Chapter Eight

Generals of the Apocalypse

Issac shakes his head in a loose attempt to free his hair of sand and water. He lowers his surfboard against the sand, and sits on the shore with a sigh.

It was just him, the sea, and his memories whenever he hit the waves. Personally, he wouldn't have it any other way.

It was a nice clear day. Perfect summer weather, especially for so early in the morning. Issac blows a strand of hair from his face, and closes his eyes, listening to the waves.

"I just don't get it." Utters a young Issac, drenched in water. "How are you so good at this? The way you surf, the way you fight… It's like you're controlling the ocean itself!"

"Experience, my pupil." Finn gives him a wry smile, and tosses a towel his way. "You're still young. And you still have much to learn."

The towel lands in Issac's hands. "You always say that." He grumbles. "But at the rate I'm going, I'll never be as good as you."

Master Fin laughs. "Really? You're making more progress than you know. Don't let doubt cloud your judgement. Trust your instinct."

Issac sighs, fondly looking back on his former master's advice. He'd like to think that he was following that motto to a T. Or, was he..?

He's pulled out of his thoughts by a sudden shriek. His eyes snap open, and he turns in the direction of the noise.

Strange, masked creatures, lead by a cat-like beast and a long-tounged lizard. They were harassing the few beachgoers that arrived as early as him.

Issac grunts, and stands upright, quickly punching one of the lackeys in the face. They go skidding off, practically burying itself in the sand.

"Hey, you!" He yells to the "leaders" of the gang of monsters. His animal spirit manifests, the Red Orca roaring at the intruders. "Lay off my turf!"

The cat smirks- "Looks like we got a fighter today." She grins, and nudges her lizard companion. "What say we take him out, like the good ol' days?"

The lizard's gaze locks onto Issac, and its scales rise up, tail unraveling. "Killing humans is always a riot!" He smiles as well, with a murderous intent.

"Well, I was just gonna chase you off." Issac mutters, raising his fist. "But if you're that dangerous, I'll end your fun here!"

Issac slams the back of his hand into another one of the lackeys, ducking as the bobcat's bladed tail swings just above his head. A red scale flies across his cheek, cutting into his skin, but he rolls back, kicking at another mook's legs.

"There's a lot of you for just one guy…" Issac mutters. "But I can take you all!"

The orca manifests besides him, and the spirit swims through the air, knocking down a handful and kicking up sand. He frowns, and waits for it to clear-

Only to feel a hard, wet appendage smack the back of his neck. Issac quickly falls to the ground with a yelp.

"Well, that was fun." The bobcat's voice hums beside him.

"Should we kill him? Gekkouga wants to kill!" The gecko hisses, as a weight presses against Issac's back as he tries to get up.

"Hmm… Nah, let's just take him prisoner. His spirit might be compatible…"

Issac coughs as he feels rope against his wrists. "Damn cheats!"

"Well, we can knock him out. Don't want him to be noisy."

Another blow to the back of his skull, and Issac's world goes dark.

Thera grins to herself, bladed tail swinging. "I think this is the one." She grins like a cheshire cat, raising the final amulet to her eyes. Its red crystal glowed as she raised it in front of the human.

Issac's eyes slowly fluttered open- his breath haggard as he regained consciousness. Then, his eyes snapped open, and he struggled against the bonds that tied him to the chair.

"What the- it's you!" He glares. "Where am I?"

"Don't waste your breath, War." Thera grabs a helpless Isaac by the scruff and smirks. "I've got a job opportunity for you."

The amulet slides over Isaac's neck, and it lights aflame with crimson as it settles- and then sinks into his skin. He grunts- and the grunting turns to pained screams. His muscles bulge, his eyes turn red, and his skin darkens to an onyx black. As his clothes tear, armor forms, fur pelts and metal spines.

Thera grins as Issac painfully warps, and as the screaming recedes into heavy breaths. "Issac" rips through the ropes that bound him down, grinning with sharp fangs.

"You seem to be doing well, War." The bobcat snorts at the show of brute strength. "Come on, now. Let's go see the others."

Famine sighs- a thick black haze emerging from her muzzled snout. The golden chains that covered her bony body clicked together as she stretched her arms, her gaseous tail hitting the floor she sat upon.

"There you are…"

She turns as footsteps approach. The cloaked intruder removed their hood, revealing an animalistic skull for a face, burning with a blue flame. Their companion had a masked, beaked face, a lab coat over their feathery body, and the scent of chemicals.

"I told you to quit running off." The first speaks through his boney face, his eyeless gaze locking with Famine's eyes. Regardless, he approaches the cliffside she was sat near, and squats down.

"Death… Pestilence." She hums as a greeting.

"Quiet as ever." Pestilence's beaked face twists into a mocking smile, raising a taloned hand beneath his chin. "If I left, would you two communicate with signs before your words?"

Famine only rolls her eyes at the remark. "Do you need something of me?"

"Well, I was going to tell you that we've reunited with War, but you don't seem to be in a talking mood today. Or ever, for that matter." Pestilence giggles.

"Good." Famine simply nods, and continues to look towards the horizon. "Now what's our next move?"

"We need to train Dai-Shi." Death speaks, and bluntly. "And we need to do something about our prisoner."

"Her current body is… Lacking, to say the least. Obviously a beginning student. We can put her soul in another body, but… It'd be too inconvenient to split the two apart." Pestilence speaks. "With Dai-Shi's years of experience, and our guidance, maybe we can turn this "Tina" into a proper vessel."

"...Would it really be so inconvenient?" Death asks.

"If Gekkouga is to be trusted, the Order of the Claw is planning a counterattack. We'd waste more time finding a decent body than we would preparing this one."

Death snorts- a pale mist. "Very well." He sighs. "And the prisoner?"

"... We can use him for this, right?" Famine asks. "This "training". If these new rangers were mentored in the way of the Wolf, we should learn that style, and all of its weak points."

Death's skull-like head tilts, and he grins. "Good thinking." He stands upright once more, flaming body flickering in the wind. "Well, we should head back now, don't you think? Get a head start."