WolfGear Presents: Negima? The mage and the Gunslinger
Pairings: Negi X ku-Fei Kaede X OC
Chapter 55: A declaration of war!
I don't own Negima!
The next morning Negi awake with a warm body next to him. He looked over and smiled, it was Ku; she must have crawled in to his bed after he had gone to sleep. The elves' rule of non-married couples sleeping together in the same bed did not seem to faze the blonde at all, course it was to be excepted, Ku had never been one to follow silly rules anyway.
Stop wet dreaming about your mate and come get ready for the race! Shiki growled through their link. Images of what the young mage wished to do with the blonde had flashed through the dragon's head awakening her from her sleep, and she was not pleased to see what her rider would do during a passionate moment.
"Um… yes sorry I'll be right there." Negi said embarrassed. He tried to roll out the bed roll, but Ku's strong arms held him in place. "It may take a minute, though."
Oh is the little boy sleepy? Wants to lie down with his little girl and sleep the day way thinking of perverted things to do to her later? Well too bad! The race starts in half an hour and if you're not here in five minutes I'm going to come and get you myself and drag you out with my claws!
Negi jumped, the thought of a four ton (Shiki: Three!) three ton dragon, barreling into his tent and dragging him and Ku outside did not appeal to him. (Shiki: I was only going to do you, but dragging both of you out into public in your underwear does sound amusing. It'll be just like the time I dragged John and Abi out of the barn after one of their many kinky displays of intercourse. You would never have imagined that Abi could bend like that, that cat DNA sure is something.) Negi paused was he going insane?
No boy I'm just teasing you, but that is a true story. I can send you a mental video of it if you like. I also have some of your mom and dad; I think it might have been the night you were conceived. Well any ways story for another time. By the way you only have three minutes now.
"Dammit!" Negi swore out loud, that dragon had to be doing this on purpose. Ku was still asleep and her arms firmly warped round his waist. This is going to be troublesome, he thought, but nothing he couldn't handle. He would just have to dress with her hanging from his neck that was possible…, right?
It turns out it was possible, thought he wasn't sure how, he did it or how in the hell Ku didn't wake up till he got all of his clothes on, but that's just one of the many mysterious of having Ku Fei as a girlfriend. He kissed her good bye and ran out the tent to the stables where he ran into Ragazzo, who was making his own perpetrations.
"Negi, my friend, why are you in such a rush? There is plenty of time before race starts, yes?" The dark elf said as he watched Negi try to catch his breath. He was pretty sure that the boy's dragon was playing a trick, something that peculiar dragon was known for; it was no secret that the dragon Negi rode was in fact, Death, the legendary steed of the even more legendary Jake McCoy. It would be interesting to hear the story how one so young could tame such a beast! But now was not the time.
Negi glared at the dragon, who smiled back revealing rows of razor sharp teeth, he suddenly lost his courage to confront Shiki on her trickster behavior.
"Yes well, Shiki thought it would be a good idea for me to start getting ready early. She was very pervasive about it."
Ragazzo smiled. "Yes it is important to get our dragon partners ready, but we must also be ready, come let us have breakfast." He said leading the mage by the shoulder; they walked over the elves main tent, where everyone was waiting for them.
"Bout time you got here." Ray said in his usual gruff. He clearing had not had enough coffee yet. Stupid elves and their manners, he thought to himself, it was first come first serve where he came from. "Shiki give you her famous get the hell out of bed threat?"
"Yeah, what's the story behind that?"
Ray shifted in his chair, all eyes were on him now, and he didn't like it! Thomas and John were the storytellers, but seeing how neither of the two assholes were here, he would have to step up to the stage.
"It's a rather dull story." He began. "But here's what happened. On the day of the first dragon race, pops pushed Death hard in the first leg, and she was pretty pissed about it, so to get back at him she faked that someone was trying to seal her, told dad through their link. Well he came out yelling and a shooting in his underwear and found out that there was no robber. Course everyone got a laugh out of it, right up till they fell to their deaths in the second leg of the race, after Dad maliciously hunted down every racer that laughed and knocked them of their dragon."
Awkward silence…
"Like I said it's a dull story." He said sipping his coffee.
More like morbid! Everyone thought, clearly old Jake couldn't take a joke, and Death/Shiki seemed a little oh what's the word… psychotic? How was killing those entire racers make her feel better?
Ray takes a loud sip, and smiled "You guys actually believed that crock of shit?" He laughed. "The part about Shiki tricking dad to come out side in his underwear was true, but he wasn't near insane enough to actually kill those guys for laughing at him. No, No, what really happened was when mating season came around he let some of the other dragons mate with Shiki, and for mouths she was miserable making the eggs, then waiting for them to hatch, and finally teaching them how to fly. I swear she looked ready to eat the little basterds! But yeah that's what they did they played pranks of each other, and Shiki is just hooked on it now, so I would watch out from now on if I was you. This was just a warm up."
"OOOKKK, let's get back on track shall we?" The dark elf offered. "Negi I would like to offer you my support during this race. For the next leg of the race I will be your personal guardian angel. As a thank you for the lives of the kinsmen that you students have saved," Ragazzo said bowing to the mage. It was his duty as a member of the elves to repay the debt they owed to the two girls sitting next to the mage, and the best way to do that was to help them in their mission to obtain the soul flask.
Negi waved the elf off. "That really isn't necessary Ragazzo. I appreciate the offer, but I can do this myself. "
"Ah, that is where you are wrong my friend. You see I am doing this for your girl and her friend for their help in defending my kinsmen. They wish for the cowboy to be cured, and I will make sure you get the cure at the end of this race, whether you want my help or not."
He sighed; the look in the elf's eyes told him that he would be unable to persuade him. It's not that he disliked the dark elf. He just didn't want anyone getting hurt for his sake, Negi had seen the devotion an elf had when they made the vow to help, and it cost usually ended with them dead.
"I will accept your offer Ragazzo, but please don't give up your life for it." He pleaded.
"I won't make any promises, but I will try."
Negi nodded. "That's all I ask."
They finished eating breakfast in silence. Everyone knew the second leg would be much more dangerous than the first. Now the racers would have to fly over the dark sea of Poseidon, filled with some of the most dangerous creatures unknown to many, then they would cross over the freezing mountains of Shiva, after that the volcano infested land of Ifrit, and finally the underground caves of Bahumat. These four lands are the most dangerous in all the land. The bones of many poor souls littered the ground. It is rumored that over 10,000 thousand have died from this leg of the race alone as well as many more.
Negi finished tightening the straps of his saddle to Shiki's back. Breakfast had ended, and it was time to make sure everything was in check.
Saddle firmly placed on dragon, check.
Ration of food for him and Shiki, Check.
Weapons Check, anything else? Negi pondered looking over his equipment. He felt a soft tap on his shoulder; Ku Fei was standing behind him with a shy expression on her face.
"I know something you're missing," She said coyly.
"Really what's tha- ufmm."
Ku firmly pressed her lips to him. "A good luck kiss." She smiled.
Negi nodded. "Yes, thanks for reminding me." He said mounting Shiki. "I will see you at the finish line."
"Yeah see you there." She waved as he rode to the starting line. There was a cold feeling in her gut. Something was going to happen, something bad.
Once again the racers lined up, facing northwest, the flag girl raised the checkered flag. The racers tightened their grip on the reins, it felt like an eternity as they waited, the flag seemed to fall in slow motion, till it finally touched the ground, and the flapping of wings was heard and the racers were once again in the skies.
The land below changed, form the rocky terrain of the wastes to the sandy beaches that outlined the Dark sea of Poseidon, beyond was the black treacherous waters that were home to many creatures long forgotten by man, elves, Dragovian, cat people, and pretty much everyone actually.
"What's down there?" Negi asked in wonderment, it was Ragazzo who answered.
"Anything and everything that you can dream off, my friend, from the beautiful mermaids to the legends of the deep such as Kraken, and leviathan, you know that kind of stuff." The Elf explained cheerily, but the undertone of his voice was clear, he was terrified.
Negi stared down at the sea. From this altitude he couldn't see anything beneath the dark crushing waves, but he couldn't help the feeling that something was staring back at him, and for a moment he swore he saw a moving shadow… a really big shadow! But before he could confirm it, it was gone!
An eerily silence filled the air, which made Negi think, why wasn't everyone fighting like last time? They were all flying at least three, four mile apart from each other. Yes this area was much more vast then the others, but you would think they would be trying to get a upper hand or something? They were already halfway through the area.
"Hey, Ragazzo why is everyone-
"Shhh," the elf indicated with his finger. "Be quiet we don't want to wake them up." He pointed down towards the sea.
"Wake what up?" A loud explosion echoed ahead, Dgir had thrown a noise bomb down into the water!
"HAHAHAHAHA enjoy my being diner Timaius!" The Dragovian yelled speeding ahead, throwing another flash bomb behind him, disorienting the other racers. To the east, several dozen dragon riders appeared, all armed for battle!
Timaius cursed himself, "He should have known the coward would pull something like this! He never imagined the little creation would stoop this low! But, now Dgir's only protection was gone. He had broken the most important law of the dragon race, no cheating. Now he could act with his full authority as the Dragovian leader, first he would have to take are of these pests.
"Liston up! From here on out the race is canceled! Everyone, save yourself or help me catch Dgir, your choice. I don't care what you do just remember it was you who choose it!" One of Dgir's soldiers charged into attack, but Timaius didn't even pay the fool a glance as he swept over the attack and pulled the rider from his saddle and tossed him into the sea!
The screamed as the fell to his death, he wanted to look away, and he did for a second, but then regained his courage, and faced death like a man. Instead of water, though he found himself staring at the mouth of the leviathan! A single chomp from the ten mile long sea serpent and another fool was dead.
"Looks like we woke the beastie, ay Negi?" Ragazzo joked as he watched the sea monster stretch its neck and devour the dragon the man who was eaten had been riding. He gulped, that could easy be them.
Suddenly a tall dark shadow appeared; Ragazzo looked up in terror and saw a gaint tentacle! Seven more of the skyscraper sized tentacles appeared forming a circle around the racers and their attacks.
"It's the kraken!" Some yelled. Everyone flew as fast as they could out of the ring of death that ensnared them as the tentacles slowly closed together to into a cocoon, where they would be dragged down in to the beast's break like mouth. That was something that Ragazzo could not allow. Quickly the Elf grabbed several brown spheres that hung from his saddle, and throw them at the earth dragon riders. Immediately the dragon's started to go into a frenzy, and attacked each other; ignoring their riders attempts to control them.
The spheres were called scent bombs; they were designed to diorite a dragon's scent and replace it with that of a Draco, a monster that steals dragon eggs from food, a dragon's natural enemy.
"What do say we finish them partner?" Ragazzo said reaching for his boomerangs, he was about to throw them when something jerked him off balance! He looked to see what snagged him, and saw that one of the Kraken's smaller tentacles had grabbed hold of Eight's leg and was pulling them down. Already more tentacles were making their way up to finish him, he knew there was no way out, but he thought looking at the packs of explosives on Eight's back, he could make sure Negi and the others make it!
The tentacles were slowly closing shut, pretty soon they would all be trapped, but there was still enough of grab for them to escape. Negi looked behind him, Dgir's soldiers were for the strangest reason attacking each other, it was perplexing, but it wasn't his concern at the moment, Negi felt like something was missing or someone.
Then it finally hit him! Ragazzo! Where was Ragazzo? He swore the elf was right behind him, but now he was nowhere in sight! Wait a second what was that? It looked like a mass of Tentacles with a silver scales? Wait that was Eights! The kraken had Ragazzo!
"Shiki we have to turn around!" Negi yelled franticly pulling at the reins, but the dragon refused to yield, and keep flying straight ahead. "No! We have to go back! Its go Ragazzo! Turn back!"
Shiki had enough, she swapped Negi on the back of the head with enough force that the mage was seeing stars. Sorry Negi, but there is no time. She was right there wasn't any time left, the gap between the walls of flesh was getting small, dangerously small, and Shiki doubted she could fit.
A loud explosion echoed through the air, the tentacles forming the wall when lack for a second, which was all Shiki need to escape out the newly resized hole. Looking back she caught a glimpse of black smoke coming from the Kraken's mouth. Shiki was willing to bet that it was Ragazzo that set off those explosives, it wasn't enough to kill the beast or even injure it seriously, but it was enough to help them escape and she was thankful for the elf's brave sacrifice.
She just wished it would be the only one. The others felt it too, by the end of this day; many more of them would be dead.