Chapter Two
Ranma slowly stepped forward and bowed. "My companion and I heard
about the state your kingdom is in. We have come here to offer our
services."
"I see," Lord Tendou replied, "and what might these 'services' be?"
This time, Ryouga stepped forward. "My Lord, we are mercenary
warriors, highly skilled in The Art."
Ranma, unable to contain himself, interrupted, "we're the best of the
best!"
"Is that so? Care to prove that... What did you say your name was?"
"Ranma. Saotome Ranma," he said before Ryouga stepped firmly on his
foot. "Your Highness," Ranma added glaring at Ryouga from the corner
of his eyes.
Akane held back a giggle.
'Saotome... that name sounds familiar,' Lord Tendou thought, rubbing
his chin. "Very well, Saotome. My daughter will take you and your
comrade here to the training yard. But first..."
Lord Tendou clapped his hands twice. Two formally dressed young men
stood up quickly. They came over from their places at a table in the
corner of the chamber. They bowed in unison.
"Take these two and properly equip them." Lord Tendou dismissed them
with a wave of his hand.
The two boys rose and motioned for Ranma and Ryouga to follow them.
When they were out of the chamber, Lord Tendou turned to his daughter.
"Akane, help your father. Where have I heard the name Saotome before?
My memory fails me in my old age."
"You're not that old father! I'm sorry, but I do not recall ever
hearing that name."
"Oh well. I am sure it will come to me in due time. Now, off with you!
Tell Nabiki to summon that Kunou wretch."
"Yes, father." Akane bowed and let herself out of the chamber.
(-\*/-)
Ranma stared at the two boys walking in front of him. 'Boy, what funny
lookin' clothes,' he thought. They were wearing dark blue silk shirts
with crimson trim and black pants of a sort Ranma had never seen.
'Must be for riding or somethin',' Ranma guessed. A gold silk sash was
tied around their waists. The boy with longer hair, had one just like
it holding his hair back. They both had a large nodachi sword strapped
to their backs. 'Looks more for show than anything.' Ranma's thoughts
were soon interrupted.
"Sirs, if you will," the boy with short brown hair said, as he opened
a plain-looking door to the party's left.
Ryouga let go of Ranma's cloak, shoved him into the room then
followed. "Must be the armory," Ryouga commented as he looked around.
"Who would have guessed," Ranma added sarcasticly as he examined a
finely crafted shield hanging from the wall.
"You will be fighting Kunou Tatewaki. He is one of the highest skilled
swordsman in the kingdom, despite his delusional nature," one boy
offered, taking pieces of plate armor out of a wardrobe and placing
them onto a long table.
As the wards continued taking out and polishing pieces of armor, Ranma
and Ryouga wandered around the room. Ranma stopped in front of a large
painting hanging from the far wall. After a while, Ryouga got
impatient and came to see what had attracted Ranma's attention for so
long.
"Check this out. It looks like Lord Tendou," Ranma commented pointing
at the painting.
"It is. Read the caption, jerk." Ryouga stepped closer. "That must
have been his wife. Wow... she was beautiful."
"Yeah, she looks kind of like Akane." Ranma, realising what he said,
quickly turned his attention back to the wards.
Ryouga shrugged and followed.
Ranma idly looked at the armor spread out on the table. "This armor
looks a little worn," he commented looking at a chest plate.
"Yes, it is in fact old. Most of it was worn by guard who were killed
in the line of duty. A lot of our Elite Guards did not return from
their patrols of outer territory. This is all that was found of them,"
a ward replied, polishing a helmet.
"What do you think happened?" Ryouga asked.
"Well, there's been a lot of fly overs by Dragon Scouts. They probably
got fried, they were easy pickings after all. That's why the patrols
were stopped, or you probably never would have made it that close to
the city undetected. All the guards are needed to protect the city
itself."
Ranma and Ryouga nodded.
One of the wards handed some boots and few pieces of leather clothes
to wear under the armor to Ranma and Ryouga. They quickly removed
their old chain-mail and tattered clothes and put on the new leather
shirts, boots, and leggings. Ryouga then walked over to the table with
the various types of armor. He grabbed two shirts of chain-mail
bearing the Tendou star crest. He handed one to Ranma, keeping the
other for himself.
"That's it?" the two wards said in unison as they looked at they
mercenaries in shock.
Ranma waved his hand at the table with the armor. "All this other junk
would just get in our way."
Ryouga nodded in agreement.
A knock at the door took the attention away from Ranma and Ryouga's
choice of armor. The door slowly opened to reveal Akane standing in
the frame, tapping her foot impatiently. While the two wards quickly
bowed, Ranma and Ryouga gaped at the sight before them.
Akane wore a long sleeve light blue dress that ended just above her
ankles. It was rather form fitting around the chest and waist, but
ballooning out at the hips into a full dress, well suited for a
princess. Her long raven hair was tied back in a simple, yet elegant
ponytail. She cleared her throat, and her two onlookers quickly bowed,
blushing slightly.
"Jeez, do all boys have to be perverts?" Akane asked sarcasticly
turning her head to hide her blush.
"I, that is... we, I was just..." Ranma stuttered his response.
The two wards, sensing the tension had quickly left the room. Akane
spun on her heels and started walking away. Ranma and Ryouga quickly
pulled on their new mail shirts. Ranma hurried out the door with
Ryouga clutching his shirt tail.
The group stepped out of the back gate of the castle into a large
courtyard. It was completely surrounded by a crowd of commoner and
royal spectators alike. Lord Tendou stood along the right side of the
field, a young lady on either side of him. All three dressed for a
ceremony.
"The girl to the right of my father, with the long brown hair, is my
oldest sister, Kasumi. The shorted hair girl to the left, is my other
sister, Nabiki," Akane offered as she and the boys approached her
family.
"You two do not seem to be very well armored. Were my offerings
unsatisfactory?" Lord Tendou seemed to tear up, but his daughters
quickly comforted him.
"Sorry, he's been this way since Mother disappeared," Kasumi
explained.
Ranma nodded. "It's nothing against your hospitality sir, we're just
more efficient this way," Ranma offered.
Lord Tendou nodded. Some shouting drew the groups attention to a
ruckus at the other end of the field.
"Who are the curs who dare to challenge me? I shall smite them well,
or my name is not Kunou Tatewaki, the blazing star of swordmanship!" a
tall boy whom Ranma thought was too extravagantly dressed to be much
of a warrior yelled as he walked onto the field. Ryouga started
laughing.
"You there!" Kunou pointed his katana at Ryouga, who had started
laughing even harder. "You dare mock me? Prepare to die!"
Ryouga started to step forward, still laughing. Ranma placed an arm in
front of him. He started to protest, but complied. 'Can't stop
laughing anyway,' Ryouga thought taking a look at his would be
attacker. Ranma went into a battle stance that everyone other than
Ryouga found strange.
Kunou laughed, "insolent fool! You think you can defeat me and not
even bare a sword?" He swung his sword with a vertical stroke at
Ranma's midsection. Ranma easily leaped over it, landing on Kunou's
head. He pushed off Kunou's head and came to a landing directly behind
him. Kunou turned to face his "victim", but was rewarded with a foot
planted in his face. The crowd clapped in amusement.
Ranma removed his foot from Kunou's head and walked towards Akane. She
blushed, turned to face her sister, Kasumi, and began chatting idly,
as Ranma stepped up behind her. Kunou, after a short memory lapse,
charged and swung at Ranma, who ducked instinctively. He failed to
check his swing, and the blade sliced clean through most of Akane's
ponytail. She quickly swung around to Kunou, a hand on the back of her
head. She began to glow a faint blue, only Ryouga and Ranma noticed,
to both their surprise. Akane growled and slugged Kunou, who collapsed
to the ground mumbling something about his "beloved".
Ranma walked up to Akane, but before he could say anything, she took
off running, eyes full of tears, back towards the castle. Her sisters
picked up their dresses slightly and gave chase, while Lord Tendou
began to sob uncontrollably.
"My poor baby!"
"She'll be okay, My Lord. It was only her hair," Ranma offered causing
Lord Tendou to cry even harder.
"Her beautiful hair! It was beginning to look so much like her
mother's..." Lord Tendou sobbed.
Ranma and Ryouga quickly helped the Royal Guards escort Lord Tendou
back towards the castle to save him any further embarrassment. They
helped him back to his chambers where the guards quickly took Lord
Tendou under their care, and showed Ranma and Ryouga out.
'Wonder if Akane is alright...' Ranma and Ryouga thought as they
leaned against the wall.
(-\*/-)
Back in the courtyard...
As the last of the spectators made their way back to their business,
Kunou slowly came to. "Ahh, my love! So rough in her affection." He
stood and dusted himself off. "You there!" he yelled at a young boy
who was playing nearby. The boy looked up at Kunou. "Fetch me my sword
peasant!" The boy shouted something vulgar in response then picked up
a large rock. He chunked it at Kunou's head then ran off in giggles.
Kunou fell back down with a rather large red circle in the middle of
his forehead.
(-\*/-)
Akane sat on her bed in her chambers, her sister Kasumi stood behind
her cutting her hair. Nabiki sat beside her on the bed.
"I can't believe that jerk! My hair was finally getting as long as
Mother's," Akane sniffled and placed her head in hands.
"Akane dear, if you don't hold still I will not be able to cut your
hair correctly."
"Sorry, Kasumi," Akane said, as she sat up straight.
"You really should pay more attention to things, Akane."
"Yes, Nabiki," Akane said sighing.
"There! It doesn't look so bad Akane. See?" Kasumi handed Akane a
small silver hand mirror.
There was a light rapping at the door. "Enter," Nabiki said standing.
The door opened slowly and a young page stepped in and bowed. "Lady
Akane, the mercenaries wish to speak with you."
"Sisters, will you excuse me?" Akane asked as she stood up.
"Sure thing, Sis. Come on Kasumi, let's go see if Kunou is still
outside." Nabiki and Kasumi left Akane with her guests.
The young man stepped aside allowing Ranma, Ryouga, and a member of
the Elite Guard to enter. When they were inside, the page closed the
door, and the guard stood at attention.
"You may go now, Kenji," Akane said dismissing the guard.
"Begging your pardon, My Lady..." Kenji started, but was interrupted.
"I can take care of myself just fine. You may leave."
"Yes, My Lady." Kenji bowed and let himself out.
"You wanted to see me?" Akane asked turning her attention to the two
boys bowing in front of her.
"We came to see if you were alright. I, that is, Ryouga here was
worried about you. Isn't that right, Ryouga?" Ranma looked slightly
nervous.
Ryouga nodded.
"I'm just fine. Just rather upset about this impromptu hair cut,"
Akane said pointing at her now-short hair.
"Well I think it's kind of cute."
"Do you really think so, Ranma?"
Ranma nodded, "Sure! Besides, all tomboys are supposed to have short
hair!"
"What?" Akane asked fuming.
"I said..." Ranma was unable to finish his sentence as Ryouga quickly
placed a hand over his mouth.
"Forgive him, years of travelling seems to have made him lose his
common sense," Ryouga said placing his hand back at his side.
"Like you're one to talk, pork butt," Ranma growled.
Ryouga scowled, then turned towards Ranma with the intent to make him
suffer.
"Will you two kindly cut it out?" Akane interrupted sharply, causing
the two to bow in response.
"Better. Now, get out." Akane pointed to the door, and the two quickly
let themselves out.
"Why the nerve of that jerk." Akane picked up the mirror again and
gazed into it. "Does he really think it's cute?"
(-\*/-)
Ryouga slugged Ranma in the stomach as they shut the door behind them.
"How dare you speak to a lady of the court like that! And a cute one,
no less."
"Ouch. Hey I was just telling the truth."
"That her hair cut is cute?" Ryouga asked smirking.
"Yes." Ranma nodded, then his eyes went wide. "No! I mean, the truth
that she is a tomboy and should have short hair."
"Well then, it that is the case, you won't mind after we achieve our
knighthood that I court her." Ryouga turned and started walking away.
"See if I care!" Ranma yelled after him. He looked at the ground for a
moment before looking up quickly in the direction Ryouga had left.
"Hey, you idiot! You'll get lost!"