Ranger24: Now we meet our Brom... Sort of. He got metioned last chapter.
Chapter 4: Dragon tales
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
They walked back to wagon Naruto's head buzzing with questions finnaly he spoke.
Naruto: So... Now what do we do?
Hohenheim: I'm going to get more information. Put the stone in the wagon. We meet up for dinner at Cloud's. In the mean time keep yourself busy.
Naruto grinned. After stashing the stone in the wagon he went around the town examining every item with a buyers eye despite his lack of coins. He also asked around and found that Jummba was telling the truth. Last years security was gone, trouble was abroad, and nothing was safe. While he walked he bought some ramen, and a couple of peices of candy. When he was finished he ent into the tavern for warmth.
The tavern was very well light the big fire place in the corner was crackleing merrily. The tavern was almost like town hall. There were pool tables, a dart board, small tables, and bar stolls. Over the fireplace was hung a large Sanghellie helmet. That of the last Sanghellie to come into the town.
At the counter was the bar keeper Moe. Moe was normally grumpy but that was only when he didn't have a lot of bussiness. His face looked like it had nearly been crushed and his hair was rather dirty. Most of the time he just cleaned the glasses and looked ugly. Moe looked up as Naruto entered.
Moe: Hey Naruto! Good to see you kid. Wheres your uncle?
Naruto: Trading probably.
Moe: And Edward? Is he here to?
Naruto: Yeah no sick animals to keep him behind this year.
Moe: Good.
Suddenly there were shouts of anger from the corner. Naruto looked around to see several people gathered around two men, well one was a snail the other a moose.
Naruto: Who are they.
Moe frowned.
Moe: Grain buyers. They bought everyones seed at ridiculus prices and now their telling wild stories expecting to believe them. Their names are Slinkman and Lumpus
Naruto knew why Moe was upset. People need that money and they couldn't live without it.
Naruto: What kind of stories?
Moe rolled his eyes.
Moe: They say the Varden have formed a pact with the Sanghellie and their massing an army to attack us! Suppousedly it's only been through the good grace of our king that we've been spared this long. As if Xemnas cared if we burned alive. I have no time to explain there lies go and listen to them.
Naruto walked over to them as the moose Lumpus shook his head.
Lumpus: No. No. No. You don't understand it is only by the kings undieing vigilance that we are able to discuss this here in comitee.
Fred: Yeah and why don't you tell us that the riders have returned and you've each killed one hundred elves! Do you think were little kids who haven't got an ounce of intellegnce?
Slinkman: You misunderstand, we know that the empire can't care for us all indivdually but it can keep the sanghellie and other abohminations at bay. Its the only reason why we can argue in this...
He searched for the right word.
Slinkman: Place.
Lumpus: Your upset about the empire treating people unfairly a ligitament concern! But a government cannot please everyone. Every country has a small group of malcontents who aren't pleased with the way things are run.
Daphane: Yeah if you can call the varden small!
Lumpus sighed.
Lumpus: We've already you that the varden have no interest in helping you. Thats only a false hood created by the traitors to disrupt order. All they want to do iis overthrow the king and take all our land! They have spies everywhere as they prepare to invade. You never know who might be working for them.
There was silence as nobody had anything really to say. That is except Naruto.
Naruto: Prove it. I can say the clouds are green but that dosen't make it true. Prove you aren't lying.
Lumpus and Slinkman shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.
Slinkman: Do you always let boys challange men?
Then some one else spoke.
Homer: Answer the question.
Lumpus started sweating.
Lumpus: Its only common sense!
There was another outburst of argueing and shouting. In the confusion Naruto slipped back over to Moe.
Moe: Their dispicable. Their like vultures circling a dieing animal. Theres going to be trouble if they stay anylonger.
Naruto: For us? Or for them?
Moe: Them.
Naruto however was thinking over what they had said. The varden were a rebel group who constantly attacked the empire. No one knew who had formed them in the years following Flame Risings rise to power. All that was really known about them was that if you hated the empire, or you were a fugitive and needed to hide, they would accept you the trouble was finding them. They had garnered much sympath in as they constantly evaded the empire.
On the empire the people of Carvahall held a great haterd for the empire it was almost heriditary in nature. They never helped them in years they almost starved and their tax colectors were heartless. Naruto had never heard someone who supported the empire and tore down it's enemy. He ducked as chair went flying from the corner and Moe went over to break up the fight with a club.
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Naruto steped out of the tavern to get a breath of air. It was sunset, most people had taken their bussiness indoors to wait until the trubadors came out preform. Naruto was about to take a step but then he noticed Barken coming down the street. Not wanting another arugement he slipped into an alley only to find Wriny and Edward kissing!
He stood there for a moment just watching and then he noticed Jiraya the town pervert hiding in a trash can watching the two love birds while giggling like school girl with foam all over his mouth and his nose looking ready to bleed.
Jiraya: Come on take her shirt off... Please get her to take her shirt off.
Wriny broke the kiss and walked down the alley.
Jiraya: Damnit!
Naruto kicked the can toppling it over sending Jiraya crashing down into the snow. Edward walked down the alley while Naruto walked up next to him.
Naruto: Having a good time?
Edward was silent then he spoke.
Edward: What do you think of Barken?
Naruto: I thought that was obvious?
Jiraya: Umm... A little help here?
Edward: They'll be blood between us when he finds out about Wriny and me.
Naruto was very silent at this and just watched a snowflake float down out of the air
Jiraya: Please help?
Naruto grinned evily.
Naruto: Shall we?
Edward: Might as well.
They ran over to Jiraya's can and kicked it repeatedly then rolled it down a street ran off laughing.
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Dinner at Clouds was hearty. His wife Tifa cooked one mean meal. After the dinner they joined the throng of people heading out to the traders camp. Torches and bonfires had melted the snow creating a wide clearing in the snow.
Out of their tents tumbling came the trubadors! They were followed by the much older and stately minstrels. The first stories were all pure entertainment with ridiculous characters, prat falls and pie fights.
Then as the fires got low and everyone drew very close together. Then out of the tent wrapped in a dark green cloak came Ranger. His hair was grey his face line with age. He raised his hads into the air for silence and recited thus.
Ranger: The sands of time are ever moving.
Though we may not be able to stop it we can remember.
I give you now a fable a tale that has been forgotten.
Cherrish it for without you it does not and cannot exist.
Long ago before your grandfathers and yet even their grandfathers were born the dragon riders were formed. To protect and gaurd was their mission and for thousands of years they succceded. They were imortal unless blade or posion took them. For good only were their powers used. Keen of mind and strong of body were and each had the strength of ten men! Under their tutalge tall cities and towers were buil. It was a golden time! The elves were our allies, the dwarves our friends wealth flowed into our cities.
His face darkened.
Ranger: However the riders had their flaws. Although no enemy could defeat them they could not guard against their own. So it was that a young boy Xemnas by name was born in the province of inzelbeth. Which is no more. At ten he was tested as was the custom and it was found that great power existed in him. The riders took him into the ranks and he quickly rose through the ranks to being a full rider. Gifted with a strong body and a sharp mind. Some of the riders saw this as dangerous and tried to warn the others but in their power the riders had grown ignorant and arrogant.
So it was that when his training was complete he took a reckless trip with two friends. They soared into the sanghellies remaining territory, foolishly thinking their new powers would protect them! On a sheet of ice unmelted even in summer they were ambushed in their sleep.
Though his freinds and their dragons were butchered Xemnas slew his attackers. Tragically during the fight a stray arrow peirced his dragons heart. Without the arts to save her she died in his arms. Then were the seeds of madness planted.
Xemnas made his way around seeking death though it did not come to him, though he threw himself against any foe. Soon the Sanghellie and other monsters learned tofear him and fleed before him.
It was in this time that Xemnas came to realized that the riders might grant him another dragon. Guided by this hope he began to make the ardious journey back through the Spine. Territory that he had once rode across effortlessly on a dragons back now took him months to cover so that when he finnaly reached civilisation he was close to death.
A farmer found him lying in the mud and he summoned the riders. A council was called to judge him. Xemnas demanded another dragon. It was then that the riders recognized his madness.
Denied his hope and his request Xemnas came to believe that it was the riders fault his dragon had died. He brooded on this day and night, and as he did he formed a plan for revenge.
He found a simpathetic rider and gained his support. Together they loured and killed an elder rider. When the bloody deed was done Xemnas slew his ally and his dragon. When the riders found him he had blood driping from his hands. With a cry he fled into the night.
Since he was cunning in his madness they could not find him, though they searched long and hard. Xemnas hide himself in a dark place that the riders dared not go there he waited. Then an evil fate occoured. He meet a rider by the name Minato Namikaze strong of body but weak of mind. He convinced to leave a gate unlocked in the citdeal of Illera. He then broke in and stole a dragon hatchling. Then he and Minato fled from the riders.
Minato then entered a dark apprenticeship. He was taught dark secrets that Xemnas had learned from a Shade. Then when his black dragon Xana was fully grown he revealed himself to the world with Minato at his side. They fought and killed any rider they encountered, twelve of the riders joined them for power or revenge against perceived wrongs. They along with Minato became the thirteen forsworn. Together they caused terrible slaughter against the riders and their dragons. With each kill their strenght grew.
Only Sarutobi, leader of the riders could hope to defeat them! He fought to save the remaining dragons from Xemnas! He over powered Xemnas but hesitated with the finnal blow. Then Xemnas smote him on the side.
Wounded and bereved of much of his strenght Sarutobi fleed to Udgart the lonely mountain where he hope to recover strength. But alas, through treachoury he was found and Xemnas fought him again. During the fight Xemnas kicked Sarutobi in the fork of his legs and with that underhanded blow he gained dominace and removed Sarutobi's head with a flaiming sword. Then as power rushed through his veins he declared himself king of all alegasia. And since that day he has ruled us.
With that he steped down and walked away with the trubadors. Naruto noticed a single tear on his face. Hohenheim turned to Edward and Naruto.
Hohenheim: Consider youselves lucky I have only hjeard this tale twice in my life. If the empire knew that Ranger had recited it he wouldn't live to see another month. He's a brave man to say the least.
Ranger24: And this ends one very long chapter. My fingers need a real break now. So what is the stone? Why was I crying? Is Jirya still in that can? Why am I asking you all of these questions that you really don't have to answer? Find out next time! Read and review! Oh and yeah I'M BROM!