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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that belong to Ranma 1/2. The Ranma 1/2 cast belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Suikoden 3 or any other characters that I put into this story except for my own OCs. Neither do I own any of the character in any of the crossovers I do. I'm just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so don't bother suing me. You'll just lose money instead of gaining any. And remember to leave a review!
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Chapter 36 – Darkness Raising
Across the vast ocean south of the former Kooluk Empire before it was invaded by the Scarlet Moon Empire and made part of it. A sea breeze started blowing southwards slowly at first then got stronger sending a heavy fog coming from the mainland south to the Island Nations a group of islands that became a nation after the Kooluk Southern Expansion. The wind started blowing harder as it began pushing the fog faster, making it go pass the islands of Illuya, Nay and Na-Nal. The vast heavy fog spread across the ocean as it was push by the strong wind to the main island of the Island Nation.
The island of Obel was a busy place as usually as Obel had become the center of diplomacy for the Island Nations. Many things had change as some of the buildings of the island had been rebuilt over the years while others reminded the same. Two visitors coming off a boat could still remember how Obel look like over 150 years ago. They came to the island to visit an old friend as far as they knew they were the only ones left of their group called the Strikes.
"It's been awhile since we came here," a green haired elf said to her fellow elf. On her back she carried a huge board sword that most people would never be able to learn how to use let alone to carry around.
The yellow-orange haired elf armed with an old sword but been kept in good shape over the years nodded, "Yes but we haven't had any real news to give him for awhile. I still can't believe that Jeane and Viki are still alive after all of this time."
"Yes surprising and if it wasn't Chiepoo's descendent didn't sent that letter back to us we would had never known they were still around. Told you that asking his descendents to keep an eye out for them was a good idea even if it did take this long," she smiled at her taller friend.
"So what are we going do after we tell him?" she asks her life long friend.
The yellow-orange haired elven woman walking to the ruins along with her friend was one of only two elves that had taken part in the Island War the elf knight Paula one of three reminding heroes of the war that gave birth to the Island Nation. Paula's late mother was exiled previously from the Great Tree in Na-Nal as she had given birth to a half elf. Paula grew up in Razril and became a knight in the Academy. Although quiet and reserved, Paula became close friends with Jack the islands hero, and steadfastly believed in his innocence after the death of the late Commander Glen. After Paula learns about the Rune, she puts forth as much effort as she can muster so as not to become a liability, and create cause for the Rune to be used. She wants to eliminate the racial barrier between humans and elves, but realizes that would be an impossibility. As the long lived elders of the elves reminded steadfast in their thinking of humans and humans were brought up with the stories of what the elves did during the war. After the Island Nations War, Paula was allowed to return to her original home with Selma, a fellow outcast elf.
An elven swordswoman, Selma lives in the Great Tree with the elves. They lived somewhat peaceably with the humans, a policy of non-interference governing them. But when the past Chief of Na-Nal sold the island to the Kooluk, the elven chief decides to teach him a lesson. The chief needed an elven remedy to give to a bunch of soldiers that Jack's army had injured, and so, the chief 'allows' Jack and Lino En Kuldes to take it. However, the remedy was actually poison. Selma listens to the elder and brought Jack, Lino, and the son of the village chief, Axel, to the Great Tree prison, but she breaks from the elder when she finds out Kooluk will kill the people of Na-Nal and frees them. For her defiance, she is banished from the Great Tree, and she joins the Jack's army instead. She acts stoic, much like Paula, but she is gracious to Jack for taking her in. After the war, her banishment, as well as Paula's, was lifted, and they return to the Great Tree together. Where they have reminded close friends ever since.
"Let, Jack pick out what we should do," Paula said.
Selma nodded, "We hadn't gone anywhere since we visited Lukiae Ende Towayo after the Gate Rune War. That young leader Kirkis Shana Ques Laviankaana and his wife Sylvina reminds me of how you use to be trying to bring humans and elves together."
"Yes but as long as that old frat of an elder is alive nothing will ever change," Paula sighed as she has been trying for over a hundred and fifty years to bring the two sides together. "By the way that fast guy what's his name, Stallion seems to like you."
Selma glared at her friend as every now and then she showed her human half to her, "Well you know how rare we green haired elves are. He probably just has a thing from greenheads."
"And the fact that your grandmother is a Forest Elf also gives you a look that makes you stand out from the rest of the other elves," Paula giggled.
"And the same goes for you also," Selma said. Both of them have much fuller figures then the other female elves of Na-Nal thanks to their mix bloodlines. While the female elves of the village would never say it out loud they were very green with envy at their figures as most of them had two-by-four figures. "And that Rubi guy you know the one eyed elf was also looking over you as well."
Paula was going to say something when she notice the thick fog that was rolling in from the north, "That's strange fog that thick usually doesn't reach this far south."
Selma look up as the fog covered the castle on the top of the island then drifted downwards engulfing the rest of the city, "Well looks like were not going to be heading out anytime soon." As leaving a port with a fog this thick wasn't a very safe thing to do. Slugging off the strange weather they headed to the ruins that haven't change since they seen it for the first time since they seen it. But neither of them couldn't help but shake off the feeling they were getting as it was the same feeling that they felt when they saw the Fog Ship.
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In the Ruins –
At the back of the temple on a cliff where a dead tree stood the test of time and a small graveyard next to it face the sea. A young man wearing black and grey clothes with a red headband sat on a rock staring at the sea. A pair of twin black swords lay next to him. The black blades had a long open slit going down the length of the sword that helps the swords to take more pressure in battle without breaking. They swords were well kept as they were over a hundred and fifty years old now as the same thing went for him as well. He looks exactly the same as he was all those years ago when he lead the Strikes to victory against Kooluk he's the hero of the Island Nation and he's called Jack.
As a young boy, Jack was found in the ocean and taken to Razril he was raised as a knight alongside his friend Snowe. He completed his training and proved himself worthy of the title Knight of Gaien. Shortly after graduation pirates attacked Razril and he helped drive them away. Afterwards he went to the roof of the Hall of Knights to his late commander, Glen. Shortly after arriving Glen died and the Rune of Punishment transferred to him. Jack was blamed for Commander Glen's death and he was exiled. After being shipwrecked on a deserted island they rebuilt their ship sailing off only to be picked up by a passing ship and were taken to Obel. Here he had discovered the past of his rune and he began working for the king of Obel. After Obel was invaded by the Kooluk he became captain on their ship. He led the army to victory against the Kooluk forces. At the end of the war fort El-Eal exploded and the rune blast threatened to kill them all. Using his true rune he was able to stop the blast but at a terrible price. His body was put in a funeral boat and cast out to sea. But years later he returned back to the Island Nation.
He stared at the Rune on his left hand that has kept him alive all of this time. The True Rune that represents atonement and forgiveness and is always borne on the left hand of its host; this rune is a parasite that feeds off its host with fatal consequences: the rune has tremendous offensive capabilities; however, using them drains the bearer's life force, eventually to the extent that he or she turns to ash and their memories are locked away in the Rune; the Rune then transfers to the nearest available host. While it was still believed that the Rune of Punishment will grant the standard True Rune abilities such as agelessness; there was no record of any of its previous bearers surviving long enough for this to be an issue. Well not until he came to bear it that is.
The Rune became sealed in Obel after its then bearer died with no potential host in range; it remained in the Ruins there for many years until discovered by the then Queen of Obel. She resisted the Rune's call to be used until a time when pirates threatened her children and her kingdom. Since that time it has moved around the region causing death to its bearers and destruction to those around them; no matter how much they may resist, fate transpires to place the bearers in situations where they end up using the Rune to save themselves or others. One such incident had occurred in a border village between Kooluk and the Scarlet Moon Empire: some Scarlet Moon nobles had dressed up as Kooluk raiders and attacked the town to drum up support for a war; the then bearer of the Rune (who was a small child) unleashed its power and the nobles, as well as the village, were decimated. The succeeding bearer, Graham Cray was the father of the previous bearer, and in order to escape the Rune's curse he severed his left arm from his body; the act saved him from the Rune, but he then developed a fixation on the power he had discarded.
The Rune continued on its cycle of death and destruction, returning to the Island Nations where it claimed the life of an innocent fisherman who had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, before eventually passing to the pirate called Brandeau. Knowing the fate of those nearby, Brandeau isolated himself from his friends and crewed his ships with strangers; eventually on a raiding mission that went bad he used the Rune to try and escape, and seeing one young man, Jack remain who bested him in combat he felt as though he knew who the next bearer would be. He was mistaken however, as the late Glen Cott stepped in the way just as Brandeau died. Glen returned to his home of Razril but didn't bear the Rune long before he was forced to use it against an invading fleet; although he tried to keep everyone away from him when he did so, circumstances saw that Jack being close to Glen when he died and it transferred to him this time around.
Exiled from Razril for being believed to be responsible for Glen's death Jack became embroiled in a war that started due to Koolouk's expansion progress, but continued due to Graham Cray's desire to obtain the Rune again. During this time Jack managed to survive using the Rune's full power at a total of four time; before the power of the 108 Stars of Destiny moved the Rune into its little seen forgiveness phase, where it no longer drains the life of its bearer. Since then Jack vanished from the pages of history, knowing full well that his death would see the cycle of death and destruction start over again. He has hidden himself away in the ruins where it had rested before it was freed. No one knew that he was even here as he had wanted that no one would ever be temped in taking the Rune from him and the cycle of death would start over again. The only ones that know that he was here were the last two of his friends that were with him during the war.
The reason why he was staying in Obel was because it was his home. He had learned about his past thanks to one of the memories lock away in the Rune. The late wife of Lino En Kuldes, the Queen of Obel inherited the Rune of Punishment one day when she came too near the cursed Rune, which had been sealed on the skeletal remains of a hand. She tried to ignore the rune but one day, while she was on a patrol ship with her two children, she was attacked by pirates. The battle was going poorly, but the Queen turned the Rune on the pirates and killed them, at the cost of her life. Her son, an infant at the time, was lost in the sea. The Queen of Obel was a lot like her husband Lino: brave, a little reckless, and served the people of Obel with everything she had. She is known to be a heavy influence in the attitude of her daughter, Flare. The Queen is also very important to the hero, for the song that played on her music box is a song from the Jack's memories. When he learned of this he decided to keep it to himself only telling his father and his sister about what he had learn about his past.
A fog had suddenly covered the entire island something that hasn't happen for years. The fog was as thick as pea soup and he could barely make out the objects that are a few feet in front of him. The fog kind of reminded him of the fog that surrounded the Fog Ship where he had met another True Rune holder Ted. The Soul Eater was a powerful rune that came close to the power of his own rune. Both of them had shared the same fate of living forever as they needed to keep the power of their runes away from people that wanted that power held in them.
"So still staring at the sea," a voice that Jack knows well.
"Paula, Selma been awhile," he turned to the two elves that been his friends for all of these years. He wonders if this is what its like to them as they haven't charged in appearance since he had met up with them all those years ago.
"It's only been five years since we last visit you," Selma said.
"So what news have you brought this time?" Jack asks the two.
"We got word that Jeane and Viki are still alive," Paula answered, "Chiepoo's great grandson made a trading deal with a place in the Grasslands called Lake Castle and while he was there he spotted Jeane and also spotted a girl that looks like Viki which could mean that she's her daughter."
"So up for a trip to the Grasslands?" Selma asks as it has been so long since she's been anywhere outside the islands.
"Sure…" Jack said before the sound of a cannon roared from the harbor. They all were shock when they heard the sound as they had thought that all of the Rune Cannons were destroyed years. Once the Island Nation was form they went and gathered up all of the Rune Cannons that they could find and then destroyed them since they're too powerful and advance to be use. And with Warlock being killed for making them in the first place no one knew how to make anymore. Pablo a sorcerer and scholar had research in their making for years after they were all destroyed but he never gotten close to know of making anymore. A Rune Cannon and Rune Shells do pop up every now and then but they were always gotten destroyed afterwards.
"A Rune Cannon?" Paula gasp as the sounds of cannon fire and screams of the islanders came from the town beyond the ruins.
"Come on we need to help them!" Jack shouted as he grabs his sword and ran into the temple.
"Let's go!" Selma shouted as she unsheathed her sword running after him along with Paula following suit.
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In the town –
The townspeople scream as they ran for shelter from the rain of Rune Shells raining down upon them. Buildings burst into flames as shells struck them and the guard towers that overlook the harbor were destroyed. Those manning the tower couldn't fire back as the fog kept where the cannon fire coming from hidden from view. The ships that were dock in the harbor were quickly destroyed as rune shells rained onto them. Even so they fired the trebuchets and ballistas that are on top of the cliff that shielded the town from a full scale attack only a narrowed walkway leading up allowed people to get to the town. This made it hard for any army to invade the island as it allowed a small number of soldiers to keep enemy soldiers at bay making their numbers worthless.
The guards manning the weapons fired where they seen the muzzle firer of the cannons as it was the only thing they could go on. Cannon fire blasted the mounted weapons as two black ships headed into the harbor. The survivors of the cannon firer watch in awe as the two huge ships sailed without sails into the harbor. Thick black smoke came out from the top of the large smokestacks on the ships bows. On the deck of the ship the guards could see armored figures on the deck but they were soon fleeing for cover as a volley of crossbow bolts and cannon firer were shot at them. Once the ships dock the armored attackers storm the harbor heading into the city. The few people that stayed on the wharf were quickly put to the blade as they tried to run up the stairs to the city.
The soldiers of the city had closed the iron gates on the other side of the small ravine of the sea wall trying to stop the enemy troops from entering the city. As the sounds of marching feet and banging against the iron gates the soldiers of the city were setting up a quick wooden wall up in a circle around the gate. They work fast as they hammered the wall together as once the wall was set up they would stand on the ledges on their side and firer down at the incoming enemy when they get bottlenecked in the corral they're setting up for them.
Back at the harbor on the two ships deck were busy as the soldiers were getting off of the ships. Two figures a shark man and a heavily armor man stood on the decks of the ships under their command. Then they notice that their men weren't moving that are on the stairway as others push from behind them.
"What's going on?" Marko shouted to his troops.
Trojan ordered his troops to stop getting off the ship as there were too many on the pier already and some of them were being knocked off the pier into the water. A female soldier ran up to him telling him what the trouble was. "Marko there's an iron gate in the way."
"A gate why didn't you say something about that?" he shouted.
"It's been years since, I been here and they would have change a lot of their defenses by now."
"So let's just blow it up," Marko said as he ordered some of the gunners to aim the decks cannon up the pathway.
"No don't firer the blast might cause a rock slide and if it doesn't the guards of the city would be aiming everything they have at the entrance. It would be a bottle neck and it would cost us a lot of our troops before the city is taken."
"Then what we do then?" Marko asks, "Go and ask Range's ship to fire a volley at behind the cliff face?"
"No Range needs to stay out there and handle any patrol ship's that are returning to port or they box us in," Trojan said, "But Albert thought something like this would happen."
He had some Urukkins get out giant grappling hooks connected to rope ladders to them. Loading them into the cannons then fired them sending the hooks flying up hooking onto the sides of the cliff face. Then he turned to the open hull of his ship shouting down, "Alright you Skull-Gobs go and clear the tops for us! Then once the top is ours crossbowmen can shoot fire arrows at some of the houses it will cause a panic."
Coming out from the inside of the ship dozens of Skull-Gobs leap off of the ship and onto started climbing up the sides as some of the Urukkins started climbing the rope ladders. Marko grinned before shouting for what his ship held in its hull to take down the gate. Ten heavily armored Fossils came out of the hull making their way up the stairs the Urukkins gave them room as the march up to the gate. They wore heavy steel plates beaten into lamed pauldrons, spike pauldrons, breast plates, greaves and helmets added to their thick hides made them very hard to kill. The three that are in the front of the group, two carried halberds and the one leading the group carried a great spike hammer the clear the way for the troops behind them.
The remaining guards on top of the cliff were quickly overwhelmed as the Skull-Gobs quickly overran them. Some of the guards held their ground as they fought off the small attackers trying to push them back. That's when larger more powerful attackers climb up the cliff face and with them attacking as well the invaders quickly dealt with what was left of the defenders putting them to the blade or by throwing them off the cliff. Once the top was taken they began firing fire arrows into the buildings setting them on fire causing the townspeople to run for safety; some headed to the ruins to hide others to the east side to hide in the old cliff side cave. The Skull-Gobs race down the cliff attacking the townspeople adding more to the panic. While others in a blind panic began running to the harbor to escape the flames. Some of the soldiers tried to stop them but were trampled underfoot by the panic mob trying to escape the flames from the town. The wooden barrier that was being set up was torn down as the weight of the mob push it inwards. The soldiers were unable to stop the mob as some of them unlock the iron gates not knowing what awaited behind it.
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At the other part of the city –
At the entrance of the ruins Jack and the others ran out of the temple as it took awhile to get through the ruins. Even if the monsters of the temple have lessen over the years as Jack had hunted them down over the years it did took awhile to reach the front. They were met with townspeople running into the ruins. Thick smoke was coming from the town as screams arose above the roar of the fire.
Reaching the castle they got their first look at the town. Some of the houses were burning sending thick clouds of smoke into the air. It was just plain chaos smoke filling the air and frenzied townspeople ran in every direction. The palace guards were setting up a barrier to make a stand at the front of the palace. Running to look what was happening on the lower levels of the city Jack and the two elves eyes widen with shock.
Dark armored soldiers both large and small were killing everything in sight. The mass of townspeople that tried to escape the fire and open the gate had let in the attacking army. The fray resounded with the shrieks of the wounded and the trampled under the ever-moving mass. Nine large monsters of the likes that they never seen before raise out of the fray of bodies like blood-spattered mountains in the midst of battle. Their clawed hands, weapons, and oversize fists rending and swatting the townspeople like toys, tearing through armor and flesh with equal ease. The few guards that were in the mass couldn't do much as they were being swept up in the crowd of panic mad townspeople. The guards on the upper levels of the city could firer down on the mass as they couldn't do or they would hit their own some of the soldiers even ran down to join the fray.
Then they heard a scream from one of the guards as a sword struck the side of his neck. Some of the attackers had gone around the mass and had climbed their way up to the palace from the hillside. The attackers were those small ones about ten of them but behind them was one of those giant monsters that are fighting with them. They're twice as tall as a man about fifteen-feet-tall and looking closely it has a lizard like head but with a huge mouth filled with teeth. It's heavily armored with plate armor and had two long spikes on its helmet making it even more fearsome looking. It carried a huge halberd that's already covered with blood as it had chopped its way to here.
"Be careful!" Jack shouted as he ran at the giant monster while the two elves handle the smaller ones with the help of the guards.
The Fossil swung its huge halberd slicing through the guards that tried to stop it. Archers fired their weapons sending a volley of arrows at it. It covered its face as the arrows bounce off of its thick armor, some of the arrows did manage to hit the spots between the spaces between its armor but the beast seem like it didn't even felt the arrows as it swung its massive halberd at them. The weapons long reach only the bravest or the most reckless of the soldiers could get pass the halberd to attack the fossils body. But even then they couldn't break pass its armor with their weapons and they never get a second blow in as it use its freed clawed hand to rip through their armor.
Jack leap pass its weapons as it swung at him, rolling along the ground then stab at it with his twin swords at the back of its right leg cutting its leg muscles making it useless. The fossil roared in pain as it swatted him away with a wave of its arm sending him flying. The monster scream as it limped with its one good leg after, Jack swinging its weapon in a blind battle rage! He leap back dodging its blows as he knows that he wouldn't stand a chance going head-to-head with it.
Selma and Paula were busy as they help the soldiers to fight off the small attackers. With years of experience on their side they took care of the attackers as they tried to mob them. Selma broadsword easily cut through their armor while, Paula seemed to dance about dodging the attackers swings while stabbing through the spaces between their armor. The soldiers fighting with them took care of the ones they knock to the ground. Their moral rose as they saw the two remaining Strike members fighting by their side and they fought harder clearing the front of the palace front as the townspeople ran up from the burning town.
"Selma, Jack needs us!" Paula shouted as she spots Jack fighting off the huge armor monster with that halberd. He couldn't get close enough as it was swinging wildly not caring if it hit one of its own as it did so. She did saw that it was limping as its leg was injured and bleeding badly.
"Let's get its weapon away from it," Selma said as she chops off the head of one of those long clawed attackers.
Paula chanted a wind spell on her Cyclone Rune casting the 'Shining Wind' spell hitting the monster dead on while healing the soldiers on her side nearby. The monster was shaking as it tried to regain its footing after being hit by such a powerful spell. Selma followed by powers up her Killer Rune and leap up aiming for the monsters arm that held its weapon. Her sword glowed as the Wind Rune embedded into it gave it more cutting speed. The monster roared as its weapons arm was chops off below the elbow. It swings its remaining arm its claws cutting, Selma's stomach as she leap back.
"Selma!" Paula shouted as she cast a Healing Spell on her healing the wounds.
"I'm okay!" Selma said as she starts swinging her sword while leaping back blocking the monsters remaining arm. If she didn't jump back just then she would have been cut in half.
Seeing the monsters back turned he jump onto its back climbing up to the back of its head. Then as it tried to shake him off its back he thrust both of his swords into the things neck. The monster made a bloody roar as it fell onto its knees giving its final cry as it fell dead. Jack leap off of the monsters stilled form as he regained his breath the sound of someone clapping was clearly heard in the background above the sounds of battle.
"I see that you're just as strong as you were back then," an armored man said as he stops clapping. He's covered with plate armor which was made to deliberately intend to intimidate his opponents. His bronze colored armor consisted of a chest plate made out of thick steel, a collar, pauldrons, vambraces, cuisses and greaves that made him very well protected at all fronts. Under the armor he was black clothes that contrasted with the color of his armor. He wore an undercut helmet was worn under over a headscarf and featured cheek and eye-guards that hid his face. Two long golden horns on top struck a distinctive and aggressive silhouette that could be recognized from a long way off. A long black cape hanged on his back a couple of inches off of the ground. A long double edge sword sheathed, in a black scabbard hang from his belt.
Jacks eyes widen as his mind flashes memories of his past as he realized who it was in front of him. The voice, the way he held himself and that sword that he has on him, the way he dress was also mostly the same but he had worn silver armor not bronzes colored ones. (1)
"So you do remember me," the armored man said as he pulled out his sword, "I go by the name of Trojan now." He charge at, Jack his sword low for an upswing. He swung back he blocks with his sword they lock blades before breaking again.
"Jack!" the two elves shouted rushing in to aid him. But stop as a sharkman appeared in front of them.
"Going somewhere?" Marko said as he swings his anchor at them. They raised their weapons to block his strike but the weight and mass of his weapon sent them flying backward. Selma quickly got onto her feet and charge at, Marko swinging her broadsword which he blocks with his denser weapon. The weight alone was pushing her down as well as, Marko as he began putting all of his strength into it. Paula came to her aid rushing in for a thrusting charge, Marko saw he coming and shove, Selma away from him to met with the new treat. With a swing he forced the elf to break off her attack but the other elf came charging in both trying to use their numbers to beat him.
The palace ground was alive with fighting as townspeople continued running for safety and the guards fought off the attackers making their way up the stairs. Jack leap at his old foe swinging his swords trying to get pass his defense as he blocks every one of his swings. Trojan sword became a blur as he forces, Jack back as he began pressing foreword. He made a downward swing which he block with both of his swords, seeing him unguarded, Trojan leg shot forward kicking, Jack back.
"How can you still be alive?" Jack asks getting back up, "I saw you die with your ship."
"I have been raise from the dead by my new boss, Jack," Trojan said as he lowered his sword, "You beat me fairly last time we dueled now let's see have well you have gotten over the last hundred-fifty years?"
"Why are you attacking?" Jack said as even back then he would never let his troops do something like this.
"I needed to keep the soldiers of this city busy or they might try to stop me from taking your rune," Trojan said as he raised his sword again.
"My Rune?" Jack said as he raises his weapons again. Then he felt a sharp pain on his back as a Skull-Gob back stabs him with a lance.
Trojan eyes burn as his victory was taken by a backstabbing move. In a heartbeat he cuts the Skull-Gobs head off then turns to his old foe who was bleeding badly, "I have wish to beat you like you beaten me before. But still, I have a job to do." A glass ball appeared in his hand a light began to shine as, Jack felt his body being rip apart as his Rune was pulled out of his left hand. When the light had faded the Rune of Punishment was inside of the glass ball.
Jack was gasping as his body felt so weak after having his rune rip from him, "Trojan why?"
"Jack if you want to know the reason come to the Grasslands there, I'll be waiting for you," he said looking at his old foe then cast a 'Fire Arrow' up into the sky and a horn started blowing, "Take the wounded and let's take our leave!"
The attackers all started running back to their ships grabbing their wounded as well as any loot they could get their hands on as they ran. The guards rain arrows on them as they retreated paying them back for all of the bloodshed they cause. Marko and Trojan cut a path through the guards as they ran back to their ships. As they have gotten what they were sent here to do.
"Jack!" the two elves shouted as they ran to his side. Paula and Selma both cast healing spells on him.
"Trojan he took the rune from me," Jack gasps as he faded into darkness.
"Selma watch over him," Paula said as she ran off to the top of the cliff as, Selma lifted, Jack up heading for the palace.
Once she got there she watched as the ships pulled back when the last of the troops got back on board. The thing was she couldn't understand how the two ships could pull back like that so fast and way there was smokestacks on the ships bellowing out black smoke. One of the crossbowmen spotted her and was about to firer when that man called Trojan stop him from firing his weapon. He stared up to her, their eyes locking staying onto each others sights until he and his ship disappeared into the fog where they came from.
Paula leaps down the cliff face onto the pier to look for clues from where the attacking army had came from. The pier was a mangle of dead bodies some of the soldiers were coming down to pick up the dead guards. They were also looking for any wounded enemies to be question later. She picks up one of the attackers crossbows looking it over. The crossbow was well made and she never seen a model like this one before as it had a pump action to reload the string into its firing position. She has heard of crossbows like these but never saw one up close before. Their weapons were also well made as well all had a uniform look to them which meant that whoever was backing them had lots of resources and backing to fund an army as well armed as this meant trouble.
Pulling one of the helmets off from one of the dead attackers she jumps back as she saw its face. She has never seen this kind of race before it reminded her of the goblins that she has seen now and then but none of the goblins she has seen grew to six feet. And then she turns to one of the smaller ones when she removed its helmet she wish that she hadn't as she saw its face. The expose brain, the twisted face she quickly put its helmet back on. It was no wonder that these things were the first ones to attack the city as they were nothing more then cannon folder.
Hearing the guards near by about them coming back she looks into the fog and saw a burning ship heading into port. It was one of the Obel patrol boats heading for the pier the ship was burning but it managed to stay afloat. The doom ship managed to dock into port letting the few surviving crewmembers to get off as the ship began to sink. The guards on the pier began helping the survivors up the stairs.
Paula was helping one of the soldiers when she saw who it was, "Rita what are you doing here?" Rita is the great-granddaughter of Axel who she and Selma became close friends to the family over the years.
"I came as soon as, I could get here," Rita cough, "They came out of nowhere a black ship ran a ground on the beach and a elf leading an army of dark clan soldiers march through the village. She shouted that as long as we humans didn't interfere we would live. Then they march to the Great Tree, I tried to ask why they were doing this but their commander an elf just gave me this locket and told me to give it to you two. I got onto a passing ship and headed to here but one of those black ships fired on us as we sailed into port."
Paula took the locket from Rita hand looking at it closely. Then her eyes widened as she know what family sign of the elves of Na-Nal it was. But why would someone from the elder's family lead an army too… Her eyes widen as she realized that there was one who would. "So she alive…"
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On the island of Na-Nal –
The ancient Elven Tree home to the tribe of elves of the Island Nation. Because the elves stayed out of humans and the other races of the island affairs nothing much happens there. To make sure of this the elder of the village forbad any interaction with anyone outside of the village or be banish from the village. Paula and Selma were the only ones that were allowed to return as they had become heroes of the Island Nation and also the humans of the island were still angry with them for tricking them and having many of them killed to teach them a lesson. As long as the only two remaining Strike members of the islands were in the village then they wouldn't have to worry about any retaliation from the humans.
But many things still remained the same as the elder still enforced the no interaction with humans. Even after hearing the first hands account of what happened to the elves of Lukiae Ende Towayo during the Gate Rune War he held his ground that they didn't need any help from other races. He firmly believed that elves can handle anything that's thrown at them as he lived longer then the most of the other elves on the island has lived.
A heavy thick fog had engulfed the island something that's has happen every now and then. The looks outs on the edge of the human village stayed near the trees at the entrance of the narrow pathway to their village. The two sides of the path were deep valleys that made the location of the village safe in the elves eyes as the pathway was the only way into the valley where they made their home it as it's surrounded by mountains on three sides. They all thought that no attacking force would be able to enter their valley without them knowing and be able to defend themselves, as they be able to firer arrows so thick that it darken the sky.
The two lookouts watch the empty road not really paying attention as no one ever goes out of the village or anyone besides the occasional trader comes into the village. The only people that they saw all day were Paula and Selma the only two elves that come and go out of the village. The elder said that they're allowed to go freely as they please as they're still considered heroes to the rest of the islands and which allowed the rest of the elves to stay out of the affaires of the nation as they wanted it to be. Now with the fog back the came in they could hardly make out a few feet in front of them now.
"Strange for fog to roll in like this," one of the elves said to the other.
The second one didn't answer as he was listening to something, "Do you hear marching feet?"
"It's coming from the human village."
"Come let's go back," the two elves turned to leave when they stop as they heard the sounds of flapping wings. A monster part-bull part-bat flew out of the fog crashing down on top of the elf. The thing grabs his head ripping it off in one quick motion. The other elf drew his bow back his screams were cut short as a man sizes frog leap down onto his shoulders and crush him underfoot like a soda can.
"That's all of the lookouts right?" a female elf said walking out of the fog into their sights. Following right behind her were a large force of Urukkins. The elf was a redhead a telltale sign of her being a half-breed. She wore a custom leather armor that allowed her to use her reflexes and speed to their full power. It's a full bodysuit colored black that's skin tight on her showing that she's very well gifted for an elf the fronts open showing off the deep valley of her breast (2). A double barrel shotgun rested on her back something that she had gotten from a Gun-Knight that she killed years ago. It has four barrels, a simplified extractor spring for quicker firing, and a wicked six inch blade on the butt of the gun for lethal melee action. Making it look like an axe when you turned it around. While two barrels deploy, the second pair swing below the breech for simultaneous re-loading. The two firing barrels don't overlap in cone output, resulting in greater firing spread. The Gun's name is 'Earth Breaker' that was meant for Gun-Knights that did their best work up close and personal that the Howling Voice Guild thought to have been lost for the last three-hundred years since the last time it has been used.
"Yup all of them," Leaper smirks.
"Good and we don't have to worry about those humans in interfering with us," the elf said.
"So what's the game plan?" Noctoro asks.
"First we set the trees on fire and once the elves start running for safety," she turned to the Urukkins behind her, "Kill everything that lives! I don't want a single elf to live through this search every nook and corner leave nothing unsearch. Magic units cast Silent Ocean over the village and continue to cast it till there's nothing left alive. I don't want any elf with a Blinking Rune teleport people out of the village." She smiled evilly, "These weak elves are too used on using magic and since there's so few warriors in the tribe it's going to be a blood bath." The Urukkins cheered wildly then they started marching towards the unexpecting village.
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In the Great Tree of the elves –
It all happened so fast that the elves didn't know what hit them. First someone cast a 'Silent Ocean' spell over the village that they all figured that someone was just practicing with their Water Rune they all thought nothing of it as the spell effects would fade away after awhile. Then the sounds of a horn blowing rang out throughout the fog covered village causing all of the elves to stop what they were doing then the attack began. Elves scream as their homes burn as volleys of flaming arrows struck their wooden houses built into the trees. Many of the elves ran to the ground to escape the blazing inferno of the treetops.
Some ran towards the only pathway that leads out of the burning village to seek shelter at the human village. The fog was thick but they all knew where to go but they found their path block as some ran straight into the waiting mass of Urukkins that waited for the elves to start running for the human village. They fell upon the panic elves cutting them down like wheat as they were easy pickings mostly made up of women and children.
The ones that stayed behind were trying to put out the raging fires in the trees. They couldn't use their magic since that Silent Ocean spell was still in effect. Then they heard the screaming from the mothers and the children that were running to the human side of the island till the fire was put out. The light from the flames allowed them to see through the fog several feet allowing them to make out running figures of some of the children running back to the village as screams came out from behind them. Out from the fog running after the few elves that managed to escape the trap were dark armored monsters as the elves could make out the parts of the faces that showed underneath their helmets.
The elves grab what they could find as they ran to fight off the attackers so that the children could get to safety. The few elves who still have their bows with them fired into the mass of attackers but soon as more and more of them were running out of the fog they realized that there were to many of them blocking the only way out of the valley that they made their homes in. Some tried to climb the cliffs but the walls of the valley were too steep for them to climb, those who did try to climb made easy targets for the crossbowmen. The elves had thought that the valley would be a safe protection from any attacks as it was easily defended but only when they knew an attack was coming and now it became their death trap.
Elves scream as elven blood spilled onto the ground. In groups the elves fought with anything as most of their weapons were in the fire, farm tools, hammers, even walking sticks, anything that they could swing with. Every elf joined the battle as the only thing they could do was to fight even if it took two or more elves just to kill one of the huge attackers they fought as this was a battle to live or die. As the attackers gave no mercy as they cut down the elves or tossing them into the raging fires that doted, their village. Noctoro flew down crushing a few elves underneath him as he landed. He took a deep breath then let out a scream that form into a ball of air as it struck a group of defenders sending them flying. He began throwing elves high into the air as his powerful arms sent them flying. Two razor disk flew threw the air slicing through elves with ease before returning to Leaper as he joined the troops in the whole sale slaughter. The warriors of the village were well train but few had ever face more then the monsters that lived on the island as only two elves had joined the war with Kooluk, both of whom weren't here to help them now.
The elder of the village stood on the flat roof of his home on the side of the valley wall that was still untouched by the fire. He trembled as he watch the bloodbath taking place below him as the people of his village were cut down by these attackers. The two guards with him fired arrows at the attackers trying to slow them down so that the elves running for the elder's home built next to a cave used for storage as it was the only place left to hide in. Then a sound that he hasn't heard in a long time rang out as the guard next to him fell off of the roof with a piece of his head missing. The other guard turned but met with the same fate as the other but with a hole in his chest instead.
The elder stared at the redheaded female elf standing before him, "Why?" as he realized that she was part of the attacking army. That gun she held looks just like the one that Gun-Knight that he had hired three-hundred years ago.
"Why you old frat you would ask why to the person you contacted to be killed?" she shouted growling.
Then he remembered, "You… you still live?"
"Yes the very same the one that your vision had foresaw to bring destruction to the village," she smiled, "Well thanks to your action it has come true."
"How you were only an infant back then?"
"I was already aware of the world when, I was born and, I know about everything that happened that day. You were very against the fact that your son, my father had fallen in love with a human. Then after my mother gave birth to me you suddenly had a vision that, I would spell doom for the village and got all of the other elders to agree with you. Even when my parents were going to sail off for another land you still couldn't let the fact that your only granddaughter was a half-breed. You sent that Gun-Knight to make sure that no one other then of this village would ever know. After we reach land he killed both of my parents and only thing that saved me was that a traveling dwarf happened to come across us and buried his pickax into the knight's head." She smiled as she saw that he was taking everything in as she wanted for him to know he turned her into what she is today, "He took me in and raised me as his own. Old Pops was the closest thing that, I ever had to a family. As he saw that, I was half elf and half human and that, I would never fit in between the two races, he went and took me. That day, I vowed to make you pay for what happened to me. I learned everything that, I could get my hands upon to make a weapon to destroy this close off village, I have put everything into this so that, I can see your face when, I stand before you like this as the village that you maintain so that nothing change's burns."
"I knew that a dirty half…." The elder was cut off as she slams her axe head into his jaws.
"You know, I really can't stand to see people like you. Know why? Because your kind never admits their mistakes as they never want to have any blame on themselves!" She grabs him by his head lifting him up and turns his face to the villages as screams from the few elves remaining cried out above the raging fire, "Everything that's happening is because you couldn't stand the thought that your granddaughter is half-human and didn't want to have any shame on your family name! Now there won't be any elves left in the Island Nations and the great tree will be burn to the ground and it's all your fault!"
She slams him down to the ground breaking his right hand and just to be sure that he wouldn't try to run she swung her axe-gun cutting off his right leg. She smiles as she hears him screaming, "Now to collect what the boss asks for."
She drags him behind her letting his head hit the stairs as they climb down till the reach a sealed room. The lock was heavy and had a magic spell protecting it from magic but it couldn't stand up to a shot from her gun blasting the lock off. The elder's eyes widen as he realized what she was after the most guarded secret. The Goddess Key has been passed down for ages down the tribe ever since the mother goddess first showed herself in this world. According to the stories she had first came to the world using the Goddess Key that could open portals into other worlds. But she left the Key here on the island of Na-Nal when she had no further uses for it. Elven mages for ages have tried to use the key but none of them had the power needed to use it as the amount of magic needed was beyond anyone's limits.
"You think you can use the Goddess Key? No one besides the Goddess has the power to wield it," the elder shouted.
"That's our problem not yours," she said as she threw the one legged elf into the back of the room slamming him into the wall leaving a large crack as he hit the back end of the room. She walks up to the stand the laid on top of it was a long golden staff shape like a key, "Well the boss is going to be happy with this."
"Who are you working for?" he shouted at her getting up despite the pain.
"I'll leave you to wondering about that," she smirk as she turned to leave, "Oh yeah the names Luthiv the cold hearted warrior the one that you created."
Once outside she saw that her troops taking care of what's left of the villagers. They were chaining up the female elves that they didn't kill as for the males every one of them were put to the sword as there was no use for them. They were gathering up all of the children that were still alive as well as they scream and cried. Groups of Urukkins are getting the valuables out of untouched houses before they started burning. Magical items, coins, weapons and armor some which haven't seen the light of day for ages were taken being loaded into carts. Some of the troops found the food stores and were grabbing whatever they could as well as lifting barrels of wine from the wine cellars as they have much to celebrate about once they get back to their ship.
'Now what to do with them?' Luthiv thought to herself. She already knows what's going to happen to the women as the males Urukkins as well as the females are going have them to all to themselves once they get back onto the ship and head back to their base. It will take a couple of days as they need to take the long way as to not lead any of the Island ships back to their base so the troops needed something to do till then. She smiled as she thought of what these pure blooded elves were going to face. As for the kids well she was going to leave it up to Anarchy for that. Her revenge couldn't have happened like this if he hadn't appeared to her one day giving her an army to lead and get the magical object of her former village and destroyed it too. Two birds with one stone. And all he had asks of her in return is to do his bidding and get this artifact of this village.
"Hey Luthiv check out what, I found!" Leaper shouted as he held in either hand a pair of blonde haired girls each one a mirror image of the other.
"Elf twins?" she said as she look at the two as twins in elves was such a rare thing that the last known pair of twins was born over seven hundred years ago.
"So want to feed them to Fangface?" Leaper asks as the Fossils just love to snack on bite sizes kids. The two girls scream as they struggled to free themselves.
"No, I'm going to keep these two," Luthiv said as she call for two female Urukkins to take them back to the ship.
"Also that human you gave your locket to, gotten on board a passing Obel ship," Leaper informed her. When she learned that those two elves had left for Obel she gave that human female her locket to give to them as they would have heard about her and she wanted her story to spread and the reason why she did this.
"We'll be long gone by the time that any real help gets here. Have the troops march out once they're done searching for any elves we might have miss we're done here now. And remember to strip the dead of all their armor and weapons as well no need to waste them." She turned to the house behind her grabbing a lit lantern hanging from a light post, it was lit when the fog came rolling in earlier, she threw it through one of the windows. Flames burst out of the window moments later as the building began to burn. "Once a person burns their home even a former one down there's nothing to look back to but forward." Luthiv turn walking back to her ship as the two female Urukkins followed with the twin elves in their arms as the village of the elves burn to the ground behind them.
It was evening when an Obel ship dock into the port. Selma jumping off the ship ran towards her village. She could make out a large force had march on through the human village. She ran by the bodies of the two look outs that she and Paula had pass by as they had left earlier. Once she got to the entrance of the village she saw it. The entire valley was naught but endless acres of wasteland. What few charred stands remained smoldered under what little light the moonlight could force through the haze as the valley mountains kept most of the smoke from leaving this place. The ground was still hot, and when anything landed on it, no matter how lightly, white cinders clouded up and tiny sparks wafted through the air.
The fire that had rage for most of the afternoon unheeded had left behind, gray ash and blackened stumps remains. There had not been a fire here in the valley for so long, a thousand years of fallen leaves, branches, and pine needles had turned into a resinous mixture of fuel that would smolder for days to come.
And mixed into that slow-burning bed were the bones of those who had once live there.
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Next Time – Anarchy plans are taking form as the aftermath of Reni's death shakes the trusts between Ranma and Chris. And the arrival of Clive brings trouble as Maria faces off with the one she believes that had tried to kill her. Lexx and his party returns only to find many things have change since they have been gone. Next time in 'Death of a Child'.
Author's Notes
1 – Okay who can guess who he is?
2 – Think of the outfits that those women in the game Dark Watch wears.
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