A short while after Jack and I helped the scientists, we kept traveling north and eventually found a lead that would help us find what we were looking for until we continued moving before winding up crossing a desert region and arrived in a city that reminded me of one of those places in the middle east that I had seen online once, then we purchased two brown cloaks with hoods to hide our identities since there was a good chance Aku had people in the city and we didn't want them to recognize us before alerting Aku to where we were.
As we moved through the city and searched for the place we wanted to find, I couldn't help but marvel at everything around me as aliens continued with their lives, sold wares, or put on a show of entertainment in the middle of the square while Jack and I continued walking with our hoods up as the city around us was alive with indistinct chatter and the sounds of livestock until we arrived at a shop that had a sign with two familiar symbols on it before Jack reached into his cloak and took out a worn piece of paper that had the same symbols on it and something that had been given to us by the woolies, showing us that this was the place we were searching for before we went inside.
After that, I gazed around the place and couldn't help but grimace at the macabre merchandise on shelves that consisted of heads, ugly-looking creatures in glass jars with a single dead monkey sitting among them that had its brain exposed, creepy masks, and horror books just as a small humanoid gecko in a cloak exited the back room and perked up when it saw us.
"Hello, I have been expecting you two," the gecko greeted before Jack and I removed our hoods.
"We have come for-" Jack started to say, only he was cut off when the gecko held up a hand.
"Please, please, do not insult me because I know why you two are here," the frog interrupted as he scurried past us and we looked back with puzzled expressions.
"Wait, you do?" I questioned in confusion as the gecko went to open the windows.
"Of course, many things in life are a mystery but I know why you two are here...yes, I know like a mother knows its child so, for example, if the child came home crying, the mother would know why and that is how I know why you two are here," the gecko explained as he walked around the room and opened the windows, then Jack and I was forced to shield our eyes as the blinding sun came pouring in.
"Please, we are here for something very important," Jack reasoned as the gecko came over and stood in front of us.
"Of course, this I know and you two are here for what you cannot find anywhere else, something to fulfill your most intimate desires so you two are here for what has been woven through time to guide you to your homes," the gecko told us slyly, just before Jack and I perked up with happy smiles.
"Yeah, you're right so is it here?" I asked eagerly and the gecko nodded.
"Of course, may I present..." the gecko trailed off to add suspension as he clapped its hands while Jack and I waited in anticipation, only we were rendered silent as the gecko gestured at a large rug that had the sun's rays shining on it.
"The Harajian rug of King Basad!" the gecko continued while Jack and I looked at each other in disbelief.
"What?" Jack uttered out in shock and the gecko didn't seem to notice that we were more than disappointed since that rug wasn't what we were looking for.
"Yes, this I know and it is quite breathtaking," the gecko told us before Jack bowed his head humbly while having his eyes closed, then I cleared my throat to get the alien's attention.
"I'm sorry, I think we came to the wrong place because that rug isn't what we're looking for," I stated awkwardly as Jack took out the piece of paper with the symbols on it and studied it with a confused expression while he stroked his chin.
"What?" the gecko asked and I hold up and hand in a gesture to give us a second while I also studied the symbols and started wondering if we accidentally stumbled onto a dead end.
"I do not understand, we were positive that this was the place," Jack muttered while he and I had turned away from the gecko.
"Yeah...maybe we made a mistake somewhere," I added until I heard the gecko quickly approaching us.
"Wait, may I see that?" the gecko asked as he reached up, then Jack handed him the paper before the gecko started studying it and promptly gasped in realization.
"The ancient scroll of the woolies," the gecko breathed out in astonishment as he lowered the ancient scroll.
"Yes, they said that you might be able to help us," Jack told the gecko, who smiled warmly.
"Of course, the woolies are old friends so why did neither of you say so in the beginning?" the gecko questioned and started walking away while Jack and I sputtered in an attempt to say something.
"Well, we tried-" I attempted to say and was cut off as the gecko held up a hand.
"No matter, come quickly because I sense that we haven't much time," the gecko stated and we followed him into a hallway until we arrived in a backroom that had a device with a beam of light shining from both ends.
"There, the light of eternity now come, sit because there is nothing to fear," the gecko instructed as he went over and sat down before the bottom end, then Jack and I removed our robes and went over to sit on the opposite of him after a short time of hesitation as the alien took up a meditating pose.
The gecko hummed as he closed his eyes and reached into the light, then the device seemed to activate while I was uncertain about this and looked at Jack, who was staring at the device with a frown.
"Place your hands into the light," the gecko told us with an intense focus in his voice, causing me and Jack to share a look before we slowly reached into the light and it started doing something.
"The light has accepted the two of you...a vision is forming," the gecko said just before something started forming in the light that looked like a structure with a jewel in the middle.
"A strange structure with a jewel inside," Jack mumbled in astonishment.
"Yes, it is what you and your canine companion seek, the jewel possessing great magic," the gecko explained before the device started ringing loudly and the light flashed wildly as we all quickly removed our hands from it.
"What the hell is going on?!" I exclaimed in alarm as another picture started forming in the light.
"A warning, where only those of pure heart may approach and use the power of the jewel," the gecko told us before Jack's eyes narrowed in determination.
"Our mission is noble, our hearts are pure, so we have nothing to fear," Jack declared firmly and the gecko smiled.
"Yes, the truth you speak, now follow the setting sun and the rising moon because they will be your guide," the gecko continued before he let out a yelp of pain as the picture of the sun and moon started changing.
"Are you okay?" I asked in concern and the gecko nodded.
"I am fine, but something is wrong...it is something evil," the gecko muttered grimly as the picture was distorted and flowing.
"We cannot make the image out," Jack chimed in and before I realized what would happen next, we found ourselves being thrown back by an explosion until I collided onto the floor with a shout of pain.
I groaned as I sat up and tensed up at the sight of three robots dressed in Arabic attire with their faces covered and it was the multiple arms with swords that made Jack gasp as we stood up and got ready for a fight, though it was going to be difficult using my bow since we were inside so I had no choice but to use my martial arts as we stared at the robots.
"Master Aku will pay us greatly for your deaths," one of the robots said and Jack went to pull out his sword, only it wasn't strapped to his obi belt and our eyes widened when we saw the sword laying nearby.
"My sword!" Jack cried out in alarm and that when the robots started charging at us as I swore under my breath.
"Jack, go get the sword while I distract these bastards!" I shouted as I started running at the incoming robots that wanted us dead.
The robots started slashing at me and I was able to dodge the lethal attacks thanks to my inhuman flexibility while following up on vicious strikes before I quickly disarmed one of the robots by ripping one of its arms off as I avoided getting covered in oil, then I kept blocking the many slashes with my new sword while Jack rushed over with a cooking stick that had a chicken on it and the lid of a wooden pot until he started assisting me while also getting hit a couple of times, then one of the robots sliced the cooking stick in half and Jack used the lid as a shield before it was sliced into many pieces.
"Shit!" I exclaimed in disbelief as we were forced to back up and made the mistake of getting backed into a corner before Jack picked up a vase and I also got ready to defend myself as they swung down to butcher us.
Suddenly, a woman with black hair, tan skin, and a black dress came out of nowhere to block the attacks with a sword, taking me and Jack off guard while we gawked at the woman and she looked back at us with a steely glare.
"What are you two looking at?" the woman challenged us before she forced the robots back, then she proceeded to slice the robots apart as Jack gasped.
After that, three more robots came crashing through the ceiling and the woman got ready while Jack used the distraction to get to his sword as I hurried over next to the woman and held up the arm-sword in a combat stance, making the woman arch a brow at me as Jack got his sword and the gecko regained consciousness before gasping.
"The evil!" the gecko shouted in a panic and I looked back at him.
"Yes, we know," Jack stated as the robots started attacking me and the woman, forcing us to defend ourselves by blocking the slashes while ignoring anything else the shopkeeper was yelling at us.
Jack hurried and pulled out his sword before stabbing a robot the woman was fighting and slicing it in half as my attacker and I was locked in a stalemate and struggling to overpower one another.
"It's about time," the woman commented irritably.
"I needed my sword," Jack replied while I grunted and looked back.
"If you two are done chatting, I could use some fucking help over here!" I groaned in exertion while my blade was locked with my attackers' six and saw another robot about to attack me from behind.
Reacting quickly, Jack and the woman helped me out by slicing apart my attacker and the one about to ambush me, then I stabbed another one and decapitated a third robot before Jack and I met up together and looked at the woman while making sure to keep any attacker in our line of sight.
"Who are you and why did you help us?" Jack questioned suspiciously and I saw that we were getting surrounded by more robots.
"Jack, maybe we should hold off on asking any questions first until after we deal with these assholes," I suggested nervously while my heart started racing.
"He has a point and you're not the grateful kind, are you?" the woman asked dryly before she separated to our left and sliced a robot in half before going out a window with a loud crash.
Jack and I ducked to prevent getting decapitated and ran before diving out the opening where the window used to be before we landed below and looked around until we spotted the woman amongst the crowd in the distance as she waved at us.
"This way!" the woman called out and we ran after her as I heard the robot jumping out the broken window after us.
Pretty soon, Jack and I lost sight of the woman and continued down the street before passing an alley until someone in it whistled for us and we looked inside to see that it was the woman, who gestured for us to follow her and we went down the alley before we met up with her and continued running while taking many routes to try and evade our pursuers.
"Do you two know how to ride uklahs?" the woman asked and I looked at her like she had two heads.
"A what?" I questioned in complete confusion.
"It's like a camel, but different," the woman clarified.
"Um, I rode a horse once when I was a kid so riding an uklah shouldn't be that different," I replied as we kept running and eventually came to a stop in a location that had blue quadruped creatures that looked similar to camels, only different as one of them bleated and spat at something.
"Uklahs?" Jack inquired curiously as the woman smiled.
"Adorable, aren't they?" the woman remarked while I scrunched up my muzzle from how bad the uklahs smelled.
"Uh, I wouldn't exactly say that," I replied hesitantly before we hurried over and each got on one before the three uklahs stood up.
"Hut, hut, hut!" the woman ordered before her uklah took off and I looked at mine warily.
"Okay, go easy fella because I haven't done something like this in years so hut, hut, hut," I said and promptly yelped when the uklah bolted after the woman while Jack managed to get his to follow.
"Whoa, easy now, whoa!" I exclaimed in a panic as we left the city and headed into the desert.
After that, we gained enough of a distance from the city and our attackers as Jack rode up next to me and the woman while I was looking behind me every now and again to make sure that we were being followed.
"Who are you and why did you help us," Jack asked a little rudely and I sent him a look because of it.
"You're welcome," the woman said unamusingly before she had her uklah ride on ahead while I glared at Jack.
"Jack, that wasn't very polite so you should apologize to her," I lectured, then Jack started looking ashamed as he closed his eyes and lowered his head before we caught up to the woman.
"Forgive me, my time in this land has made me harsh and rude so I did not mean to insult you," Jack said humbly and the woman sighed.
"No tears shed, samurai," the woman replied nonchalantly while Jack smiled softly.
"Jack," Jack said and the woman looked back.
"What?" the woman asked in confusion before I cleared my throat.
"His name is Jack and I'm Bradley Chase, though my friends call me Brad so it's nice to meet you," I said shortly, the woman making me on edge and tense for some reason while I had a bad feeling about her.
"I suppose it's a pleasure to meet both of you, so let us find shelter for the night since it's not a time for riding," the woman stated, then we continued riding in silence after that until we picked a spot to set up camp as the sun went down until we found ourselves sitting by the fire and ate while there was nothing but an awkward silence during that time.
As we ate our dinner, a strange molerat-like creature popped out of the ground and hopped over to Jack with a squeak, causing the samurai to recoil with a gasp before the woman smiled and got up to walk over.
"Do not worry, they're harmless," the woman assured as the small creature squeaked until Jack smiled down at the critter, then he tore a small bit of his meat off the stick and held his hand down in front of the creature before it sniffed the piece of meat until it snatched the meat out of Jack's hand and ate it while I enjoyed the sight.
The creature then hopped over to me and I chuckled as I tore a piece of meat off my stick and held it down in front of it until the creature ate it and I stroked its head gently while it let out a purring sound that sounded similar to a tribble before the creature hopped over to the woman as she held out her hand with a piece of meat in it, only something strange happened when the creature screeched and trembled until it frantically dug back into the ground and the bad feeling came back as I gazed at the woman warily with Jack laughing out loud and the woman glaring at him unamusingly.
At that moment, the woman started chuckling and joined in while I let out a nervous laugh as the camp echoed with our laughter until the woman stopped and started looking depressed before she let out a sigh.
"I am Ikra and I came to that place not to save you two, but to save my father...you see, many moons ago, my father was a great warrior who stood against our lord and master Aku's tyranny but Aku was too powerful and made an example of my father before entrapping him in a ring of fire.
He has been imprisoned for eternity to pay for the crime that he committed against Aku so, legend has it that somewhere in this desert lays a hidden magical jewel of great power, a power strong enough to free my father and the creature at that store was the last survivor of an ancient race of desert dwellers.
He alone knew the whereabouts of the jewel so I had searched for him for five years and, now with the commotion that we have caused, I'm afraid it may take me another five years to find him...if at all," Ikra explained solemnly while Jack listened with a sympathetic look until his eyes hardened and he stood up.
"It is more than coincidence that our paths have crossed," Jack stated before Ikra looked surprised.
"What?" Ikra gasped in surprise as Jack walked over and sat down next to her.
"Yes, Aku's treachery is my curse also, but it appears that together we will have the power to defeat the demon and Aku's henchmen are too late because the ancient desert dweller showed me and Brad how to find the all-powerful jewel," Jack told her and Ikra perked up.
"You're serious?" Ikra questioned and I nodded.
"He's not lying so we'll travel together to locate the jewel and, once we use it, your father will be freed while Jack and I head back through time to kill Aku so that everything he's done for thousands of years would never have happened," I added with a small smile, only I kept the part about me going back to my reality to myself since something about Ikra was keeping me on edge and I didn't know why as Jack pointed out at the horizon.
"Look, the rising moon and the path has been set, which means our time is now so, whereas individuals we have failed, we will be victorious together," Jack declared with a determined smile as he and Ikra shook hands, then I scooted over and did the same thing until we packed up and set off to our next destination.
As we continued traveling, the days went by while we also had a few close calls with the environment around us and nasty monsters that wanted to kill us, only we endured and were forced to leave our uklahs one time before continuing on foot until we eventually arrived at a village one day and nearly got attacked by the guards, but we managed to talk them down and were escorted to the leader before he welcomed us warmly and we had a nice feast.
We enjoyed the nice hospitality and entertainment until the sun went down and we said our goodbyes before continuing our journey across the desert with the days and nights going by until I saw something in the distance that got closer as we approached it before it was revealed as an oasis in the middle of the desert.
"Hey, look at that," I pointed out as I gestured at the oasis.
"Is that a mirage?" Ikra wondered while Jack looked thoughtful.
"It might be, but we have traveled far so we must be close," Jack stated as we kept running and eventually slid to a stop in front of the oasis before gazing at it for a second, then we went into the jungle after that.
"Well, it's not a mirage so I think we found what we're looking for," I said at one point while we looked around during our trek through the jungle until we came across a lake.
"Water!" Ikra cheered happily before she went over to it and drank a few times while Jack and I were gazing up at the beautiful green jewel that was hovering above the lake.
"Our quest has ended," Jack said stoically before Ikra looked up and saw the jewel while I was relieved that I would no longer be trapped in this terrible dystopian future.
"The jewel..." Ikra trailed off in astonishment.
"For me and Bradley, our time on this miserable Aku-infested land will finally be over," Jack said before he approached the edge of the lake and said to the jewel, "Magical jewel, we have traveled through you desert and have overcome every treacherous obstacle while being awed by its breathtaking beauty and earning its respect, now we humbly request to use your power and fulfill our destiny."
Once Jack had made his request, the jewel started glowing and fired a green beam of light that covered us like a scanner as I kept gazing at Ikra and still couldn't figure out why she was giving me such a bad feeling as she looked around at the light that was covering us.
"What is happening?!" Ikra cried out in alarm.
"The shopkeeper told us about this, said that those of pure heart will be able to use the jewel's power so this is a test to see if we have good intentions," I explained just as the jewel was finished scanning us and the light drew back into the jewel.
Suddenly, the ground started shaking with a loud rumble and I didn't like what was happening so I assumed that we failed the test, but why was the question as Ikra looked at us.
"Something is wrong!" Jack stated loudly just before a giant blue monster with six arms appeared and I could see the jewel in the middle of its forehead.
"I don't get it, we have good intentions so why the hell is this happening?!" I exclaimed in disbelief and the only conclusion I could come to was that one of us didn't have a pure heart, though I wanted to help Jack stop Aku and assist anyone else during our journey so it wasn't me and it definitely wasn't Jack since he was a kind and noble man so the only person I could think of who didn't have a pure heart was Ikra as she glared up at the monster.
"We have been deceived," Ikra growled and Jack shook his head.
"No, there must be some mistake because we are of pure heart so I will not fight!" Jack shouted just before the monster fired lasers at us, making Ikra jump out of the way while I grabbed Jack and flung us away from the line of fire.
"Jack, there's no mistake because the only way this is happening is because one of us doesn't have a pure heart, though we'll talk about it later because we need to defend ourselves, like it or not!" I yelled in alarm before I looked up and my eyes widened when I saw that Ikra's arms had changed into wings and she was flying around to avoid getting punched while Jack gasped in shock until Ikra got hit and she gracefully landed in front of us.
"You possess the power of flight?" Jack questioned while looking stunned as Ikra gazed back at us with a grin.
"Yes, and much more," Ikra told us before her arms changed back to normal, then my jaw dropped open when she grew larger until she was the same height as the giant monster.
"What the...fuck?" I uttered out as I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ikra can alter herself and it reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite recall what while Jack was also wondering what was going on as Ikra started brawling against the monster and gaining the upper hand before she literally picked it up and threw it like a basketball, then it crashed onto the ground hard while flattening the trees that were unfortunate to be in its path until Ikra shrank back to normal and went to get the jewel out of the monster's head before holding it up victoriously.
"The jewel, we have succeeded! At long last, Bradley, our quest has come to an end!" Jack cried joyfully and before we could react, Ikra threw the jewel down and I was horrified to see it shatter into many pieces.
"Oh god, what have you done?" I gasped in disbelief, then Ikra threw her head up to start laughing and that's when it hit me as to how Ikra can change herself.
"Ikra, why?!" Jack shouted in anguish as I started trembling at who was before us.
"Because there was never an Ikra, right Aku?" I questioned and Jack's eyes widened in horror as who we thought was a woman became more masculine with her open dress closing and her hair forming into the familiar tree-like spikes as her face turned green.
"Well, aren't you a clever one? Yes fools, it is I, Aku," Aku confirmed as Ikra's face shifted into Aku's and he grew larger until he towered above us, then I started feeling paralyzed with fear as I gazed up at the eyes of a true monster while he grinned sadistically at us.
"Yes, you two have been betrayed because Ikra and I are one and the same," Aku said gleefully while Jack slumped onto his hands and knees.
"No!" Jack exclaimed while I was shaking in the presence of a creature who could do god knows what to us and has been responsible for so many horrific atrocities over the centuries.
"Oh yes, because I had a dream...no, a nightmare of a jewel that had the power to send you and your furry foolish friend back in time, but I knew that this was no mere dream and a premonition, so I had to destroy this powerful jewel but I did not know its whereabouts," Aku explained and I never thought I could feel more horrified then I am now.
"Oh god, no," I whimpered and Aku smiled at that.
"Yes, dark jackal, I knew you and the foolish samurai would find it 'oh, my poor father trapped in a ring of fire by mean old Aku'," Aku mocked before he started laughing and Jack looked up with an expression of rage and hatred while I appeared to be just as pissed, if not livid.
"You son of a bitch!" I snarled as my eyes started glowing red and my body began bubbling, catching Aku's attention and he started sniffing the air.
"Wait a moment, I smell something familiar," Aku muttered before he leaned forward and peered down at me, then his arm formed into a tentacle before it lashed out and coiled around my torso before he picked me up.
"Bradley!" Jack shouted in horror as I struggled and froze when I was lifted up in front of Aku's face before he squinted his eyes and turned me this way and that with a thoughtful hum as he sniffed me until his eyes widened in realization and he started laughing amusingly.
"Well, this is a surprise since I wasn't expecting to meet a being similar to myself so how interesting...interesting for me and not all that great for you that is," Aku said mirthfully while I paused at that and it felt like my heart stopped as my face started showing an expression of pure terror.
"You're lying, I'm nothing like you!" I shouted in complete denial, causing Aku to chuckle in amusement.
"Maybe not now, but you will be in the future so I think I will let you live since it would be much more entertaining watching those morals slip away as you become like me," Aku declared as he let me go and I fell until I hit the ground hard and started coughing while Jack had enough and went to slice Aku with a furious roar, only Aku hopped up and formed into a bird as he grinned mockingly.
"Fight me, coward!" Jack yelled in rage.
"Soon, we will fight but not until I find a way to defeat you and your sword...now, how did you put it? Oh yes, your's and Bradley's time on this miserable Aku-infested land continues," Aku taunted before he flew away, then Jack screamed in frustration as he stabbed his sword into the ground and slumped onto his knees while I sat up and gazed at my pawed-hands as I started breathing heavily with fear flooding my system and my eyes bulging.
"Jack, what the fuck is going to happen to me?! Am I going to turn into a monster?!" I exclaimed in terror before Jack quickly got up and hurried over to me before placing a hand on my shoulder.
"No, you are a pure soul who will never become like that demon! Aku is trying to trick you into losing hope so do not listen to his vile words," Jack assured firmly, but I was still freaking out since I had no idea what is going to happen to me in the future.
"We don't know what I'll become the longer I stay like this, and that fucking terrifies me...god, I just want to go home," I admitted shakingly as I teared up and Jack helped me to my feet.
"I understand, but we must not give up because Aku has to be destroyed so let us continue and we will find a way to get back to the past," Jack encouraged, then I managed to calm down and nodded as I recalled what Aku could do now that I had witnessed it and looked at my hands.
"You're right, but what Aku said has got me thinking so what if I have the same abilities he does and I can use them? If I do, then we might have an edge against Aku," I pointed out and Jack appeared to consider it before he perked up with a smile.
"I understand what you are saying, so we must discover if you have Aku's powers and have you practice to master them during our quest," Jack told me and with that said, he went to get his sword and we started traveling again, only we had no clear destination this time so the only thing we can do is search for a lead and hope that it takes us to a time portal or something of a different method to travel back to the past.
A/N Hey guys, I hope you like this chapter because things are getting interesting now and Brad is becoming skilled as time goes on, not to mention that the next chapter will have Brad face the three blind archers so Brad will learn how to enhance his senses even more by taking away his own sight by blindfolding himself and the three blind archers is another one of my favorite episodes so I'm going to have fun writing it from Brad's point of view since he is good with a bow so having one archer face off against three blind ones will be a good one.
So, let me know what you think and stay tuned.
