Pure Fury
Part 3
by Rarstarr

Port Solles was a large town and a major part of the caravan route to 
Salan. The barracks at Solles held the second largest concentration of 
Lania soldiers in the Kingdom, and it was to the General commanding these 
soldiers that Sarana had come to send a message to her father. Getting in 
to see the General was fairly easy for one of her standing.

"Your Highness, what brings you to Solles?" the General inquired 
politely.

"My father sent me on a mission to Solles Abbey General, along with a 
pair of adventures. When we arrived there we found evidence that the 
abbey had been attacked twice," she informed him.

The seemed taken back by surprise. "But the abbey is so close to town, 
surely we would have noticed."

"Obviously not, everyone in the abbey is dead. Send a message to my 
father telling him that his hunters are in Salan, nothing more. That's 
urgent and needs to go by your fastest courier. You can report the loss 
of the abbey normally, but don't include any mention of me or my 
companions," she told him, remembering what Cain had suggested.

"My I inquire why your highness?" The General asked.

"I am on an important mission which is getting more complicated with 
every turn. We simply do not wish to risk tipping off our enemies." 
Sarana spoke with the royal tone, that showed the General she meant 
business.

After she had left, the General sat thinking about what she had said. 
"The King's Hunters eh?" he mused. "I don't like the fact he's put 
together a group of adventurers and I've heard nothing."

Two messages left the Solles barracks that day. The one to the king was 
as the princess requested, the other, to the General in charge of the 
forces of Lania Tor. The second read simply: "Here be dragons," followed 
by a series of meaningless numbers and letters.

*****

The Spray Dancer was a cargo courier that often made the three week trip 
to the nearest Salan port, usually in record time. Captain Dumont hadn't 
intended to return to sea for a few weeks, however the young man who was 
chartering the ship had enough money to dictate the terms.

Cain, for his part, had spent most of a day talking to bartenders on the 
docks attempting to find a ship for the trip to the eastern continent. 
For the most part he been told that the Spray Dancer was the fastest 
ship, if somewhat small, that wasn't a pirate. She mainly handled small 
expensive cargoes that had to cross the water in a minimum of time.

"Yerself, two ladies and seven 'orses eh lad. Aye, the Spray Dancer can 
take ya to Salan, but it's gonna cost ya," Cain found the captain's 
brogue fascinating.

"How much?" the young warrior inquired.

"Two hundred a piece 'n' fifty a 'orse. Thatta be nine fifty for the 
trip, how that take ya boy?"

"Eight, straight," Cain returned.

"Ye insult me boy, certainly no less than nine. Half now, half in Salan."

Cain looked up at him. "Get us out of here on the next tide and you have 
a deal." Cain offered his hand.

Dumont shook his hand. "It's a deal ye have boy. Be at the docks at sun 
up tomorrow, the tides not long after. And don't be forgettin' the 
coins." Cain nodded then turned to walk away. "Boy, what you be running 
from?"

Cain turned back. "Not running, chasing. My friend's errant fiancee. He 
won't get away from us again." The captain laughed as Cain headed off.

*****

Cain returned to the inn the trio had taken room at to find Sarana 
sitting at one of the tables. A few of the patrons were gazing fearfully 
towards the princess. Approaching the table Cain saw why, the young mage 
was idly playing with a small ball of fire.

"Seen Jun?" he inquired, sitting down opposite her.

"No, she hasn't returned," Sarana replied, "and I haven't seen her all 
day."

"Speak of the devil, here she comes," Cain pointed across the room. Jun 
strode purposefully towards them.

"Devil's about right," Sarana murmured.

As soon as she reached the table she sat and looked at the two of them. 
"Did you succeed?" she demanded.

"We're expected at the docks at sunrise tomorrow. I hired the best ship I 
could find," Cain informed her.

"And I sent the message, as we agreed," Sarana added. "What did you spend 
the day doing?"

"I visited a number of armourers, and inquired after the arrow," she 
replied. "Unfortunately no one agrees on where it came from. I guess 
we'll have more luck in Salan"

"That's going to be trouble," Cain pointed out. "None of us look very 
Salanish."

Jun pulled a watch out a pocket somewhere in her robes and looked at it. 
"Thought of that already, I have a hair appointment in a little over half 
an hour."

"Isn't this a strange time for vanity?" Sarana demanded.

Jun rolled her eyes. "I'm dyeing it black, that way I'll just look like a 
tall Salan then."

"Hopefully," put in Cain.

*****

After five days at sea Sarana decided to approach Cain, who'd spent most 
of the voyage leaning against the leeward rail.

"Not got your sea legs yet?" she asked, noting his pale complexion.

"The coast is a weeks travel from Kirinus. You've got to admit, I haven't 
had a lot of opportunity to go through this before," he told her.

"It doesn't appear to bother Jun," Sarana pointed out.

"Yeah, well, it takes a lot to bother Jun."

Sarana paused for a long moment. "Tell me, how do you put with her?"

"You mean her explosive personality." Cain turned, leaning his elbows on 
the rails and facing across the ship. "You should know that when I was 
eight my father decided that he couldn't train five sons, and packed me 
off to a village a half days travel away. Since then I've seen more of 
Jun and Master Yo than I have of my own family. I've spent more of my 
life training with her than doing anything else. That leaves you very 
close."

Sarana stared out across the ocean. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Jun and I are a team, simply because we know each other well. Like it or 
loathe it you're part of the team now, we need to be able to communicate, 
or else we'll just be mucking each other up," Cain explained.

"Why do you let her boss you around like you do?" the princess inquired.

Cain opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a shout of: "Sail 
Ho!" from the crow's nest. Looking up he could see the look out pointing 
aft. Turning he spotted Captain Dumont hurrying up onto the poop deck. 
Leaving the princess behind he jogged up beside the Captain as he peered 
through a telescope at the vessel behind them.

"Trouble?" Cain inquired.

"Cannie tell from 'ere," the Captain answered, putting down the telescope 
down, "but the Spray Dancer is the fastest ship which sails these waters 
for cargo. Know anyone who would wanna chase ya boy?"

"Not that I know," Cain admitted.

"Could be something to do with the girl's husband-ta-be?"

Cain smiled, the Captain had believed that story right up until he'd met 
the ladies. "Nope, all our enemies are ahead of us. Could it be pirates?"

"Aye, but thee and me hardly made a secret of our cargo. We 'ave naught 
that pirates would want, and she is definitely out of Solles."

"Can we fight them?" Cain asked seriously.

"We'll surely try, will ye be joining us?"

"Yes, we will," Cain replied.

*****

The pirate ship caught up with them in a surprising short amount of time, 
and despite the captains maneuvering the pair of ships soon crashed 
together. The pirates swinging onto the Sea Dancer were surprised to be 
passed by a tall black haired Salan girl and a young man in full armour, 
both glowing. The airborne sailors had little time to reflect on this as 
moments later a volley of light bolts sizzled through the ropes, sending 
them crashing to the deck below.

"Damn," cursed Sarana from the crow's nest as the Dancer's crew leapt 
upon them, "missed!"

Cain and Jun landed with a crash on the pirate ship's deck. Five of the 
surprised crew had fallen before they realised what was happening. 
Another four fell as they rallied to face the foe, leaving the mid-deck 
clear. Jun and Cain stood back to back, Jun facing fore and Cain aft.

A second passed as the pirates took in the massacre before them. The 
pause was a blunder, as a column of light bore down on al number of them. 
When the light vanished another few pirates were missing.

"Do ye surrenda?" Captain Dumont called.

The remaining crew looked from the pair on the mid-deck, to the crew of 
the Dancer hauling on ropes to bring the two ships closer together. There 
was a deafening clatter as swords and daggers struck the deck.

Jun and Cain prowled below decks as the Dancer's crew took care of the 
pirates. Cain suddenly held up his hand and the pair froze. A muffled 
thumping could be heard.

Jun snuck forward, leaving Cain behind. The noise seemed to be coming 
from the cabin ahead, probably the captain's. Jun pushed open the cabin 
door, and could hear the thumping quite clearly, but a quick search 
revealed no other exits. She moved back to the door and waved Cain down, 
who tried on move as quietly as possible. The cabin was richly furnished, 
with a plush carpet on the floor, a writing desk and a bookcase full of 
maps at one end.

"A secret room?" Cain asked.

"Obviously, but where?" Jun countered.

They surveyed the room. "The bookcase," they announced together.

A quick inspection of the shelves turned up a not very well hidden catch. 
Jun pulled back beside the secret door and nodded to Cain, who released 
the catch and pulled back the door, keeping behind it as he did. Three 
small objects flew from the opening, one burying itself in the back of 
the door, the other two in the wall opposite.

Jun waited a few seconds and a head popped out through the door. In a 
flash Jun had the persons neck trapped between her and her halberd's 
shaft. Cain immediately stepped out sword pointed at the person 
struggling in Jun's grasp.

Their captive was a Salan woman. She was of fairly normal height (which 
for her meant that she was slightly shorter than Cain). Cain thought she 
looked fairly beautiful, although he was no expert on Salan beauty. 
Strangely enough she appeared to wearing a Kimono.

"Who are you?!" Cain demanded of the struggling girl.

"Breathe.." the girl croaked and Jun loosened her grip on the girl. 
"Thanks. You two aren't with the pirates, are you?"

"Do I look like I'm with the pirates?" Cain inquired sweetly.

"He he, no, not really. Ah, look, I'm, uh, sorry for attacking you. Um, 
could you let me go now?" she asked.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Cain once more demanded, his patience at an end and his 
sword erupting into flame.

"I'm Takigawa Sakura!" the girl squeaked. "I stowed away on board 
thinking this ship was going back to Salan and was caught just a few 
hours ago. The captain was dealing with me when your ship came into view, 
so he threw me into that room. That's the truth, honest!"

"I believe her," Jun said flatly.

Cain looked at Sakura for a moment, then lowered his sword. Immediately 
Sakura found herself free of Jun's halberd. 

While Sakura straightened her clothes Jun looked into the secret room. 
"Empty," she snorted.

"Why are you two heading for Salan?" Sakura asked. "Can't be for a 
holiday."

"We're looking for someone," Cain told her as he wandered over to the 
desk to search for it.

"Well, seeing as you saved me from these dastardly pirates, I pledge to 
aid you in your mission!" Sakura announced gladly.

Jun looked up from the chest she was rooting through. "No offence, but 
what makes you think you can be of use?"

Sakura smiled smugly. "Have either of you been to Salan before?"

Jun and Cain both paused for a few seconds. "She's got a point," Cain 
pointed out.

Jun stood and walked to the secret door. "She got quite a few I imagine," 
Jun commented, pulling the shuriken from where Sakura had imbedded it. 
"Okay, I'll bite. She'd just better not turn on us."

"Hey!" Sakura cried.

*****

The room sat off a garden of contemplation in one of the richest houses 
in Korito, the capital of Salan. It was a simply room, with only a table 
and bamboo paper doors. The only occupant was contemplating the cup of 
tea before him when the door that led further into the house was thrown 
open.

"My lord! The mage has finally found her, and she returns to this city 
even now!" the servant cried happily.

The man stood and gazed disdainfully at his servant. "For this, and only 
this, will I forgive your rudeness. Begone."

The servant, thoroughly chastised, bowed and retreated from the room. 
Once he was gone the master allowed a smile to play across his face.

"At last I shall have her!"

*****

The doors slid open, revealing the most dreaded room in whole citadel. 
Now the room itself was quite beautiful. Art from a hundred cultures 
adorned the walls, statues sculptured by the hands of artists long dead 
stood on tables around the room, patterned rugs weaved from the plants 
that would never grow again covered the floor. Obviously it was none of 
these things, collected with such care, that made the room so dreadful. 
It was the collector himself.

The newcomer made a nervous approach to the man standing at one end of 
the room, admiring an antique sword. He was the most feared man among a 
group with the courage to call themselves Skylords.

"Five days Manicharin. You have spent five days on what should have been 
a simple mission," the leader said in his metallic voice.

Manicharin gulped once, the stammered his reply: "M-m-my Lord, when I 
arrived, he was already gone. S-someone else had come and taken him."

"I gather you tracked these people."

"Y-y-yes my lord, but we lost them sir. Somewhere in Salan."

The leader negligently swung the sword he held. "Manicharin, I gave you a 
chance to prove yourself, and you failed," he told the falling corpse. "I 
cannot allow that."

The golden armoured warrior threw the bloodied sword on top of the late 
Skylord's body, then pulled a bell pull. "Dispose of these," he told the 
servant when he arrived, indicating the rug, body and sword.

-----------
Rarstarr,
David Farr
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~djfarr/
djfarr@ihug.co.nz