The rumors of my being comited to an asylum were greatly
exagerated.
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: gs5.txt
A little late this time. Mostly because I kept getting very detailed ideas for the next couple of chapters (leading to a conclusion). When I say detailed, I mean like several pages worth of text. Because of this, it could be said that I was writing chapters 5 and 6 at the same time, with bit's of chapters 7 and 8 as well. I'll release 6 tomorrow.
Previous chapters can be found at http://home.earthlink.net/~tannim/index.html, and at http://www.sofaspud.org/couch/ (once they get them up, I've sent the chapters in three or four times over the last few months).
Thanks go to Mark for pre-reading this insane ranti... I man story.
Disclaimer: Unlike Bill Gates, I do not claim ownership of the things that I did not create. I give my respect to their creators.
Guardian's Soul
By Andrew Wilson
Chapter 5: Parting Ways
Ranma stared at the business ends of several dozen conventional and exotic weapons. Given his experience, this type of situation was nothing new. However, the durasteel cables keeping his hands behind his back were a little annoying.
"Will someone," he asked, "explain to me how we keep getting into these messes?"
"'We?'" Pirotess replied. "You're the one with the chaos curse. I thought you'd be used to it by now."
"I am. But these guys are supposed to be our friends."
"Wrong," Conner said. "They're not our enemies, yet. They might become friends if Deedlit can convince them that we're not agents of Mrryln, the Splugorth, the Phoenix Empire, Mindwerks, or whoever else is causing trouble these days."
"Or they might just shoot you for running your mouths off," Deedlit said, dropping down next to Ranma. A quick slice with one of her (magical) knives, and the cords were off, joined shortly by the bindings on the other companions.
"I take it the talks worked out?" Ryoga asked.
"More or less," Deedlit replied. "We've been allowed to meet with some of their brethren for information."
"But..." Conner predicted.
"But they want us out of here as soon as possible. The elders said we're a bunch of trouble magnets."
"Is it that bad?" Emeralda asked.
"No. They also want us to see something in Camelot. I have no idea what."
"What about the real reason we're here?"
"As far as these people are convinced," Deedlit explained, "our real reason for being here is to move on to Africa. I explained about Wulfgar and Kuno, and they babbled about the universe being guided, not controlled, and that those two were just an excuse to get us here, and from here we now have to go to where the Horsemen are going to appear."
"Huh?" came the reply from several mouths.
"Don't ask."
"What now?" Catti-brie asked.
"Now," came a voice from the edge of the clearing, "we leave this area." Stepping into the light was a tall man, wearing a type of plate armor. Long brown hair framed a handsome face, held back by a wide brimmed hat. "I am Sir Prrcyvel of New Camelot. I am to be your guide to the court of King Arr'thuu."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Conner asked, indicating his REF armor.
"That explosion was no fault of your organization. The fact that it happened over one of Mrryln's favorite nexus points means that only he holds any sort of grudge."
"What is this about?" Pirotess asked.
"About a year ago," Prrcyvel explained, "when the REF was first setting up their base, an accident happened."
"It was discovered," Conner interjected, "that the high amounts of magical energy in this area reacted with the protoculture in out mecha. When our Shadow-class Veritechs tried to cloak, the two energy sources resonated. It wasn't much of a problem, until a flight traveled over a nexus point. When the crash site was found," Conner shivered, "I've seen the vids. The bodies looked like rejects from some mad scientist's lab. The Veritechs had been ripped apart, the pilots died in agony. The flight recorders indicate one of them was alive for a while afterwards, simply because we could hear his insane babbling."
"Ouch," Ranma understated.
"Since then," Prrcyvel continued, "the King has been unsure whether or not to trust people in command of such unstable machines. The nexus point was also one of Mrryln's meditation spots, so he claims the incident was an assassination attempt. Unfortunately, the King listens to the wizard far too often."
"Can we just move on?" Conner asked. "Taking about a problem without doing anything is like trying to get a straight answer out of a time guardian. Rarely does anything useful come of it."
"Very well," Prrcyvel said. "Let us ride to Camelot."(1)
*******
With a sickening gurgle, the fourth victim died, sending his life energy into the forming vortex. Stepping over the spilled entrails, Rama-Set moved to the fifth sacrifice. Ashram stood to the side, observing the ceremony. Using a persons life force to cast a spell was well known, as was killing the victim in order to gain even more. However, the Pharaoh was not satisfied with simply killing his victims. The sadistic dragon instead brutally murdered his victims, trying to cause the maximum amount of suffering possible.
The ceremony had begun when the first victim had died. It was timed such because the man had been crucified several hours before. The second had his heart ripped from his body, and was alive long enough to see it beating in Rama-Set's hand. The third had been slowly lowered into a vat of molten metal. The fourth had simply been disemboweled. Now, with the fifth, he was getting more creative. A type of acid was injected into the man's blood, causing him to slowly dissolve into a pile of red sludge. Giving an admiring nod to his handiwork, Rama-Set moved to the last in line. As he moved toward the sixth bound form, the Pharaoh's form shifted into his true shape, that of a Chiang-ku dragon. The beast struck at the final sacrifice, eating the screaming man. The dragon let out a belch, releasing the energy of the snack's life.
Miang shook her head. "Couldn't you have just slit their throats, or stabbed them?"
"No," the dragon rumbled. "The being we are calling has very specific tastes. It loves suffering and destruction, almost as much as the Nightlords. To insure that our call goes out, we had to sacrifice the victims in this way."
He turned to the vortex in the middle of the chamber. "Now, be quiet, the final step is about to occur." His voice dropped in tone and volume as he began to chant. With each verse, the vortex grew. When the blue spiral nearly filled the chamber, four streaks of light emerged, speeding out of the room. Once the streaks disappeared, the vortex collapsed in on itself and disappeared.
Rama-Set shifted to his human form and picked up a large tome from a pedestal near the rooms door. "It should not have occurred that way. The Apocalypse Beast should have appeared here." Mumbling to himself, he flipped though more pages. After a few minutes, a draconian curse indicated the answer had been found.
"Is something wrong, Pharaoh?" Miang asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Rama-Set ignored it. "The Apocalypse Beast did not come, because that would attract too much attention throughout the Megaverse. Its four component entities have arrived, but are scattered throughout the continent. I'll have to deploy the army to insure that they are not interfered with."
"We will go as well," Ashram stated.
"Really?" Rama-Set asked. "Why is that?"
"There is something here that could destroy the world. Those fools will go out of their way to stop it. We will be ready for them."
"Yes, that group could cause a great deal of trouble." He waved the pair away. "Very well, do as you wish, but do not interfere with my own operations. I will give you limited control over my units, but the commanders will be informed of what orders from you they can and cannot follow."
Ashram nodded. "Very well, Pharaoh. I will return when they have been destroyed."
*******
Ryoga shivered.
"What's wrong?" Pirotess asked.
"Nothing," he replied, "just a chill."
Shrugging the matter off, the pair resumed their bored waiting.
"How long is this supposed to take?"
"Who knows," Conner sighed. "Those two," he gestured over to an elderly couple on the far side of the anteroom, "stirred up the court quite a lot."
They had arrived just in time to watch a bombshell get dropped on the court of New Camelot. The four aspects of the Apocalypse Beast, known as the Four Horsemen, were about to be summoned, and may have arrived by now. The bearer of such news, the above mentioned elderly Asian man, was nearly run out of court by Mrrlyn if not for the above mentioned elderly woman. King Arr'thuu quickly cleared the throne room, except for his closest advisors. While Prrcyvel and Mrrlyn discussed the problem with the King, the companions were ushered out with all the other courtiers and petitioners.
Well, most of them, anyway.
"Where's Drizzt?" Emeralda asked.
"He said that he'd be needing to speak with the King," Catti-brie answered.
"He's still in there?" Oddly enough, Ranma wasn't surprised.
Before anything else could be said, the doors burst open. Prrcyvel and Mrrlyn walked out, glared at each other, then move off in opposite directions. Mrrlyn quickly marched down the corridor, vanishing in the distance, while Prrcyvel moved over to the couple that had apparently caused the wizard's foul mood.
"My apologies," he told them, "but the King will be staying here. However, he has agreed to send a detachment of the knights to assist in this crusade."
The elderly man nodded. "It is less than we hoped, but more than we feared."
"Quite," the woman added.
"Even so," Prrcyvel continued, "I fear I must stay behind. I have my duties to the King."
"But," the woman replied, "if you do not help us, the world may be endangered, not just Camelot."
Prrcyvel smiled. "That has already been taken care of." He led the pair over to where the companions waited. "These people are also heading to Africa. I have no doubts that they will be a great asset to your quest." He then turned to the companions. "My friends, it gives me great pleasure to present to you Ms. Erin Tarn."
Ranma studied the woman. She was in her sixties, with short, gray hair and a build that could be described as plump. A second image of her flashed through his mind. He recognized it as an aura reading Pirotess had performed. The woman was average in every way but her intellect, and Ranma could see that she moved like a school teacher rather than any sort of warrior.
"Really," Conner's dry tone broke the silence. "I didn't know you knights had a sense of humor."
The trio seemed taken aback. "What are you talking about, young man?" the woman asked.
"Simple," Ranma replied, "I've read a couple of your books. Since you don't have any mention of other sources, I assume that many of those passages, such as the vampire encounters, are first hand accounts. Is that correct?"
"Yes," the woman looked a little annoyed.
"Then there are three choices. Either you grossly understated the size and firepower of your little group, you got those stories from other sources, or you are not Erin Tarn, because there is no way a woman like you could survive half the things you claim to have encountered."
"And who are you to make such claims."
Ranma did a short, elaborate, and mocking bow. "Ranma Saotome, at your service. With me," he indicated each of the companions in turn, "is my wife Deedlit, along with Ryoga Hibiki, Pirotess, Catti-brie, Conner Hamilton, and Emeralda Kasim."
The woman looked a little surprised. "So you are that little infamous group that has half the major powers on this planet offering a kings ransom, each, for your heads?"
"The same," Ryoga replied.
"Well, what proof do you have of your own identities, since you seem so unsure of mine?"
In response to that, the doors to the throne room opened again, and Drizzt walked out, Guenhwyvar striding easily at his side. Turning quickly, he bowed toward the open doorway.
"It will be my pleasure, your Majesty," he said, "to return once my business is compete." Rising from the bow, he walked over to his friends as the doors closed.
"That's our proof," Ryoga said, "right Ranma?" Receiving no response, Ryoga looked toward where his friend had been, then up at the ceiling, where Ranma was clinging to a skylight.
Drizzt sighed, then dismissed Guenhwyvar back to the astral plane. "What is this about?" As Ranma dropped back to the floor, Deedlit handled the introductions. Drizzt eyed the woman, assessing her abilities in his own way. "I had a feeling those books were fiction," he finally said. (2)
Prrcyvel chuckled. "I see this will be an interesting journey. Too bad I have to miss it."
******
Why do we have to travel with them?" Ryoga asked.
Pirotess glanced back at the old woman's group. "Because, we don't know where to go once we get to Africa. They apparently know where this 'gathering' is."
"Right," Ranma commented. "And on the way, we have to protect them from whatever the universe decides to throw at us, like those giants over there."
Following Ranma's gaze, the companions spotted three hulking humanoids. They were around six meters tall, heavily muscled, and ugly as sin.
"You get the leader," Ryoga said, summoning his hammer, "then help me with the other two."
"Wait," Tarn called. "We don't know if they are hostile. You can't just attack."
A boulder crashing to the ground in front of her cut off any further arguments.
"If you couldn't even tell that the one in back was ready to throw," Ranma criticized, "how do you expect to save the world?"
Ryoga ran toward the trio, changing direction every few seconds to avoid further attacks. Ranma stood his ground, his body glowing with a faint blue light. The light pulsed outward from his torso, down his arms, and seemed to ignite at his elbows, forming growing balls of fire in his hands.
There are several types of magic users in the Megaverse. The majority use words, gestures, and occasionally exotic materials as foci for their spells to work. A smaller group uses thoughts augmented by simple gestures to form their spells. The final group can manipulate magical energies with mere thoughts (though very few mortals have this power). There are exceptions, of course. In some backwater universes, the mages are so primitive that the spells are wiped from their memories once cast, requiring them to relearn the spell each time they wish to cast it. Ranma is another example. Like most magic users, he can cast simple spells with little more than a thought, gesture, and perhaps a word or two. For more complex, or powerful spells, the process is a little different. In the case of advanced spells (and a few of his combat techniques), the energy is built up and focused with a thought, but he must shout a trigger phrase to release the energy. Now is one such time.
"Gattling Fire!" Ranma called, using his speed punching ability to hurl dozens of small fireballs at the lead giant. The slight spark of intelligence in the brute's eyes was overwhelmed by rage and pain as he was quickly char-broiled. The crispy critter had his face quickly smashed by a throw of Ryoga's hammer, dropping him permanently.
The other two had a crisis going through their small brains. An argument was occurring between common sense (also knows as survival instincts) and emotions (also known as rage). Unfortunately, rage won out and the two twenty foot lardballs waddled toward the two martial artists, attempting to smash them.
One of them managed to hit Ryoga, driving the hammer-wielding youth into the ground. While the attacker examined the hole in the ground where it's target had been, Ranma produced his staff and charged the other giant. Leaping to it's shoulder, Ranma jumped again as the giant tried to punch him off, hitting it's own head instead. Shaking his head, Ranma put the stupid thing out of it's misery with a single slice across it's broad throat.
As his target tumbled to the ground, Ranma watched the spot where Ryoga had disappeared. The giant was standing over the hole that the lost boy had disappeared down.
"Hey, ugly," Ranma called, "how're your hemorrhoids?"
The giant fell onto it's rear as the ground it had been standing on became unstable. A ring of cracks formed a few feet in each direction as a huge plug of earth was lifted from the ground. Ranma saw Ryoga straining under the weight of the soil, rock, and giant. With a grunt, Ryoga heaved the mass from his shoulders into the sky. As the plug's flight began to slow, Ryoga summoned his hammer and threw it upward. The hammer hit the plug as it descended, shattering it and continuing through to hit the giant on his way down. Jumping away, Ryoga barely got clear before the giant landed with a crash. Walking over to the prone form, Ryoga tapped the side of it's head with Aegis-Fang.
"Wake up, or your sore ass is the least you'll have to worry about."
"Go 'way, stupid humans."
"Human? How rude," Deedlit commented, walking up. "So, tall, fat, and gruesome, why don't you tell us why you attacked us?"
"No."
"Well," Ranma shrugged, "this could just be a random giant attack, they happen sometimes."
"Do you really believe that?" Ryoga asked.
"No," came the quick reply.
"Neither do I. Ashram?"
"Maybe."
Before Ranma could continue, the giant got his second wind. Leaping to his feet, and causing a small quake at the same time, he swung his huge fists at Pirotess.
The blow never landed, because Ryoga was right between the giant's legs, swinging his hammer upward.
*CRUNCH!*
Ranma, Conner, Drizzt, and every other male within viewing range instinctively moved their hands to shield the same spot on their bodies, while the women winced in sympathy. The giant, on the other hand, crossed his eyes as he fell back, quite dead.
Ryoga hooked his hammer back onto his belt and dusted his hands off. "I always keep my word," he spat at the corpse.
"What word?" Drizzt asked.
Pirotess answered, giggling. "The word that the next person to attack me would have their testicles shoved so far up their abdomen that it would take a heart surgeon to get them out." (3)
"Ouch," Conner commented, looking over the body.
Emeralda examined it closer, then shrugged. "Close enough."
"Let's just move on," Deedlit instructed, "in case there's more of them."
*******
The boat was rickety, leaking, and a dozen other adjective to describe things you don't want to see on a boat. It was also the only way they could get to mainland Europe.
"Why can't we just fly?" Ryoga asked.
"Because of them," Ranma replied, pointing to the other passengers. Besides Erin Tarn and her group, there were around twenty knights of Camelot, all armed to the teeth.
Iceman and Maestro arrived a few minutes before, delivering the group's equipment, and were waiting just outside the harbor complex. Drizzt was giving Conner some instructions, while Deedlit argued with the boat's captain about his fee.
When the negotiations were finished, Deedlit rejoined the group.
"Okay," she explained, "it took some doing, but I managed to get eight seats plus room in the hold for our stuff."
"Six." Drizzt commented.
"What?" Deedlit looked bewildered.
"We're not going," Catti-brie explained, "not yet."
Shouts of "What!" came from Deedlit, Pirotess, and Emeralda.
"Do not forget our original purpose," Drizzt instructed. "We will see it through, then join you in Africa."
"How will you find us?" Emeralda asked.
Conner produced a small disk. "This is a signal-bounce homing device. If one of the Veritechs sends out a transmission along the right frequency, and they're within five hundred miles, they can find us."
"That's still a long way."
"Not when they're traveling at mach 8," Ranma commented.
"Good point," Deedlit replied.
"How long will it take?" Pirotess asked.
"We should be done shortly after you arrive on the dark continent," Drizzt explained. "Hopefully, we'll find you before the Apocalypse Demons become too much trouble."
Good-bye's were said, and the two groups went their separate ways, one toward the boat, the other toward the two Veritechs. Both knew they would see each other again. No force in the universe would come between them (and live long, anyway).
End Chapter 5.
Notes:
1: As a joke, I was half tempted to have several of the male characters sing the Knights of the Round Table song from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Instead I'll just add that to my list of outtakes to be released when Guardian's Soul is finished. (about three more chapters after this one, I think)
2: For those who might be saying "huh?" at that whole scene, Erin Tarn is a character from the Rift's RPG. Most of the world information is written, at least in part, from her experiences. Problem is, when discussing the game with several other players (and the GM), we determined that there was no way she traveled to the places she went (including Mexico, Wormwood, and the Black Forest) and survive.
3: Hands down one of the best lines from the Ender's Game series, I've been waiting for a chance to use it.
My apologies to those who think that parts of the chapter are a little rushed, but after getting stuck at some points, it seemed better to skip those parts, and fill in the missing info with the characters thoughts.
Here's a bit that didn't make it into chapter 6 (couldn't find the right excuse):
"Hey, Deed, that sounds like your voice."
Deedlit listened, and went pale as the words the mysterious voice was chanting became clear. "Duck!" she called, hitting the ground.
In near distance, the short figure standing in front of the horseman held her hands in from of her and called out, "Giga Slave!"
There was a very big boom.
When the dust and smoke cleared, there was a very big crater, with the slim spellcaster at the edge of it. There was no sign the demon's mount, but War was climbing out of the crater, his armor slightly singed.
The demon's voice came into the companions minds. *That tickled.*