of the short amazons couldn't say. She had fiery crimson eyes and flaming weird shade of orange in her hair. She was slightly muscular, but the fact still remained that she was skinny. Her clothes hung loosely on her frame, as she refused to wear anything tighter that would actually reveal that there were no curves under them.

She heard a crack, and turned her attention back to her job. Down the path she saw four shapes of humans come closer, each of them men judging by their sized. The first two men were both slightly round, and the second one had black bags under his eyes for lost sleep.

She dropped down silently from the tree, crouching down behind the big bushes, which for her distaste had more curves than her. She was about to attack further when some rays of sun broke through the high trees, and shined on the two men on the back.

The first one had nice, soothed body, that of an martial artist, together with raven black hair and soothing blue eyes that shone confidence. He was also wearing black loose pants and a white top, in Chinese design. He walked with a light step, his eyes alert for any danger at the same time as he talked to the man behind him at the same time.

Wow, was the first thing that came to Fragrances mind as she saw the next man. The man was slightly taller that his companion, with startling green eyes, that showed that he was relaxing. He had shoulder length black hair that looked silky, and Fragrance just had an urge to put her fingers through it. Was it hot in here? Fragrance absently thought as she looked at the mans outfit. He was wearing leather pants that were tight just in the right places, showing a nice ass. He had also a leather top, with some amazing iron decorations.

These men would be excellent extra to the amazons. They could obliviously bring fresh, powerful blood into the tribe.

Fragrance had just turned her back to the men, to go back to the village, to report to the matriarch, when she felt sodden pain in her head, and everything went black.

Ares was walking after Ranma, pondering about the question that had been bothering him. Why had he ended up in China? He had tried to teleport to china. This was just happening too often… Ares thought, as he remembered the disturbance in his transportation near the hellmouth too. Teleporting could no longer be trusted. He decided, as he thought about the effect the Jusenkyo had on his transportation too. Oh! That's it! He thought. It was definitely Jusenkyo that threw me off course!

Ares was so lost in thought that he didn't see the one foot long, heavy stone lying in the path, until it was too late. He cursed as he fell over the stone and flat on his face to the ground. He groaned, as he climbed up to his feet. Suddenly growing angry on the stone, he lifted it easily from the ground and threw it to the woods. The wood met the ground with a weird 'clonk'. He then dusted off his hands, and smiled satisfied, only to find Ranma looking at him, and smirking.

"What did the 'tone did to ya?" Ranma asked, chewing on an apple at the same time. Jesus, didn't he ever stop eating? Ares thought, fighting the blush off his cheeks.

"Nothing… was just thinking about things, and there it was." Ares answered, looking seriously at Ranma. Ranma just laughed the stare off, and continued his way down the path, where the impatient Genma was waiting.

When Fragrance came to, she groaned. Oh, her head hurt! She was lying on her stomach on the moist earth floor. Holding her head she rolled over, almost knocking her head again on the huge stone lying beside her. She stared at the stone in shock. Had she been hit on the head with that? No wonder why her head hurt. She stood up with the help of a tree, and before swaying hurriedly back to the village, thought;

Oh, this means I've been defeated, and I am going to have a husband. She grinned at the thought, because she knew that her future husband had to be one of the handsome men that walked at the end of the group. She couldn't take her smile off her face, as she tried to walk faster. He had a husband to catch, after all.

Conditioner sucked in a relieved breath as she saw Fragrance swaying back to the camp. She knew Fragrance looked over her area too, and was grateful for the help. She just wasn't that young anymore. She had been missing for a while, and she had worried.

She arrived by her side, seconds before the village doctor. She saw that Fragrance was crying, and frowned. Surely the apparent wound on her head wasn't that bad? She saw Fragrance catch her looks, and instead of being ashamed, caught crying, she smiled the brightest smile she had ever seen on her face. Little to say, Conditioner was shocked.

Fragrance caught the shocked look on the older woman's face; the woman's who was like a grand mother to her. As soon as the doctor had patched her head, she shrieked of joy, jumping on Conditioners arms, attracting the attention of many people who had been doing their chores around the clearing they were in. Just about as Conditioner was about to question her joy, she shrieked in loud voice, which made every girl of her age jealous:

"I have been beaten in battle! By a man! He is really, really handsome, I think he is really, really rich, and he is so good fighter he had to block his aura!" Fragrance heard someone draw a shocked breath behind her, and she understood it. Not many fighters were so powerful that they had to block their power to stay out of sight. She turned around, smiling happily. Her smile soon faded out however, when she noticed who it was.

Cologne.

To be Continued

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