Chapter 2 The Birth of the Crimson Knight

Pirotess walked quietly to a stable yard to buy horses, for two reasons, one she lost hers in the ravine leading to Shooting Star's lair, and two Ranma had no horse of his own. The day was rather subdued by many reasons, one word had past through the town that the kingdom's of Flaim and Valis had successfully defeated Marmo on its homeland. She had been surprised that Ashram's name was mentioned. Pirotess thought that he had perished in the volcano. She shook her head, apparently Ashram had been more resilient than she had credited him for, but that had been what had drawn her to him, that and his dark charm.

Still Marmo forces had an overwhelming stranglehold on Kanon and Allania, and it may take Valis a long time to remove those forces. But she could sense something far darker over the horizon for Lodoss. Pirotess entered the stables and looked around for the keeper, she could only hope this dark premonition was incorrect.

Ranma meanwhile was sitting in the room Pirotess had rented for the two of them. He sat there and stared at the sword he made, and named the flame of Marfa. The whole situation dumbfounded him, one part of his mind told him he didn't need the blade, and that he should stick to his and his father's principles to stay in his unarmed combat style.

But he questioned this... His father being lazy, and not holding anything to his word outside the art... Even then stretching things till it snapped. His mother had a sword, a family blade passed down to her from generation to generation. He figured this out very simply. He had spent twelve years mastering his father's martial arts style, and rationalized his creating the sword to master his mother's style of martial arts.

His mother had given him a scroll of her finest sword techniques as a wedding present, before the wedding crashed and burned. When he tried to give it back to her, she declined and told him that he should try to learn from the scroll. Ranma shook his head sadly, slumping forward a bit. He never really his knew his mother, separated from her for ten years, then when he first meets her, he had to hide from her because of his father's cowardly and stupid actions.

When he finally got a chance to be with her as her son, they re-bonded instantly, he talked all about the things that happened to him both good and bad, after the tale he didn't think Genma would of survive the night. He stared hard at the sword picking it up, testing the amazing lightweight of the whole thing. He nods softly, honoring his mother by mastering her techniques would make her pride swell no matter where he was now. "I love you, mom," he whispers.

Pirotess had walked in just as he finished his phrase, she caught the sadness in his tone. Just before he put the sword away, she saw him pick up a scroll. She shook her head and walked in the rest of the way, "Our horses are ready all we need to do is pack up," she states.

Ranma nods in recognition, "Alright," picking up his pack and leaving the room, showing her how meager his possessions were.

As Pirotess watched him leave, she could tell there was a lot of sadness and a lot of pride in this young man, it reminded her of that human that the High Elf was running around with. Only this human lacked the other boy's desire to prove himself. She quietly followed him watching him with the silent hunting skills she usually reserves for the High Elves.

Ranma looked up at the horse she got him, it was a black mare, with a white streak going from it's mane to it's nose, "A streak of white on body of darkness, I'll call ya Streak." The dark elf wondered if he thought such things about others. As they climbed onto the horses, she noticed Ranma was looking in the various directions that led out of the town, and with a simple shrug turned the horse toward the north. She knew that direction would eventually lead them to Allania, and beyond. The two left the town at a slow pace heading for what was the birthplace of Parn, Free Knight of Lodoss.

XXX

The dark wizard Brona sat gazing into the eye of Falaris, watching Wagnard and the black knight of Marmo, Ashram fall into a ravine. A few seconds later Parn, removed the Demon Sword from where it had fallen, joining it with its sister blade the Holy Sword and with the combined power of both spirit swords... Cracked the spell that would of resurrected Kardis. He smiled in great content, the boy's love for the High Elf had been the driving force of that battle, nothing not Wagnard, not Ashram, and not even Kardis herself could overwhelm... The human's great fighting spirit to rescue his true love.

It both amazed and sickened him how mere mortals could defy even the greatest odds, at any single moment to defeat something that is technically unbeatable. He mused a bit, the resurrection would've worked if Wagnard had grabbed the high elf a year ago, before she met the knight, but the fool dragged his feet. He glances to the side, "What brings you here this day witch?" he said in his mono-toned voice.

The mixture of female and male voice appeared to the left, "I see you have watched the battle to resurrect Kardis to its conclusion," Karla spoke evenly and calmly, the body the being had taken had been once an ally of Valis and Parn in particular... Namely the sarcastic and charismatic Woodchuck.

Brona snorts in disgust, "Your still as predictable as ever you, poor excuse of a trinket," turning back to the eye and sneered darkly, "Your pawns have no idea that the darkness in the entire world will return," he said looking over his shoulder.

Karla stepped forward, "You cannot, your even more insane than Wagnard!"

Brona frowns and a beam of black light slams into the witch knocking him back. "Wagnard was a being with too much ambition and very little sense. Of course his insane plan to resurrect the great god of darkness to this realm," he smiled slightly, "But when a wizard's life is near his end you take the quickest route to preserve that life as long as possible, with the great being of darkness, I'll be able to continue living to finish my noble work."

Karla gasps in pain, "Even if that means destroying all of Lodoss do accomplish that..."

"The more that die the more I can experiment on using my spells to resurrect my dark army," Brona stated and with a step to a mirror. The mirror glows once, and then shows a vast chamber of littered corpses, from the first major war that had occurred in Lodoss, "And I have you to thank, my dear. If it wasn't for you and your endless desire to keep Lodoss in conflict, and never have strong rallying cry, you've given me an army over 100,000 thousand dead warriors, led by the great and very dead Emperor Beld himself, though he is without his Demon sword, I still think he'll be a pretty good fighter."

With a pause Brona turned to look at Karla, "You tried to prevent Lodoss' destruction by moving your pawns about in a way to avoid that. When in fact you've only hasten it, by giving me bodies. Very soon, my undead warriors will awaken and ready to invade Lodoss in one massive wave of death and carnage, and when the death toll is high enough, the great god Falaris will awaken and finish the job. All the while you will watch here with me as your precious homeland is buried in ashes and bodies," the wizard laughs softly at first until his joy couldn't be contained. Karla the Grey Witch looks on in fear at the first inkling of movement within the wave of bodies.

XXX

Ranma and Pirotess came upon a hillside peak overlooking one of Allania's smaller villages. This was Ranma's first look at a village that wasn't apart of some dark underworld, what he saw though he didn't like one bit. He recognized the short things being called Goblins, and these creatures that were half elf, half goblin were called Orcs. He also saw werewolf like creatures called Cobalts. He growled softly, slowly riding toward the village.

Pirotess watched on quietly, she noticed the pigtailed martial artist grew angrier as they neared the village. She was tempted to stop him to get in good graces with Marmo, but considering she no longer has to hold her allegiance to them anymore... The Marmo royalty had died with Ashram, and that was her only tie to Marmo. She then noticed a little girl, suddenly come into view and three cobalts were chasing her. She turned towards Ranma to see his reaction, and a reaction is what she got.

Ranma seeing the cobalts grinning evilly as they slowly gained ground on the poor girl. He drew his sword with a quick movement of his hand, his ki battle aura flaring out to it's maximum for the first time since his battle with Saffron, giving him this dark crimson colored glow, he charged toward the Cobalts. The battle aura even spilled into Streak, her body pulsing with the battle aura. The horse had never felt such things before. She looked up and saw what had caused such a strong reaction, as she raced toward the Cobalts.

Pirotess looked on in shock, as she watched her companion streak down the hill toward the Cobalts, who had froze in terror at the young man surrounded in red energy heading right for them. But being the stupid creatures that they were figured this was an illusion and charged the man with their swords drawn.

She watched as the clashing of swords came and went, with Ranma appearing on one side and two Cobalts appearing on the other. Ranma's energy flickered out as he turned to watch the Cobalts fall to the ground. "What manor of being is he?" she thought aloud. The young girl running up to thank him, and then begging to help rescue her village from a Dark Elf by the name of Seth.

Pirotess slightly winced... Out of all the villages to try to save why does have to be one with a Dark Elf in command. She rides up to Ranma and gives him a scrutinizing look, "The one in charge is one of my people," she said softly.

Ranma doesn't say a thing, but gives her an apologetic look, "What are we to do then... Leave things as is?" he asked softly.

Pirotess closed her eyes trying to think of an alternative, if she helps liberate the town, she could never go home. She looks to him, "if I do this I'll never be able to return home," she said softly putting her thoughts into words.

Ranma smiled slightly, "Then I guess we'll be in the same boat then huh?"

Pirotess glanced at the glint in the red metal that made up her companions armor and the strange red blade that made up the sword, and frowned. She was half way tempted to kill him for putting her in this situation and so she wouldn't be able to join her brethren again. Suddenly images flashed through her eyes, of her encounters with the lecherous men in the Marmo army, and then Ashram. Such sharp contrast humans were, some were into their own desires, other's could care less, and finally there were other's who were like the boy Parn, and Ranma who didn't think of themselves, but of others. She turns to Ranma and gives him a weak nod, "Very well, I will help you, Crimson Knight," she said softly.

Ranma blinks and smiles, "Hmm... It does have a nice ring to it. But why not stick to Ranma."

Pirotess gives him a smirk, "It's not always a good idea to spread your name around, when people can track you down and kill you."

Ranma scratches his head nervously, "Hehehe... Good point."