(Note: I am aware I miss-pelt Kikanojo. But I've decided to let it slide because it's close enough.)
After the destruction of both the clans of samurai and ninja, the Acolytes of Atlantis quickly moved in to establish themselves as a power. Their spies and puppets infiltrated various national organisations and some of the highest levels of government. This was why there was no retaliation on behalf of the Japanese military when the Acolytes destroyed Dojo's and samurai training sights country wide.
"How could they have that level of influence?" Ayame asked Rouge as the five of them met in hiding in a coastal settlement overlooking the Okhotsk Sea.
"It's not just here." Rouge told her, pulling her cowl up some more. Even though there were sitting in the darkest corner of the inn she did not want to be recognised by any Acolyte agents. "This country is only where they are presently concentrating their efforts. Their organisation spans the globe and has its tentacles spread into nearly every nation."
Kikanojo was quiet. More quiet than usual. He simply sat there in one of his womanly disguises, keeping his eyes on the table in front of him. Ayame was worried about him.
"Are you saying this is going on everywhere?"
"Mostly. Only the Japanese division of the Acolytes is so militaristic. That they take their enemies out by force. The other divisions prefer manipulation and subterfuge."
"Just who are they?" Wang-Tang asked. "Why are they doing all this?" Rouge relaxed in her chair.
"Their organisation is ancient, dating back longer than I can guess." She replied. "All I know is that they covet the Power Stones."
"How do you know all this?" Ayame asked suspiciously. Rouge cast the young girl a glance before sighing out load.
"Because I used to work for them." Wang-Tang looked startled. "Not by choice." The woman added quickly. "They were holding the master of the Seer's Guild, the head of my family if you will; hostage to ensure my cooperation." Her face adopted a sad expression. "They still have her captive and I've traced her location to the Japan district Acolytes headquarters. I need help to rescue her."
"You said they want the Stones..." Wang-Tang began folding his arms. "And if you were working for them was that what you were doing around Babylon when Falcon and I were there? Searching for the stone?"
"The acolytes General knew it was there." She admitted. "I was order to wait until you arrived. They knew you would and they planned on using you to open the tomb to get there."
"So you used us?" He asked with a hard stare.
"I had no choice." Rouge said in reply with a stare equally as rigid. "Their General is a powerful and ruthless man. He wouldn't have hesitated to kill Mistress Ghana if I disobeyed." She waited until some slight acceptance of her words appeared on the boy's expression before she carried on. "They were the ones who gave me the Atlantean relics and knowledge of the tomb within the ancient city. They told me to wait for the Englishman. Their general ordered me himself to carry out the deception." Rouge smiled wirily. "The pirate turning up to interferer was unexpected and that put their intelligence into confusion. That gave me ample time to escape their net with the stone."
Wang-Tang glanced up half in alarm.
"Escape with the…" He began looking awe struck. "You mean you have…" Without a word Rouge reached into her clock and withdrew the Power Stone of Fire.
"You, the pirate and the Acolytes thought it lost in the sands of the desert." She explained. "I found it. Kept it with me ever since." Wang-Tang removed his stone from his pocket and touched it lightly against the stone placed before it. Both of them glowed simultaneously.
This was a true Power Stone. "I have not seen your samurai friend for a while." She suddenly spoke as if trying to chance the subject.
"He is mediating." Ayame replied. "I don't know why but he gave me this." She pulled up the sword, laying it across the table. The katana blade remained protected in its scabbard, the hilt tied to it with a length of black ribbon.
"This is the Crescent Moon Blade." Kikanojo stated without even looking at it. "Tosa Arashi." Hearing the name of the cursed sword Ayame yelped and dragged her hands away from the sword sharply, fearing any contact with the weapon.
"Something wrong?" Wang-Tang asked.
"Tosa Arashi is the name of a sword supposedly made of pure moonlight." Rouge told him. "According to legend it was used to slay a demon lord and was tainted by its evil."
"What in the name of his ancestor was Ryoma doing with that evil thing?" Ayame gasped, pulling her seat as far away from the sword and as close to Wang-Tang as she could manage. "That thing was supposed to be sealed."
"It was." Rouge added. "He unsealed it."
Ryoma had known the blade was cursed by the moment he had seized the hilt he really hadn't cared. From that moment on his anger had been uncontrollable and all he had been able to focus on was the destruction of the ninja's whom he had been so certain destroyed his home.
Using all the will he could muster was the only way he had tossed the sword aside the anger which had clouded the fact that he was only the only one to suffer that day dissipated greatly.
The fortune teller had been correct in stating that only someone of nearly godly willpower would be able to wield the sword without succumbing to its influence.
For the last five hours he had been engaging in badly needed mediation, trying desperately to regain some control over his emotions and thoughts. The intense burst of anger, however momentary, had shaken his defences more than the sight of his dojo as ashes had.
Regaining control of himself had taken some time but by the time the sun was setting on the horizon he was able to open his eyes, the familiar firmness returned to them. He stood up and breathed deeply, asserting the same control over his body that he had over his mind. Once complete and utter domination of mind, soul and body had been achieved once more he moved from the room at the back of the inn and down into the main area.
"I apologise for loosing my control of my emotions like that." He said sitting down and without looking at any of the others. "I forgot myself."
Easy to do when you're wielding a demon sword." Ayame stated giving him a sour look. Ryoma did not take up the challenge. Rouge removed her crystal ball from her robes and placed on the table in front of them.
"The Acolytes Japanese branch has its operational headquarters at Dragon Tooth fortress." She waved her hand over the glass sphere and an image appeared in its depths. It shoved an old stone fort overlooking a cliff face. The geological features around the stronghold were not recognisable to any of them. "This is also where they are holding mistress Ghana hostage, along with several others taken alive from their attacks on Samurai and Ninja clans."
"Taken alive?" Ayame asked. Rouge managed a pained expression.
"Not that few I'm afraid. And most of them are from the samurai. Beyond that I can say no more. Their stronghold is shielded by necromantic magic that prevents me from seeing in." The image in the crystal suddenly blurred like water going down a plughole. Rouge leaned over it apparently a little surprised by this. "Someone from within is reaching out to me… although how they know I am watching I can't be sure." The crystal ball shook a little and the image within remoulded itself into the face of an old Japanese man.
He was in his late fifties with tanned skin and long silvery hair. The face was wrinkled with age but the eyes as sharp and as a flint knife, expressing an inner youthfulness.
Seeing the image Ryoma nearly gagged forward, staring deep within the crystal.
"Sensei!" He nearly shouted.
"Serokudo Ganamon." Rouge started for him. "He lives but they keep him within their stronghold for interrogation." Her eyes suddenly glazed over and she went rigid as if in a trance. "Ryoma… can you hear me…" She asked in a voice that was not her own. The samurai glanced up at the fortune teller in astonishment.
"S…Sensei…" The clear astonishment on his face had broken down any control he had regained over his emotions. "Is… is that you?"
"I've little time for you speaking the obvious Ryoma." The voice replied. "I am channelling myself through this young lady. She is the only means by which I can speak to you and my time with her is limited so pay attention." Ryoma shut his mouth. "The dojo was attacked by armoured men whom I had not seen before. They wasted no words and simply began slaying my students.
I tried to save those I could but they overwhelmed me with their sheer numbers and it soon became obvious that I was not dealing with mortal men.
They took me here along with others from their raids. They've been taking us away one by one ever since. Those that go, I believe, are interrogated to find the locations of various clan safe houses. But those taken never brought back here.
Now listen carefully. They know you're here and they're expecting an attack. You have something they want and if you attempt to rescue me you will be playing into their hands.
Do not attempt to come to my rescue. Leave Japan and get as far away as you possibly can. Do you understand?"
"Sensei I can't…" The samurai began.
"Do not question your teacher." The voice cut him off. "Get out of the country and take whatever they want with you. This is a trap Ryoma, do not take the bait." Rouge suddenly shook and her mouth hung open. Wang-Tang and Ayame caught her as she sagged forward nearly knocking her crystal ball off the table.
Ryoma hissed out through clenched teeth, a slow boiling anger reaching up from the depths of his mind.
"Where is this fortress?" He asked. "Lead me to it."
"Ryoma you heard that." Wang-Tang protested. "It's a trap. You'll be taking your stone right to them." The samurai stopped, reached into his robe and pulled out the fist sized jewel.
"That is why I plan on leaving it here." He stated with limited control implied in his voice, laying the Power Stone down on the table. "I will attack them as I am."
"I fought those acolytes." Wang-Tang blustered almost in disbelief. "It was only by transforming that I was able to get the best of them. They'll tear you to pieces." A small smile spread itself over Ryoma's face in response.
"Possibly." He said, before calmly reaching out towards Tosa Arashi. Before his hand could take the hilt, Rouge's hand slapped itself down on his. The samurai and the fortune teller locked gazes.
"Yes, this sword is powerful but even the smallest spark of anger or hate will be magnified tenfold by this blade." She told him, her dark eyes staring directly into his. Despite her beauty she could appear as mentally rigid as a brick wall and in her eyes Ryoma could see that skill did not stop with mere appearance. "In all honesty, do you believe you can wield it without being influenced?"
Ryoma pushed his lips to correspond with his frown.
"Probably not." He replied eventually. "But I can try." He evaded her hand and snatched up Tosa Arashi. Keeping it in its scabbard he slid it through his robes. Rouge sighed and folded her arms in front of herself, taking a few moments to compose herself and recover from the channelling. She was more experienced with divination than with the communications with spirits of the living or dead as the sudden experienced had left her feeling delicate.
"Dragon Tooth fortress lies to the north of here along the coastline, partly concealed by a lagoon and Cliffside. Beyond that I can tell you nothing of its layout." Ryoma bowed low in respect.
"I thank you." He stated as calmly as he could manage. "I promise that if I find your mistress alive I will do everything I can to ensure her safety."
"Alone?" Wang-Tang asked. "No Ryoma. I can't let you do something this suicidal."
"And just how do you plan on stopping me?" The samurai stated walking away. Without another word he was gone. Ayame stared after him, watching him walk out the door. Then she stood up.
"This is a matter of personal revenge and we have just as much reason to go as he has. Right Kikanojo-chan?" Her brother glanced up and to her utter disappointment the look on his face was
"Ayame-Chan, I…." Kikanojo started. "I can't." He glanced down partly in shame unable to meet his sister's eyes. "I can't do it anymore." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a single shuriken. It held it between his fore finger and thumb and without so much as looking at it he passed it across the table to her. "I'm sorry."
--
Ryoma purposely forced any rational thoughts out of his head as he made his way north. He knew what he had to do and no amount of second thought was going to chance that.
"I do not require help." He said while he walked without looking back. Rouge was following a short distance behind, her clock hanging from her shoulders.
"I am going because I am the one who asked for help." She replied flatly. "I have traveled half the world to get here and I do not intend to pass the torch to someone else now." Ryoma glanced back momentarily over his shoulder, reading the pained expression on the fortune tellers face.
"This Guild master means more to you than just faction loyalty doesn't she?" Rouge said nothing in reply, keeping her eyes locked on the ground in front of her. Ryoma decided not to press attention to the matter and together they pressed one.
Acolyte presence in Japan, Rouge pointed out, was not very strong. They had quickly set about replacing the ninja and samurai clans as the dominate force in the underworld. With the government tightly in the pocket their control over the country's economy and military was almost absolute. They were now in the process of hunting down survivors of their attacks, silencing the witness' and steadily rebuilding the country to their own designs.
The two of them stayed off the main roads. Any town they came across or paced by had an Acolyte guard outside their entrances in full armour. Ryoma had wanted to take them down but Rouge advised against it, warning him that it was unwise to
The acolytes overall organizational body spread everywhere. Their Japanese division was the only one taking such direction methods to establish its control.
"If this group is as old as you claim then why haven't they done this before?" Ryoma asked.
"They have." Rouge replied. "Several times in history." Ryoma stopped and glanced back looking confused. "I know of at least two attempts they made at whatever they plan on doing now. Both failed miserably and their organization was nearly destroyed."
"What are they waited for?"
"I don't know. But the last time they tried it was at the fall of the Roman Empire." Ryoma blinked in surprise.
"Their group is that old?"
"They're older."
As they neared the northern coast Ryoma found himself getting more and more distracted by Rouge. While he could not deny she was extremely beautiful her features were starting to catch his inevitable attention and at the moment he needed to keep his mind else ware. As if sensing his discomfort and trying to tease him, she began swishing her hips as she walked in a way that the samurai found despite his best efforts he could not ignore.
There was no doubt she was the woman he had seen in the walk of dreams. What he could figure out was why.
"Something the matter?" She asked without looking him in the eye, a sly smile on her lips.
"No, nothing." Ryoma said a little too quickly glancing away at the sky.
"Then why were you examining by legs?" The samurai turned a shade of pink.
Dragon Tooth fortress lay exactly where Rouge said it was and it was heavily guarded. Placed on a strategically sound cliff face and protected by large walls, towers and 50 foot high battlements the stronghold seemed impregnable.
The fort had once been a safe haven for ships of the navy sheltering from storms but now it was a den for vipers.
A large cargo ship was moving through the waters of the bay to a small dock at the base of the cliff near a short beech. A twisting flight of wooden and stone stairs led from the pier up to the castle itself. Several figures in black armour were waving it in.
Ryoma reached for the hilt of his short sword.
"A direct attack is foolhardy." She told him. "They outnumber us and we can not give them need to kill their hostages." Ryoma scolded himself for not thinking and folded his arms.
"Gee, the samurai's not on the ball today." Ayame remarked, staring out from their hidden position on a short cliff top.
"Be quiet Ayame." Ryoma told her. He blinked and then glared at her. "How did you get here?" Ryoma demanded angrily having not noticed her until now. Ayame stuck her tongue out at him.
"We followed you silly." She replied.
"We?" He repeated. Ayame grinned and pointed upwards. Wang-Tang was sitting in the branches of a tree above, staring out at the fortress from the improved birds eye view.
"I can see a metal grate covering a half buried hole on the western walls near the big tower." He called down to them. "That must be a drain. It doesn't seem to be guarded."
"Drains often aren't." Ryoma replied. "You're brother not coming?" Ayame did not reply to that. "I hope none of you were stupid enough to bring your stones with you."
"Of course not." Wang-Tang began. "We left them behind with Kikanojo. He will keep them safe for us." Ayame looked a little sad.
Approaching the fortress unseen was no small feet. It was protected on two sides by a sheer cliff face and on another by the drop into the bay. The only approachable side was carefully watched by the Acolyte soldiers standing guard on the battlements. Archers observed all from the turrets and towers. Clearly they were expecting a visit.
If they tried to approach the grate, that being the only unguarded way into the fort, they would be spotted.
"I can cast a spell of illusion." Rouge whispered. "I can not make us invisible but I can alter their perception of us so they do not think us a threat. Only…"
"Only what?" Ayame asked.
"Only I don't know if it will work on them or not." She replied. "The Acolytes foot soldiers and some of the high ranking members they… I don't know what they are exactly but they're not all together human."
"What I'd like to know if why they vanish in smoke whenever you hurt them." Wang-Tang said voicing his opinion.
"It's a type of teleportation magic." She told him. "I don't know the mechanics of it. But that doesn't matter. I don't want to try my magic here, it's too risky."
"Then I will attempt to draw their attention away." Ryoma stated about to rise.
"No, there's too many. They'll be expecting something like that." Wang-Tang muttered.
"I have an idea." Ayame suddenly declared.
-
A palisade surrounded the front gate of the stronghold were six men in black armour took turns guarding the outside in shifts.
The man currently on guard glanced out at the slope leading down to the entrance. For a moment there was a flash of light as if the dim sunlight was reflecting off a metal surface. Quickly he descended from his post and moved across the front of the palisade and waited with his pike firmly clasped in both hands.
He did not see the four of them sneaking past him, a thin canvas covering draped over them. The clock was seeded with a thin layer of diamond. The mineral reflected the light and made anyone under it virtually invisible.
It was an old illusion used more by magicians than the ninja's but it did have its usefulness in their operations from time to time. Ayame had an assortment of ninja tricks to call upon. It was skill that had made her top of her class during her training.
The grate they needed to get to was small and concealed between two towers attached to the main battlements. The metal mesh was rusty and when Ryoma tried to move it they screeched in protest. Fearing attaching the guard's attention, he drew his short blade and slashed at the bars. They fell apart and Wang-Tang caught them before they could nosily clatter.
Ayame's nose wrinkled at the smell that emanated from within. Ryoma sent first, having to crouch down to get inside. The drain system in the castle or fort this old worked by the use of a shaft running from the top of the tower to the bottom. The different floors would have access to this shaft and would toss their waste down there. At the bottom it would collect in a drain to be washed away when the tide pumped water up through the tunnels.
As they past inside, they did not notice themselves being observed from the knoll they had only just left. Partly concealed behind the foliage of a bush, Kikanojo watched them vanish inside with a nervous expression on his face.
Occasionally they passed underneath large metal seals that lead to floors above. They could hear muffled voices coming through them and loud footsteps.
"We're under the barracks." Ryoma told them and pressed on.
Eventually they came to another seal and the samurai waited, listening intently for any sound of movement. After a few seconds he poked the top of the seal open a crack and peered out. "This looks like a storage area of some kind." As quietly as he could he pushed the seal open and pulled himself up. "There's no one here, we can go this way."
Ayame came up next. The room they were now in was small and full to almost the ceiling with modern reinforced crates. They were all marked 'Export' in blocky red letters.
"What is all this?" Wang-Tang asked pushing open on of the lids. He swore in Chinese at the sight that met him.
"What's wrong?" The samurai asked. The boy didn't look up, his gaze fixed down on the inside of the crate. Slowly he lifted up for them to see a large bar of yellow metal. "Is that gold?" Ryoma asked peering at it in wonder.
"The whole crates full of it." The boy nearly gasped. Ayame looked inside and nearly gagged at the sight of so many bars of pure gold. Ryoma pulled the lid of the crate next to it. Like the first this one was full to the top with bars of gold. Each one was marked on the top with the seal of the Central Bank of America.
"This one too." Ayame announced looking into another crate. "Are they all full of gold?"
"This is a repository." Rouge whispered as she pulled herself out of the sewer. "This must be the gold they used to bribe the nations government and military into not interfering."
"But where on Earth did they get this much…" Ayame began but she was cut off by the sound of heavy footsteps in armoured boots. Ryoma quickly pushed the lids back onto the crates and closed the sewer entrance shut as quietly as possible. Then he herded the others into hiding places behind the crates. Two Acolyte soldiers came around a corner, marching together with pikes held at their sides.
"I'm tired of this." One of them announced and stopped, leaning back against the side of a crate. He reached up and pulled his helmet off, revealing his face. Ryoma peeked around the corner for a quick look. The man had strange features. His face was a mostly complete white and his ears had a pointed edge to them almost like an elf. "We're supposed to be soldiers of Atlantis. Yet here we are guarding a storage area."
"A storage area with our division's gold supply." The other reminded him. "And Atlantis hasn't been raised yet so don't throw yourself into a cause that doesn't exist." The man without his helmet growled and stretched out his arms.
"How soon until they move all this? I'm sick of guarding all this yellow stuff. It might be priceless to the world but to me it means very little."
"Well if you loose a single bar of it Saki's going to rip your scales off."
"Scales?" Ayame repeated with a raised eyebrow. Ryoma put a single finger to his lips. The man replaced his helmet and stood back up.
"Fine. Let's just get this shift over within. I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry." They waited until the two guards wandered off amongst the crates and were far enough away for the sound of their heavy footsteps to dissipate.
"They must be shipping the gold out on that ship we saw some in." Wang-Tang whispered. Ryoma just nodded once.
"Good. That'll be our diversion. They'll need half their force to move all this leaving the fort almost deserted."
"Come on let's get outta here." The ninja girl insisted. "If they're moving the gold they'll be here any minute."
Instead of trying to sneak through the room they slipped back into the drain and moved on under the floor.
Finally they reached the vertical shaft that ran through the centre of the fort. It was a dark abyss the bottom of which was invisible but its smell was horrific.
"Down." Rouge stated. "We need to get to the dungeons." Ayame removed an near invisible piece of string from the inside of her robe sleeve. This had many practical uses for a ninja; a trip wire, tight rope, lasso, even a killing implement. At the moment it served piece as a simple lowering means.
Being the lightest, Ayame went first; tying on end around her waist while Wang-Tang and Ryoma lowered her from above.
The walls of the thin shaft were covered in a foul smelling green moss she did her best to stay away from. Eventually the ninja reached another tunnel entrance and once some of the much overhanging it was scrapped away there was enough space to get inside. A short ways within the tunnel it widened out dramatically and Ayame found something solid to tie her end of the line on. She called up to let them know she'd found the way through and while the others came down she took a quick look forward. Another metal crate blocked the tunnel just ahead but once Ryoma was through that was quickly sliced out of the way.
Beyond the crate the tunnel seemed to be completely made of cut stone and the ceiling above had a long metal mesh covering it. Through which they could see the ceiling of the room above.
Ryoma quickly placed a finger over his lips at the others as an Acolyte moved overhead.
"We're needed down at the pier. The gold's taking longer to load on then we thought." A voice stated followed by a low grumbling. The sound of heavy footsteps carried on before there was the sound of a door shutting.
"I think they're gone." Wang-Tang stated, reaching up and pushing the grate open a little.
The chamber above was dank and dark; the only other ways out being two doors. One on the far side and another directly ahead. The one directly ahead was locked and bolted from the outside.
"These are the dungeons alright." Rouge announced.
"Then my sensei must be behind this door." Without even realizing it Ryoma drew Tosa Arashi and slashed at the lock. It broke off and the door swung open.
The samurai just stood there with the sword in his grasp, creeping hate and anger clear on his face.
"Ryoma..." Rouge began slowly. The samurai's face contorted with an effort of will and he eventually slid the blade back into its sheath.
"I'm fine." He stated
The chamber inside was just as dank and horrible as the previous, bars rimmed the entrances to cells on either side with a thin walking space in-between. Bones and old straw lay on the floors of the cells and just outside the bars. Ayame accidentally nudged a skull with her bone and it rolled across the floor.
"Who's there?" A horsed voice asked.
"Sensei?" Ryoma asked recognizing it instantly.
"Ryoma? What are you doing here you young fool!" Three cell blocks along they came to two which were occupied. Wang-Tang pulled the lock off one and Ryoma slashed the other.
The cell on the right contained an old man and the cell on the left an old woman.
The woman was old, at least into here sixties or seventies. Her face fought with entrenched wrinkles but still when she pried her eyes open an inner youthfulness poured through. Her nationality was clearly middle eastern with dark skin and fair hair. Her hands were clamped in manacles above her and her clothes reduced to mere rags. She hung there in the midst of dried out straw and bones scattered across the floor.
"Mamma!" Rouge called out at the sight of her and running back Wang-Tang inside. Ryoma glanced up, watching as she nearly tore the look off the cell door and raced inside.
The old woman looked up weekly.
"Rouge… is… is that you?" She held out a wrinkled hand, placing it across the fortune tellers face. "Yes… it is." Tears flooded her eyes. "Forgive me child, I thought they'd killed you."
Rouge shook her head, her own tears filling her eyes.
"No momma." She put her arms around the old woman and hugged her. Wang-Tang helped her remove the chains and Ghana dropped down, clearly having been hanging there some time.
Ryoma's sensei was not so jovial to see them.
"I thought I told you to stay away." He asked as the samurai unlocked his manacles. Ganamon's body dropped down after it was freed onto the stone floor. "This is a trap and you're walking straight into it." He continued the lecture even after Ryoma helped the old man up onto his feet. Ganamon was about a decade younger than Ghana but still with his fair share of wrinkles and grey hair. His skin was tanned almost the same tone as Ryoma's and his eyes dark and hard despite being malnourished.
"You can rake me over the coals later." Ryoma told him. "Right now we have to get out of this terrible place."
"Ryoma you do not understand." Ganamon almost seemed pleading. "My captors, they are no longer human if they ever were."
"Enough, we can talk later." Suddenly a loud clanking sound rang out. Ayame doubled back and found that a portcullis had flung itself across the drain entrance blocking it off completely with . Wang-Tang raced over to the barrier trying to move it but it refused to budge.
"Damn it, they knew we'd come that way." He growled.
"Of course they knew." Ganamon stated coldly. "Let me guess… it was the only unguarded entrance? Couldn't you see that invitation? They wanted you to get in."
"We'll have to go out the door." Rouge stated.
Ayame raced over to the door and tied to pull it open. The door swung out and standing behind it were several fully armoured Acolyte soldiers. The first was tapping the edge of his sword against his thumb suggestively.
Instinctively Ayame somersaulted backwards, tossing a shuriken at them. One of them caught it out of the air and crushed it between his fingers.
Ryoma drew his short blade and slashed at the first, striking him across the waist with an arching swipe. The acolyte gagged out and vanished in an explosion of black smoke.
Wang-Tang followed through with a flying kick, knocking another out into the stone corridor beyond and into the wall. Before he could rise and delivered a deadly blow across the neck. The man vanished into smoke.
"Forget stealth, we're going to have to fight our way out of here." The Chinese boy stated. Ryoma nodded and covered them while Ayame and Rouge helped the two escapees out off the dungeon.
"The pier. We'll make our way out on the ship." The samurai told them, drawing both Tosa Arashi and his tanto and whirling them around at several Acolytes that came charging around the corner with swords drawn.
The way down to the docks was surprisingly easy to locate. Upon reaching the open courtyard on the stronghold the way down to the pier was marked by a large gate house.
Grates containing the gold bars was being lowered from the stronghold down to the docks by use of a pulley system and then loaded onto the docked boat by a crane. Catching a ride on the top of one of the crates they managed to avoid the gathering mass of Acolyte soldiers at the gate itself. Dozens of archers and men with pistols and rifles opened fire, the shots ricocheting off the crate as it moved down the steep slope towards the pier.
"We've got a reception planned." Wang-Tang called out, pointing to the Acolyte soldiers gathering at the location where the crates were dropping awaiting pick up by the crane.
"I can get us onto the ship." Rouge stated. She clapped her hands together and sparks of magic passed before he and a rolled up carpet appeared from nowhere. "Quick, get on." She told them, throwing it out and to their amazement it stayed rigid in the air.
Not on for looking a gift horse in the mouth Ryoma got on first followed by his Sensei and Ghana. Wang-Tang and Ayame climbed on lasted. Sitting on one end Rouge directed the carpet up.
The air was too full of arrows and bullet to get away on the carpet but she could give them a head start on moving the ship themselves. They were nearing the stern of the vessel when something struck the carpet from behind. It was if a fireball came flying out of nowhere, setting the fabric ablaze.
They crashed onto the deck, Ryoma rolled reaching for his sword as he went ready to fight anyone in his way.
Light suddenly from a search lamp suddenly flooded his vision and he prepared to draw Tosa Arashi.
"Stay your hand." A voice stated and through the white haze the samurai caught sight of dozens of men in black armour, all of them quickly surrounding the group. Katana blades were drawn from their sheaths and held in readiness. Perhaps about ten others had bow strings held rigid with silver tipped arrows. Ryoma slowly drew his hand away from the hilt of his sword.
Ayame and the others herded themselves into a tight circle as they were surrounded.
Ryoma glanced around at the deck of the ship around them. Archers and marksmen stood near the bridge entrance and men with large axes and swords were in a tight circle around them, keeping them from escaping.
Out of their midst a man nearly twice their size strode forth. His armour was black like the rest but segmented by pieces of red runes engraved over the chest plate and down the knee pads. Spikes ran across his shoulders and a pair of blood red drapes hung from behind his shoulders.
"Place your weapons on the deck or die where you stand." He stated with a voice that had a metallic edge to it.
Ryoma grudgingly removed both his short blade and Tosa Arashi down on and backed away from them. "You too." The armoured war lord added glancing at Ayame. The girl had her hand above the concealed area's in her robes where she had hidden her shuriken. She drew the metal throwing stars out and dropped them unceremoniously.
"What did I tell you?" Ganamon asked his student angrily. "I warned you about this and yet you still stubbornly came."
"Did you really imagine you could have warned him had I not permitted it?" The warlord asked in return. "I allowed your message to reach him because I knew it would prompt him to your rescue." He stepped forward and kicked the weapons on the deck off towards the Acolyte soldiers who picked them up.
"In retrospect I can't believe it actually worked." Blood red eyes glowing behind the visor he stared at Ryoma. "You followed the bread crumbs right to us." He reached to his side and drew his katana blade; a curved blade with a tint of blood red across its surface. "You honestly think we decimated the ninja and samurai clans JUSTto get them out of the way? Taking your beloved sensei hostage when we could easily have killed him outright? No we wanted the stones and you came right to us, even your little Rouge." He glanced over towards the fortune teller. "The General has been looking for you my dear. He wants to know exactly why you decided to ignore your orders."
"Because unlike the rest of you monsters I actually have a conscience." Rouge hissed at them. "You can tell your master and your general that I spit in their faces."
The warlord did not appear to be too distressed by the remark.
"This trap was laid more for you than the rest.
Two days ago the general gave orders for Ghana's execution. I held off, knowing you would eventually come looking for her.
I can't imagine the reward I will be given for giving him news of your demise. And now…" He extended his free hand forwards them. "The Power Stones of Lightning, Fire, Water and Wind if you please?"
Ryoma tilted his head back and laughed out load.
"Now its my turn for a surprise. We don't have them."
"What?" Now the warlord appeared dismayed.
"You think WE'D be stupid enough to walk into such an obvious trap with our stones on us?"
"You came all the way here to fight WITHOUT your Power Stones?" The warlord paused and breathed out heavily through his nostrils now looked annoyed. "I do not believe you. Only a fool would come at such a disadvantage." Ryoma maintained a superior smirk. "How disappointing. They might have been the only things that could have saved your lives." He lowered his sword. "Kill them."
The air was suddenly full of arrows and bullets.
Rouge drew her hand up the incantations of a spell already passing her lips. Flares of magical fire ignited from the air and formed a bubble around them. The arrows melted from the intense heat before they could strike their targets.
The warlord raised his sword and slashed as the fire. As if it were solid the blade cut through the flames, ripping a hole open in the defensive barrier. He marched through with several of his men close behind.
"Try this!" Ayame tore a throwing knife out from a concealing hiding place on her sandals and tossed it at him. The blade dinged the armour and bounced harmlessly off.
"I am Saki Sakamoto, grandmaster of the Acolyte Japanese clan. I have walked this earth for eons before your genetic patterns were even put into existence." He began coldly. Ryoma rushed him but without his swords he wasn't able to parry off the strike.
Saki's blade caught him on the shoulder opening up a wound. The samurai did his best not to fall but he collapsed to one knee all the same. The warlord brought his foot around and kicked him hard, sending him rolling across the ground. "You are merely human." He reached down and grabbed the samurai's head in the grasp of his metallic gauntlet, lifting him high into the air.
The acolytes took the others by surprise, pinning their arms behind their backs and forcing them to watch as their leader tightening his grip more and more to the point where he could crush the skull in his grasp.
Three glass orbs came crashing down out of the sky and broke open on the deck, releasing a thick cloud of smoke that shot into the air and covered everything like a fog.
Two Acolytes fell with shuriken stars lodged in their backs. Once they hit the ground they exploded open into black smoke.
"Kikanojo-chan?" Ayame asked as her brother came flying at the Acolytes that held with his tanto drawn. He stabbed the short blade directly into the first's chest before he had a chance to react. The Acolytes gagged before vanishing in a puff of black smoke.
"Catch!" He called out, tossing several objects like a ball at them. Ayame reached up and as if fate was guiding it the Power Stone of Water came to her. Wang-Tang sprung forward catching the Power Stone of Wind, his leg forward in a flying kick that caught Saki off guard forcing him to let go of Ryoma.
The samurai dropped to the floor but managed to catch the Power Stone of Lightning.
Rouge turned in surprise and caught the stone of fire.
"Power Fusion!" Without waiting for the Acolytes to recover from the shock both Ryoma and Wang-Tang merged with the power of their stones and their fusion forms took effect. Ryoma began the silver armoured swordsman and Wang-Tang a warrior with golden scales.
"You're not afraid anymore?" Ayame asked.
"Are you mad?" Her brother demanded, swinging back out of the way of a sword flash as an Acolyte advanced on him.. "Of course I'm afraid. I'm terrified! But that's not going to stop me from helping out my baby sister!"
"That idiot brought the stones here!" Saki declared. "Take them!"
"Power Fusion!" Kikanojo watched in awe as his sister transformed, her clothes becoming silver chain mail and pink silk; a giant metal shuriken strapped across her back.
"Raijjin Ken!" Tosa Arashi was torn from the grasp of the Acolyte who held it, flying through the air to Ryoma's grasp. As soon his fingers closed around the hilt he felt its pull, the struggle to assert its will power him.
The samurai let himself relaxed and allowed itself to worm its way into him. Once it had dug itself deep enough he closed the trap and encased it, trapping it between himself and the blade. Now the sword answered to his will.
Elemental lightning sparked down the katana, breaking the armour of one of the Acolytes exposing the man underneath. Engraved all over his body were tattoos marked in black, runes etched into the skin. They closed brightly before the body vanished in a puff of smoke.
Ryoma snarled. These people weren't dying when they vanished into smoke, it was merely magical transportation out of danger. Even those seriously wounded or even killed were merely pulled away to not leave any trace of their presence.
A dozen Acolytes went for Ghana but Rouge flung herself in the way.
She didn't even notice the stone in her hand suddenly begin to glow bright orange.
"Rouge don't!" Ghana called out as swords were drawn back.
"I won't let them touch you mamma." The fortune teller started firmly and with intense conviction.
Fire spreading from the ether, engulfing her body and coating her in flames. The stone leapt out of her grasp, hovering in the air and plunged itself into her chest and the fire burst forward as if fuelled by wind.
Rouge reacted with a short scream, trying to fan the fire but found that despite their touch she was not being burned. The acolyte warriors looked stunned and alarmed at the sight of the woman completely drenched in fire and stayed back long enough for the transformation to complete itself.
Rouge's hair began one with the fire, a dancing field of flames that spread up into the air above her. The loose clothes she wore turned into fine pink satin and bronze armour, a curved crescent moon shaped chest plate moving across her shoulders rimmed with ruby quartz, fine satin trailing out beside her by appearing to dance with the fire. Her eyes changed from dark brown to blood red.
From within the spectacle Rouge felt warm, so wonderfully warm.
"Oh it's so beautiful." She sighed out load, moving her arm and watch as the flames imitated her.
Several of the Acolytes charged with their swords draw.
Rouge held her palm horizontal forwards them and a small ball of flames appeared just above her fingers. She blew across it and like a flamethrower the fire shot through the air. It scorched its way around the charging men, reducing them to blackened ashes within seconds.
"Dragon Typhoon!" The wind was swept up into a frenzy as the cyclone appeared, tearing dozens of Acolytes off their feet to be hurl hundreds of feet into the air. The mast of the ship was ripped off then flung back to the deck to crush several more Acolytes.
"Dance of the Cherry Blossom!" Ayame soured into the air and struck those Acolytes still falling with an attack that made her look like a blazing streak of pink light. As she descended, she drew the throwing star on her back and flung it down. Suddenly the air was full of giant metal stars, each one tearing into an Acolyte on the deck and on the docks as they charged up the gangplank. Those firing rifles from the catwalks were ripped inn half before vanishing in smoke. One of the shuriken severed the anchoring lines.
"Die traitor!" An Acolyte hissed at Rouge and with that they charged in mass. Rouge held her hand high into the air and called forth a ball of flames, expanding it to enormous size above. It grew larger and larger and within moments was overshadowing her.
"Red hot trap!" She swung her arm down and the ball above contracted before exploding, the shockwave spreading out first following by a deadly wall of fire. The shockwave forced the ship away from the dock and sent it drifting off into the waters of the bay.
Ryoma and Saki exchanged blows, their blades meeting in mid air as they fought. The warlord was very skilled and almost seemed to match the samurai move for move.
Eventually Ryoma managed to get pas the acolyte's defenses and score a direct hit across the face. The helmet went flying exposing the man's face. His face was almost ghostly white and like the solider they had seen before he had elf like ears.
He responded by lashing out with a kick, knocking Ryoma across the deck to the point where he nearly tipped overboard.
Saki pinned him to the side, trying to force him over. Ryoma pushed by with all his strength and in the struggle the tip of Tosa Arashi touched the warlord's chin.
Saki screamed out load as if he had been branded with a white hot poker. He scattered back, clutching at his face as it changed.
"What manner of creature are you?" The samurai asked staring as the bizarre transformation completed itself and a new face appeared. It was scaly like a reptiles, with golden eyes with silted pupils, dark brown scaly skin and a crest of short horns running from the tip of a blunt nose to the top of a bald head. A forked tongue flicked in and out from between the lips.
"What is this?" Saki demanded, tearing off a gauntlet and exposing his hand. Like his face it now had scales. "My reptilian half has been exposed… how could…" He stared up at the sword in the samurai's grasp and suddenly recognized it. "No… not Tosa Arashi!" He clamped back at the sight of the blade.
"Demons. Is that all you people are!" Ryoma demanded, swinging his sword back in an arch striking the Acolyte behind him. The armour was ripped off across the shoulders as the human skin changed at the sword's touch revealing dark orange scales.
"How can you possibly be wielding that blade without being driven mad by it?" Saki demanded. Ryoma felt suddenly felt a smile pass over his face. They were afraid of the sword.
"Who says I haven't?" Grasping it in both hands, Ryoma charged; elemental lightning mixing with the swords own strength striking down any Acolyte that dared to put themselves in front of him.
Hew flew at the reptilian Saki, striking him across his left arm ripping the armour to pieces. Tosa Arashi carved around again, striking him across the mid section destroying more pieces of his armour. One harsh blow blew off the back pieces of the armour and a thick muscular tail swung out. Beating him back further and further, until with one final strike the chest plate protecting the lizard's heart was destroyed.
The warlord collapsed on the bow, breathing heavily; forked tongue glistening over the lips. The marked rune tattoos on his scales were glowing.
The other Acolytes were gone, vanishing into black smoke one by one before they all vanished.
"We are used to defeat Samurai." Saki hissed as Ryoma stood over him, the crescent moon blade in hand. "We have endured it twice before. But not this time. Destroying me here this day will bring you no closer to victory."
"Perhaps not." Ryoma replied. "But I am willing to try." Tosa Arashi held high the elemental power of lightening was channelled down the blade. "Tenchi Rohdan!"
-
The ship had drifted out of sight of the coast by the time Wang-Tang got it under control. Half the hold was stacked with golden bars marked as belonging to the Federal reserve of the United States.
Kikanojo was still trembling with fear and had gone white but Ayame was still proud of him for his actions. While she had never approved of his sometimes disturbing love of female disguises, after his actions here today she decided to lay off teasing him about it.
Neither Ghana nor Ganamon had been fed since their capture but once they had eaten some scraps of food from the galley they seemed much better. The old man however did not appear as jovial as Ghana.
Ryoma stood on the deck before his sensei. The old man stared at him with undisguised annoyance. The samurai quickly dropped down onto one knee.
"You removed Tosa Arashi from the seal did you not?" Ganamon's face betrayed no clues as to his actual thoughts but his disappointment was all too clear. All Ryoma could do was nod. "And after wielding it do you understand why it was sealed there in the first place?"
"Yes sensei."
"You were angry?"
"Yes sensei."
"Angry is a survival emotion. Part of the human mind. It is not a sin, but Tosa Arashi encourages its overuse. That is exceptional dangerous." The old man sighed and turned to face the sea, folding his arms behind his back. "Particularly when facing an enemy like this." Ryoma was surprised he hadn't gotten a tongue lashing but decided not to ask when he hadn't.
"They… they weren't even human." He mused.
"Part of them was." Rouge told him. "But another is something… else."
"Do you know what they were?" Wang-Tang asked.
"I might…" She admitted looking thoughtful. "However if I'm right that means I was forced to cooperate with an evil more terrible than I had allowed myself to believe."
"It is Atlantean folklore." Ghana explained, sitting on the desk. "A story told in remote regions describe a family or collection of families that received the gift of crocodilian strength from the dragon gods. Even knowing of the ancient cities previous existence I have thought it to be little more than nonsense made up to embellish the myth…" She paused. "But after seeing them like that I am not so sure."
"Do you think their general is like that?" Rouge asked looking fearful. The old woman shook her head.
"He is not of their bloodline. He would not have inherited the trait. He is simply their master's trained ward. Even if he is not inherit of their line he wields power they respect and fear."
"You speak of this… General of theirs…" Ryoma began. "Who is he?" Rouge glanced at the samurai, the expression on her face clearly showing that this was something she did not want to discuss. However she relented.
"As military leader of the Acolytes he has installed himself into a very high position of power within the Turbine Ship fleet of the United States. He has been dictating their operations for years and he is the one orchestrating your English friends quest for the Power Stones to suite his own agenda."
"What Rouge says is true." Ghana added. "He is a very old man but he does not appear so. He has been using their dark, arcane magic to keep himself alive and young for longer than I care to imagine. He is not the Acolytes ultimate master, rather their second in command, but still he is the one who pulls the strings of your quest." The old woman looked the samurai in the face. "His name is Valgas."
"Valgas?" Ayame declared. She and Wang-Tang exchanged frightened glances. "You mean… that man at DawnVolta?"
"If this is true…" Ryoma started but trailed off. The implications startled him. This meant their entire quest had been to the true enemies design. Valgas was the one supplying Miss WhitePearl with funds. Through her he was directing Edward Falcon's entire endeavor.
The Englishman was being lead into a trap.