After arriving to the shore, our five heroes left the comfort of the ship and headed along the path to a village.
"There's a village beyond this path." said Ixnus "Once we reach it, we'll pay for some horses and ride straight to the Shadowlord's hideout."
"Lead the way then." said Leo, as Ixnus started along the dirt trail.
After walking for a felt like a full hour, our heroes stopped at the foot of a hill.
"Why are we stopping?" asked Leo.
"Shh." shushed Ixnus.
From the trees above, masked beings fell on top of our heroes, trapping them their clutches. The masked beings held daggers to their throats, ready to slice them open.
"Lay down your weapons." demanded one of the masked beings.
The turtles threw their weapons aside to be picked up by another one of the masked beings.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Ixnus.
"Silence." commanded the leader "Shackle them."
After being shackled and having their weapons taken our heroes were escorted up the hill that overlooked a camp that looked as if it had been ransacked.
"What is this place?" asked Ixnus.
"This is the camp of the Okami Tribe." answered the leader, very harshly.
"What is the Okami Tribe?" asked Rain, looking at all of the masked soldiers standing around.
Once they reached the middle of the camp the leader and the rest of the soldiers removed their masks revealing themselves to be foxes and wolves and bears.
"Are these your prisoners?" asked an elderly white fox, wearing yellow robes.
"Yes Chief Turok." answered the leader of the soldiers, a yellow fox with a scar on his left eye.
"Why have you come here?" asked the Chief, approaching the shackled heroes.
"We didn't really have any choice." answered Wick.
"We have come here to vanquish the Shadowlord and his army." answered Leo.
The tribe began to murmur among themselves as if they have heard of the what the turtle had spoke.
"The Shadowlord you say?" questioned the Chief, stroking his beard "Jien Chu. Rahzza."
The old man snapped his fingers, summoning a large bear and the leader of the masked beings into his tent.
"What now?" whispered Erigg.
"I say we break out of these shackles and take as many of these bastards out as we can." suggested Rain.
"No." said Leo "I don't think they are enemies."
"They shackle us and take away our weapons and you don't think they are enemies?" questioned Rain.
"Well..." spoke the Chief, coming from out of his tent with Jien Chu and Rahzza "We are willing to unshackle you. But we have a proposition for you."
"What kind of proposition?" asked Leo.
The Chief slowly turned around and pointed his finger at a tall mountain.
"Slay the Purple Dragon for us... we will assist you in finding and defeating the Shadowlord." answered the Chief.
"Very well." agreed Leo "Just unshackle us and give us our weapons so that we..."
"You don't get your weapons back." chuckled Jien Chu.
"How do you expect us to kill a dragon without our weapons?!?" yelled Rain.
"That is your problem." answered Jien "Now either you defeat the dragon or we shackle you back up again and you will be our prisoners."
The five heroes looked at one another before deciding that they would venture out to take on the dragon.
After gathering some supplies for their trek up the mountain, a young white wolf with black hair stopped them for a moment. Her name was Fu, and she wanted the turtles and Wick to follow her to one of the tents nearby.
"Why did you bring us here?" asked Leo.
"Here." said Fu, reaching Leo one of his katana blades.
"Why are you giving me this?" asked Leo, taking the wrapped katana blade.
"I have my reasons." said Fu, quietly going towards the back of the tent.
When Fu had returned to them, she had brought with her loaves of bread and fresh fruit to take with them. They each took some bread and some fruit, but wondered why not everyone received their weapons back.
"What about our weapons?" questioned Rain.
"I'm afraid I cannot give them to you, for it will arouse suspicion."
"So you expect us to defeat a dragon with just one blade?" asked Erigg.
"Yes... and no... but I cannot take my chances."
"Why are you doing this?" asked Leo, following Fu out of the tent with the rest following behind.
"My father must be taught a very valuable lesson." responded Fu.
"What lesson is that?" asked Wick.
"You will not understand." said Fu "Now hurry. You must be quick."
Fu led the five heroes to the path to take them up the mountain, but once they stepped up on it, on the other side of the camp, Hun and the Shadow Assassins entered.
"Where is your chief?" asked Hun to the frightened ninjas.
"I am here." said the Chief, approaching Hun and the Shadow Assassins.
"Where is it?" asked Hun.
"Follow me." answered the Chief, walking back in the direction he came from, leading Hun and the Shadow Assassins to a tent.
Inside the tent were the weapons belonging to the four turtles. But Hun was only interested in two of them.
"Hand me the blades." commanded Hun.
As the Chief walked towards the table with the covered up blade, he began to realize that the other blade had gone missing.
"No..." whispered the Chief, looking outside through the crack in the tent at the horizon.
"What is keeping you?" asked Hun impatiently.
"The katana blades..." spoke the Chief, turning towards Hun.
Hun approached the Chief and saw that there was only one blade on the table.
"Where is the other one?" asked Hun, gripping the Chief's collar.
"Them... they must have taken it!"
"Who?!?"
"Four... four turtles. One human."
"Aaargh!!!"
Hun flung the elderly Chief to the ground and then commanded one of the assassins to go out of the tent. The assassin stepped outside, grabbing a lit torch standing next the tent. The assassin hurried towards the stables and laid the fire on the wood.
"If I do not have that blade... then you will no longer have a camp!" stormed Hun, stepping out of the tent as the everyone in the camp scurried.
As the five heroes made their way towards the Purple Dragon's home, they stopped and turned around to see smoke billowing from the camp of the Okami Tribe.
"We have to go back and save them!" said Leo, making his way immediately back in the direction he came.
"Leo! Wait!" shouted Rain, running after Leo with the others following behind.
Inside the now burning camp, the Shadow Assassins raged as ninjas tried to fight and help everyone to safety. Upon one of their mounts, Hun rode through commanding his assassins to kill every last mother and child.
"We have to do something." whispered Erigg, hiding behind a barrel with Ixnus and Wick.
"We will." snarled Leo, unsheathing his blade.
"I want this place burned completely down!" laughed Hun, holding up the other katana blade.
Suddenly Hun felt a sharp pain hitting his wrist. He dropped the blade and before him stood Leo.
"You." growled Hun.
The Shadow Assassins turned their heads to the action and began their attack on Leo. Leo dodged their strikes, stabbing each of them in the abdomen.
"Turtle." growled Hun "I flattened you."
Hun turned his mount towards Leo and began charging at him. As the tip of it's massive horn got within an inch of his face, Leo crossed his blades, blocking it.
"Crush him!" yelled Hun, kicking the poor animal.
With one powerful swipe, Hun flew off of the mount and fell to the ground. The mount fell on it's back and moaned a heavy and low moan.
"Had enough?" asked Leo, watching Hun return to his feet.
"Assassins!" shouted Hun "Vanish!"
The assassins in the campsite disappeared into thin air, leaving the inhabitants relieved.
"We must go after them." said Rain, running to Leo.
"Wait." called the Chief, before the heroes could leave "Your weapons are in that tent."
Leo stared at the winded Chief and noticed a stab wound on his side.
"You are injured." said Leo "We must get him somewhere safe."
"Forget me." commanded the Chief "I used all of you. I don't deserve to be helped."
"You acted out of fear." said Leo "That's exactly what the Shadowlord and his army wants. That way they can manipulate. Thankfully there was one soul brave enough to do something."
Leo looked at Fu, who was standing nearby.
"You gave them the blade?" asked Chief Turok, turning towards his daughter.
"It is time we stood up to the Shadowlord." spoke Fu "This tribe use to mean something. This camp use to be more than a camp. Father, if we continue to live in fear of the Shadowlord and his army, then we will have nothing. No more compromises."
Chief Turok lowered his head and began to sigh.
"You are right." said the Chief "We can't live like this any longer."
The Chief walked towards Rahzza and Jien Chu and took their blades in his hands.
"I am ready." said the Chief.
"Chief, you are hurt." said Jien.
"I know." responded the Chief "I know."
"Let us go." spoke Rahzza.
"I will go as well." said Jien.
"Very well." said the Chief.
"I will take you to the infirmary in the town." said Fu, taking her father's hand.
And so our five heroes, along Jien Chen and Rahzza, mounted up and headed for the mountain, the home of the Purple Dragon.
On the path leading to the mountain Hun and the Shadow Assassins waited. They hid themselves in the treetops, ready to strike as soon as the heroes drew near.
"I wish I had more of my spells with me." complained Erigg.
"Didn't that potion of yours give you unlimited spells?" asked Rain.
"Yes, but I would like a little variety." responded Erigg.
"Strike!" ordered Hun.
The Shadow Assassins dropped down, surrounding our heroes.
"Scoundrels!" hissed Jien, pulling out his blade.
"I wouldn't do that." said Hun, grabbing Wick from behind and pointing a dagger at his side.
"Let him go!" shouted Erigg.
"Toss your weapons!" commanded Hun.
Looking at one another the heroes threw their weapons to the ground, but Hun, with a sly grin on his face, slid the dagger into Wick's back. As the heroes rushed to his aid, the Assassins disappeared.
"Wick!" cried Erigg, cradling his friend "Wick, can you hear me?"
"I'm... I'm hurt." moaned Wick.
"He needs to be rushed to the infirmary." suggested Jien.
"I'll go with you." said Erigg.
"N-No..." said Wick "Go... d-defeat... the dragon..,"
Wick fell from Erigg's arms and onto the grass. With a heavy heart, Erigg journeyed on with the other three turtles, as Jien and Rahzza took Wick back where they had came from.
"Hun will pay." said Ixnis, following after Erigg.
Rain and Leo glanced at one another and also followed.
"They are getting closer to the mountain sir."
"Good." snarled Hun "Once they start climbing they will suffer a painful death."
The four turtles came to the foot of the mountain below and looked up at it's height.
"I suppose we have to climb." said Rain.
"Follow me." said Leo, starting his climb up the mountain with the others following behind.
After getting almost halfway up the mountain they started noticing boulders hurling down towards them.
"Look out!" called Ixnus, alerting Leo and the others, who jumped out of the way before being hit.
"Let's keep climbing!" said Leo, continuing up the mountain.
The rest followed behind as more boulders came hurling towards them, they leaped and dodged out of the way, getting to the entrance of the cave at the very top.
"They've gotten inside." said one of the Shadow Assassins.
"Let them go." said Hun "The dragon will have them flattened in no time."
Deep inside the cave the four turtles walked carefully, looking from one side to the other for any hint of the Purple Dragon.
"Do you see it?" whispered Rain.
"No." whispered Leo.
"It's not like we can miss it, it's a dragon." whispered Erigg, following Leo into a room in the cave filled with gold.
"Wow." said Rain, looking at all the gold and jewelry.
"Don't touch anything." commanded Leo.
"What? Why not?" asked Rain.
"There might be traps."
"Traps in a dragon cave?" said Rain.
"Just don't touch any of it. We're here to find a..."
Leo paused for moment, feeling a bit of hot breath hi his head. He slowly turned around and there stood the Purple Dragon, ready to scorch the intruders.
"It's huge." whispered Erigg.
The dragon growled and swiped it's large claws at the turtles. Erigg and Ixnus jumped out of the way, but Leo and Rain were thrown into the wall.
"That's it!" yelled Erigg, using the magic given to him by the potion to create a floating sheet of ice.
Erigg flew towards the dragon, his ice and fire in hand, but he was soon thrown to the ground by the dragon's massive tail.
"You're quick." said Ixnus "But not as quick as I am."
Ixnus ran around the dragon, searching for a weapon to use, but the dragon caught up with him, using it's tail to knock him into the other wall.
"Urgh..." moaned Ixnus, trying to stand.
"Ahhh!" screamed Leo, with his katana in hand, running at the dragon.
Leo struck the giant dragon's claws with his blade, but the dragon only threw him out of the way.
"Ooh." groaned Rain, setting his sights on a rusty battleaxe.
Leo and Ixnus attempted to attack the dragon again, but each of them failed to make a mark on it.
"Here!" shouted Rain, hitting the dragon's foot with his axe.
The dragon roared in pain and began swiping at Rain, who dodged each strike.
"You'll need to better than that." said Rain, before getting hit in the back of the head from behind.
"Hun!" snarled Ixnus.
"Thank you Ixnus." said Hun, pointing a glowing purple rock at the dragon.
"Thank him?" asked Erigg "What do you mean?"
"Ixnus brought you here to be captured by us." laughed Hun.
"You're a liar!" said Leo.
"Am I?" smirked Hun "Then why don't you look at him."
Leo looked at Ixnus, as did the others. Ixnus lowered his head, ashamed to look them all in the eyes.
"We trusted you." growled Rain "How could you do this to us?!?"
"My friend is wounded because of you!" stormed Erigg.
"Please, he doesn't care about any of you." said Hun, with a smirk "Assassins, take these three and lock them away."
Inside of a cage within the cave, Rain, Erigg and Leo sat, thinking of a way to escape.
"If only I had more of my spells." frowned Erigg "I know that would help us out."
"Will you please be quiet about your damned spells?!?" yelled Rain.
"I need them with me!" yelled Erigg.
"You already have infinite spells, why not use that?!?"
"Because it's just not as fun as a regular spell. Also my infinite spells won't work on these enchanted bars."
"So we're stuck here." growled Rain.
"Rain." spoke Leo "I know you're upset, but try not to take it out on Erigg."
"I'm just frustrated." said Rain "I thought Ixnus was trustworthy."
"I... I did too." sighed Leo.
Rain, feeling frustrated, sat on the ground and leaned against the wall. He heard the potion he was carrying fall. He picked it up and looked it over.
Outside, at the top of the mountain, Hun, Ixnus and the Shadow Assassins got the dragon equipped to ride.
"Once we have everything we need, we kill those three." said Hun with a smirk.
"Kill?" said Ixnus.
"Of course." answered Hun "You didn't think we were just going to leave them here alive, did you?"
"But... we shouldn't kill them." said Ixnus, hesitantly "We have what we want, let's just leave them here to rot."
"Bah! You've gone too soft!" yelled Hun, grabbing Ixnus by his collar and shoving him to the ground "I should have known this would happen! As soon as the Shadowlord found you I should have told him to leave you where you lay."
"Found me?"
"He was a fool. He should have ended you, like he did the rest of your miserable family."
Ixnus couldn't believe what he was hearing. His whole life he thought the Shadowlord truly cared about him, but it was he who destroyed his old home. Annihilated his family. Ixnus began to see the Shadowlord for the monster he truly was. Ixnus stood up, swiping the katana blade from Hun's belt, and pointing it at him.
"Well..." chuckled Hun "Someone is getting awfully testy."
"The Shadowlord killed my family. I will no longer be called an ally. Consider me an enemy."
"Fool!"
Hun knocked the blade out of his face using his own blade and kicked Ixnus in the stomach.
"You really think you are worth anything to us?" said Hun "You are but a pawn in the Shadowlord's game."
"Then what would you that make you?" Ixnus remarked, receiving another hard kick in the stomach.
"I'll end you now." said Hun, lifting his blade over his head, but feeling the sharp pain of an icicle stabbing his hand.
"You will pay for everything." said Erigg, another ice blast ready to go.
"Assassins, attack!"
The Shadow Assassins charged forwards. Rain, now with his new strength after drinking his potion, uses axe against the onslaught of Assassins. Leo runs through the crowd, knocking the katana from Hun's hand and grabbing the other katana after Ixnus threw it to him.
"Grrr." growled Hun, swinging his fists at the two turtles.
Leo and Ixnus dodged Hun's punches until he pulled out a mace.
"Try dodging this." said Hun, swinging the mace at the turtle's heads.
Leo and Ixnus ducked and rolled as the ball moved over their heads.
"I will finish both of you." growled Hun, taking out the stone he had earlier.
Right above Leo, the Purple Dragon swooped down, almost knocking off his head. Leo ducked, with his belly flat on the ground and watched Hun as he approached Ixnus. With determination Leo threw one of his blades at Hun's hand, causing him to drop the stone off the mountain.
"No." said Hun, watching the stone fall, not noticing Leo running towards him, and pulling the sword from his hand "AHHH!!!"
Leo leaped over Hun's head as the dragon swooped down. Ixnus threw himself onto the dragon's neck and rode him into the sky.
"You will pay for this!" growled Hun, unsheathing his sword and going for Leo's head.
Leo swiftly crossed his blades in front of his face, blocking Hun's sword.
"You will not destroy the Shadow Realm!" growled Hun, pushing Leo back until he was at the edge of the mountain "Say goodbye turtle."
Up in the sky Ixnus could see that Leo, Rain and Erigg were being overpowered, so he took his staff and placed it in into the dragon's neck. Doing this he was able to control the dragon. The dragon swooped down at the Shadow Assassins, knocking most of them off the mountain.
"Woah!" shouted Erigg.
"We better move before that thing comes down and hits us!" said Rain, grabbing Erigg and hopping down to a ledge below them before the came back to finish off the rest of the Assassins.
"This is where you die." snarled Hun, pushing all of his weight onto Leo until he lost his footing.
Leo, his blades still in hand, fell from the ledge as Hun looked on in delight. But Leo was quickly caught by the dragon. The dragon flew into the air and looked down at Hun, who standing on his own.
"Traitor!" yelled Hun, before the dragon spat a circle of purple flames around him.
"Are you to cripple the Shadowlord's army once and for all?" asked Ixnus.
"I am." replied Leo, as the dragon aimed at Hun.
"Come on!" shouted Hun, looking straight up at the oncoming dragon, ready to kill it as soon as it reached him.
The dragon's wings close to it's. Purple fire oozing from its teeth. The impact was enough to kill seven thousand men.
Far from the mountain, the ninja caravan looked back, witnessing the explosion.
"No." whispered Wick, his heart sinking.
"It's over." said Jien, sadly.
"They will not be forgotten." said Fu.
Before the small caravan could continue, a wave wind brushed against the carts. Above them was the Purple Dragon.
"The Purple Dragon!" said Rahzza, aiming his bow at the dragon.
"No Rahzza, look." said Jien, pointing at the turtle atop the dragon's head.
The dragon landed on the ground. The turtles jumped off to meet the Okami tribe with their new mount.
"You have tamed the Purple Dragon?" said Jien in awe.
"With it we will surely defeat the Shadowlord and his army." said Ixnus, petting the dragon.
"Erigg..."
"Wick."
Erigg ran to the back of the cart at the very end of the line. He got in and kneeled next to Wick.
"Wick." said Erigg, teary eyed "How are you feeling my friend?"
"I'm okay." said Wick "I just wish I could continue to be with you on your journey."
"Rest my friend." said Erigg.
After saying his goodbye to his friend, Erigg stepped off the cart and the caravan continued on their path. The four turtles climbed onto the dragon and headed for the Shadowlord's hideout for their final battle.
"My lord... Hun is dead... Ixnus turned against us... they are headed this way."
"Let them come."
"My lord?"
"I want to face them myself."
"What if they kill you my lord?"
"Then they would be killing themselves."